SCIENCE 



Friday, March 6, 1914 



CONTENTS 



The Solar Constant of Eadiation : Db. C. G. 

 Abbot 335 



Seth Carlo Chandler: Dr. Benjasiin Boss . . . 348 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 



Report of the Associate Secretary for the 

 Soitth : Db. E. M. Ogden 350 



Minutes of the Second Meeting of the Pa- 

 cific Coast Committee: De. E. P. Lewis . . . 352 



Scientific Notes and News 353 



University and Educational News 356 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Fossil Plants in the Panama Canal Zone: 

 De. Edwabd W. Beeet. What Grades Bep- 

 resent: De. P. N. Evans 357 



Scientific BooTcs: — 



Bose 's Besearches on the Irritahility of 

 Plants: Pbofessob B. E. Livingston. Coul- 

 ter's Elementary Studies in Botany: Pbo- 

 FESSOE Chables E. Bessey. Parle on "The 

 Evil Eye" : Pkopessor T. D. A. Cockebell. 358 



Beetles becoming Parasites: Pboeessor Yee- 

 NON L. Kellogg 360 



Special Articles: — 



The Decomposition of Soil Carbonates: W. 



H. MclNTIBE 361 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 

 Section. C — Chemistry: De. John .Johnston. 362 



Section F — Zoology: Peofessoe H. V. 

 Neal 364 



Societies and Academies: — 

 The American. Physical Society: Professor 

 A. D. Cole. The American Psychological 

 Society: Peofessoe H. L. Hollingwoeth. 370 



M8S. intended for publication and books, etc., intended for 

 rCTiew should be sent to Professor J. McKeen Cattell, Garripoo- 

 on-Hudson, N. Y. 



TB.E SOLAB CONSTANT OF BADIATION^ 

 We live in a world wfarmed by the sun. 

 While it is not to be expected that every- 

 body will devote himself to the measure- 

 ment of solar radiation, yet it is not sur- 

 prising that many have concerned them- 

 selves with measuring the quantity on 

 which all lives depend. So far as I am 

 aware, this subject was not pursued by the 

 ancients to such a point as to obtain meas- 

 urements worth much present considera- 

 tion. This is a great pity, for thus we lack 

 proof whether the sun's radiation has 

 changed progressively. Beginning about 

 a century ago investigations of solar radia- 

 tion were pursued with great assiduity by 

 various observers. The need was almost 

 immediately perceived of reducing the ob- 

 servations to represent conditions outside 

 the earth's atmosphere, as, for example, 

 on the moon, so as to be independent of the 

 haze and water vapor and even of the gas- 

 eous constituents of the air. It is required 

 to know the measure of solar radiation in 

 free space as an index of the condition of 

 the sun, quite apart from its influence on 

 terrestrial affairs, but secondly it is of 

 great importance and interest to apply 

 this knowledge to promote meteorological 

 inquiries. 



Sir John Herschel, who was a pioneer in 

 solar radiation work, proposed to express 

 solar radiation in terms of a unit which he 

 called the actine, which is based on the 

 melting of ice. But by general consent 

 the gram calorie has been adopted as the 

 unit of measurement, and we say that the 



1 Address delivered before the Philosophical So- 

 ciety of Washington, .January 3, 1914, as retiring 

 president. 



