April 17, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



571 



later on the establishment of the experimental 

 farms system. Dr. James Fletcher, who occu- 

 pied the position, was attached to the new 

 branch of the Department of Agriculture in 

 the joint capacity of entomologist and botan- 

 ist, which position he occupied with conspicu- 

 ous success until his death in 1908. The 

 growth in importance of the subjects necessi- 

 tated their separation and accordingly divi- 

 sions of entomology and botany were created. 

 Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt was appointed Domin- 

 ion entomologist in 1909 and entrusted with 

 the work of organizing the new division of 

 entomology of the experimental farms branch 

 of the Department of Agriculture, with offices 

 and laboratory at the Central Experimental 

 Farm, Ottawa. 



The urgent need of legislation in order to 

 permit action to be taken to prevent the in- 

 troduction into Canada and spread within the 

 country of serious insect pests and plant dis- 

 ease was responsible for the passage of the 

 Destructive Insect and Pest Act in 1910. The 

 still greater need of investigations on the in- 

 sect pests affecting agriculture, forestry and 

 other branches of human activity has led to 

 the establishment of field or regional labora- 

 tories in different parts of Canada with trained 

 entomologists in charge to study local prob- 

 lems. 



Owing to the consequent expansion of the 

 entomological work along investigatory and 

 administrative lines and the fact that such 

 work did not constitute a necessary part of 

 the work of the experimental farms system 

 and executively was virtually distinct, the 

 entomological service has now been separated 

 from the experimental farms branch and has 

 been constituted an independent branch of the 

 Department of Agriculture under the direc- 

 tion of the Dominion entomologist. It is pro- 

 posed to erect a building to provide offices and 

 laboratories for the new entomological branch. 

 Will correspondents kindly note that all offi- 

 cial conununications and publications should 

 be addressed to " The Dominion Entomologist, 

 Department of Agriculture, Ottawa." 



This reorganization, which will also include 

 the establishment of a national collection of 



the insects of Canada in the Canadian Na- 

 tional Museum (The Victoria Memorial Mu- 

 seum) at Ottawa under the care of the Domin- 

 ion entomologist, marks an important step in 

 Canadian entomology. It will result in a still 

 greater development of the study of Canadian 

 insects along scientific and practical lines. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



At the meeting of the American Philosoph- 

 ical Society to be held at Philadelphia on 

 April 23, 24 and 25, a large and important 

 program of scientific papers will be presented. 

 An account of the meeting with abstracts of 

 the papers will be published in Science. 



Mr. F. W. Hodge, of the Bureau of Ameri- 

 can Ethnology, has been elected an honorary 

 member of the Sociedad Cientifica Antonio 

 Alzate of the City of Mexico. 



Professor Lawrence Martin, of the Uni- 

 versity of Wisconsin, has been elected a cor- 

 responding member of the Kaiserlich-Konig- 

 liche Geographische Gesellschaft in Vienna. 



The Austrian Zooological and Botanical So- 

 ciety has awarded the Archduke Eainer gold 

 medals to two members of Tale University, 

 Dr. Ross G. Harrison, Bronson professor of 

 comparative anatomy, and Dr. George R. Wie- 

 land, lecturer in paleobotany. 



The British Local Government Board has 

 authorized the following special researches, to 

 be paid for out of the annual grant in aid of 

 scientific investigations concerning the causes 

 and processes of disease: 



1. An investigation by Dr. Eardley Holland 

 into the causes of stillbirths. 



2. A continuation of the Board's inquiry into 

 the cellular contents of milk by Professor Sims 

 Woodhead. 



3. A continuation of the Board's inquiry into 

 the causes of premature arterial degeneration by 

 Dr. F. W. Andrewes. 



4. An investigation by Dr. M. H. Gordon and 

 Dr. A. E. Gow into the etiology of epidemic diar- 

 rhoea La chUdren. 



The council of the Eoyal Geographical So- 

 ciety has decided to award their royal medals 

 and other honors for the present year aa fol- 



