726 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1011 



found in the reports of superintendents and 

 school doctors, and measures the efficiency of 

 the systems by the application of a few com- 

 mon-sense statistics and the principles of 

 scientific management. He shows in a most 

 convincing way the inefficiency of some of the 

 methods in vogue and offers a plan which 

 ought to be taken as a model until experience 

 shall have given us something better. 



The book reveals a broad grasp of the 

 larger significance of educational hygiene, 

 and points clearly to the many dangers of 

 misplaced emphasis in this new but promising 

 field of child welfare. It should be studied 

 especially by school superintendents, school 

 doctors, school nurses and social welfare 

 workers. 



The appearance of the book is somewhat 

 marred by a rather unattractive make-up ; and 

 the author's style, while vigorous and inter- 

 esting, is not always as direct and clear as one 

 would like. 



Lewis M. fTERJiAN 



Stanford Univeesity 



INVESTIGATIONS IN TEE ATLANTIC 

 OCEAm 



Measurements of the temperature and 

 salinity of the surface water of the Atlantic 

 Ocean have for many years been carried out 

 by route steamers and other vessels traversing 

 these waters. The necessity of systematically 

 conducted investigations, of both hydrographic 

 and biological character, not only at the sur- 

 face, but also in deep water, is pointed out. 

 Such a systematic investigation of the whole 

 of the Atlantic Ocean must be regarded as 

 one of the most important scientific and prac- 

 tical tasks of the future. 



Pettersson and Drechsel were intrusted by 

 the Central Bureau of the International Study 

 of the Sea, with the task of drawing up a 

 memorandum as to the ways and means by 

 which an international reconnaissance of the 

 Atlantic Ocean could be organized in the near 

 future. These gentlemen have conferred with 



1 Abstract of a report by Petterson and Drech- 

 sel. The address of Pettersson is: Professor Otto 

 Pettersson, Holma i Brastad, Sweden. 



many of the leading authorities on oceanog- 

 raphy in other countries. 



The authors concluded, as the result of such 

 conferences, that the matter could not be 

 farthered by the ordinary discussions and reso- 

 lutions on the part of learned societies. The 

 only way was to seize the first favorable op- 

 portunity of commencing the investigations. 

 The first trans- At! antic hydrographical inves- 

 gation would probably have to be made from 

 ships in the naval service. Coastal seas could 

 be studied only by real investigation steamers, 

 specially fitted for fishery-biological work. 



The following program was drawn up : 

 I. Investigation of Coastal Seas; 



II. Transatlantic Investigation. 



These investigations are to be carried out 

 simultaneously, since in this way a more com- 

 prehensive view can be obtained of the actual 

 condition of the Atlantic Ocean in summer 

 and winter. After the general survey has 

 been made, special investigations of individual 

 questions can be taken up. To complete such 

 investigations it is important that the coun- 

 tries bordering on the Atlantic Ocean should 

 cooperate. Great Britain and the United 

 States have already cooperated, and France 

 and Canada should also participate. For the 

 investigation of the coastal seas, the following 

 program is suggested. 



(a) Quarterly cruises to be made to the 

 northeastern pari of the Atlantic water system, 

 from Iceland to Spitzbergen, including the 

 North Sea, the Skagerack, the Cattegat and 

 the Baltic. 



it) In reference to the Iceland-Faeroe- 

 Wyville Thomson ridge, the Eockall channel 

 and the mouth of the Channel, it is to be hoped 

 that the former will be investigated by the 

 Scottish, Danish and Norwegian commissions, 

 and the mouth of the Channel by the Irish 

 Fishery Department. 



(c) In the sea east and west of Greenland 

 the determination of the conditions with re- 

 gard to ice is of prime importance. The 

 Danish Meteorological Institute has already 

 done good work in this field. 



(d) We do not possess a single hydrograph- 

 ical section through the Labrador current, and 



