July 13, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



57 



after all, seem to be creodonts and not marsupials. 

 Furthermore, light is also thrown on the nu- 

 merous points of similarity between Struthiones 

 and the Rheis, especially when it is remembered 

 that a large ratite bird, Eremopezus, existed in 

 the Eocene of Africa. As to the ungulates, it 

 seems likely that the separation of the two areas 

 took place when the main divisions were only just 

 beginning to be differentiated, and that groups 

 like the Pyrotheria and the Archseohyracidse are 

 not ancestral to tlie Proboscidea and Hyracoidea 

 of the old world, but more probably represent 

 terms of partly parallel series which had a com- 

 mon ancestry on the common land-surface before 

 the separation of the two regions took place. If 

 this were so, we should expect to meet with a 

 general resemblance between the various groups 

 rather than a close similarity of structure, and 

 this, in fact, is what we find. In the case of the 

 occurrence of the primitive sirenian Prorastomus 

 in the West Indies, and of the water-snake 

 Pterosphenus in the Eocene beds of Alabama, it 

 seems likely that these animals passed either 

 along the southern coast of the Eocene Atlantic 

 or across the bridge of shallow water between the 

 chain of islands above referred to as probably 

 lying between West Africa and Brazil. 



The work is admirably printed and illus- 

 trated, and includes reference to all of the 

 literature; and the author as well as the di- 

 rectors and trustees of the British Museum 

 are greatly to be congratulated. 



Henry F, Osborn. 



THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERY CONGRESS, 



1908. 



At the Paris universal exposition of 1900 

 there was held an international congress of 

 fisheries and pisciculture, a permanent com- 

 mittee on international fishery congresses was 

 formed, and plans were laid for holding such 

 congresses regularly in various countries. The 

 first congress was under the presidency of 

 Professor Edmond Perrier, director of the 

 National Museum of Natural History in 

 Paris. The second congress met in St. Peters- 

 burg in 1902, under the presidency of Hon. 

 Vladimir Weschniakow, secretary of state and 

 president of the Eussian Imperial Fishery So- 

 ciety. The last congress convened at Vienna 

 in 1905 and was presided over by Professor 



Dr. Franz Steindachner, director of the Im- 

 perial Museum of Natural History in Vienna. 

 I attended that congress as the representative 

 of the United States, and extended an official 

 invitation to hold the next meeting in America 

 in 1908, the invitation being unanimously 

 accepted. The place of meeting is Washing- 

 ton, D. C, and the time is September 22 to 

 26 inclusive. It is a source of gratification 

 to announce that the president of the next 

 congress is Dr. Hermon C. Bumpus, director 

 of the American Museum of Natural History. 



In connection with the congress there have 

 been arranged a number of competitive awards 

 for the best or most important investigations, 

 discoveries, inventions, etc., relative to fish- 

 eries, aquiculture, ichthyology, fish pathology 

 and related subjects during the years 1906, 

 1907 and 1908. The awards will be in the 

 form of money; and, although the individual 

 amounts are not large, it is hoped that the 

 conferring of the awards by so representative 

 a body will induce many persons to compete 

 and will result in much benefit to the fisheries 

 and fish culture. The following awards have 

 thus far been provided, and others may be 

 announced later: 



By the American Fisheries Society: For a 

 paper embodying the most important original ob- 

 servations and investigations regarding the cause, 

 treatment and prevention of a disease affecting 

 a species of fish under cultivation. $100. 



By the American Museum of Natural History: 

 For an original paper describing and illustrating 

 by specimens the best method of preparing fish 

 for museum and exhibition purposes. $100. 



By Forest and Stream: For the best paper 

 giving description, history and methods of ad- 

 ministration of a water, or waters, stocked and 

 preserved as a commercial enterprise, in which 

 angling is open to the public on payment of a 

 fee. $50. 



By the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of 

 Arts and Sciences: For the best paper setting 

 forth a plan for an educational exhibit of fishes, 

 the species and specimens that should be shown, 

 the method of arrangement, and suggestions for 

 making such an exhibit instructive and attractive. 

 $100. 



By the New York Aquarium: For an exposition 

 of the best methods of combating fungus disease 

 in fishes in captivity. $150. 



