152 



SCIENCE, 



[K S. Vol. XXIV. No. 605. 



was found in association with a large number 

 of shark teeth. 



In both instances the strata in which the 

 Desmostylus remains occur are typical marine 

 deposits, evidently of Miocene age. The 

 fauna of these formations is in the main that 

 of the open sea rather than of the shore, and 

 it is difficult to conceive of proboscideans as 

 occurring typically in these beds. The pre- 

 sumptive evidence, therefore, points pretty 

 definitely toward an aquatic type as the one 

 from which these remains have come. 



Of the previously described American speci- 

 mens we have known very little concerning 

 the occurrence. The only one of which we 

 have any definite information is in the collec- 

 tion of Professor Thomas Condon, of the Uni- 

 versity of Oregon, who informed me that it 

 was 'picked up on the Yaquina beach, which 

 is throughout marine.' Marsh states that the 

 type specimen was found associated with the 

 remains of a mastodon, a camel, a large eden- 

 tate, and one or more species of horse, appar- 

 ently indicating that the deposits were of 

 alluvial or fresh-water origin. Unfortunately, 

 there is no record to indicate exactly where 

 or under what circumstances the material was 

 obtained. The occurrence of the other three 

 specimens from California is also very un- 

 certain. 



Influenced by the statement of Marsh, the 

 writer inclined originally to the view that 

 Desmostylus was obtained in fresh-water de- 

 posits. At the present moment, the only defi- 

 nite evidence fails to lend support to this view. 

 In the case of the Japanese material the evi- 

 dence is of much the same character as that 

 now available here. It was associated with 

 the teeth of the shark, Oarcharias japonicus, 

 and with the marine shell Solen. Impressions 

 of some land plants were also found, and the 

 authors expressed the view that the deposits, 

 though marine, were of shallow-water origin. 

 Possibly the range extends from marine beds 

 through estuary deposits in both America and 

 Japan. 



Although the above notes do not give us 

 very satisfactory information as to the habitat 

 of Desmostylus, such evidence as is now be- 

 fore us indicates that this form is an aquatic 



animal and, therefore, probably a sirenian 

 rather than a proboscidean. If Desmostylus 

 were a typical proboscidean distributed from 

 Japan to southern California, one would ex- 

 pect to find it ranging some distance inland 

 on both continents. While its non-appearance 

 inland might be due to our having overlooked 

 it in collecting, its appearance in the marginal 

 marine deposits on both sides of the Pacific 

 suggests that its wide range was over the sea. 

 John C. Merriam. 



QUOTATIONS. 



THE FACULTIES IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. 



In discussing a paper by Professor Andrew 

 P. West, of Princeton University, presented 

 at the seventh annual conference of the Asso- 

 ciation of American Universities, President 

 Van Hise, of the University of Wisconsin, 

 said: 



I believe that unity in a university is more im- 

 portant than administrative efScieney, and just 

 so sure as the president and deans and councils 

 are made superior to the faculty the university 

 will lose unity. Indeed, to control general uni- 

 versity policies, I believe in a single university 

 faculty which includes every member of the in- 

 structional force, so far as participation in debate 

 is concerned, with every person of professorial 

 rank as voting members. To that faculty the 

 various administrative committees should be ac- 

 countable, and while they may have full power 

 in carrying out settled policies, important varia- 

 tions of policy should be reviewed by the faculty. 

 This proposal of course does not interfere with 

 the power of the faculties of the several colleges 

 to control their own affairs. It seems to me it 

 would be a profound mistake for the president to 

 depend upon his own initiative. If he is not 

 in close fellowship with his faculty, so that they 

 freely come to him , with their best suggestions, 

 the institution will make educational progress 

 very slowly indeed. It has been my privilege to 

 receive suggestions freely from the Wisconsin 

 faculty. For my own part, I would sooner see 

 a measure in which I believe not passed, than to 

 have it passed over the faculty. If I can not pre- 

 sent the advantages of the measure so that it 

 appeals to their reason, then, in all probability, 

 I am wrong in my educational policy. It may be 

 that in some cases the faculty may be wrong; edu- 

 cational progress might have gone a little faster, 

 had the faculty been overruled; but the grand 



