388 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 375. 



by W. F. Denning on 'Eeal Paths of Brilliant 

 Meteors'; by J. 0. Kapteyn, J. K. Eees and 

 W. H. Pickering, ' On the Motion of the Nebu- 

 lae in the Vicinity of the Nova Persei.' The 

 Rev. Q. A. Wheat concludes his series of 

 papers upon the 'Eclipse Aid to Chronology,' 

 and Dr. Wilson contributes further observa- 

 tions of the 'Light Curve of the New Star in 

 Perseus.' 



The first number of a botanical monthly, 

 called The New Phytologist has appeared in 

 England. Professor A. G. Tansley, of the 

 University College, London, is its editor and 

 the subscription price is 10 shillings a year. 

 This journal will seek to satisfy an apparent 

 need in Great Britain for a botanical journal 

 with educational aims uppermost. Accord- 

 ingly especial attention will be given to dis- 

 cussions of scientific questions, methods of 

 teaching and research, notices of important 

 books and papers and preliminary notes. 

 Realizing the labor and sacrifice which such 

 an undertaking involves, we wish Professor 

 Tansley every success and trust that he will 

 obtain cordial support from this side of the 

 water. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



THE IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The sixteenth annual meeting of the Iowa 

 Academy of Sciences was held in Des Moines 

 on December 26 and 2Y, Professor A. A. Veb- 

 len presiding. The meetings were well at- 

 tended and much interest was taken in the 

 program. Thirty papers were presented, many 

 of the more technical being read by title. 



The address of the retiring president. Pro- 

 fessor A. A. Veblen, was on 'The Relation of 

 Physics to the other Material Sciences.' 

 Physics was the first of the material sciences 

 to develop the modern methods of research. 

 The other branches are greatly indebted to 

 physics for the aids it furnished them, and 

 they in turn are under obligation to physics 

 for the help it has rendered them. Professor 

 Veblen also described several models; one to 

 show the transmission of a wave by transverse 

 vibration; another to illustrate the longitudi- 

 nal or sound wave ; and a third for compound- 

 ing simple harmonic motions. 



'Preliminary Notes on the Flora of Western 

 Iowa, especially from the Physiographical 

 Ecological Standpoint,' was the subject of a 

 paper read by Professor L. H. Pammel. The 

 effects of the soil, climate, altitude, tempera- 

 ture and rainfall on the flora of the region 

 were considered. The flora of the different 

 physiographic regions was given, including the 

 plants of the Missouri floodplain, the bluffs 

 and the upland. 



Professor Herbert Osborn presented a paper 

 on the 'Factors of Extinction.' More atten- 

 tion has been devoted to the factors concerned 

 in the production of new types than to the 

 factors of extinction. It is worth while to 

 attempt to formulate those factors which are 

 especially concerned in the elimination of life 

 forms. They were summarized as follows: 



(1) That extinction which comes from 

 modification or progressive evolution, a relega- 

 tion to the past as a result of the transmuta- 

 tion into more advanced forms. (2) Extinc- 

 tion from changes of physical environment 

 which outrun the powers of adaptation. (3) 

 The extinction which results from competi- 

 tion. (4) The extinction from extreme spe- 

 cialization and limitation to special conditions 

 the loss of which means extinction. (5) Ex- 

 tinction as a result of exhaustion. 



Professor Maurice ■ Ricker described a 

 'Large Red Hydra,' found in large numbers 

 in Echo Lake, Flathead County, Montana. 

 The animals are bright coral red in color and 

 the larger ones measure when feeding five 

 eighths of an inch from mouth to proximal end. 

 None of the tentacles was less than two and 

 one-half inches long. So far as known, no 

 other hydra has ever been collected in the 

 State. 



The following oiEcers were elected for 1902 : 

 President, H. E. Summers, of Iowa State Col- 

 lege, Ames, Iowa; First Vice-President, J. L. 

 Tilton, of Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa; 

 Second Vice-President, S. W. Beyer, of Iowa 

 State College, Ames, Iowa; Secretary, A. G. 

 Leonard, of the Iowa Geological Survey, Des 

 Moines, Iowa, and Treasurer, B. Shimek, of 

 the State University, Iowa City, Iowa. 

 A. G. Leonard, 



Secretary. 



