June 13, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



945 



and its liberal patron leads one to look for 

 results far more full and satisfying than liave 

 yet been secured. 



Charles K. Wead. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 



The Popular Science Monthly for June con- 

 tains a series of papers 'On the Definition of 

 some Modern Sciences,' presented originally 

 before the Philosophical Society of "Washing- 

 ton. The 'Introduction' is by W. H. Dall; 

 Carroll J). Wright defines 'Statistics,' Eoland 

 P. Falkner 'Political Economy,' E. A. Pace 

 'Psychology' and Lester E. Ward 'Sociology.' 

 Marshall 0. Leighton discusses 'The Com- 

 mercial Value of Human Life,' concluding 

 that the pecuniary value of life is subject to 

 the same economic laws as are applied to 

 other commodities. 'Instinct' by Douglas A. 

 Spaulding is a reprint of much value, as it 

 contains the record of a series of important 

 experiments on young birds which seem to 

 prove that instinct is indeed inherited mem- 

 ory. Arthur C. Scott has an article on the 

 •Educational Value of Photomicrography,' 

 describing some of the methods used and 

 showing some of the results obtained. John 

 AVaddell considers 'Sugar and the Sugar 

 Beet,' stating that the profits of beet raising 

 average twenty dollars per acre. There is a 

 biographical sketch of 'Peter Guthrie Tait' 

 by C. K. Edmunds and J. McKeen Cattell 

 presents some very decided ideas 'Concerning 

 the American University.' There are also 

 some good brief articles under 'The Progress 

 of Science.' 



In The American Naturalist for May 

 Henry F. Osbom discusses 'The Law of 

 Adaptive Eadiation,' the differentiation of 

 habit in several directions from a primitive 

 type. One of the conclusions reached is that 

 function precedes structure. Charles T. 

 Brues describes some 'New and Little Known 

 Guests of the Texan Legionary Ants,' and in 

 'The Structure and Classification of the 

 Tremataspidfe' William Patten presents the 

 evidence for the arthropod affinities of the 

 primitive 'fishes,' proposing for Pterichthys 

 and allied forms the new class Peltacephala. 

 Elliot W. Downing considers 'Variation in 



the Position of the Adductor Muscles of 

 Anadonta grandis Say.' The number con- 

 tains the Quarterly Record of Gifts, Appoint- 

 ments, Retirements and Deaths. 



The Plant World for April contains 'Sug- 

 gestions for the Preservation of Our Native 

 Plants' by E. H. Knowlton, 'Among Florida 

 i'erns' by A. H. Curtiss and shorter articles 

 and reviews. In the Supplement Charles L. 

 Pollard treats of the families of the Orders 

 Primulales and Ebenales and begins that of 

 the Gentianales. 



Bird Lore for May-June opens with an 

 article on 'The Increase of the Chestnut-sided 

 Warbler' by A. RadclyfEe Dugmore, illus- 

 trated with reproductions of some good photo- 

 graphs by the author. Francis H. Herrick 

 writes of ' The Chebec's First Brood,' and Ger- 

 ard A. Abbott describes 'A Grebe Colony.' 

 The fourth paper of the series 'How to Name 

 the Birds,' by Frank M. Chapman treats of 

 the Tanagers, Swallows, Waxwings and 

 Shrikes. The shorter articles, including 

 notes, reviews and editorial connnent, are all 

 interesting. 



The Museums Journal of Great Britain for 

 May contains a description of the new Glas- 

 gow Art Gallery and Museum, which was an 

 outcome of the successful international ex- 

 hibition of 1888. The cost will be not far 

 from $1,250,000. There is a series of notes on 

 'Some South African Museums' which shows ■ 

 that steady progress is being made in natural 

 science, and the balance of the number is taken 

 up with notes on British and foreign mu- 

 seums. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OP WASHINGTON. 



The 553d regular meeting was held May 10, 

 1902, Vice-President Gore in the chair. 



The first paper was by Dr. S. P. Langley, 

 ' On the Laws of Nature,' is printed in the cur- 

 rent issue of Science. 



Mr. C. G. Abbot, of the Smithsonian Astro- 

 physical Observatory, then read a paper on 

 'The Relation of the Sunspot Cycle to Me- 

 teorology.'* The author admitted as proved 



* This paper will appear in the Monthly 

 Weather Revieio for April. 



