August 8, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



231 



. nose' is as nothing in comparison to the milli- 

 meter on the end of a lark's tail ! If the phrases 

 in reference to color, such as 'much darker,' 

 ' decidedly paler,' ' much more yellowish,' etc., 

 indicate as trivial differences as the statements 

 regarding size, it is no wonder it was impos- 

 sible to express them ' intelligibly on paper.' 

 Turning now to Mr. Mearns' paper, we find 

 the same evidence of ability to distinguish 

 differences, which, while of course worthy of 

 note, are altogether too trivial to be in any 

 degree constant. The ' new ' subspecies of 

 grasshopper sparrow is said' to be ' smaller ' 

 than C. s. passerinus, yet the differences are so 

 slight that it is an exaggeration to say they 

 are two per cent, of the measurements. The 

 ' new ' martin is also said to be ' smaller ' than 

 the typical form, though the figures given belie 

 the statement. And finally the ' new ' Rocky 

 Mountain nut-hatch is boldly characterized as 

 the 'largest known form of Siita carolinensis,' 

 although by the measurements given it aver- 

 ages 1 mm. shorter than the typical form, and 

 the wing averages less than 3 mm. longer. Let 

 us hope that the statements in regard to color 

 mean more than those in regard to size. 



These two papers are not exceptional. One 

 cannot be at all familiar with American 

 ornithological and mammalogical literature 

 and not recall numerous cases of similar recog- 

 nition of utterly trivial differences. The chief 

 value of systematic zoology lies in its service 

 as a basis for progress in knowledge of the 

 laws of distribution, variation and evolution. 

 Eecognition of well-defined subspecies is essen- 

 tial to accurate knowledge, but bestowing 

 names upon all sorts of individual diversities 

 and inconstant trivialities is the very worst 

 extreme. In Mr. Oberholser's paper, his 

 first paragraph closes with these sensible words 

 (page 801) : ' But the manner and degree of 

 variation must be properly set forth before the 

 full significance of these facts can be appre- 

 ciated, and this should be the ultimate aim of 

 systematic research — not, as seems only too 

 often to be considered, the mere facilitation of 

 the determination of specimens in the Cabi- 

 net ' ; but can degrees of variation be properly 

 set forth if they cannot be ' intelligibly ex- 

 pressed on paper ' ? One can only feel that 



were Mr. Oberholser as quick to see resem- 

 blances as he is to detect differences, and as 

 eager to unify and reduce as he is to subdivide 

 and magnify, the result of his review of the 

 horned larks would have been very different, 

 much more acceptable and, I venture to think, 

 much nearer the truth. 



Hubert Lyman Clark. 



lelaxd stanford junior university, 

 a suggestion. 



The able and interesting address on 'The 

 Universities in Relation to Research,' by 

 President James Loudon which was published 

 in Science, June 27, 1902, constrains me to 

 venture a suggestion that I have had in my 

 mind for several months. 



At the outset may I assure my readers that 

 I make no pretension to a knowledge of all 

 the local conditions? I write merely as a 

 casual traveler, but one who is greatly im- 

 pressed with the prospects of California from 

 a non-material point of view. 



When I paid a hurried visit to Palo Alto 

 last November, I felt what a splendid oppor- 

 tiuiity there was for a new departure in the 

 history of universities. Nicely situated in a 

 beautiful country enjoying a fine climate, 

 with buildings of an interesting style of archi- 

 tecture and with a princely endowment, the 

 possibilities are very great. The well-equipped 

 university near the largest city of the state, 

 which is only some thirty miles distant, is 

 quite capable of supplying the academic needs 

 of the State for some time. There does not 

 appear to be, therefore, any pressing need for 

 the foundation of a new university on similar 

 lines to that of the State University. 



Supposing the university authorities re- 

 solved not to do any ordinary university teach- 

 ing, say for fifty years, but decided on making 

 it a home for all kinds of research, what might 

 not be the benefit to learning in general and 

 to the state in particular? If the most able 

 investigators and scholars were enticed to 

 make Palo Alto the center of their labors, 

 there is no knowing what good might result. 



Research first and foremost should be its 

 watchword, and students should be trained 

 solely for research, whether in the humanities 



