SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, 

 Astronomy ; T. C. Mendbnhall, Physics ; K. H. Thurston, Engineering ; Iea Rbmsen, Chemistry ; 

 Charles D. Walcott, Geology ; W. M. Davis, Physiography ; Hknry F. Osboen, Paleon- 

 tology ; W. K. Beooks, C. Hart Merriam, Zoology ; S. H. Scudder, Entomology ; C. E. 

 Bessey, N. L. Britton, Botany ; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology ; H. P. Bow- 

 ditch, Physiology ; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; William H. Welch, Pathol- 

 ogy ; J. McKeen Cattbll, Psychology ; J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, August 22, 1902. 



The National Observatory Question in its 

 Latest Phase 281 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 



Section G, Chemistry 282 



Memhership of the Association 293 



The Botanical Society of America: Dr. D. T. 

 MacDougal 294 



The International Aeronautical Congress: A. 

 Lawkence Botch 296 



Scientific Books: — 



James on Varieties of Religious Experi- 

 ence: Dk. Dickinson S. Miller. Herd- 

 man and Dawson on Fish and Fisheries of 

 the Irish Sea: Dr. H. M. Smith. Studies 

 from the Chemical Laboratory of the Shef- 

 field Scientific School: Professor Albert 

 B. Prescott. Hubert on the Foundations 

 of Geometry: Professor George Bruce 

 Halsted 301 



Scientific Journals and Articles 308 



Societies and Academies: — 



The American Anthropological Association : 



W J M 309 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Blue Foxes on the Pribylof Islands: Dr. 

 Leonhakd Stejneger. Types versus Resi- 

 dues : 0. F. Cook 310 



Shorter Articles: — 



Nature of the Specific Bacterial Toxins: 

 Dr. V. C. Vaughan. A Bacterial Soft Rot 

 of Certain Cruciferous Plants and Anior- 

 phophallus Simlense: H. A. HAnnixfi. F. C. 

 Stewart. Note on the Miilli/ili Images 

 formed by Two Plane Iiiclincil Mirrors: 

 Dr. Morton Githens Lloyd 312 



The Planet Eros 317 



The Marine Biological Laboratory and the 

 Carnegie Institution 317 



'Scientific Notes atid News 317 



University and Educational News 320 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor. Pro- 

 fessor J. McKeen Cattell, Garrison-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



THE NATIONAL OBSERVATORY QUESTION 

 IN ITS LATEST PHASE. 



The newspapers have announced, we sup- 

 pose on good authority, that Captain Colby 

 M. Chester, U. S. N., has been selected as 

 Supei'intendent of the Naval Observatory. 

 It seems from these dispatches that the posi- 

 tion is recognized as the most attractive 

 and desirable in the gift of the Navy De- 

 partment, and is tendered to an officer 

 whose professional abilities and personal 

 character are of so high a class as to render 

 him eminently worthy of the reward. On 

 the old theory that offices are rewards of 

 merit, the action of the Department will 

 doubtless meet general approval. And yet, 

 the abnormality of the situation is such 

 that we hope not to weary our readers if we 

 summarize its principal features. 



1. The institution in question is, not- 

 withstanding its name, the national observa- 

 tory of the United States. It has no ra- 

 tional purpose of existence except a desire 

 on the part of the American people that 

 our nation shall, in its public capacity, do 

 its full share in the promotion of those 

 branches of astronomy which have to be 

 pursued under public auspices. The lead- 



