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. 



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

 Astronomy ; T. C. Mendbnhall, Physics ; K. H. Thurston, Engineering ; Ira Eemskn, Chemistry ; 

 Charles D. Walcott, Geology ; W. M. Davis, Physiography ; Henry F. Osborn, Paleon- 

 tology ; W. K. Brooks, C. Hart Merriam, Zoology ; S. H. Scdddee, Entomology ; C. E. 

 Bkssey, 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, September 12, 1902. 



CONTEXTS: 



Scientific Research — the Art of Revelation 

 and of Prophecy: Peofessok R. H. Thurs- 

 ton 401 



On Some Recent Advances in the Fireproof- 

 ing Treatment of Wood: Samuel P. Sadt- 

 LER 424 



American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science: — 



Twentieth Annual Report of the Committee 

 on Indexing Chemical Literature 428 



Scientific Books: — 



Jahrhuch der Chemie: E. T. Allen. 

 Kiikenthal's Leitfaden fiir das zoologische 

 Praktikum: Professor Henry F. Nach- 



TEIEB 431 



Scientific Journals and Articles 431 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



'Effective Forces': Professor L. M. Hos- 

 KINS. Reference Books in Nomenclature : 

 Henry E. Baum 432 



Shorter Articles: — 



The Physiology of Sea Water: Rodney H. 

 True. Bertiella, New Name for the Cestode 

 Genus Berthia Blanchard: Dr. Ch. War- 

 dell Stiles and Albert Hassall. Notes 

 on Canker and Black-rot : P. J. O'Gara . . 433 



Paleontological Notes : — 



The Generic Name Omosaurus; A New Gen- 

 eric Name for Stegosam-us Marshi: F. A. 

 Lucas 435 



Anthropology in America 436 



Forestry in the Hawaiian Islamds 436 



Scientific Notes and News 437 



University and Educational News 440 



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

 for review stiould be sent to the responsible editor, Pro- 

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



SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: THE ART OF 

 REVELATION AND OF PROPHECY* 



Scientific research is the highest work 

 undertaken by the man of science, and it 

 can be undertaken with confidence only by 

 him who has made himself familiar with 

 the state of his art, to date, or by the genius 

 whose inspiration may, now and then, make 

 learning, for the time and the occasion, less 

 essential. Yet it is particularly true, in 

 science, that genius involves a talent for 

 hard work. That talent first achieves 

 learning, then seeks further knowledge 

 through research, skillfully interrogating 

 Nature. 



Scientific research may be defined as 

 'the Art of Revelation and of Prophecy.' 

 By investigation, commonly experimental, 

 the research is directed toward the ac- 

 quirement of new facts in a field in which, 

 at the moment, earlier gleaners either have 

 done little or, having explored the field 

 extensively, yet lack knowledge of certain 

 fundamental elements of the problem of 

 formulation of the laws relating to its phe- 

 nomena. It is sought to reveal a new 

 system of scientific phenomena, of natural 

 science, or to complete the partly developed 

 theory. When the facts are thus learned, 



* An address delivered before the Pennsylvania 

 Chapter of Sigma Xi, by Robert H. Thurston, 

 Philadelphia, June 14, 1902. 



