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 



Friday, October 18, 1907 



CONTENTS 



Systematic Zoology — Its Progress arid Pur- 

 pose : Db. Theo. Gill 489 



Scientific Boohs: — 



Barker on Anatomical Terminology : J. P. 

 McM. Gray on the Lahyrinth of Animals: 

 Phofessob C. E. Bakdeen. Stejneger's 

 Herpetology of Japan : R. L. Ditmaes .... 505 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



A Plan of Publication for Agricultural 

 Experiment Station Investigations: Pbo- 

 FESSOB H. J. Webbeb. On the Effects of 

 Magnesium Sulphate on Plants: Db. Oscab 

 LoEw 509 



Special Articles: — 



The Spark Chronoscope: Pbofessoe C. E. 

 Seashoee. a Vector Diagram : Pbofessob 

 Elleet W. Davis 512 



Quotations : — 

 Living on our Capital 514 



Abstracts for Evolutionists: Pbofessoe T. D. 



A. COCKEBELL 515 



Current Notes on Meteorology and Climatol- 

 ogy :— 

 Monthly Weather Bevieiv; Forests and 

 Rainfall; Influence of Forests upon Wind 

 Velocity; Thunderstorms and " False Cir- 

 rus " ; Climatology of South Africa; The 

 Weather Bureau; Salt of Marine Origin in 

 the Atmosphere: Pbofessoe R. DeC. Waed 517 



The Distribution of Radium in the Rocks of 

 the Simplon Tunnel: Pbofessoe J. Joly518 



The Arc of Peru: Isaac Winston 519 



Report of the International Commission on 

 Zoological Nomenclature: Db. Ch. Wae- 

 DELL Stiles 520 



Wilbur Olin Atwater 523 



Scientific Notes and News 524 



University and Educational Neios 526 



MSS. intended for publication and boots, etc., Intended for 

 review should be seat to the Editor of Science, Garriaon-on- 

 Uiioson, K. Y- 



SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY: ITS PROGRESS 

 AND PURPOSE* 



It is most fitting that in this year, when 

 the scientific world is commemorating the 

 natal centenaries of two naturalists who 

 have been regarded as the chief systemat- 

 ists of their times, consideration should be 

 given to the subject and object of their old 

 pursuits. Carl Linne, whose bicentenary 

 has been celebrated, was the man who first 

 provided an elaborate code of laws for the 

 nomenclature of all the kingdoms of nature 

 and set an example to others by provision 

 of concise and apt diagnoses of the groups 

 and species he recognized. Louis Agassiz, 

 who was born during the centenary year 

 of Linne, gave a grand impulse to the 

 study of nature in his adopted country, 

 raised it in popular esteem, taught new 

 methods of work and directed to new lines 

 of investigation. 



Of all the students of nature from the 

 time of Aristotle to the century of Linne, 

 none requires present notice as a system- 

 atic zoologist except John Eay, who was 

 the true scientific father of the Swede. 

 Born in 1627, he flourished in England 

 during the last quarter of the seventeenth 

 century, and died only two years before 

 the birth of Linne. 



JOHN RAY 



It was long ago truly afSrmed by Edwin 

 Lankester that "Ray has been pronounced 

 by Cuvier to be the first true systematist 

 of the animal kingdom, and the principal 



* Address before the Section of Systematic Zool- 

 ogy, Seventh International Zoological Congress. 



