October 25, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



549 



Especially in Gastropoda," by Leonard W. 

 Williams ; " The Poison Glands of Noturus 

 and Schilheodes" by Hugh D. Eeed; "The 

 Structure of the Silk Glands of Apanteles 

 glomeratus L.," by Eobert Matheson and A. 

 G. Euggles, and " The Nest of the Kelp Fish," 

 by Charles F. Holder. Mr. Reed states that 

 all species of Noturus and Schilheodes exam- 

 ined possess an axillary pore that is the 

 opening of a poison gland, and, in addition, 

 some species have poison glands about the 

 dorsal and pectoral spines. Species with ser- 

 rate spines have no spine glands. There are 

 no special muscles controlling the glands and 

 they are ruptured by the pressure of their 

 contents. Under Notes F. T. L. shows that 

 marked specific differences exist in the em- 

 bryos of vertebrates. 



The Museums Journal of Great Britain for 

 August contains an account of the Dundee 

 meeting of the Museums Association. The 

 gathering was attended by the curators of 

 twenty-nine museums, besides many asso- 

 ciates, and the papers read were thoroughly 

 practical; two papers dealt with the subject 

 of " School Museums." 



The Amerioan Museum Journal for October 

 has for frontispiece an excellent plate of " The 

 Warren Mastodon " and in the accompanying 

 article will be found measurements of the 

 skeleton, which has been admirably mounted; 

 it stands 9 feet 2 inches high, much lower 

 than the popular idea of the animal. There 

 are articles on " A Blackfoot Lodge, or Tepee," 

 "The Museum Whales," "A Diplodocus for 

 the Frankfurt Museum " and " The Robley 

 Collection of Maori Heads." This collection, 

 which is practically unique, comprises thirty- 

 five specimens; it will be described in detail 

 later. The museum has recently acquired 

 two examples of the rare Solen.odon paradoxus 

 from Haiti and a sea otter from Point Lobos, 

 Cal. 



The Zoological Society Bulletin for August, 

 which escaped notice at the time of its issue, 

 during the meeting of the International Zool- 

 ogical Congress, is devoted to the subject of 

 Zoology in New York. It contains articles on 



the universities and other educational institu- 

 tions, in whose curriculimi zoology plays an 

 important part; the museums of natural his- 

 tory, biological laboratories, zoological parks 

 and aquarium. There are brief accounts of 

 the scientific societies of Greater New York 

 and a list of the zoologists of New York and 

 vicinity, which includes about one hundred 

 names. 



The Museum News, of the Brooklyn Insti- 

 tute, for October, contains a good account of 

 the " Home of the Guacharo," Steatornis, de- 

 scribing a visit to a cave in Trinidad, where 

 a number of adults and young birds were ob- 

 tained. It is noted that the weight of the 

 excessively fat young is twice that of the old 

 bird. The installation of a group of fishes 

 about a coral reef is something of a novelty, be- 

 ing an attempt to give a glimpse of the life and 

 color of tropical seas. The principal article 

 in the section devoted to the Children's Mu- 

 seum describes the silkworm, which has been 

 made the subject of a rather extensive exhibit. 



The publication is announced in December 

 of a new international monthly, Revue des 

 etudes ethnographiqves et sociologiques, edited 

 under the direction of M. Arnold von Gennep 

 and published by Librairie Paul Geuthner. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 

 AS TO HOLOTHURIA 



To THE Editor of Science : In Science for 

 August 7, Dr. Gill calls attention to the fact 

 that the genus Holothuria as originally estab- 

 lished by Linna3us contains no species of the 

 group which since 1766 has been universally 

 called " holothurians." In the Zoologischer 

 Anzeiger for August 20, Dr. Poche makes the 

 same announcement and goes on to show some 

 of the resulting changes in nomenclature 

 which will be necessary if we adhere to the 

 International Code. Dr. Gill particularly 

 wishes to know what Dr. W. K. Fisher and I 

 propose to do about it. Dr. Fisher in Science 

 for September 20 states his position : he elects 

 to adhere to the code and accordingly abandons 

 Holothuria. In this I am quite unable to 

 follow him, although I find no reason to ques- 



