904 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. No. 678 



by H. J. H. Fenton; Homocyclic Division, 

 by J. B. Cohen; Heterocyclic Division, by J. 

 T. Hewitt; Stereochemistry, by "W. J. Pope; 

 Analytical Chemistry, by A. C. Chapman; 

 Physiological Chemistry, by W. D. Hallibur- 

 ton; Agricultural Chemistry and Vegetable 

 Physiology, by J. A. Voelcker; Mineralogical 

 Chemistry, by Arthur Hutchinson, and Radio- 

 activity, by Frederick Soddy. It will be seen 

 at once that many of these authors are well 

 known authorities in their various fields. The 

 topics chosen for presentation are well selected 

 and the treatment is clear and concise. . The 

 copious references to the literature render the 

 book a valuable index for one who wishes to 

 follow any subject further, while the discus- 

 sions are sufficiently full, in most cases, to be 

 extremely useful to those who read for the 

 purpose of broadening their general knowledge 

 of the science. -^ ^_ Noyes 



.SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES 

 The American Naturalist for November 

 opens with an article on the " Eesponse of 

 Toads to Sound Stimuli" by S. A. Courtis 

 showing that there is very little response to 

 anything save the mating call. But — why 

 should there be? The sound of a bell, a 

 whistle or any similar noise carries with it 

 no association. Why not feed the toad each 

 time the bell is i-ang and note what the result 

 would be after a month or two? Max Morse 

 contributes " Further Notes on the Behavior 

 of Gonionemus," mainly in respect to the in- 

 fluence of light, and Edward W. Berry has a 

 paper on "Pleistocene Plants from Alabama," 

 noting that they indicate a climate about the 

 same as at the present time. Frederic T. 

 Lewis has " A Further Study of Leaf Develop- 

 ment," concluding that there is a determinate 

 evolution of leaf forms. E. A. Andrews dis- 

 cusses ""Earthworms as Planters of Trees," 

 showing that they do this by gathering seeds, 

 such as those of the maple, with which to 

 plug the openings of their burrows. T. H. 

 Morgan considers " The Cause of Gynandro- 

 morphism in Insects." There are various 

 points of interest in the notes and reviews. 

 We think few will agree with Professor Mont- 



gomery that physiological evidence is better 

 calculated to show relationships or differences 

 that are anatomical or, what is the same thing, 

 p aleontological. 



Laboratory Bulletin No. 13, of Oberlin Col- 

 lege, is on " The Development of Nestling 

 Feathers," by Lynds Jones. It contains a 

 series of detailed observations, and notes 

 among other things that the first down has no 

 shaft and no quill, the barb vanes passing 

 without interruption into the first definitive 

 feather vanes, the seeming quill being due to 

 the coalescence of the vanes of the down. 



The first number of the Bulletin of the 

 Broohlyn Conchological Cluh has just been 

 issued. It contains among other papers 

 articles on " Abnormal Shells " and a " List of 

 Long Island Shells," by S. C. Wheat, and 

 " Suggestions for the Organization of a 

 National Conchological Society," by W. H. 

 Dall. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETING OF SCIENTIFIC 

 SOCIETIES 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science and the national scientific 

 societies named below will meet at the Uni- 

 versity of Chicago during convocation week, 

 beginning on December 30, 1907. 



American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. — December 30-January 4. Retiring presi- 

 dent, Professor W. H. Welch, The Johns Hopkins 

 University, Baltimore, Md. ; president-elect. Pro- 

 fessor E. L. Nichols, Cornell University, Ithaca, 

 N. Y. ; permanent secretary. Dr. L. 0. Howard, 

 Cosmos Club, Washington, D. C; general secre- 

 tary. President F. W. McNair, Houghton, Mich. 



Local Executive Committee. — Charles L. Hutch- 

 inson, chairman local committee; John M. Coulter, 

 chairman executive committee; John K. Angell, 

 Thomas C. Chamberlin, Joseph P. Iddings, Frank 

 R. Lillie, Charles R. Mann, Robert A. Millikan, 

 Charles F. Millspaugh, Alexander Smith, J. Paul 

 Goode, local secretary. 



Section A, Mathematics and Astronomy, — Vice- 

 president, Professor E. 0. Lovett, Princeton Uni- 

 versity; secretary, Professor G. A. Miller, Univer- 

 sity of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois. 



Section B, Physics. — Vice-president, Professor 

 Dayton C. Miller, Case School of Applied Science; 



