66 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 785 



ever before, the attendance being 3,803,501, 

 an average of 10,41Y a day. These figures 

 show that the aquarium has a greater patron- 

 age by the public than all the other museums 

 of the city, including the Zoological Park, 

 combined. These figures are unequalled by 

 those of any other museum in the world of 

 which statistics are available. 



The Geological Survey's report on the pro- 

 duction of copper in 1908, prepared by B. S. 

 Butler, is now ready for distribution. The 

 mine production, smelter output and refinery 

 production in 1908 exceeded those of 190Y. 

 The production in 1908 by smelters from cop- 

 per-bearing material mined in the United 

 States was 942,570,721 pounds, the largest in 

 the history of the industry. The production 

 in 1906, the next largest, was 917,805,682 

 pounds; that for 1907 was 868,996,491 pounds. 

 The world's production of copper in 1908 was 

 1,667,098,000 pounds, so that the United States 

 contributed considerably more than half the 

 total product of the metal. The exports of 

 refined copper were 618,613,842 pounds, the 

 largest amount recorded; the imports were 

 218,705,487 pounds, mostly from Mexico, Can- 

 ada and Peru. The domestic consumption of 

 new copper in 1908 was 480,000,000 pounds; 

 of old copper 23,000,000 pounds, making 

 the total domestic consumption 503,000,000 

 pounds, against 547,000,000 pounds in 1907. 

 The stock on hand January 1, 1908, was 125,- 

 745,796 pounds; on January 1, 1909, it was 

 121,876,759 pounds. The average quoted price 

 of electrolytic copper at New York in 1908 

 was 13.2 cents a pound. In 1907 the price 

 was 20 cents a pound. The commercial con- 

 ditions during the year were very stable, the 

 variations in monthly average price covering 

 a range of only 1.54 cents, as compared with 

 11.90 cents in 1907. A notable feature of the 

 industry was a decrease in cost of production 

 due to improvements in methods and the in- 

 creased efSciency of labor. Arizona ranks first 

 in the production of copper, Montana, Mich- 

 igan, Utah, California, Tennessee, Colorado, 

 Nevada, Idaho and New Mexico following in 

 the order named. According to the smelter 

 returns the three leading copper states — Ari- 



zona, Montana and Michigan — produced 81 

 per cent, of the total output in 1908. 



The London Times states that the exhibi- 

 tion which is to open in December next 

 at Allahabad will be the largest ever held 

 in India. While essentially non-official in 

 character, the strong executive committee in 

 charge enjoys the support of the local govern- 

 ment, which is itself managing the agricul- 

 tural, forest and educational courts. Sir John 

 Hewett, the present lieutenant-governor, who 

 was lately conmiercial member in the gov- 

 ernor-general's council, and other government 

 officials are giving their aid in every legiti- 

 mate way. The exhibition committee spe- 

 cially desire machinery and demonstrating 

 processes for the agricultural, engineering and 

 textile courts. As is stated in the preliminars' 

 prospectus, " the main object of the exhibition 

 is to encourage the arts and industries of the 

 united provinces by displaying products and 

 methods of production and by introducing 

 from other countries such commodities as are 

 required to supplement indigenous produc- 

 tions." The first aviation meeting in the east 

 will be held in connection with the exhibition. 



In the course of its last session the state 

 legislature of North Dakota provided for the 

 establishment of a biological station on the 

 shore of Devils Lake. The bill places the sta- 

 tion under the direction and control of the 

 trustees of the University of North Dakota, 

 and provides that the biological staff of the 

 university shall direct the work of the sta- 

 tion. The bill further states that, " It shall 

 be the duty of the staff of said station, as 

 directors thereof, to study the animals and 

 plants in Devils Lake and other portions of 

 North Dakota with reference to the problem 

 of restocking and cultivating fish in Devils 

 Lake and in any other waters of the state, es- 

 pecially those of an alkaline character, such 

 as Devils Lake; to study and make collections 

 of any animals and plants in North Dakota 

 that have commercial and scientific value." 

 The station is housed in a commodious, ar- 

 tistic building of cobble and concrete. The 

 equipment, now being procured, will consist 

 of boats, dredges, seines, pumps and all the 



