260 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 790 



trophic activity, when lands have been 

 high, epicontinental seas small, and marine 

 currents largely confined within deep 

 ocean basins, sedimentation has been domi- 

 nant. But during periods of diastrophic 

 inactivity, when lands have been low, epi- 

 continental seas extensive, and marine 

 currents active on shallows and straits, 

 sedimentation has failed in consequence of 

 non-deposition or marine scour in appro- 

 priate situations. 



7. The criteria of correlation are both 

 physical and organic. The physical facts 

 are basal. The organic forms, though en- 

 dowed with evolutionary energy, are de- 

 pendent and sequential. Any ultimate 

 classificatioh of the earth 's history must be 

 founded upon all the phenomena, inter- 

 preted thi-ough their relations in the chain 

 of cause and effect from diastrophism to 

 life. Bailey Willis 



A NATIONAL BUREAU OF SEISMOLOGY 



At its last annual meeting, the American 

 Philosophical Society showed its interest in 

 the scientific investigation of earthquakes by 

 devoting an entire session to their considera- 

 tion. At the close of the session the following 

 resolutions were unanimously adopted: 



Whebeas, Earthquakes have been the cause of 

 great loss of life and property within the territory 

 of the United States and its possessions, as well 

 as in other countries, and 



Whereas, It is only through the scientific in- 

 vestigation of the phenomena that there is hope 

 of discovering the laws which govern them, so as 

 to predict their occurrence and to reduce the 

 danger to life and property, and 



Whereas, Such investigations can be success- 

 fully conducted only with the support of the gen- 

 eral government, be it, therefore. 



Resolved, That this society urge upon congress 

 the establishment of a national Bureau of Seis- 

 mology, and suggest that this bureau be organized 

 under the Smithsonian Institution with the active 

 cooperation of the otiier scientific departments of 

 the government and that this bureau be charged 

 with the following duties: 



a. The collection of seismological data. 

 6. The establishment of observing stations. 



c. The organization of an expeditionary corps for 

 the investigation of special earthquakes and vol- 

 canic eruptions in any part of the world. 



d. The study and investigation of special earth- 

 quake regions within the national domain. And 



Resolved, That copies of these resolutions be 

 transmitted to the President, to the President of 

 the Senate, to the Speaker of the House of Repre- 

 sentatives and to the Secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



Through the active interest of Dr. W. W. 

 Keen, the president of the society, these reso- 

 lutions were brought favorably to the atten- 

 tion of congress, and were in the House of 

 Representatives referred to the Committee on 

 Library, of which Honorable Samuel W. Mc- 

 Call, of Massachusetts, is chairman. The 

 other members of the committee are E. L. 

 Hamilton, of Michigan; Charles H. Burke, of 

 South Dakota; William H. Howard, of 

 Georgia, and Charles E. Thomas, of North 

 Carolina. 



Mr. McCall has already shown bis apprecia- 

 tion of the importance of the subject, and it 

 is hoped that readers of Science will lose no 

 opportunity to urge upon their senators and 

 representatives in congress the need of es- 

 tablishing such a bureau as is proposed, and 

 to set forth the backward position of our 

 government in this important matter as com- 

 pared with foreign countries, though other- 

 wise generously disposed towards scientific 

 investigation. 



There is already some danger that the mat- 

 ter may be disposed of through a small 

 appropriation to some existing bureau, where 

 the lack of special interest in the subject 

 would soon result in the investigations being 

 crowded out to make way for others which 

 appeal more directly to the administration of 

 the bureau. Wm. H. Hobbs 



UNR'ERSITy OF MICHIGAN 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



The national testimonial to Commander 



Robert Peary at the Metropolitan Opera 



House on February 8 was most enthusiastic, 



the house being completely filled. Governor 



