358 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 635 



tific assistant in veterinary zoology in the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry at a salary of 

 $840. 



The zoological and ethnical collections 

 made recently in East Africa by Mr. Richard 

 Tjader have been acquired by the American 

 Museum of Natural History. 



We learn from English journals that the 

 pearl oyster fisheries of the Mergui Archi- 

 pelago, lying off the province of Tenasserim, 

 Lower Burmah, are to be the object of an 

 investigation on behalf of the Indian govern- 

 ment, and for this purpose Mr. E. N. Eud- 

 mose Brown and Mr. J. J. Simpson left early 

 last month for Rangoon. It is extremely 

 probable that an examination of the ground 

 may result in the discovery of new pearl 

 banks, or at least the possibility of such banks 

 being started. It is expected that the investi- 

 gation, at least on its economic side, will be 

 completed before the commencement of the 

 southwest monsoon season in May. 



The lichen collection of Dr. H. E. Hasse, 

 of California, consisting of about 3,000 species 

 and many duplicates, has been recently pre- 

 sented to the New York Botanical Garden by 

 Mr. John I. Kane. 



The New York Aquarium, situated in Bat- 

 tery Park, and condiicted by the New York 

 Zoological Society, with Dr. C. H. Townsend 

 as director, is open free, every day in the 

 year. It is closed on Monday forenoons ex- 

 cept to school teachers with their classes, and 

 to members of the New York Zoological So- 

 ciety. When a holiday occurs on Monday the 

 public is admitted as on other days. The 

 attendance for the ten years ending December 

 31, 1906, amounted to 17,103,328— an average 

 of 4,685 visitors a day. The attendance for 

 the year 1906 was 2,106,569 — an average of 

 5,7Y1 a day. 



Five free lectures on popular scientific sub- 

 jects, illustrated with lantern views, and open 

 to the public, are being given in the Geo- 

 logical Lecture Room, University Museum, 

 Harvard University, at 3 :30 o'clock on Sun- 

 day afternoons, February 3 and lY, March 3, 

 17 and 31, 1907. The subjects treated in the 



lectures are related to exhibits in different 

 parts of the Museum. 



February 3 — ' Meteorites, their Fall from the 

 Sky, their Composition and their Relation to the 

 Rocks of the Earth's Interior,' Professor J. E. 

 WolflF. 



February 17 — ' The Ruins and the Ancient 

 People of Yucatan, Mexico,' Dr. A. M. Tozzer. 



March 3 — ' Why the Earth is believed to be 

 Millions of Years Old,' Professor W. M. Davis. 



March 17 — ' Tropical Plants,' illustrated by Mu- 

 seum Specimens and Pictures, Professor G. L. 

 Groodale. 



March 31 — 'Quartz, its Varieties, Origin, Char- 

 acteristics and Uses,' Professor Charles Palache. 



We learn from the American Museum Jour- 

 nal that the American Bison Society held its 

 annual meeting at the Museum on Thursday, 

 January 10. This society has for its object 

 not only the prevention of the extermination 

 of the bison, but also the encouragement of 

 the raising of the animal as a commercial 

 proposition. A generation ago the bison, or 

 American buffalo, roamed over the western 

 plains in vast herds, estimated to contain 

 more than ten million individuals, while 

 to-day, on account of the merciless and 

 wanton slaughter practised in the early eigh- 

 ties, scarcely two thousand are known to be 

 in existence. The society proposes to en- 

 courage the establishment of bison reserva- 

 tions in each state where climate and other 

 conditions are favorable for the maintenance 

 and increase of herds. For New York the 

 proposition is that, as a beginning, the state 

 set aside nine square miles in one of the 

 reserved areas of the Adirondack region and 

 appropriate $15,000 for the purchase and 

 maintenance of a herd of fifteen bison. Dr. 

 William T. Hornaday, director of the New 

 York Zoological Park, is the president of the 

 society. 



We learn from the London Times that Mr. 

 Francis Galton, F. R. S., has given a further 

 sum of £1,000, which has enabled London 

 University to revise and extend the scheme for 

 the study of national eugenics founded under 

 his previous benefaction, and will provide for 

 tlie carrying on of the work of the eugenics 

 laboratory for the next three years. Mr. 



