Mabch 29, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



519 



It is the pui^pose of the Geological Survey 

 of Canada to distribute a number of surplus 

 volumes of its publications. In so doing, it 

 is proposed to allow all persons, libraries, socie- 

 ties, eta, now on the distribution list, the 

 opportunity of completing their sets of these 

 publications. The number of each publica- 

 tion in stock varies, and the volumes will be 

 distributed in order of the receipt of the 

 applications, until exhausted. Applications 

 should be addressed to Mr. A. P. Low, director, 

 Ottawa. 



The Biological Laboratory of the Brooklyn 

 Institute of Arts and Sciences at Cold Spring 

 Harbor, Long Island, will hold its eighteenth 

 session, beginning on July 3, and continuing 

 for six weeks. Courses' are offered in field 

 zoology by Dr. Chas. B. Davenport, Dr. H. E. 

 Walter, of Brown University, and Dr. W. M. 

 Wheeler, of the American Museum of Natural 

 History; in bird study, by Mrs. Walter; in 

 comparative anatomy, by Dr. H. S. Pratt, of 

 Haverford College, and Mr. D. S. Hartline, 

 of the Pennsylvania State Normal School; in 

 invertebrate and general embryology, by Dr. 

 A. L. TreadweU, of Vassar College, and Mr. 

 H. E. Jordan, of Princeton University; in 

 cryptogamie botany by Dr. D. S. Johnson, of 

 Johns Hopkins University, and Mr. H. H. 

 York, of the University of Texas; in plant 

 ecology by Dr. E. N. Transeau, formerly pro- 

 fessor of botany at Alma College and now 

 of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 

 and Mr. W. S. Cooper, of Johns Hopkins 

 University; in microscopic methods by Mrs. 

 Davenport. Opportunity is afforded for 

 original investigators who wish to work in 

 private rooms. Persons who wish to make use 

 of the laboratory should correspond with the 

 director. Dr. C. B. Davenport, Cold Spring 

 Harbor, N. T. 



The Biological Survey of Michigan in 

 charge of the state geologist has just issued a 

 report covering the Terrestrial Pulminata of 

 the state by Bryant Walker, copiously illus- 

 trated. 



We learn from Nature that on March 5 a 

 deputation representing the Anthropological 



Institute, the British Science Guild and other 

 scientific bodies, waited upon the Prime Min- 

 ister to urge the establishment of a national 

 anthropometric survey. Mr. E. C. Lehmann, 

 M.P., who introduced the deputation, said 

 that, in the first instance, the survey should 

 have for its object the periodic measurement 

 of children and young people in schools and 

 factories. Besides this, a comprehensive sur- 

 vey of the general population of the whole 

 country should be undertaken. The sum 

 asked for is £4,000 or £5,000. The need for 

 such a survey was described by Dr. D. J. 

 Cunningham, Mr. J. Gray, Dr. Gow, Sir 

 Lauder Brimton and Dr. A. C. Haddon. In 

 his reply to the deputation, Sir Henry Camp- 

 bell-Bannerman confessed that he has been 

 much impressed by the arguments adduced as 

 to the great lack that there is in this country 

 of knowledge of the quality of the population. 

 It is obviously desirable to have a record of 

 the kind proposed in order to be able to study 

 the changes in the condition of the people at 

 large as a guide to action in administration 

 and in legislation regarding it. Any test ap- 

 plied to the condition of the inhabitants of 

 any district is a test of their surroundings, 

 of the mode in which they live, and the cir- 

 cumstances which affect their health and 

 utility, and therefore this can not be an nn i m- 

 portant thing. It is very desirable to avoid 

 any impression that a sort of experiment is 

 to be practised upon the poor children in the 

 common schools. Whatever is done to the 

 poor ought to be done also to the rich, and 

 the application of the system ought to be uni- 

 versal. In fact, it will cease to have its 

 proper value if it is confined to the poor 

 schools, which are a little more at the disposal 

 of the government and the authorities than 

 the great schools, such as Westminster and 

 others. Eesults are wanted referring to the 

 whole population, so that comparison may be 

 made between different districts and different 

 occupations. The sum mentioned for the sur- 

 vey is a modest amount, but a great many 

 modest sums make up a large sum. But the 

 mere question of cost is not likely to stand in 



