A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



Friday, May 31, 1907 



CONTENTS 



The International Aerotiautical Conference at 

 Milan : Pkofessor A. Lawbence Rotch . . . 841 



The Danger of Overspecialization : Dk. L. H. 

 Baekeland 845 



Scientific Books: — 



Abbot's The Syllogistic Philosophy or Pro- 

 legomena to Science: Pbofessob R. M. 

 Wenley. Wieland on American Fossil Cy- 

 cads: Professor D. P. Penhallow 854 



Scientific Journals and Articles 859 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Iowa Academy of Sciences: L. S. Ross. 

 The American Physiological Society: Pro- 

 fessor Lafayette B. Mendel. The Biolog- 

 ical Society of Washington: M. C. Marsh. 

 The Geological Society of Washington: De. 

 Ralph Arnold. The New York Academy 

 of Sciences: Dr. Alexis A. Jdlien. The 

 Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society: Pro- 

 fessor Alvin S. Wheeler 860 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



The Clocks of the Greenwich and V. S. 

 Naval Observatories: Thomas Lewis. Rea- 

 sons for Believing in an Ether: Dr.. Paul 

 R. Heyl. The First Species Rule: James 

 A. G. Rehn 868 



Special Articles: — 



Some Mutual Effects of Tree-roots and 

 Grasses on Soils: Charles A. Jensen. 871 



Notes on Organic Chemistry: — 

 Formation of Fusel Oil: Dr. J. Bishop 

 Tingle 874 



Botanical Notes: — 



Bow to Study the Fungi; A New Explana- 

 tion of the Tolerance and Intolerance of 

 Trees; A Laboratory Manual: Professor 

 Charles E. Bessey 875 



Linnceus and the Neiv York Academy of Sci- 

 ences 877 



Scientifio Notes and News 877 



University and Educational Neios 879 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended foi 



sbould be sent to the EdiLor nf Scienck, Garrison-on- 



TEE INTERNATIONAL AERONAUTICAL 

 CONFERENCE AT MILAN 



The history and organization of the In- 

 ternational Commission for Scientific Aero- 

 nautics, whose name does not indicate that 

 its purpose is to explore the atmosphere, 

 are briefly described in Science, Vol. 

 XXI., page 461. The fifth meeting of the 

 commission had been appointed for Rome 

 in 1906, but on account of the exposition 

 at Milan, with its aeronautical section, the 

 place of meeting was changed to the latter 

 city. The conference began on October 1 

 and lasted through the sixth, there being 

 about forty members of the commission 

 and guests in attendance. The proceedings 

 were opened by Professor Celoria, repre- 

 senting the exposition of Milan, and a 

 further welcome was extended by Signer 

 Gavazzi on the part of the municipality, 

 by Professor Palazzo for the Italian gov- 

 ernment and by Professor Hergesell as 

 president of the commission. Two pre- 

 siding officers for each session were chosen 

 from among the foreigners present, who 

 were chiefly Germans. England, however, 

 was unusually well represented by four 

 delegates and guests. The writer was the 

 official representative of the United States 

 Weather Bureau, as well as of the Blue 

 Hill Observatory, and on his proposition 

 Dr. 0. L. Fassig, research director at the 

 new Weather Bureau observatory on Mount 

 Weather, Virginia, was elected a member 

 of the commission, as were also M. Lan- 

 caster to represent Belgium and Signori 

 Gamba and Oddone from Italy. 



