SCIE 



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, March 27, 1908 



CONTENTS 



Oliemical Positwns in the Goxernment Serv- 



' ice: De. W. D. Bigelow 481 



The American Society of Zoologists — II: Dr. 



. LORANDE Loss WOODBUFF 488 



The American Society of Biological Chemists : 

 Professor William J. Gies 495 



Scientific Books: — 

 Schillings's in Wildest Africa; Professor 

 Fbajvicis H. Hebrick. MarchaVs Aposporie 

 et Sexuality chez les Mousses: Dr. A. F. 



-• Blakeslee. Dodge's Study of Visual Fixa- 

 tion: Professor Edmund B. Huet 497 



Scientific Journals and Articles 502 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Philosophical Society of Washington: 

 V. L. Fabis. The Biological Society of 



- Washington: M. C. ]SIaesh. The Anthro- 

 . pological Society of Washington: Dr. Wal- 

 ter Hough. The Botanical Society of 



■ Washington: Dr. W. E. Safford 503 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



Inheritance of Fluctuating Variations: Db. 

 ' W. J. Spillman 509 



Special Articles: — 



^ The Derivation of Fechner's Law: Dr. P. 

 Gr. Nutting 510 



Astronomical Notes: — 



FluctuAitions in the Sun's Thermal Radia- 

 tion; The Return of Bailey's Comet: Pbo- 

 . FESSOR S. L Bailey 511 



Botanical Notes: — • 



Trees and Lightning; As to Birdseye 

 ' Maple; An English Key to the Sylloge 



- Fungorum; Botanical Charts; Short Notes 



on Papers: Professor Charles E. Besset 13 



The University of Oviedo 516 



The Summer Meeting of the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science . . . 516 



Scientific Notes and News 17 



University and Educational News 520 



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

 teyiew sliould be sent to the Editor of Science, Garrison-on- 

 Hudson. N. Y. 



CHEMICAL POSITIONS IN THE GOVERN- 

 MENT SERVICE "■ 



When we enter the profession of chem- 

 istry our chief interest is centered on the 

 conditions that obtain in the various fields 

 of chemical activity. In the case of those 

 who retain their youth by contact with 

 student life, that interest does not lessen. 



Frequent inquiries covering a broad 

 scope are made by students and recent 

 graduates in chemistry, and teachers, to 

 whom they naturally turn for advice, are 

 constantly asking for material that will 

 enable them to supply this information. 

 Inquiries made at the Department of 

 Agriculture regarding opportunities for 

 chemical work are mainly from students 

 who are nearing the completion of their 

 college course, or from teachers who are 

 directing the studies of others. Often the 

 inquiry relates to the character of work 

 which the student should undertake in 

 order to fit himself for a position in the 

 department. Unfortunately the informa- 

 tion is rarely sought with a view to in- 

 creasing the equipment of men who have 

 received broad fundamental training. The 

 purpose is usually to substitute for a por- 

 tion of a regular course in chemistry, some 

 special study that will afford a temporary 

 advantage. 



X _ fer these inquiries as my apology 

 for discussing in a few minutes a subject 

 that would require a volume for its ade- 

 quate treatment. It is my purpose to 



'Address before Section C of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, Chi- 

 cago, January 2, 1908. 



