June 12, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



909 



The institution recently incorporated in 

 Honolulu has as its immediate object the 

 promotion of a thorough biological and 

 ethnographical survey of the Pacific 

 Islands. Its more inclusive object, how- 

 ever, as stated in its charter, is "to en- 

 courage in the broadest sense and most 

 liberal manner investigation, research and 

 discovery in the Pacific Ocean and to make 

 application of knowledge thereof to the 

 improvement of mankind." 



It is the design of the incorporation to 

 create an international cooperative re- 

 search institution in Hawaii by the affilia- 

 tion of institutions at home and abroad, 

 that will provide in the center of the region 

 to be studied, a modern institution with 

 adequate funds and facilities to carry 

 forward rapidly the work of discovery and 

 exploration and to make the practical ap- 

 plication of the new facts thus gathered to 

 the scientific and economic betterment of 

 the world. 



An especial board of trustees has been 

 named to receive in trust, funds and prop- 

 erty with which to promote the objects 

 of the institution. Substantial progress 

 has already been made toward providing 

 such important facilities as a biological 

 station, botanical garden and an aviary or 

 zoological garden, aU of which, as organ- 

 ized, will form departments of the institu- 

 tion and be supplementary to the scientific 

 equipment already existing in Honolulu. 



The field explorations of the institution 

 will be carried on by an especially 

 equipped yacht provided with auxiliary 

 power. This vessel will use Honolulu as 

 a center, and from it proceed to visit the 

 Pacific islands, group by group. Fifteen 

 years is allowed for completing the field 

 explorations. 



An international council composed of 

 distinguished scientists and scholars will 

 select an honorary staff of leading spe- 

 cialists who will have advisory super- 



vision over the work, assistants and pub- 

 lications in the especial departments into 

 which the investigation will be divided. 



The scope of the general inquiry and 

 survey, the disposition of the material col- 

 lected, as well as the publications of the 

 institution have been worked out along 

 lines of helpful cooperation with a view 

 to the definite advancement of scientific 

 work in the region to be treated. The 

 whole undertaking has received much 

 favorable indorsement from prominent 

 scientists and educators as well as from 

 philanthropists and men of affairs. 



The Biochemical Action of Copper Sul- 

 phate on Aquatic Microorganisms: 

 Amos W. Peters, University of Illinois. 

 The concentrations of CuSO^ required 

 to kill protozoa instantly and to inactivate 

 the normal enzymes of their protoplasm 

 were compared. Protozoa — Paramcecium 

 and Stentor — were freed from debris, sepa- 

 rated from other organisms, and washed 

 free from the organic matter of their na- 

 tive culture liquid, by the use of a filter 

 of fine silk bolting cloth upon a separatory 

 funnel, followed by the use of a centrifuge. 

 The concentrations required to kill in- 

 stantly differed greatly according to condi- 

 tions, the values found ranging from 12 to 

 60 XIO"* gram molecular parts of CuSO^, 

 SHjO per c.c. The presence of diastatic 

 and various other enzymes in the cell- 

 bodies of these protozoa was demonstrated 

 with complete freedom from such inac- 

 curacy as could arise from the presence of 

 bacteria. The methods used and the re- 

 sults obtained in the preparation of these 

 enzymes will be reported in a separate 

 communication. The diastatic enzymes 

 were tested, with all necessary controls for 

 their action upon starch, and the results 

 were measured by both the Fehling and 

 the polarimetric methods. At the concen- 

 tration of CuSOi equal to that of the kill- 



