June 19, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



957 



Fourier's series and otlier topics, including 

 functions of the complex variable. There are 

 numerous references to the author's " Differ- 

 ential Calculus " which is essential to the 

 reading of the present work. Both treatises 

 are based on the method of rates and both en- 

 joy both the advantages and the disadvantages 

 that attend adherence to that method. The 

 work will serve, too, as a welcome auxiliary 

 to Professor Johnson's well known and widely 

 used " Differential Equations." 



C. J. Keyser 

 Columbia University 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLE^ 



The American Naturalist for April is de- 

 voted to a symposium on " Aspects of the 

 Species Question," being the papers presented 

 at the January meeting of the Botanical 

 Society of America, by Charles E. Bessey and 

 others. The aspects are taxonomic, physio- 

 logical and ecological and the views of the 

 various authors are naturally more or less 

 colored by the nature of their work. Many 

 will thank C. L. Bristol for his quotation 

 showing the origin of the " Otter Sheep," 

 as information of this kind is most difficult 

 to lay hands on. One may know the general 

 facts and yet be unable to give a definite 

 reference to them. 



Bibliographies are always welcome, and the 

 " Index to Hull (England) Museum Publica- 

 tions, Nos. 1-4Y," will be of much service in 

 facilitating reference to the many objects in 

 the Hull Museum described during the past 

 sis years. 



The Museums Journal of Great Britain has 

 a description, by E. Howarth, of " The School 

 Museum System of Sheffield " with details of 

 the circulating collections, stereoscopic views 

 and lantern slides for loan to public schools. 

 The cost of the individual " cabinets " in 

 these collections was stated to be from $25 

 to $75 each, which must be regarded as a 

 pretty liberal sum. 



The Beports relating to AlasTcan Seal 

 Fisheries, recently issued by the Department 

 of Commerce and Labor, contain much inter- 

 esting information in regard to the seals of 



the Pribilofs, and the Arctic fox. The seal 

 herd has steadily decreased, owing to pelagic 

 sealing and the total number in 1907 was only 

 about 172,000 as against 400,000 in 1897. The 

 greatest destruction is now wrought by the 

 Japanese, who are not boimd by any agree- 

 ment, seal up to the three-mile limit (some- 

 times within it) and use shot-guns which 

 cause great loss and waste. Owing to the 

 adoption of certain restrictions proposed by 

 the government agents the proportion of ac- 

 tive young bulls has increased. 



The First Biennial Report of the Louisi- 

 ana State Museum, covering the period De- 

 cember 10, 1906 to April 1, 1908, has just 

 been issued. It gives a brief account of the 

 origin of the museum and includes a general 

 catalogue of the exhibits of the various de- 

 partments. These include a fair representa- 

 tion of the fauna of the state, a considerable 

 proportion of commercial products and some 

 extremely valuable and interesting historical 

 material. It is to be hoped that this museum 

 may receive substantial support from the 

 state. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



At the 205th meeting of the society, on 

 April 22, 1908, specimens of "coal bombs" 

 from Walsenburg, Colo.; Las Cerillos, 'N. M., 

 and the Pennsylvania anthracites were ex- 

 hibited by David White, who remarked that 

 these nodule-like masses from the midst of 

 coal beds often show a combination of slicken- 

 siding and concentricity of structure suggest- 

 ing tension in one plane rather than pressure 

 in all directions. Such nodules or bombs, 

 found in coals of vai-ying age and kind, are 

 probably more frequent than would be sup- 

 posed from their rare mention in the lit- 

 erature. 



Regular Program 

 Mineral Deposits of the Oerhai Range and 



Black Mountains, Mojave County, Arizona: 



Mr. E. 0. SCHRADER. 



The Cerbat Range and Black Mountains 

 are two desert ranges situated about twelve 

 miles apart in the northwestern part of Ari- 

 zona, southeast of the Big Bend of the Colo- 



