16 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXII. No. 809 



The fifth International Ornithological 

 Congress was opened in Berlin on May 30 

 with 250 members in attendance and Pro- 

 fessor Anton Eeichenow presiding. Director 

 Otto Herman, Count Arrigoni degli Oddi, 

 Mr. Buturlin, Mr. H. E. Dresser, Professor 

 Lonnberg, Dr. Svetlik, Baron Snouekaert 

 van Schauburg and M. Ternier were chosen 

 vice-presidents of the Congress, and the fol- 

 lowing appointments of sectional presidents 

 were made : I., anatomy, paleontology, classi- 

 fication and geographical distribution, Mr. 

 Walter Eothschild, Dr. Hartert and Dr. 

 Menegaux; II., Migration, Director Otto 

 Herman, Mr. Reiser and Dr. Parrot; III., 

 biology, oology, acclimatization and avicul- 

 ture, Herr Amtsrat Nehrkorn, Dr. Biilti- 

 kofer and the Rev. F. C. E. Jourdain; IV., 

 bird protection and the care of natural mon- 

 uments, Freiherr von Berlepsch, Herr von 

 Kazy and Dr. Hennicky; V., poultry and 

 poultry rearing, Herr Burchard, Herr Bahr 

 and Kammerherr von Gontscharoff. 



In connection with the annual grant voted 

 by the British parliament in aid of scientific 

 investigations concerning the causes and 

 processes of disease, the following special re- 

 searches have been authorized: (1) A con- 

 tinuation of an investigation into protracted 

 and recurrent infection in enteric fever, by 

 Dr. Theodore Thomson, Medical Inspector of 

 the Board, in conjunction with Dr. Leding- 

 ham, of the Lister Institute. (2) A continu- 

 ation of an investigation into protracted and 

 recurrent infection in diphtheria, by Dr. 

 Theodore Thomson and Dr. C. J. Thomas. 

 (3) A continuation of an investigation into 

 flies as carriers of infection, by Dr. Monck- 

 ton Copeman, Medical Inspector of the Board, 

 in conjunction with Dr. Graham Smith and 

 Mr. Merriman, of the University of Cam- 

 bridge, Dr. Nicholl, of the Lister Institute, 

 and Dr. Bernstein, of the Bacteriological 

 Laboratory, Westminster Hospital. (4) A 

 continuation of an investigation on the in- 

 jurious gases evolved during artificial illumi- 

 nation, by Dr. J. Wade, D.Sc, of Guy's Hos- 

 pital. (5) A preliminary inquiry into the 

 relationship of certain special types of bac- 



teria to the diarrhoea of infants, by Dr. C. J. 

 Lewis, of Birmingham, Dr. Sheila M. Ross, 

 of Manchester, Dr. Thomas Orr, of Shrews- 

 bury, and Dr. E. A. O'Brien, of the Lister 

 Institute. 



A CONTROVEHSY has arisen between some of 

 the railroads of the country and the larger 

 live stock shippers in regard to the space in 

 the cars which must be afforded animals in 

 transit from one state to another in order to 

 make unloading unnecessary and still com- 

 ply with the twenty eight-hour law. This 

 law provides that when the animals are car- 

 ried in cars " in which they can and do have 

 proper food, water, space and opportunity to 

 rest " they shall not be required to be un- 

 loaded. The Department of Agriculture has 

 been appealed to by both railroads and ship- 

 pers, and the position of the department is 

 tentatively announced as follows : If cars are 

 not loaded beyond the minimum weight 

 fixed by the tariffs, the department will not, 

 for the present, raise the question as to 

 whether sufficient space is provided for the 

 animals to rest; but railroads which load be- 

 yond the minimum and do not unload for rest 

 will have to take their chances of prosecu- 

 tion in the courts. It is the intention of the 

 department to institute a number of test 

 cases and secure rulings from the federal 

 courts as to what space must be afforded. It 

 is claimed by the department that this is the 

 only course open, since no power is given the 

 secretary of agriculture by the law to make 

 rulings and regulations regarding space to 

 be afforded in cars. In all cases where live 

 stock is not unloaded en route " into properly 

 equipped pens for rest, water and feeding " 

 the cars must be provided with facilities for 

 feeding and watering in transit, and live 

 stock must, when so fed and watered, receive 

 proper feed and water. 



The collection of meteorites in the foyer of 

 the American Museum of Natural History 

 has been enriched by the recently acquired 

 siderite or iron meteorite to be known as 

 Knowles, the name of the post office in Okla- 

 homa nearest to where it was found. The find 

 has not yet been described, but a full account 



