August 12, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



205 



Dr. J. Frank Daniel, instructor in zoology 

 in the University of Michigan, has been ap- 

 pointed to a newly-established instructorship 

 in comparative anatomy in the University of 

 California. 



Professor Jacob Westlund has been pro- 

 moted to a full professorship of mathematics 

 at Purdue University. 



At the University of Kansas Drs. C. H. 

 Ashton and J. N. Van der Vries have been 

 promoted from assistant professorships to as- 

 sociate professorships of mathematics. Dr. 

 U. G. Mitchell, of Princeton University, and 

 Drs. Arthur Pitcher and M. B. White, of the 

 University of Chicago, have been appointed 

 assistant professors of mathematics. 



Mr. a. E. Findlay, has been appointed to a 

 newly instituted lectureship in applied chem- 

 istry at Sheffield. 



As successor of Professor Verworn, Pro- 

 fessor Jensen, of Breslau, has been called to 

 Gottingen as professor of physiology. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 

 a suggestion as to the oabe op types 



Every student of zoology or botany is aware 

 of the immense importance of types, the orig- 

 inal specimens upon which new names have 

 been based. At the present time such types 

 are scattered over the country, in public and 

 private collections, and many of them are 

 likely to be destroyed or lost. Many, though 

 in safe custody, are in such out-of-the-way 

 places that it is practically impossible to gain 

 access to them. 



I do not believe that any naturalist who has 

 visited many museums can be satisfied with 

 the care usually taken of types. On the con- 

 trary, it would be easy for any one with much 

 experience to write an article in the best 

 " muck-raking " style, describing some of the 

 things he has seen. Possibly such an article 

 might do good, but nobody is willing to write 

 it. At the same time, something ought to be 

 done. It occurs to me that a possible way to 

 mend matters would be for the American As- 



sociation to appoint a committee to investi- 

 gate and report. This committee, of perhaps 

 six members, should be permanent, and should 

 have enough funds placed at its disposal to 

 enable its subcommittees of two or three to 

 visit all the principal institutions in which 

 types are preserved. In the course of a few 

 years it would be possible to report the exact 

 conditions found, and certain museums could 

 be designated as fit places for the preservation 

 of types. Neither the association nor its com- 

 mittee could force anybody to do anything, 

 except through the pressure of scientific pub- 

 lic opinion, but this would doubtless in many 

 cases be sufficient. 



A few general principles might be enunci- 

 ated, for example : 



1. A type is, from its nature, in some sense 

 the property of the scientific world. Thus, 

 every one would consider it a criminal act to 

 purchase and then willingly destroy a type. 

 It must be considered reprehensible to permit 

 types to exist where they are in serious danger 

 of being destroyed, and, in particular, steps 

 should be taken to prevent the sale of types 

 to miscellaneous unknown collectors after the 

 death of the original owner. 



2. Every institution possessing types should 

 publish a complete list of those in its custody, 

 and subsequently annual lists of additions. 

 It can then be held strictly accountable for 

 their care, and students can ascertain where 

 the types are to be seen. 



3. No types should ever be loaned out, and, 

 especially, they should never be sent through 

 the mails. Experience shows that institutions 

 which profess to have a rule against the loan- 

 ing of types can not be trusted to keep it. I 

 regret to say that I have in the past occasion- 

 ally loaned types to reliable students and 

 institutions, and have fouiid it extremely 

 difficult to get them back. It may be neces- 

 sary some day to publish a few explicit state- 

 ments under this head. 



It is impossible to absolutely safeguard 

 types in all instances. It must be recognized 

 that some risks, under existing circumstances, 

 are unavoidable. For example, I have at this 

 moment in my custody considerable collec- 



