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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 1110 



brother mortals in the avocations, but are 

 subject to much the same weaknesses of mental 

 bias growing out of their early training, their 

 religious or other beliefs, the effects of dra- 

 matic demonstrations, or the emotional effects 

 produced by oratory and clever sophistry, as 

 contrasted with sound reasoning divorced from 

 such considerations. 



In this connection I should like to cite a few 

 illustrations. Who will venture to measure 

 the part played by the unique rings of the 

 planet Saturn in determining the form of the 

 nebular hypothesis of Laplace, until lately ac- 

 cepted doctrine though now shown to be unten- 

 able? Is it not easy to see that the doctrine 

 of a solid " crust " above a liquid earth inte- 

 rior — a part of the nebular hypothesis — was set 

 up and readily accepted because the theorist 

 who devised it inhabited a region where water 

 congeals during the winter season and floats 

 upon its liquid equivalent — the analogy was 

 carried over to the substance whose relative 

 densities in solid and liquid form were not 

 known, from analogy with a well-known sub- 

 stance. Only recently has it been definitely 

 learned that congealed rock is heavier than 

 its liquefied form. Again, the "centrum," or 

 explosion, theory of earthquakes, which till re- 

 cently held the center of the stage in seismol- 

 ogy, can be traced to the fact that its founder 

 was a builder of cannon, and acquired such 

 prestige during the Crimean War through his 

 knowledge of ballistics that he received un- 

 usual opportunities to study a famous earth- 

 quake under the Aegis of the powerful Eoyal 

 Society of London. A secondary factor in the 

 ready acceptance of his theory by physicists 

 particularly, was his application of the brilliant 

 studies of Huyghens on wave propagation. 

 Examples might easily be multiplied in order 

 to illustrate the controlling infiuence of fortu- 

 itous circumstances or of striking, as opposed 

 to solid, arguments in determining the char- 

 acter of the body of accepted doctrine within 

 a science. Each worker who has given atten- 

 tion to the subject, wiU surely have encoun- 

 tered similar illustrations within his own field, 

 and I feel sure that if courses in the history 

 of science were to be more generally imder- 



taken, they would hardly be abandoned througli 

 any lack of interest. Wm. H. Hobbs 



Univeksity of Michigan, 

 March 7, 1916 



DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION IN A COLLEGE 

 DEPARTMENT 



To THE Editor of Science : The work of the 

 Entomological Division of the Minnesota Agri- 

 cultural College and Station has increased to 

 such an extent in the past four years, that, on 

 iNovember 1, 1915, a reorganization of the 

 division took effect. Two other divisions were 

 placed on the same basis. The new organiza- 

 tion is as follows: 



The name of the division is changed to that 

 of Economic Zoology. It is divided into four 

 sections: (A) Economic Vertebrate Zoology, 

 Professor F. L. Washburn in charge, who, as 

 state entomologist, also conducts nursery in- 

 spection work and has charge of work with 

 mill and warehouse insects and with Minne- 

 sota Hymenoptera. Mr. Washburn retains his 

 title of professor of entomology in the Uni- 

 versity of Minnesota. (B) Spraying and Tree 

 Insects, Associate-Professor A. G. Euggles in 

 charge. (C) Field Crop Pests and Parasites, 

 Assistant Professor C. W. Howard in charge. 

 (D) Greenhouse and Truck Crop Insects, 

 Assistant Professor William Moore in charge. 



The administration of the division lies in 

 the hands of a committee composed of the 

 heads of sections. The chairman of the com- 

 mittee (an executive position) is appointed 

 annually by the dean of the college, with the 

 approval of the president of the university and 

 of the board of regents. Professor F. L. 

 Washburn was appointed chairman for the 

 present year. The position of chairman car- 

 ries with it that of entomologist to the experi- 

 ment station and a state law provides that the 

 station entomologist shall be state entomol- 

 ogist. 



This organization is rather a remarkable 

 step in the direction of greater democracy in 

 the management of a university department 

 and may interest entomologists and other 

 science workers in universities. 



F. L. Washburn 



University op Minnesota 



