iJoLY 25, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



127 



.this laboratory successfully is merely printing 

 lOr writing the necessary description upon the 

 slide with India ink. " Higgin's Waterproof 

 (Black) India Ink," such as is sold at all book 

 and stationery stores, is the ink used; a crow- 

 quill drawing pen completes the outfit. The 

 only necessary precaution to take in its ap- 

 plication is to have the writing surface free 

 from oily matter. This is removed simply by 

 hreathing on the slide and wiping briskly 

 with a dry cloth. 



The label so made is permanent as far as 

 ordinary treatment is concerned. Xylol may 

 be used freely to dissolve any cedar oil or 

 balsam on the mount, with no injury what- 

 ever to the label; only a prolonged soaking in 

 water would impair its permanence and such 

 an occurrence would only be accidental. 



This form of label has the advantage over 

 that of the etched surface in that it may be 

 as easily removed as applied; the whole label 

 or portions may be changed by removing the 

 unnecessary word, letters or figures with a 

 penknife when the ink is thoroughly dry, or 

 the whole label may be removed by rubbing 

 ofE with a damp cloth. The India ink label 

 because of its nature is more easily read than 

 any other form of label. 



A trial of this method will convince any one 

 of its practical value. 



Zae Northrup 



Michigan Agricdltueal College, 

 East Lansing 



the metric system 



To THE Editor of Science: The attention 

 of the writer was attracted to an article in a 

 recent number of Science by A. H. Patterson, 

 of Chapel Hill, N. C, in which he refers to 

 the " wickedly brain-destroying piece of bond- 

 age under which we suffer " on account of the 

 system of weights and measures in common 

 use among the American people. 



The only thing that the present system has 

 to commend it to general use, if it has any 

 redeeming quality at all, is that it is easier to 

 follow along a beaten path than to make a 

 change for the better. 



The metric system is a simple, sensible. 



scientific and easily operated system of units 

 and the best system that has ever been devised. 

 That the metric system is practicable has been 

 effectively demonstrated, for it is the uni- 

 versal system of scientific laboratories and it 

 is high time that a strong public sentiment 

 be created in favor of its general adoption. 

 No doubt " a great part of the under-weight 

 and false-measure frauds are due to our con- 

 fused system of units." 



It seems that the chief arguments against 

 the adoption of the metric system are: first, 

 the expense to manufacturers and commercial 

 houses in connection with making the change; 

 and second, the difiiculty that would be en- 

 countered in educating the employers up to a 

 new system. In the opinion of the writer 

 neither of these difficulties is as serious as 

 some people would try to have us believe and 

 it is chiefiy " selfish interests which are block- 

 ing the way of reform." 



The cooperation of all scientists, the various 

 reform leagues, the government bureaus and 

 as many others as possible should be enlisted 

 for the passage of the bill in favor of the 

 metric system at as early a date as possible. 



A. F. GiLMAN 



EiPON College 



THE YELLOWSTONE PARK 



To THE Editor of Science : I have tramped, 

 with knapsack and sleeping bag, more than a 

 thousand miles through the wildest and rough- 

 est parts of the Eocky Mountains, camping 

 out in the cheapest and most primitive fash- 

 ion; and every one will understand, I think, 

 that it is not as a molly-coddle that I say, 

 from my experience during the summer of 

 1911, that the bear in Yellowstone Park are 

 an outrageous nuisance. 



I know of no more flagrant example of de- 

 tached, red-taped sophistry than this : " A few 

 instances are on record where people have been 

 attacked and injured by bears " but " in all 

 cases where the facts were knovm the person 

 injured was more or less to blame." ' In 



' See letter of Jesse L. Smith in Science of 

 June 20. 



