234 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XX. No. 507 



those of Percopsis. The genera may be distinguished as fol- 

 lows: — 



A. Dorsal with two feeble, slender, unbranched rays; anal 

 with a single similar ray ; scales most strongly ctenoid on caudal 

 peduncle; posterior margin of preopercle entire or with feeble 

 crenulations; form slender. Percopsis. 



AA. Dorsal and anal each with two very strong spines ; scales 

 roost strongly ctenoid on anterior part of body; posterior margin 

 of preopercle with a few short but strong spines; form heavy, 

 deep. Columbia. 



Diagnosis of Columbia transmontana E. and E., sp., nov. : — 



Head. 31—3^ (3 in the young) ; depth, 3j-3f (4 in the young) ; 

 dorsal, II., 9i; anal, II., 6+; scales, 769-44 to 46-7. 



Body comparatively deep, the dorsal profile more arched than 

 the ventral, making an angle at the origin of the dorsal fin ; sides 

 compressed, caudal peduncle most so. Head short and chubby ; 

 eye equal to snout, about 3J in the head. First dorsal spine about 

 equal to the pupil, second spine one-half length of head, recurved 

 and very deeply grooved behind. Anal spines somewhat lower 

 than the dorsal spines ; ventrals reaching past vent. Nape, with 

 the exception of occipital spine, scaled. Translucent in life. 

 Color generally smutty. Side with three rows of more or less 

 oblong blackish spots, the middle and superior rows most noticea- 

 ble. Back with a series of similar spots, one being conspicuous 

 at beginning and end of first dorsal. Dorsal mottled, caudal 

 barred. Head smutty, a blue-black spot on middle of opercle, a 

 narrow, silvery, lateral band. Young translucent, with well-de- 

 fined dark spots. 



The greater part of the specimens belong to the British Museum. 



MICHIGAN MINING SCHOOL.' 



The committee appointed by you to act as a Board of Visitors 

 to the Michigan Mining School respectfully report as follows: 

 Finding it impossible to arrange a date which would enable the 

 entire committee to make the inspection at the same time, two of 

 us visited the institution on Wednesday and Thursday, March 30 

 and 31, and the third on April 8 and 9. We were cordially re- 

 ceived, and every effort was made to place us in possession of the 

 items asked for and appertaining to the duties assigned us. The 

 examination was as careful and searching as time would permit. 



The first visit was made during the progress of the regular work, 

 aud the second during examination week at the close of the term. 

 Thus the opportunity was afforded the committee of witnessing 

 the work of students in the class-room and laboratories, as well 

 as the results of that work as exhibited by the examinations. So 

 far as we are able to judge, the work of the institution is being 

 pushed along its legitimate lines and solidly and conscientiously 

 performed both by students and instructors. The lectures indi- 

 cated carefulness of preparation and thorough understanding of 

 the subjects taught on the part of the instructors, and the char- 

 acter of the examinations showed that there was no disijosition to 

 accept less from the students. We were favorably impressed with 

 the earnestness of purpose which seemed to pervade the students 

 as a body, and with the manifest fitness of the members of the 

 faculty for their special lines of work. Some of these men, we 

 understand, left much more lucrative positions on account of 

 their love for their specialty, and their desire to devote themselves 

 exclusively to it. Such men cannot fail to do strong work. It 

 was with regret that we learned, soon after our visit, of the resig- 

 nation of Dr. Keller. He is unquestionably one of the ablest men 

 in the institution. The building, rooms, laboratories, apparatus, 

 and machinery all indicate efficiency on the part of those having 

 them in charge. The Mining School is purely and distinctly a 

 professional school, having for its object the practical training of 

 its students in mining engineering, and we believe it is carrying 

 out the purpose for which it was established. Of course, much of 

 the theoretical is taught, but so far as your committee could learn, 

 it is with sole reference to its practical bearing upon what is to 

 follow. 



' Report to Hon. Ferris S. Fitch, Superintendent Public Instruction, Michi- 

 gan, by a committee consisting o£ D. A. Hammond, Perry F. Powers, and S. E. 

 Whitney. 



Although much time is spent upon theoretical mathematics, the 

 object is to give the student a mastery of those principles which 

 will be necessary in his after work of surveying and engineering. 

 The students are then taken to the field ,ind into the mines, and, 

 under the guidance and direction of an expert (Professor Denton), 

 are taught the practical applications of the principles learned, and 

 other necessary operations of mining. The same methods prevail 

 in the other departments of the school. It is this element of 

 practicability in all the work of the school, in our opinion, which 

 has brought to the school the very general support of the people 

 of the Upper Peninsula and of mining men in particular. The 

 consensus of opinion among all classes is that the school has a 

 direct and financial value to the State. It promotes intelligence 

 in methods of mining, develops inventiveness in the line of mining 

 machinery, and directs thought to measures for securing greater 

 safety to miners. 



Your committee, or at least one member of it, before visiting 

 the school had always regarded it as an expensive one considering 

 the number of students enrolled. But after careful investigation 

 at the school and an examination into the methods pursued by 

 the Board of Control, there can be do doubt but that all means 

 appropriated have been economically and intelligently expended. 

 Of course it is well understood by all that technical education is 

 necessarily much more expensive than general education, on ac- 

 count of the peculiar character of the work. The equipment, in- 

 cluding buildings, laboratories, apparatus, machinery, and col- 

 lections in geology, is very costly. A comparison of the per 

 capita cost at the Michigan Mining School, however, with the cost 

 at other similar institutions shows that the Michigan school is 

 among the cheapest. This cost will decrease as the number of 

 students increases. The faculty as at present constituted could 

 undoubtedly handle a larger number of students than are now 

 enrolled in the school (76), and yet the work of the various depart- 

 ments could not be satisfactorily performed with a less number of 

 instructors. In fact, were it not for the union of the school and 

 the geological survey, the faculty would have to be increased; 

 but this arrangement adds to the teaching force for a large part 

 of the year three skilled assistants, Drs. Lane and Patton and Pro- 

 fessor Seaman. 



This brings us to the consideration of the question of the union 

 of the mining school and geological survey. We believe this ar- 

 rangement to be mutually advantageous and a direct saving to 

 the State. It places at the head of the Survey, as State Geologist, 

 the Director of the school, Dr. Wadsworth, who is eminently 

 qualified both as to scholarship and executive ability for the posi- 

 tions he holds, and strengthens the faculty of the school by add- 

 ing to the teaching force the three capable members of the sur- 

 vey. With the means at the command of the Geological Board 

 it would be impossible to retain the services of these men ; but 

 by dividing their time between the survey and the school, and 

 receiving a part of their salary from the survey and part from the 

 school the State is enabled to retain them in its employ. It also 

 furnishes convenient headquarters for the survey and places at 

 the service of the school its valuable geological collections. At 

 no other place in the State could this collection be so well pre- 

 served and made of such practical value. The wisdom of locating 

 the school where it is, is apparent to all who have ever visited this 

 region. It is surrounded by some of the richest copper and iron 

 mines in the world, and the student has the opportunity of mak- 

 ing constant practical application of his studies. Some means, 

 however, should be adopted at once to reduce the expense of liv- 

 ing to the students. We understand that it is very difficult for 

 the students to find rooms and board without paying exorbitant 

 prices therefor. If means could be devised for relieving this con- 

 dition of things it would be well, in fact, it is almost imperative 

 that something be done in this direction. There ought to be a 

 room at the building, also, large enough for an assembly-room. 

 There are many occasions when it is quite important to bring the 

 students together in a body. We believe, also, that the heating 

 apparatus should be removed from the main building and placed 

 in a building by itself. 



The Michigan Mining School, we may say in closing, has come 

 to stay ; because it has demonstrated its fitness to live. Whatever 



