Septembee 2, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



299 



tion of species and the influence of different en- 

 vironment. Tiie session of 1898 consisted of 

 two terms of five weeks eacli. Courses were 

 oftered in elementary geology, embryology, 

 bacteriology and botany. Thirteen instructors 

 and assistants were engaged. 



The appended data show the success and 

 growth of the Station : 



In 1695 there were enrolled 19 students and 

 1 State represented. 



In 1896 there were enrolled 32 students and 



4 States represented. 



In 1897 there were enrolled 68 students and 



5 States represented. 



In 1898 there were enrolled 105 students and 

 8 States represented. 



Next year the Station will be in Winona Park, 

 at Warsaw, Ind., eighteen miles from the pres- 

 ent location. The Winona Park Association 

 will erect the necessary buildings. 



CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



In a recent issue of Science we reported the 

 return of Mr. C. W. Andrews, of the geological 

 department of the Natural History Museum, 

 from his expedition to Christmas Island. The 

 expedition started about fifteen months ago, and 

 was sent out by Sir John Murray at his own 

 expense. The flora and fauna of the island 

 are believed to have been uninfluenced by man, 

 and therefore the study of these, as well as of 

 the geology of the island, was expected to yield 

 valuable results. We learn from the London 

 Times that the results of the expedition are 

 likely to fulfil the highest expectations. Mr. 

 Andrews pursued his labors under the greatest 

 difficulty. The island is 1,200 feet high, but so 

 densely covered with gigantic forest vegetation 

 and bush that the members of the little colony 

 on the shore have never been able to move a 

 mile from home. The only available drinking 

 water is supplied by a spring on the shore, and 

 as the cliffs are lofty and precipitous it is diffi- 

 cult in the extreme to convey the water into 

 the interior. This will give some idea of the 

 difficulties which Mr. Andrews had to face in 

 making his way over the island. As a matter 

 of fact, with the help which he found available, 

 his rate of progress was not more than two miles 

 a day. The island, moreover, swarms with gi- 



gantic land-crabs and rats, which, however in- 

 teresting from a scientific point of view, are 

 plagues to the explorer. Mr. Andrews had 

 often to sleep out unprotected by a tent, and 

 had to adapt himself as best he could to having 

 his toes nipped by the formidable pincers of the 

 crabs, and his body scampered over by hun- 

 dreds of rats. The only chance of survival for 

 animals in Christmas Island is their ability to 

 climb trees and swing lianas, and both rats and 

 crabs are as accomplished at this as monkeys in 

 an African forest. Mr. Andrews has brought 

 home ample collections of these and of the 

 other animal life which abounds on the is- 

 land, the insects being particularly rich. The 

 flora of the island, also, is abundantly repre- 

 sented in Mr. Andrews's collections, as well as 

 geology and other branches of science. To 

 geologists especially the island is of great inter- 

 est. The core of the island is volcanic, but 

 originally a coral reef occupied the position. 

 The original reef, or atoll, it is believed, now 

 forms the cap or summit of the island, and at 

 intervals downwards coral bands exist, which 

 seem to indicate that the elevation must have 

 been gradual and at considerable intervals. 

 These are among some of the valuable results 

 brought back by Mr. Andrews, and science 

 owes a debt of gratitude to Sir John Murray for 

 his liberal enterprise in equipping the expedi- 

 tion. Mr. Andrews will probably give some 

 account of his work at the Bristol meeting of 

 the British Association, and is expected to read 

 a paper on the subject at the Royal Geograph- 

 ical Society's next session. He has brought 

 home about 400 photographs. 



general. 



Although Columbus, Ohio, was chosen as 

 the place of meeting of the American As- 

 sociation in 1899, the invitation from Phila- 

 delphia was declined with much regret. It 

 was prepared with great care and presented 

 with much cordiality, and it is to be hoped 

 that Dr. Brinton and other Philadelphia mem- 

 bers will renew the invitation next year 



The Council of the American Association 

 authorized last week the appointment of a com- 

 mittee ' to increase the efficiency of the Naval 

 Observatory.' It consists of Professor Picker- 



