862 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 439. 



Gyroscope,' in course if which were given 

 some interesting experimental details ob- 

 served from experiments carried out by Dr. 

 Warring. These experiments are to be per- 

 formed before the academy, at a future 

 meeting. S. A. Mitchell. 



COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL CLUB. 



April 2Jf. — ^In reference to some original 

 work Dr. Julien reviewed a paper by August 

 Eosiwal, 'Ueber geometrische Gesteinsana- 

 lysen,' from the Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich- 

 Koniglichen Geolog. Eeichsanstalt for 1898. 



]^ny 2. — Mr. H. C. Magnus reviewed Bul- 

 letin 56 of the New York State Museum. The 

 Bulletin gives many interesting data concern- 

 ing the 1901 state geologic map. It also gives 

 an excellent review of the geologic surveys 

 of the state, with a table at the end correlating 

 the terms used by the different surveys. Pro- 

 fessor Kemp reviewed from the American 

 Journal of Science, April, 1903, 'The Me- 

 chanics of Igneous Intrusions,' by E. A. Daly. 



May 8- — ^Dr. A. F. Eogers reviewed ' A 

 Three-circle Goniometer,' by G. F. Herbert 

 Smith; Mineralogical Society of London, vol. 



13, 1900. Miss Florence Henry reviewed 

 'The Animal Ecology of the Cold Spring 

 Sand Spit,' by C. B. Davenport. Dr. Geo. I. 

 Finlay reviewed Bulletin 182, U. S. G. S. 

 This bulletin, by F. L. Eansome, treats of the 

 'Economic Geology of Silverton Quadrangle, 

 Colorado.' Professor Kemp called attention 

 to the ' Geology of the Celebes,' by Professor 

 Blicking, and to Bulletin 213, U. S. G. S., on 

 the economic geology for 1902. This contains 

 the abstracts of some papers not yet issued by 

 the survey. H. W. Shimer. 



ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



The 345th regular meeting was held April 



14. Professor Friedrich Hirth, of Columbia 

 University,' occupied the evening, reading a 

 paper entitled, ' The Early Development of 

 Chinese Civilization.' Professor Hirth ex- 

 hibited examples of early Chinese art and ex- 

 plained the symbolism and the hieroglyphic 

 characters that are found on ancient works 

 of art and their relation to modern characters. 

 The inception of Chinese culture Professor 



Hirth places at the second millennium B. C, 

 noting the unreliability of Chinese written 

 accounts as to the early times. About 120 

 B. C, Bactrian Greek art influence found its 

 way into China, of which examples were 

 shown consisting of designs on the backs of 

 metal mirrors and of rock carvings. The de- 

 velopments of architecture, writing and print- 

 ing were traced. Professor Hirth affirms that 

 in art Japan stands entirely on the shoulders 

 of China. The paper was discussed by Messrs. 

 Flint, SpofEord and McGee. A vote of thanks 

 of the society was tendered Professor Hirth 

 for his instructive paper. 



Walter Hough, 



Secretary. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



A TROPICAL MARINE LABORATORY FOR RESEARCH. 



To THE Editor of Science: The subject 

 which Dr. A. G. Mayer has so ably introduced 

 for discussion under the above title is of such 

 importance as to call for careful consideration 

 from biologists. It is also beset with diffi- 

 culties of a peculiar character, the recognition 

 of which will largely determine its success 

 or otherwise. Of the desirability for such a 

 permanent laboratory and of the great results 

 to biology which would accrue from its es- 

 tablishment there can scarcely be any diver- 

 gence of opinion. Granted the means for its 

 support the primary discussion will center 

 around the best means for attracting the great- 

 est number of able workers, involved in which 

 is the important question of the most suitable 

 site. 



The suggestion for the establish^nent of a 

 biological laboratory in the tropical Atlantic 

 is by no means new. Ten or more years, ago 

 the subject received the public support and 

 encouragement of the late Professor Huxley 

 and Professor Eay Lankester, and was dis- 

 cussed in the English Times and various sci- 

 entific journals, while the Institute of Jamaica 

 has at times made recommendations of a like 

 character. 



Three or four years ago a committee of 

 American botanists, composed of Professors 

 D. H. Campbell and D. F. MacDougal, visited 



