Mabch 1, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



239 



an American table for three years. Almost 

 at the same time Professor Agassiz engaged 

 a table for Harvard College for three years. 

 Both of these tables a re in demandby so many 

 investigators that they still do not cover the 

 needs of Americjin students. In fact, there 

 have always been more American occupants 

 than tables, and I receive them ^^•illingly as 

 guests. Dr. Fairchild, of Washington, Dr. 

 Wheeler, of Chicago, and Professor Bnm- 

 piis, of Browni University, occupied the 

 Smithsonian Table in 1S93-94, while Mr. 

 Rice, of Washington, occupied the Harvard 

 Table in 1894. In 1894-5 Dr. Murbach, of 

 Berkeley, occupied the Smithsonian Talile. 

 while Dr. Child and Professor Bitter, of the 

 University of California, occupied the Har- 

 vard Table. At the same time Professor 

 Hargitt. of SjTacuse Universitj', and Pro- 

 fessor Gardiner, of the University of Colo- 

 rado, were received as guests. At the pres- 

 ent time Professor Morgan, of Bryn Mawr, 

 and Professor Leslie Osbom, of the Uni- 

 versity of Indiana, are occupying the Smith- 

 sonian Table, and Dr. Nutting and Pro- 

 fessor Keighard are soon expected to arrive. 



" These twentj'-nine American naturalists 

 have already profited by the Zoological 

 Station, and many more would have come 

 had arrangements been made earlier and on 

 a larger scale. In comparison with Euro- 

 pean states, I may state that Germany rents 

 eleven tables, Italy nine, Austria-Hungary 

 three, England three, Russia three (which 

 were discontinued this year, but are going to 

 be continued). Spain has had three, which 

 have been for a time discontinued, but will 

 most likely be re-established. Holland, 

 Belgium, Switzerland and Roumania have 

 each one table. I entertain the hope that 

 France and the Scandinavian kingdoms 

 will subsequently secure tables. I am glad 

 to siiy that the Zoological Station is quite 

 capable of giving them all the full benefit 

 of its complete arrangements." 



Tills letter places before American zoolo- 



gists in the most direct and convincing 

 manner the importance, not to say obliga- 

 tion, of remedying the past infringement 

 upon the hospitality of the broad-minded 

 director of the famous station. The Smith- 

 sonian table and the Harvard table should 

 now be supplemented by a third, and it is to 

 be hoped that some means will be found of 

 adding S2.50 to the generous subscription of 

 Mr. Dodge and securing this end. 



Henry F. Osborn. 



COEEESPOXDENCE. 

 PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS. 



Mr. Editor : In Science of January 11, 

 p. 47, Dr. D. G. Brinton reviews under the 

 title • The Missing Link Found at Last,' 

 Dr. E. Dubois' Memoir on Fithecanthrnptim 

 eredus. Dr. Brinton, while accepting the 

 dental apparatus to be of the simian tj^ie, 

 acknowledges that the skull is like the 

 famous Neandertlial man, and that the 

 femora are singularly human. Professor 

 O. C. Mai-sh (Silliman's Journal, February, 

 1895, p. 144) calls Fifhecanihropus an ' ape- 

 man.' In another place he alludes to it as 

 a ' large anthropoid ape. ' A communication 

 signed 'R. L.,' presumably Richard Lydek- 

 ker, appeared in ' Nature,' January 24, 

 1895 ; the ground is taken that the femur 

 of Pithecanthropus is ' actually human ; ' that 

 the skull ' can belong to no wild anthro- 

 poid ; ' and that the molar may ' perfectly 

 well be human.' 



It thus appears that diflerences of opinion 

 are already being entertained, respecting 

 the validity of iWicc«))<7ir()piM. I have ven- 

 tured to make a contribution to the subject, 



since I quite agree with ' R. L.' The single 

 tooth preserved (see the accompanj'ing cut) 



