SCIENCE. 



Editorial Committee : S. Newcojeb, Mathematics ; R. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, As- 

 tronomy ; T. C. Mexdexhaxl, Physics ; R. H. Thurston, Engineering ; Ira Resisen, Cliemistry ; 

 Joseph Le Coste, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. SIaesh, Paleontology; W. K. 

 Brooks, Invertebrate Zoology ; C. Hart JIerriam, Vertebrate Zoology ; N. L. Beittox, 

 Botany ; Hexry F. Osborn, General Biology ; H. P. Bowdxtch, Physiology ; 

 J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology ; 

 Daniel G. Beinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, May 3, 1895. 



COXTE^^TS: 



National Academy of Sciences. Eeport of the Wat- 

 son Trustees on the Award of the Watson Medal to 

 Seth C. Chandler : S. Newcomb, B. A. GoULD, 

 A. H.u,L 477 



Summary of Conclusions of a Eeport by Drs. D. H. 

 Bergey, S. Weir Mitchell (tnd J. S Billings upon 

 ' The Composition of Expired Air and its Effects 

 upon Animal Life' 481 



American Metrnlogical Society ; J. K. R 484 



The International Mathematical Congress : Geoege 

 Bruce Halsted 486 



Current Xotes on Physiography ( V. ): W. M. 

 Davis 487 



Current \otes on Anthropology (VII.): D. G. 



Brinton 488 



James D. Dana 489 



Correspondence : — 490 



The Distribution of Sledges, etc. : Oris T. 

 Mason. 



Scientific Literature : — 490 



Geikie's Life of Ramsay: Joseph Le Conte. 

 McMurrieh's Inrertebrate Morphology: A. S. 

 Packard. Vertebrate Zoology: C. H. M. 

 Spalding's Botany: W. P. WiLSON. 



Notes and Xews : — 497 



Fossil Vertebrates of Argentina; Variation in 

 Crabs; Regression and Organic Stability ; General. 



Societies and Academies : — 501 



American Geographic Society ; The Biological Soci- 

 ety of Washington; The Academy of Science of 

 St. Louis. 



Scientific Journals : — 503 



The Botanical Gazette ; The American Naturalist. 

 Neu; Books 504 



MS.S. Intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review sliould be sent to the responsible editor. Prof. J. 

 McKeen Cattell, Garrison on Hudson, N. Y. 



Subscriptionsand advertisements sbould be sent to Science, 

 41 N. Queen St., Lancaster, Pa., or 41 East 49th St., New York. 



NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



REPORT OF TEE WATSON TRUSTEES ON THE 



AWARD OF THE WATSON MEDAL TO 



SETH C. CHANDLER. 



On the recommendation of the Board of 

 Trustees of the Watson Fund, the Academy 

 last year unanimouslj- awarded the "Wat- 

 son medal to Seth C. Chandler, of Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., for his investigations relative 

 to variable stars, his discoveiy of the period 

 of variation of terrestrial latitudes, and his 

 researches on the laws of that variation. 

 It is the pleasant duty of the Trustees to 

 set forth the gi-ounds on which this award 

 w-as recommended. 



It is a result of the well-known laws of 

 dynamics relating to the rotation of a rigid 

 body, as the earth is assumed to be, upon 

 its axis, that the poles of the earth may be 

 determined in two ways. Our globe, being 

 a spheroid flattened at the poles and pro- 

 tuberant at the equator, has a certain axis 

 passing betw-een the points of greatest flat- 

 tening. This axis has no direct connection 

 with the rotation of the earth ; it would ex- 

 ist if the latter, retaining its present form, 

 did not rotate at all. It is called the axis 

 of figure, being determined altogether by 

 the shape of the earth. 



But the earth has also an axis around 

 which it rotates. Xow, assuming the earth 

 to be a rigid solid, there is no necessity that 

 the axis of rotation should correspond to 

 that of the axis of figure just described. 



