SCIENCE 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodwabd, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickebing 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; E. H. Thueston, Engineering; lEA Eemsen, Chemistry; 



J. Le Conte, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. Maesh, Paleontology; W. K. 



Beooks, C. Haet Meeeiam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; N. L. Beitton, 



Botany; Heney F. Osboen, General Biology; H. P. Bowditoh, Physiology; 



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



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



Friday, March 19, 1897. 



CONTENTS: 



The Fur-seal Investigation of 1S96 453 



Proposed Exploration on the Coasts of the North 

 Paeifie Ocean 455 



The New York State Science Teachers' Association 

 (J. ), including the Address of the President, S. H. 

 Gage and Addresses hy Albert L. Arey and E. L. 

 Nichols: Feanklin W. Baeeows 457 



Current Notes on 3Ieteorology : — 

 Blue Hill Cloud Observations ; Some Climatic Fea- 

 tures of the Arid Regions ; Climatic Zones on the 

 Island of Sakhalin: R. DeC. Waed 468 



Current Notes on Anthropology : — 

 Stature and Weight; The National Museum of 

 Costa Rica: D. G. Beinton 469 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 470 



Scientific Notes and News : — 

 Research and the University ; Science in the News- 

 papers ; General 470 



University and Educational News 475 



Discussion and Correspondence:— 



The Florida Sea-monster : A. E. Veeeill. The 

 Florida Monster : F. A. LucAS. Gibbers : J. B. 

 "Woodwoeth. International Congress of Mathe- 

 maticians at Zurich in 1897 : Geoege Bruce 

 Halsted. a New Geographical Magazine: 

 ISEAEL C. EussELL. Compliment or Plagiarism : 

 Beman AND Smith. Mexican Hieroglyphs : J. 

 D. McGuiEE, Zelia Nuttall. The Play of 

 Animals; The Fur Seal: F. A. LucAS 476 



Scientific Literature: — 



Biedermann's Electro-Physiology : Heney Sew- 

 ALL. Taber on the Coming Ice Age : G. Feed- 

 HEICK Weight. Mercer's Researches upon the 

 Antiquity of Man: D. G. Beinton 481 



Scientific Journals : — 



The Physical Review : American Geologist 484 



Societies and Academies : — 



Biological Society of Washington : F. A. LuCAS. 

 Anthropological Society of Washington : J. H. 

 McCoemick. The New York Section of the 

 American Chemical Society: Ddeand Wood- 

 man. The Geological Club of the University of 

 Minnesota: Chas. P. Beekey. T/ie Texas 

 Academy of Science : Feedeeic W. Simonds...487 



New Books 488 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., Intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor, Prof. J. 

 MoKeen Cattell, Garrison-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



THE FUR-SEAL INVESTIGATION OF 1896. 



The preliminary report of the commis- 

 sion appointed in June, 1896, to investigate 

 the condition of the northern fur-seals has 

 recently been issued, although it has been 

 in print for some time. It gives a resum6 

 of the summer's v^ork and of the conclu- 

 sions reached, and will be followed later on 

 by a full report giving in detail the obser- 

 vations and facts on which this summary 

 is based. The work was prosecuted under 

 exceptionally favorable conditions, not only 

 from the facilities afforded the commission, 

 but from the number of observers engaged, 

 since what was not seen at one time or 

 place might be seen at another, while the 

 representatives of the various governments 

 worked harmoniously together in the accu- 

 mulation of data. Much, too, is also due to 

 the thorough manner in which the work 

 was planned and carried on by Dr. Jordan, 

 the head of the American commission, 

 while finally the reduced number of seals 

 facilitated the work of observation. 



