SCIENCE 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; R. S. Woodwaed, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickeeing 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; R. H. Thurston, Engineering; Ira Remsen, Chemistry; 



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



Brooks, C. Hart Mberiam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; N. L. Beitton, 



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



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



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



Friday, Apeil 23, 1897. 



CONTENTS: 



The Inheritance of Acquired CharacterisHcs : E. D. 

 Cope 633 



Organic Selection : J. Mark Baldwin 634 



What is a Type in Natural History? Charles 

 SCHUCHERT 636 



The Fauna of Central Borneo : Geoege R. Stetson. 640 



Semon on the Monotremes : J. H. McG 643 



Notes on French Geography: F. P. Gulliver 644 



Current Notes on Physiography : — 

 7s Green Siver Antecedent to the Uinta Mountains? 

 Santa Catalina Island, Cala.; Notes: W. M. Davis. 647 



Current Notes on Meteorology : — 



Winter Storms on the Coast of China : Tlie ' Hies ' 

 Typhoon ; Angot's ' The Aurora Borealis :' R. 

 Dec Ward 649 



Current Notes on Anthropology : — 



The Jewish Physical Type ; On Wampum Becords ; 

 The Otomis: D. G. Beinton 650 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry : J. L. H 651 



Scientific Notes and News 651 



University and Educational News 656 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Mr. Lowell's Observations of Mercury and Venus : 

 Edwaed S. Holden. Further Considerations on 

 the Systematic Position of Tarsius : Charles 

 Eaele. The Coming Ice Age : C. A. M. Tabee. 

 The Smithsonian Table at the Naples Station : 

 Chaeles Waedell Stiles 656 



Scientific Literature : — 



Scott's Introduction to Geology : H. S. WiLLlAMS. 

 Bussell's Glaciers of North America: Haery 

 Fielding Reid. Meteorological Reprints: R. 

 Dec. Ward. Goodman on Archaic Maya In- 

 scriptions: D. G. Brinton 659 



Scientific Journals : — 



The American Chemical Journal: J. Elliott 

 Gilpin. Terrestrial Magnetism; The American 

 Physical Educational Beview : G. W. F 664 



Societies and Academies : — 



The Scientific Association of the Johns Hopkins 

 University : CHARLES LANK Poor. The Bio- 

 logical Society of Washington : F. A. Luc AS 667 



New Books 668 



MSS. intended lor publication and books, etc., intended 

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

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



THE INHERITANCE OF ACQUIRED CHARAC- 

 TERISTICS* 

 Professor Cope's defense of the doctrine 

 of the inheritance of acquired characters 

 was selected from the evidence contained in 

 his book, ' The Primary Factors of Organic 

 Evolution.' He referred especially to the 

 history of the moulding of the articulations 

 of the vertebrate, and especially of the 

 mammalian skeleton, of which such com- 

 plete series has been furnished by paleon- 

 tology. The forms of the articulations he 

 believed to be the result of their move- 

 ments, for the reason that they could be 

 formed artificially, as the result of experi- 

 ment, or in consequence of luxations. He 

 believed that the resulting forms have been 

 inherited, because they are found in the 

 embryo before the animal has had an op- 

 portunity of developing the structure for 

 himself by interaction with the environ- 

 ment. 



He admitted the justice of Dr. Minot's 

 demand for an explanation of this phe- 

 nomenon. He stated that the preforma- 

 tionists offered no explanation, and, indeed 

 so far as he could see, none was possible 

 from their point of view. The epigenesis- 

 ists could, on the contrary, appeal to the 



* Abstract of Professor Cope's part in the discus- 

 sion by Professors Minot, Macfarlane, Cope and 

 James before the Boston meeting of the American 

 Society of Naturalists, prepared at the request of the 

 editor by the late Professor Cope. 



