May 28, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



843 



in Geological Life Development by Mr. Waller. 

 The usual courses in general and special geology 

 will be given by Professor Salisbury during the 

 first half of the summer quarter, followed by his 

 field course during the second part. 



Me. Francis H. Scott writes us that the 

 bill before the Legislature to change the name 

 of the Michigan Mining School to the Michigan 

 College of Mines became a law early in April, 

 and the latter is now the proper name of the 

 institution. The students and the people of the 

 Upper Peninusula generally have accepted the 

 new name gladly, considering it much more 

 appropriate for the character of the work done 

 in the institution. Another bill which has 

 been pending for some time regarding the 

 charging of tuition has been passed, fixing the 

 rate at $25.00 for residents of Michigan, and 

 not less than $50.00 or more than $200.00 for 

 those residing outside of Michigan. The rate 

 is under consideration and, in all prob- 

 ability, will be fixed at $150.00. This tu- 

 ition fee will correspond with that charged by 

 other first-grade technical schools in America, 

 such as Columbia College School of Mines, the 

 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Stevens 

 Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts 

 Institute of Technology. When the school 

 was working out its policy, trying to solve 

 its educational problems, it was thought 

 wisest to charge no tuition, but to col- 

 lect as wide a constituency as possible in order 

 that there might be all possible chance to make 

 the methods as broad and thorough as could be 

 done. It was also deemed hardly just to the 

 students educated here to demand tuition until 

 the institution was much better equipped for its 

 work than the appropriations granted during 

 the first decade of its existence permitted. Now, 

 that success has been attained in educating men 

 for practical work, as is evidenced by the posi- 

 tions which its eighty-six graduates hold, as 

 given in the last catalogue, the institution seems 

 fully warranted in charging hereafter for its in- 

 struction. The new law goes into effect imme- 

 diately after August 19, 1897, and will, there- 

 fore, not apply to students entering previous to 

 that time. A prospectus will soon be issued by 

 the College, giving the details of the regulations 

 finally adopted by the Board of Control. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE MAMMALS. 



To THE Editor of Science : Without dis- 

 cussing the general questions treated in Dr. 

 Sclater's paper in Science of May 14th, it may 

 be well to call attention to some errors of detail. 



Dr. Sclater credits the North Atlantic region 

 (Arctatlantica) with the exclusive possession of 

 the genera Delphinapterus and Monodon and the 

 species Balsena mysticetus. 



Monodon, though rare, occurs in the region of 

 Bering Strait, while it is not known, as yet, to 

 enter Bering Sea. 



Delphinapterus is abundant in Bering Sea, 

 often ascending the large rivers which fall into 

 that sea. Specimens have been noted in the 

 Yukon 600 miles from salt water. 



Balsena mysticetus, though now nearly exter- 

 minated, was a short time ago the principal ob- 

 ject of the whale fishery of the North Pacific, 

 Bering and Okhotsk seas. During the early 

 days of the whale fishery several well attested 

 instances occurred of whales {B. mysticetus) 

 struck in one ocean, as the Atlantic, being after- 

 ward killed in the North Pacific, and vice versa. 



It may also be mentioned that less than ten 

 years ago a herd of over 200 fur seal were noted 

 on one of the Galapagos Islands and an expe- 

 dition was fitted out to go there for the purpose 



of hunting them. 



Wm. H. Dall. 



Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 



May 16, 1897. 



A postscript on the terminology of types. 



Mr. Lucas' remarks might have been more 

 intelligible to me had they followed instead of 

 preceded the lucid paper by Mr. Schuchert : 

 'What is a type in Natural History?' (Sci- 

 ence, N. S., v., pp. 630-640, April, 1897.) To 

 save further misapprehension, permit me to 

 add that under 'type-specimens' I included 

 ' holotypes,' and at all events the more impor- 

 tant 'cotypes' and 'paratypes.' 



This slight misunderstanding shows how 

 necessary the definition of these terms has be- 

 come. It also exemplifies a danger that needs 

 constant guarding against, namely, the employ- 

 ment of a common word in a restricted or 

 altered technical sense. The man in the street 



