July 10, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



41 



of usefulness of the topographic maps. It 

 was provided in the Sundry Civil Act, 

 under authority of which the work will 

 proceed, that levels be established above 

 sea level in every area under survey and 

 that these levels be marked on the ground 

 by iron or stone posts or bench marks. 

 Thus accurate levels will be run everywhere 

 in the course of the surveys and monuments 

 established at short intervals. The work 

 done in this way will progress somewhat 

 less rapidly than it has progressed under the 

 old method. The $25,000 which has been 

 added to the appropriation is expected to 

 meet the cost of doing the work in this way. 



There are 30 or 35 triangulation and 

 topographic parties in the field, or about 75 

 men, all told. 



In New York the topographic surveys 

 will be continued on the cooperative basis, 

 the State government having appropriated 

 ^15,000, the Federal Survey to allot a simi- 

 lar sum to the work. There will also be 

 cooperation in Maryland. 



The joint topographic and land subdivi- 

 sion survey of the Indian Territory, which 

 has been going on without interruption in 

 the field since May, 1895, will be continued 

 to completion. W. F. Morsell. 



THE NEW YORK STATE VETERINARY COL- 

 LEGE. 



By the Legislative acts of 1894, 1895 and 

 1896 for the establishment and mainte- 

 nance of a State Veterinary College, New 

 York has taken a notable step in advance. 

 The animal industry of the State is so im- 

 portant and extensive, and the relations of 

 animal diseases so intimately interwoven 

 with human health and well-being that 

 every undertaking whereby the financial 

 and sanitary interests of the State will have 

 the benefit of the knowledge and continued 

 investigations of a body of experts must 

 command the approval of every one. It is 

 believed, too, that the establishment of the 



College upon the campus of a great univer- 

 sity with the full advantages of its libraries 

 and laboratories and surrounded by the 

 university atmosphere will be of inestima- 

 ble advantage to it. On the other hand, it 

 will aid the university to have in its midst 

 a group of investigators and students deal- 

 ing with the great practical problems in- 

 volved in the live stock interests of the 

 State and the relations of this industry to 

 public health. In a word, it is believed 

 that the atmosphere of a university will in- 

 spire and liberalize the College, and the ef- 

 forts of the College for the information and 

 betterment of the condition of society will 

 have a like beneficial effect on the univer- 

 sity, by bringing clearly before it practical 

 problems and the real efiiciency of our 

 present knowledge in dealing with great 

 sanitary and financial interests. 



The standard for the veterinarians of 

 New York State is very high, and the State 

 school ought naturally to prepare men well 

 for their profession ; it has therefore the 

 duties of a professional school. On the 

 other hand, its purpose being to study and 

 if possible eradicate or show the means of 

 avoiding animal diseases and epidemics, it 

 must also be a center of investigation. For 

 this double purpose of teaching and inves- 

 tigation, it has six special buildings in addi- 

 tion to those of the University ; and it is 

 believed that under the wise guidance of its 

 Director, Dr. James Law, who has served 

 the State and the Nation so well and effici- 

 ently in the past, that its opening in the 

 coming autumn will mark another mile- 

 stone of progress in the State. The follow- 

 ing have been already appointed upon the 

 staff of the College : 



1. For director of the State Veterinary 

 College and professor of veterinary medi- 

 cine, principles and practice, zymotic dis- 

 eases and State medicine : James Law, F. 

 E. S. V. S. of Great Britain ; professor of 

 veterinary science in Cornell University ; 



