SCIENCE 



Editorial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; R. S. Woodwaed, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, 



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



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



Brooks, C. Hart Merriam, Zoology; S. H. Scudder, Entomology; N. L. Britton, 



Botany; Henry F. Osborn, General Biology; H. P. Bowditch, Physiology; 



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



Daniel G. Brinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology ; 



G. Brown Goode, Scientific Organization. 



Friday, July 31, 1896. 



CONTENTS: 



Science and Culture: Charles E. Bessey 121 



The Humanistic Element in Science: Henry S. 

 Carhart 124 



The Teaching of Beginning Chemistry: PAUL C. 

 Freer 130 



Current Notes on Anthropology : — 

 Myths of the Northwest Coasts; The Story of 

 ^Number Nip:' D. G. Brinton 135 



Current Notes on Meteorology : — 

 Australian Meteorology ; International Cloud Atlas ; 

 Meteorological Work at Batavia ; Weather Map of 

 the St. Lotiis Tornado : E. DeC. "Ward 136 



Notes on Agriculture and Horticulture : — 



Potato Culture ; Hastening Maturity of Potatoes ; 

 Crimson Clover Good for Potatoes; Potash for Po- 

 tatoes ; Scab and Internal Brown Rot ; Early and 

 Late Potato Blights ; Variety Testing of Potatoes ; 

 Government Farmers' Bulletin upon Potatoes: 

 Byron D. Halsted 137 



Scientific Notes and News : — 



Sir Joseph Prestwich ; 'A New Factor in Evolution ;' 

 General ...138 



University and Educational News : — 

 The Future of American Colleges and Universities ; 

 General 141 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



The Teaching of Anatomy : Thomas Dwight ; 

 Is not this Country ripe enough to adopt the Metric 

 System?: F. H. Stoeer 142 



Scientific Literature : — 



Merriam's Preliminary Synopsis of American 

 Bears : J. A. A. Hatschek and CorVs Zootomie : 

 Henry F. Nachtrieb 145 



Scientific Journals : — 



The Physical Review 147 



Societies and Academies : — 



North Carolina Section of the American Chemical 

 Society 148 



New Books 148 



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

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

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



SCIENCE AND CULTURE* 

 It is with peculiar pleasure that I stand 

 before this new department of Natural Sci- 

 ence Instruction, and I deem it a great 

 honor that you have asked me to preside 

 over its deliberations. It is an important 

 sign of the times that such a department as 

 this should have been organized by the 

 scientific men of the country. It is signifi- 

 cant of a broader view of the work of 

 scientific men that we find so many here 

 to-day to take part in the first meeting of a 

 department which has for its object the dis- 

 cussion of questions pertaining to the teach- 

 ing of science. I am assured that the move- 

 ment which culminates in our gathering to- 

 day is timely, and that it is but the visible 

 expression of the feeling which has been 

 steadily growing among scientific workers 

 that the time is near at hand for a restate- 

 ment as to the place of science in the edu- 

 cation of a man. I congratulate you that 

 you are among those who are to take part 

 in this movement, and I trust that great 

 good will result from your efforts. 



With your permission, I wish now to 

 bring before you, at the opening of this de- 

 partment, a few suggestions which may 

 serve to give direction to your work. 



It is not so long ago but that many of 

 us have personal knowledge of the insignifi- 



* Delivered before the Dept. Nat. Sci. Instruction 

 N. E. A., Buffalo, July 10, 1896, by the President, 

 Charles E. Bessey. 



