September 18, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



403 



and several in the text accompany the 

 paper. 



In the proceedings of the Berlin Anthro- 

 pological Society for January last, Dr. 

 Felix von Luschan has a contribution in 

 which he describes three trepanned skulls 

 from Tenerife, and refers to seven other 

 examples from the same locality. The 

 operation seems to have been generally suc- 

 cessful. Some others present cicatrices, 

 which appear to have been from wounds 

 intentionally inflicted for ceremonial pur- 

 poses. He also gives examples of defective 

 tympanic bones in artificially deformed 

 skulls from Peru. 



D. G. Brinton. 



Univeksity of Pennsylvania. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 

 THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



The British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, whose preeminence is borne witness 

 to by the fact that it is always called simply 

 ' The British Association ' by British newspa- 

 pers and the general public, is meeting at Liv- 

 erpool during the present week. Since its first 

 meeting in 1831, the Association has been an 

 important factor in the progress of science in 

 Great Britain and has set an example which 

 has been followed by the nations showing the 

 greatest scientific activity. It has to a consid- 

 erable extent fulfilled its objects: "To give a 

 stronger impulse and a more systematic direc- 

 tion to scientific inquiry, to promote the in- 

 tercourse of those who cultivate science in 

 different parts of the British Empire, with one 

 another and with foreign philosophers, to ob- 

 tain a more general attention to the objects of 

 science, and a removal of any disadvantages of 

 a public kind which impede its progress. ' ' 



The Liverpool meeting, presided over by Sir 

 Joseph Lister, also president of the Royal So- 

 ciety and by common consent one of the greatest 

 men of science now living, with men such as 

 Prof J. J. Thomson to preside over its sections, 

 with a strong local committee, in a city offering 

 many attractions, is sure to promote the ob- 

 jects of the Association and surpass in impor- 



tance the similar meetings in other countries. 

 Yet it is probable that the meeting will be less 

 influential than that held in the same place 26 

 years ago, when, with an attendance of 2,878, 

 Huxley as president gave his remarkable ad- 

 dress on ' Biogenesis, ' and the presidents of the 

 sections included Clerk-Maxwell, Sir Henry 

 Roscoe, Eollerson, Murchison and Jevons. 



The British Association does not escape the 

 criticism usual in such cases; it has been said 

 that it has no further raison d^Stre, and even 

 that it is only being kept alive long enough to 

 make presidents of certain men who want this 

 honor. Yet it is probable that such an associa- 

 tion has never been more useful or more needed. 

 The men active twenty-six years ago have since 

 become more famous and are mostly no longer 

 living. But new men have come and new 

 problems. The advance of science has never 

 before been so steady and so widespread. 

 There has never been a time when it was more 

 advantageous for men of science to meet to- 

 gether, and use their collective influence for the 

 common good. 



THE PASTEUR MEMORIAL. 



We have on several occasions called atten- 

 tion to the monument in memory of Pasteur, 

 to be erected in Paris. There is a strong 

 committee, consisting of a number of the 

 leading men of science in France and having as 

 honorary members the President of the Repub- 

 lic and his cabinet, together with about one 

 hundred and sixty of the most prominent offi- 

 cials, scientists and other distinguished citizens 

 of France. It has been wisely decided to make 

 the memorial international and a committee for 

 the United States has been organized, consist- 

 ing of Dr. D. E. Salmon, Chairman, Dr. E. A. 

 de Schweinitz, Secretary, Dr. Geo. M. Stern- 

 berg, Dr. J. Rufus Tryon, Dr. Walter Wyman, 

 Prof. S. F. Emmons, Prof Lester F. Ward, 

 Dr. Wm. B. French, Hon. Gardiner G. Hub- 

 bard, Mr. C. L. Marlatt, and Dr. Ch. Wardell 

 Stiles. Dr. G. Brown Goode, active in so 

 many useful works, was treasurer of the com- 

 mittee. 



The committee has devoted much attention to 

 the subject and has corresponded with many 

 societies and individuals. It prefers to have 



