SCIENCE 



Editokial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; R. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; R. H. Thukston, Engineering; Ika Remsen, Chemistry; 



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



Bkooks, 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. MoKeen Cattell, Psychology ; 



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



Friday, December 11, 1896. 



CONTENTS: 



Opening of the East Wing of the American Museum 

 of Natural History 849 



The Influence of Light upon the Discharge of Elec- 

 trified Bodies : Ernest Merritt 853 



The North American Origin of the Edentates : J. L. 

 WOETMAN 865 



The New Psychological Laboratory at Leipzig: 

 George M, Stratton 867 



American Ornithologists^ Union 868 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 870 



Astronomical Notes : H.J 871 



Scientific Notes and News : — 



The Decimal Division of Time and Angles ; A Trop- 

 ical Botanical Garden; General 871 



University and Educational News 875 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Age of the Potomac Formation : G. K. Gilbert. 

 LeConte's Elements of Geology : G. K. Gilbert. 

 The Position of the Companion of Sirius : R. G. 

 AlTKEN. Compliment or Plagiarism : George 

 Bruce Halsted. The Date of Publication 

 Again: E. D. Cope 875 



Scientific Literature : — 



White's History of the Warfare of Science with 

 Theology : J. G. SCHURMAN. Stehbing's Naviga- 

 tion and Nautical Astronomy: G. W. Little- 

 hales. A-Birding on a Bronco : Olive Thorne 

 Miller 879 



Societies and Academies : — 



Biological Society of Washington : F. A. LucAS. 

 The Philosophical Society of Washington : Ber- 

 nard R. Green. The Chemical Society of Wash- 

 ington: A. C. Peale 882 



New Books 884 



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. 



OPENING OF THE EAST WING OF THE 



AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL 



HISTORY. 



The opening of the east wing of tlie 

 American Museum, upon ISTovember 30th, 

 marks the latest step in its rapid develop- 

 ment. The old wing of the building, com- 

 pleted in 1873, contained 35,020 square 

 feet. With the west wing, now in course 

 of erection, the Museum will have a total 

 exhibition floor space of 148,258 square 

 feet. The construction of the east- corner 

 wing has been authorized by the Legislature, 

 and this will nearly complete the south fa- 

 §ade in 1900. 



The Twenty-seventh Annual Eeport of 

 the President, recently issued, shows that 

 the last two years have been of exceptional 

 activity in the development of the collec- 

 tions and educational work of the Museum. 

 During 1895 seventy-five thousand dollars 

 was received from the city of New York for 

 maintenance, and sixty-five thousand dol- 

 lars from the Endowment Fund ; there was, 

 however, a deficit of nearly eight thousand 

 dollars on these two accounts, which was 

 met by special subscription from the 

 Trustees. The expedition in Peru under 

 the direction of Mr. Adolph F. Bandelier, 

 referred to in previous reports, has been 

 eminently successful, and arrangements 

 have been made to continue his work un- 

 til the close of 1896. The expedition 

 to Honduras was made in cooperation 



