November 21, 1890.] 



SCIENCE. 



£83 



gators' rooms, which, like those in the main building, are fitted 

 with aquaria and supplied with running sea-water. All workers 

 at the laboratory during last summer frtlly appreciate the advan- 

 tages gained by this addition. 



The library has been considerably enlarged by gifts from nu 

 merous friends. Although we were unable to purchase any books, 

 the current subscriptions to journals hare been maintained. The 

 following list gives the donations received as far as catalogued : 

 G. Baur, 12 pamphlets; J. N. Coulter, 2 volumes and 3 pam- 

 phlets; Stanley Coulter, 2 pamphlets; "W. G. Farlow, 3 volumes 

 and 3 pamphlets; C. P. Barnes, J. W. Fewkes, W. F. Ganong, J. 

 S. Kingsley, each I pamphlet; Dice McLaren and W. S. Miller, 

 each 1 volume and 1 pamphlet; T. Wesley Mills, 16 pamphlets; C. 

 S. Minot, 15 volumes and 6 pamphlets; Francis Jlinot, 20 vol- 

 umes; H. F. Osborn, 7 volumes and 8 pamphlets; A. S. Packard, 

 9 volumes and 1 1 6 pamphlets; Peabody Academy of Sciences, 

 Salem, 5 volumes; Samuel H. Scudder, 1 volume, — a total of 63 

 volumes and 171 pamphlets. Other gifts were received from A. 

 Agassiz, California Academy of Science, R. Ellsworth Call, C. 

 and R. S. Eigenmann, E. G. Gardiner, Mrs. Gitiord. J. E. Ivers, 

 T. H. Morgan, E. S. Morse, W. A. Satebell; but, as those have 

 not returned fiom AVood's Holl, they have not been catalogued. 

 The most important gift was from Dr. Francis Minot, and in- 

 cluded Agassiz's " Contributions '' and a series of the publications 

 of the American Academy. The additions go far towards com- 

 pleting our sets of the American Naturalist and of the Botanical 

 Gazette. 



During the former seasons both students and investigators have 

 felt the need of better collecting facilities than the laboratory 

 could offer. Although well supplied with row-boats, the strong 

 tides which prevail in the neighboring waters rendered it impera- 

 tive for the laboratory to have the use of a steam-launch. Many 

 of the localities where the richest fauna and flora were to be found 

 were beyond the reach of either sail or row boats. 



Last spring the trustees supplied this deficiency in the equip- 

 ment by the purchase of the " Wyandotte," a most excellent 

 launch, designed by Edward Burgess, and in every way suitable 

 to the work. During last summer the "Wyandotte" fully 

 demonstrated her usefulness, dredging and collecting excursions 

 being made every day when the weather was suitable. 



Last August the Gifford homestead, which consists of upward 

 of half an acre of land, closely adjoining the lot on which the 

 laboratory stands, and a substantial old house, was advertised at 

 forced sale. The trustees have long believed that in the near 

 future the land and house would he of great value to the labora- 

 tory, but have been deterred from purchasing by lack of funds. 

 Appreciating that the amount for which this property could be 

 purchased (thirty-five hundred dollars) was small considering its 

 real value, J. S. Fay, Esq , advanced the money for the purchase, 

 holding a mortgage on the property for three thousand dollars. 

 This generous act secures the property to the laboratory, and at 

 the same time presents the trustees with the sum of five hundred 

 dollars. Since the laboratory was first opened, Mr. Fay has shown 

 by his liberality great interest in its succes.-^, and the trustees have 

 once again to thank him most cordially. Their thanks are also 

 due to Professor McDonald, United States commissioner of fisher- 

 ies, for many courtesies extended by him and his staff to our offi- 

 cers and students. 



We are again, as in past years, under obligations to Miss Fay 

 for the use of Gardiner cottage for a mess-room for those working 

 in the laboratory. This last summer the mess was under the im- 

 mediate charge of one of the officers of the laboratory, and if not 

 in every way satisfactory, yet was on the whole as good as cir- 

 cumstances would allow. 



It is hoped that the experience gained will be of service in what- 

 ever arrangement may be made another year. The laboratory 

 now owns a complete mess outfit, including tables, chairs, stove, 

 cooking utensils, and table furniture; and it is believed that the 

 house of the newly acquired property can be adapted to a perma- 

 nent mess-room at small expense. 



The trustees believe that the laboratory is now fully equipped ; 

 :'nd, until an effort is made to establish a permanent laboratory, 

 • Hit little outlay ou improvements will be necessary. 



They would, however, again remind the corporation that the 

 success of the laboratory is largely due to the voluntary efforts of 

 the director and his corps of assistants. They have worked faith- 

 fully and without further remimeration than their personal ex- 

 penses while at Wood's Holl. In many cases the work was very 

 arduous, allowing little or no time for study or investigation. It 

 is to be hoped that at least those who give their whole time to the 

 laboratory will in the future receive some compensation. 



As the success of the laboratory has greatly exceeded expecta- 

 tion, and warrants the largest hopes for the future, your trustees 

 consider it imperative that an effort be made at once to place the 

 laboratory upon a permanent footing; and they have accordingly 

 voted to take immediate steps to raise sixty thousand dollars, 

 which, when the indebtedness incurred thepast season is removed, 

 will yield an annual income sufficient not only to carry it on as 

 heretofore, but to pay a small stipend to those on whose voluntary 

 assistance in direction and instruction we have been dependent for 

 success. The trustees invite your earnest co-operation in securing 

 this amount. The proved usefulness of the laboratory, the great 

 demand for the privileges it oflters, and its present far-reaching 

 influence, demonstrate the need for a permanent establishment, 

 and enable us to make our appeal to the public with pride in our 

 brief past, and confidence in our future. 



AID TO ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH. 



Professor Edward C. PiCKERiNa of Harvard College Observa- 

 tory has issued a circular (No. II.) on the above subject. A cir- 

 cular was issued last summer-, announcing the gift by Miss Bruce 

 of six thousand dollars for aiding astronomical research. No 

 restrictions were made upon its expenditure which seemed likely 

 to limit its usefulness, and astronomers of all countries were in- 

 vited to make application for portions of it, and suggestions as to 

 the best method of using it. 



Eighty-four replies have been received, says Professor Pickering, 

 and with the advice of the donor the entire sum has been divided 

 so as to aid the following undertakings : Professor W. W. Payne, 

 director of the Carleton College Observatory, for illustrations of 

 the Sidereal Messenger; Professor Simon Newcomb, superintendent 

 of the American "Nautical Almanac," for discussion of contact 

 observations of Venus during its transits in 1874 and 1883; Dr. J. 

 Plassmann, Warendorf, for printing observations of meteors and 

 variable stars ; Professor H. Bruns, treasurer of the Astronomisehe 

 Gesellschaft, to the Astronomisehe Gesellschaft for the preparation 

 of tables according to Gylden's method for computing the elements 

 of the asteroids; Professor J. J. Astrand, director of the Observa- 

 tory, Bergen, Norway, for tables for solving Kepler's problem ; 

 Professor J. C. Adams, director of the Camti-idge Observatory, 

 England, for a s| ectroscope for the 37inch telescope of the Cam- 

 bridge Observatory ; Professor A. Hirsch, secretary of the Inter- 

 national Geodetic Association, to send an expedition to the Sand- 

 wich Islands to study the annual variation, if any, in latitude; H. 

 H. Turner, Esq , assistant in Greenwich Observatory, for prepar- 

 ing tables for computing star corrections; Professor Edward S. 

 Holden, director of the Lick Observatory, for reduction of meridian 

 observations of Struve stars ; Professor Lewis Swift, director of the 

 Warner Observatory, for photographic apparatus for 15- inch tele- 

 scope; Professor Norman Pogson, director of Madras Observatory, 

 for publication of old observations of variable stars, planets, and 

 asteroids; Dr. Ludwig Struve, astronomer at Dorpat Observatory, 

 for reduction of observations of occultations during the lunar 

 eclipse of Jan. 38, 1888, collected by the Pulkowa Observatory; 

 Dr. David Gill, director of the Observatory of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, (1) for reduction of heliometer observations of asteroids, (3) 

 for apparatus for engraving star-charts of the " Southern Durch- 

 musterung;" Professor A. Safarik, Prague, for a photometer for 

 measuring variable stars; Professor Henry A. Rowland, Johns 

 Hopkins University, for identification of metals in the solar spec- 

 trum. 



Of the remaining replies, many describe wants no less urgent 

 than those named above. Some relate to meteorology or physics 

 rather than to astronomy, some to work already completed, and 

 others were received too late to be included. Two important 



