NOVEMBEK 25, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



727 



early date, although the data with respect to 



many important sites will necessarily be imperfect. 



Very truly yours, 



W. H. Holmes, 

 Mb. Edgar L. Hewett, Chief. 



U. S. National Museum. 



Identical orders were sent at the same time 

 to superintendents of Indian schools, agents 

 and additional farmers throughout New Mex- 

 ico, Arizona and Colorado. These orders 

 cover about one fourth of all the southwestern 

 ruins. It will be seen that these various sets 

 of orders from the two departments embrace 

 practically all of the ruins that are not under 

 private ownership. 



It definitely mobilizes, so to speak, a force 

 of forest supervisors, rangers, special agents, 

 Indian school superintendents and teachers, 

 Indian agents, farmers and police, and even 

 enlists the Indians themselves, a particularly 

 sagacious step, in the protection of these ruins 

 for the avowed purposes of preserving them 

 for scientific investigation. It establishes the 

 broad and liberal policy that any competent 

 scientist, who desires to place the material 

 secured in a reputable public museum, will be 

 authorized by the department of the interior 

 to examine ruins, but that no person will be 

 permitted to enter and excavate them for the 

 purpose of acquiring specimens for traffic or 

 private gain, and that willful destruction of 

 valuable historic and prehistoric landmarks 

 must cease. 



Most archeologists will agree with Governor 

 Hichards that this subject calls for some ju- 

 dicious legislation, but they will be especially 

 gratified to know th^t, pending such enact- 

 ment, an efficient and economical policy has 

 been developed in the department of the in- 

 terior which is being made operative as 

 promptly as circumstances will permit. The 

 main thing, a system of governmental protec- 

 tion of archeological remains, is manifestly 

 an accomplished fact, as much so, and after 

 the same manner, as is the protection of tim- 

 ber on public lands. It will be effective just 

 so far as the commissioners of the general 

 land office and of Indian affairs are furnished 

 with means adequate to carry the system into 

 effect. It would now seem that all concerned 



can best serve the interests of science and of 

 the public by upholding this wise policy. I 

 would further suggest that all workers in the 

 southwestern field should make it their duty 

 to keep the department of the interior in- 

 formed of violations of the above orders which 

 come to their notice and that they should 

 henceforth refuse to purchase for museums 

 any specimens or collections that are not se- 

 cured by parties duly authorized to collect the 

 same by the secretary of the interior. A 

 specimen not secured by legitimate authority 

 and not accompanied by authentic record 

 should have no place in a reputable museum. 



The bill proposed by Commissioner Rich- 

 ards as a substitute for all the pending bills 

 on the subject is embodied in his annual 

 report for 1904 to the secretary of the interior 

 which can doubtless be had by addressing 

 him. I regard it as a sound measure which 

 provides in a simple and direct way for the 

 end to be accomplished, and which should pre- 

 cede any further special enactments. 



Edgar L. Hewett. 



Las Vegas, New Mexico. 



NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF SCIENTIFIC 



NOMENCLATURE. 



theophrastus redivivus. 



All who delight in contemplating the ex- 

 traordinary attainments of the Hellenic mind, 

 whether expressed in art, literature or science, 

 will rejoice at the appearance of Dr. Hugo 

 Bretzl's learned treatise on ' Botanical Knowl- 

 edge resulting from the Alexandrian Con- 

 quest.'* This work of over 400 pages un- 

 questionably ranks as the most critical and 

 thoroughgoing discussion extant of the ear- 

 liest botanical contributions that have come 

 down to us from the olden time. 



Naturally, the chief sources of material are 

 those furnished by the writings of Theophras- 

 tus, disciple of Plato and Aristotle, and suc- 

 cessor of the latter. Additional information 

 of great value, especially as regards the ex- 

 tinct mangrove colonies along the Red Sea 

 and Persian Gulf, to say nothing of general 

 natural history, is contained in those oldest 



* ' Botanisehe Forschungen des Alexanderzuges,' 

 Leipzig, 1903. 



