A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Editorial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. "Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickerinov 

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

 Charles D. Walcott, Geology ; W. M. Davis, Physiography ; Henry F. Osborn, Paleon- 

 tology ; W. K. Brooks, C. Hart Merriam, Zoology ; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology ; C. E. 

 Bessey, N. L. Britton, Botany ; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology ; H. P. Bow- 

 ditch, Physiology ; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; William H. Welch, Pathol- 

 ogy ; J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology ; J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, December 13, 1901. 



CONTENTS : 



The Bleeting of the American Society of Naturalists 

 in Chicago during Convocation Week 905 



Extract from President's BoosevelVs Message to the 

 Congress 907 



The American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science : — 



Section I, Social and Economic Science : Dr. 

 Raymond A. Pearson 912 



American Ornithologists' Union : John H. Sage. 926 



Joseph Eirsch: PROFESSOR R. H. THURSTON 927 



Scientific Books : — 



Eahot on Glaciers ; Dr. Harry Fielding Reid. 

 Johnston on the Brain of Acipenser : PROFESSOR 

 C. Judson Herrick. The Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion: H. C. B. Bemsen's Chemistry: Professor 

 W. A. Noyes 928 



Scientific Journals and Articles 932 



Societies and Academies : — 



Calendar ; N. Y. Academy of Sciences : Section 

 of Astronomy, Physics and Chemistry : DR. F. L. 

 Tufts. Section of Anthropology and Psychology : 

 Dr. R. S. Wood worth. The Torrey Botanical 

 Club : Professor E. S. Burgess. The Anthro- 

 pological Society of Washington: W. HouGH... 933 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



The Geographical Distribution of Fishes : PRES- 

 IDENT i). S. Jordan. Preglacial Drainage in 

 Southivestern Ohio : GERARD FowKE. The Sen- 

 egal Baobab Tree: Dr. C. A. White 936 



Shorter Articles: — 



The Largest Deep- Sea Fish : DR. Theo. Gill 

 and Dr. C. H. Townsend 937 



Current Notes on 3Ieteorology : — 



Hail Prevention by Cannonading; The Dust- 

 storm of March, 1901, and Glacial Studies ; The 

 Climatic Control of Government in the TropUs ; 

 Underground Temperatures at Oxford : PRO- 

 FESSOR R. Dec. Ward 938 



Botanical Notes : — 



Important Philippine Woods ; Recent Ecological 

 Papers ; Government Grass Studies : PROFESSOR 

 Charles E. Bessey 938 



The South African Museum : F. A. L 940 



Scientific Notes and News 940 



University and Educational News 943 



THE MEETING OF THE A3IEBICAN SOCIETY 



OF NATURALISTS IN CHICAGO DUB- 



ING CONVOCATION WEEK. 



For the first time in its history the 

 American Society of Naturalists, together 

 with various affiliated societies, will hold its 

 annual meeting in Chicago as guests of the 

 University of Chicago during the week be- 

 ginning December 30, A cordial invitation 

 has been extended to the several societies 

 by the Naturalists of the Interior and there 

 is every reason to anticipate a large and 

 successful meeting. It is greatly to be de- 

 sired that naturalists in the east shall 

 make a special effort to attend this meet- 

 ing, as it is not likely that meetings of the 

 American Society of Naturalists will often 

 be held at a point so distant from the coast. 



The American Society of Naturalists of 

 late years has become chiefly a nucleus 

 around which various affiliated societies of 

 a more or less technical character are 

 gathered, and the functions of the parent 

 society have been reduced, to put the mat- 

 ter epigi'ammatically, to a discussion and a 

 dinner. Those who have watched its prog- 

 ress most carefully believe that this evolu- 

 tion has been natural and logical. The 

 time has clearly gone by when specialists 



