278 



SCIENCE. 



|Vou XI. No. 279 



partly covered by a grant from the Elizabeth Thompson science 

 fund (the first help the author has had), we can gauge to some 

 extent our past pecuniary indebtedness to the indefatigable author, 

 who steadily issues these incomparable iconographs. 



— W. William Topley, general secretary of the committee on 

 organization of the coming (fourth) session of the International 

 Geological Congress in London, desires that all scientific societies, 

 libraries, institutions of learning, and individuals having any in- 

 terest in the publications relating to the purpose of the congress, 

 and the volume of its Proceedings containing the reports, papers, 

 maps, etc., should secure these publications at the trifling cost of 

 the membership fee to the congress, of ten shillings, or about two 

 dollars and a half. For every such sum sent to him at the museum, 

 28 Jerniyn Street, London, the sender, whether an institution or an 

 individual, will receive all the documents which it or he would re- 

 ceive were the sender actually present as a member of the congress. 

 Some of these publications, not to speak of the volume, will be of 

 great value, and cannot be otherwise procured. Address William 

 Topley, Esq., general secretary International Congress of Geolo- 

 gists, Museum, 28 Jermyn Street, London. The volumes of previous 

 sessions of the congress alone are now difficult to procure at twice 

 this cost, or more. 



— The Royal Society of Canada has, since its establishment, done 

 much to promote the interests of science in the Dominion. In his 

 annual address delivered at the recent meeting which was held in 

 ■Ottawa May 22-24, the president. Dr. Lawson of Halifa.x, reviewed 

 the work of the society during the past year. The Transactions of 

 the society for 1887 fill a large volume ; although, of seventy papers 

 which were presented, only forty were printed, the rest being kept 

 ■back by the authors for the purpose of being perfected by additional 

 ■work. He called attention to the preponderance of papers in the 

 -geological and biological section over those in the sections of Eng- 

 lish and French literature, which had increased more and more, 

 showing the greater interest taken in science as compared to his- 

 tory and philology. In the course of his address he urged the 

 granting of aid from the British Parliament for the purpose of mak- 

 ing observations of tides and currents. This would not only be of 

 substantial value to the shipping community, but would be a bene- 

 fit to the country at large. A committee was appointed to co- 

 operate with the British Association in pressing the necessity of 

 such observations upon the Parliament, but so far no practical re- 

 sult has followed. A scientific federation of the empire, which was 

 being agitated under the auspices of the Royal Society in London, 

 also engaged attention, and was considered a matter of the greatest 

 importance, in view of the aid that could be given to a geological 

 survey of the Dominion. A committee appointed to inquire into 

 ■the matter reported favorably on the subject, and the council of the 

 Royal Society was given permission to act upon this report. On 

 Friday the sections presented their reports. The section for French 

 literature stated that they had decided to establish a fund of ten 

 thousand dollars for a prize at the French Academy, to be called 

 ■' The New France Prize ; ' the interest, three hundred dollars, to be 

 given in annual prizes to the author of the best work in French, to be 

 published in France or Canada, on a subject to be determined by 

 the academy. Sanford Fleming was elected president for the en- 

 suing year. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



*,* Correspondents cire requested io be as brief as possible. The ivriter's naine is 

 in altcases reqitired as proof of ^ood faith. 



Twenty copies of the number containini his communication 7uill be furnished 

 free to any correspondent on regjiest. 



The editor will be g-lad to publish any queries consonant with the character of 

 the journal. 



Genealogy of Ideas. 



In the study of the genealogy of ideas there is a series of ques- 

 tions which have sprung up as corollaries to the problems involved 

 in similarities. In Col. Lane Fox's exhibition of weapons, structure 

 is the fundamental concept. All weapons of the same plan of 

 structure are in the same row. The second concept is complexity 

 of form and structure, and the pieces are arranged in their row ac- 

 ■cording to their elaboration, the worst on the left. No good 



anthropologist would argue from this order that the row represented 

 a genealogical line, in which each one at the right is child of the 

 one immediately on its left. The only safe conclusion is, that the 

 history of invention has travelled somewhat in this manner. 



The corollary to all this is, that arranging the arts of different 

 races in such a developmental series gives us a fair means of gau- 

 ging these races in the scale of excellence and advancement. If 

 people A are found in the whole group of series to stand on the 

 left of people B, then they are an inferior people. If, on the con- 

 trary, we make ourselves A, and. comparing our inventions and 

 institutions of all kinds with those of B, we discover that we stand 

 on the right rather than on the left, there should be no hesitation 

 in rating ourselves accordingly. 



The next corollary is, that we cannot neglect historical studies. 

 Genealogies are to be traced historically. The Russian banjo did 

 not descend from the Aleut banjo, but really descended to it, and 

 shows that which occurs again and again in arts and institutions, 

 the degradation of invention. ■ O. T. Mason. 



Washington, May 30. 



New York Schools. 



After investigating the English musical system known as the 

 Tonic-Sol-Fa, and finding its great superiority to the staff method, 

 which I had taught for twenty years, I naturally sought to interest 

 music-teachers and educational people in the system. For this 

 purpose I had several interviews with Superintendent Jasper. My 

 reception from him was about as cordial as if I had been the ven- 

 dor of a quack nostrum. At last he settled the question by saying 

 very emphatically, " Mr. Seward, I am opposed to the Tonic-Sol-Fa 

 System ! " As he knew nothing about it, and refused to give any 

 attention to the overwhelming testimony of English and American 

 teachers, in favor of the system, I was led to ask myself what prog- 

 ress could possibly be made by the ISIew York schools in any direc- 

 tion under the control of such a superintendent. 



Theodore F. Seward. 



East Orange. N.J., May 30. 



Your editorial note in the issue of your paper for May 25, dis- 

 cussing the system employed in the New York public schools and 

 the relation of the present superintendent to it, ought to have been 

 read by every teacher in New York City. The truth is, that bar- 

 nacles by the score are nourished and fattened by the present 

 state of affairs, and all their powerful influence is enlisted against 

 any change. The publishers and the politicians run the schools at 

 present, and neither publishers nor politicians hesitate to use cor- 

 rupt and debasing means to attain their ends. One man who 

 knows as well as any one else — if not better than any one else — 

 how thoroughly rotten and inefficient the present administration is, 

 takes the stand, and calmly testifies that it is scholastically perfect 

 and sound ! Why .' Because his text-books are used, and he fears 

 their being displaced by others if a new regime is inaugurated, or 

 if he offends the " powers that be " at present. 



New York's citizens do not understand the present crisis, or 

 there would be an agitation which would put those in favor of 

 high license, clean streets, or home rule into a dismal shade. The 

 minds and manners of nearly two hundred thousand children are 

 involved. Can nothing be done } 



A Professional Observer. 



New York, June i. 



Answers. 



32. Human Beings as Pack-Animals. — Referring to my 

 friend Professor Mason's query No. 32, I beg to refer him to Dar- 

 win's 'Voyage of the Beagle,' Chapter XVI., pp. 340 and 341, for a 

 capital account of the ' duty ' of men used as beasts of burden. 

 The passage is too long to quote here, but any one interested can 

 easily turn to it. The Chinese porters of San Francisco would fur- 

 nish him with examples of high ' duty ' also. I regret that I can- 

 not give numerical estimates. I can only say that loads which I 

 have vainly tried to lift from the ground were carried by undersized 

 Chinese at quite a rapid walk. In many cases such loads are car- 

 ried up and down hills too steep to drive upon. 



Edward S. Holden. 



San Jose, Cal., May 28. 



