124 
MISCELLANEA 
No one unacquainted with Professor W. H. Dali’s earlier work as an 
explorer would imagine from the reading of his modest article on pages 
110 and 111 that he himself bore an important and honorable part in one 
of the expeditions to which he refers. To all, however, except the younger 
generation, this fact is well known, as is the further fact that Professor 
Dali’s continued exjilorations and researches in Alaska and the North 
Pacific ocean for the long period of 80 years have led to his recognition 
as one of the best informed men of the time on all matters relating to that 
most interesting and increasingly important section of the globe. After the 
abandonment of the overland telegraph project in 1867, Mr Dali remained 
for some time in Russian America, witnessing its transformation into 
Alaska as the result of its purchase by the United States. On his return, 
he I'aiblished numerous articles of great scientific value, and in 1870 ajj- 
peared his well known work on Alaska and its Resources. As an assistant 
in the U. S. Coast Survey from 1871 to 1874, he devoted himself largely 
to Alaskan studies, making repeated visits to the far north and publish- 
ing from time to time the results of his investigations concerning it. In 
1884 he joined the U. S. Geological Survey, of which he has since re- 
mained an otiicer. He is also closely identified with the Smithsonian 
Institution, of which he is an honorary curator. 
The proi)Osal to establish a permanent directorship-in-chief of scientific 
bureaus and investigations in the Dei)artment of Agriculture, to give 
coordination and continuity to the many-sided scientific work of the De- 
l)artment and to complete the good work done by the present Secretary 
in protecting the scientific force from the onslaught of the political spoils- 
man, has excited great interest in the scientific world and called forth a 
very notable expression of favorable opinion from a large number of emi- 
nent scientists and scientific educators. Within a brief period — in fact, 
since February 18, President Gilman and the faculty of Johns Hopkins, 
President Dwight and the scientific faculty of Yale, President Soliurman 
of Cornell, President Low of Columbia, President Adams of Wisconsin, 
President Francis A. Walker of the Boston Institute of Technology, Dr 
Shaler, dean of the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard ; Dr John S. 
Billings, of New A'ork ; the Joint Commission of the Scientific Societies 
of Washington, and the presidents and other officers of various state 
universities and colleges have given the proposal the very strongest in- 
dorsement. While the recommendation is scarcely likely to be favorably 
acted upon at the present session of Congress, it is too obviously a step in 
the direction of a more effective and at the same time more economical 
administration — too manifestly in the interest of good government in 
general — ^for its adoption to be long delayed. 
A preliminary announcement of the Mexican census of 1895 gives a 
total pojnilation of 12,542,057, as against 9,908,011 at the census of 1879, 
and 11,632,924 as officially estimated in 1889. The ijopulation of the 
princii)al cities is said to be as follows : Cit}" of Mexico, 339,935 ; Puebla, 
91,917 ; Guadalajara, 83,870; San Luis Potosi, 69,676; Monterey, 56,835; 
IMerida, 56,702; Pachuca, 52,188; Durango, 42,166, and Zacatecas, 40,026. 
