Miscellaneous Intelligence. 159 



illustrated in such experiences as the responses of muscle and 

 nerve in various inorganic media and the physiological role of 

 inorganic salts in general. The problems of absorption, lymph 

 formation, secretion and excretion are considered in connection 

 with the permeability of the tissues. 



In throwing light upon the dynamics of living matter, compila- 

 tions like the foregoing are helpful ; but the more purely meta- 

 bolic phenomena are as yet scarcely elucidated by them. Dr. 

 Hober admits the limitations of his science. His book is planned 

 to encourage those who are making their first acquaintance with 

 the modern aspects of the subject. l. b. m. 



4. A Short Course on Differential Equations • by Donald 

 Fkancis Campbell. Pp. vii'i, 96. New York, 1906 (The Mac- 

 millan Company). — An excellent text-book for use after an ele- 

 mentary course in calculus, giving in compact and clear statement 

 the essentials of the subject with copious well-selected examples 

 and practical apparatus in engineering. Easily the best text- 

 book for an elementary course of thirty lessons that has yet been 

 published. w. b. 



5. Seismological Committee. — At the recent New York meet- 

 ing of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 

 a standing committee in the sections of Geology and Physics w 7 as 

 established, to be known as a Seismological Committee. The 

 following gentlemen were named as members : G. K. Gilbert, 

 U. S. Geological Survey ; Cleveland Abbe, U. S. Weather 

 Bureau ; C. E. Dutton, U. S. Army ; Otto Klotz, Observatory, 

 Ottawa ; L. A. Bauer, Carnegie Institution ; John F. Hayford, 

 U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey ; W. W. Campbell, Director of 

 Lick Observatory ; A. C. Lawson, Chairman California State 

 Committee on Earthquake Investigation ; H. F. Reid, Johns 

 Hopkins University ; Ralph S. Tarr, Cornell University ; C. G. 

 Rockwood, Jr., Princeton University ; W. J. McGee, St. Louis 

 Public Museum ; Wm. H. Hobbs, University of Michigan ; L. M. 

 Hoskins, Stanford University ; T. A. Jaggar, Institute of Tech- 

 nology, Boston. 



The functions of the Committee are expected to be, in the 

 main, advisory and its greatest object to disseminate informa- 

 tion and bring different institutions having similar objects into 

 harmonious relations. Special objects which it may accomplish 

 are the following : 



(1) To be available for and to initiate counsel in connection 

 with legislation which provides for investigation of earthquakes 

 or the means for mitigating their dangers. 



(2) To bring into harmony all American and Canadian institu- 

 tions doing seismological work and to guard against unnecessary 

 duplications of studies. 



(3) To organize, if thought best, a correlated system of earth- 

 quake stations which should include the outlying possessions and 

 protectorates. 



(4) To advise regarding the best type or types of seismometers 

 for the correlated stations. 



