1880. | Editors Table. 359 
This is objectionable in view of the fact that a single unscientific 
person (of course an officer of the Academy) draws two of the 
three salaries available for special students, and spends his leisure 
in advancing his pecuniary interests in other directions. We have 
here another discrimination against the specialist, besides the 
many we have cited in previous articles. 
Some insight into the etiology of this pathological condition 
may be derived from a perusal of the report of the president near 
the close of the volume of Proceedings for 1879, referred to at 
the opening of this article. The leading officer of the academ 
states that “ original research was not the sole object of the society.” 
“No part of the museum or library can be held in reserve for the 
exclusive use of any class of specialists.” Here again we per- 
ceive a remarkable obliviousness to the fact that original research 
requires the “ exclusive use” of material so long as the research 
may last. So long as this is not permitted, the “ free access to the 
museum,” of which the writer speaks, is a farce. And to the 
prevalence of this and of the views previously cited, is due the 
small amount of original work apparent in the publications of the 
Institution. 
—— In Nature for March 18, the editor, in a brief notice of 
Prof, J. J. Stevenson’s preliminary Report of the geology of por- 
tions of Colorado and New Mexico, in Capt. Wheeler’s Annual 
Report for 1879, makes the following pertinent remarks, which 
are in accord with the views of this journal: “ While referring 
to American official geological publication, we would point out 
the absolute necessity of reference to previous explorers. We 
could pick out not a few otherwise excellent reports, which are 
disgraced by an utter obliviousness of the existence of any earlier 
writings on the areas described. Without warning or explanation 
the name of the Museé Lorillard. We hope that this may 
not be true. If Mr. Lorillard sustains the expense of the explora- 
