980 The American Naturalist. [November, 
As the above list of countries includes all the great powers of Europe 
excepting France and Italy, the necessity for the proposed action is 
evident. 
_—We have received the first number of a new geological periodical, 
“The Glaeialist Magazine," published in London. The editorial 
corps includes the names of some well-known and able geologists, one 
of whom is an American. That this journal will be well edited we 
have no doubt, but we have some doubts of the propriety of adding 
another to the list of geological magazines now in existence. These 
number, in the United States alone, without counting more general 
scientific periodicals, five, the new one being the sixth which asks 
for a subscription. The probability obviously is, that unless they 
can be circulated gratuitously, new journals must faii of sufficient 
financial support. Such subscriptions as they receive are more or less 
likely to be withdrawn from existing journals, so that these may 
become impoverished. ^ Geologists should rather concentrate than 
divide their publications. 
— Tnt able geologist, Mr. W. T. McGee, has been appointed Direc- 
tor of the Bureau of Ethnology at Washington. Mr. McGee’s im port- 
ant contributions to Geology are well-known, and we therefore fail to 
see the propriety of his transfer to another field where he has been 
until recently unknown. We say until recently, for he has become 
recently unfavorably known in Anthropology for an unparliamentary 
review of Professor G. F. Wright's book. This appointment was, of 
course, made by officials who were, we suppose, unacquainted with the 
facts in the case. We can only say that appearances would have been 
saved by a greater delay in the appointment; and anthropology would 
have been benefited by a longer apprenticeship on the part of Mr. 
MeGee. : 
SoME TIME ago the Legislature of the State of Arkansas passed a res- 
olution, which, declares that the pronunciation of the name of the state 
is Arkansaw and not Arkansas. Persons who are in a position to 
know, are aware that this resolution expresses the custom of the people 
of the State, and ofthe countries immediately adjoining, while in the east 
and elsewhere, the name is pronounced Arkansas, so as to agree with 
the pronunciation of the names of the States of Texas and Kansas. 
These customs have been fixed for a long time, for we find in Lewis 
and Clark’s narration of their expedition, which was published in 1823, 
