Scientific News. 759 
—James Stevenson, of the United States Geological Survey, 
died July 25th. Mr. Stevenson was born in Maysville, 
was the business manager in the field of the U. S. Geological Sur- 
vey under Dr, F. V. Hayden during its existence, and contributed 
greatly to the efficiency of its work. He was also a very important 
agent in securing from Congress the appropriations necessary to its 
success. His large acquaintance in Congress was always most val- 
uable to the scientific enterprises of the Government departments. 
He is one of the few persons who ascended the great Teton. He 
was especially interested in American Ethnology, and made exten- 
sive collections in that department. The Report of the Secretary 
of the Smithsonian Institution for 1881 contains an important 
report by him. He was also a zoologist of considerable attain- 
ments, 
—Silas Stearns was born in Bath, Maine, May 13, 1859, and died 
in Asheville, N. C., August 2, 1888. His early education was 
received in the schools of Bath. 
n 1878 Mr. Stearns visited the Smithsonian Institution, where, 
by his thorough and exact knowledge of the habits of the fishes of 
the Gulf, and of their economic value, he attracted the special 
attention of Professor Baird, Mr. Goode, Mr. Bean and others 
interested in the study of fishes. Mr. Stearns was strongly attracted 
towards a naturalist’s life. His ambition, however, met with dis- 
couragement in the absurd statement made by some one in Wash- 
ington to the effect that no successful work in science would be 
possible without a classical education. 
_ In 1880 he was made a special agent of the U. S. Fish Commis- 
sion and the U. S. Census Bureau, in charge of investigations of 
the marine industries of the Gulf of Mexico. Few pieces of work 
have been performed with more accuracy and fidelity than his 
report to the Census Bureau. ee 
An intimate friend says of him: “ To my mind his most striking 
characteristic was patient persistence. No trouble was too ; 
no time too long, no discomfort too annoying to deter him from the 
present accomplishment of any task to which he addressed himself.” 
‘Ww men engaged in business pursuits have been of such sub- 
stantial aid to science as Silas Stearns, and few have had so many 
warm and devoted friends among scientific men.—D. S. Jordan. 
one o’clock August 20th, after a long and painful illness. He 
born at Rochester, New York, on the 19th of March, 1817. 
began fishing as a business when eighteen years of age. He con- 
fined himself principally to the waters of Lakes Ontario and Mich- 
