624 Editors’ Table. [July, 
any one who wishes to distinguish readily the horizons one from 
the other. The horse-forms are more numerous in all the beds, 
in individuals as well as in species. Both lines died out in North 
America, and of the two, the camels only have certainly held 
their own in South America. The history of the succession of 
horses in Europe, although not as complete as that in America, 
extends over as wide a period of time. Not so with the camels. 
There is no evidence of the existence of the camel line in the old 
world prior to the late Miocene epoch ; and so far as the existing 
evidence goes, the new world furnished the camel to the old. 
Camelide only appear in South American palzontology in the 
genus Auchenia, in Pliocene time, in the Pampean beds, The 
best known species are Auchenia weddellii and A. intermedia of 
Gervais. It is curious that M. Ameghino, in his report on the 
fauna of the Miocene age found on the River Parana, which con- 
tains the ancestors of so many Pliocene genera, finds none that 
stand in that relation to these llamas. 
:0: —— 
EDITORS’ TABLE. 
EDITORS: A. S. PACKARD AND E, D. COPE. 
Various suggestions have been made as to the permanent 
organization of science at the National Capital. The necessity 
for the employment of experts having been felt in various depart- 
ments of the Government, commissions and offices for the con- 
duct of research have grown up in them. The results have been 
greatly to the advantage of the Government and of the people, 
and have often represented important advances of science itself. 
The efficiency of these commissions has, however, often been 
impaired through their association with the various bureaus and 
departments under which they are placed. This comes from their 
necessary direction by non-experts and the quantity of routine 
work which may be required of them. There is also necessarily 
_ More or less overlapping of the similar offices in the different 
departments. Many of the commissions have been from time to 
_ time threatened with total extinction through the want of knowl- 
_ edge of their utility by some of our legislators. Several illustra- 
tions of this fact have recently occurred in Washington. 
s4 superintendent of the Coast Survey has been removed, 
place taken by superior clerk of the Treasury Depart™ t. 
4 
