184 



SCIENCE, 



[Vol. IV., No. 82. 



there is room for a healthy difference of opinion. 

 For many kinds of original work, especially in con- 

 nection with accurate measurement, there is need of 

 expensive apparatus; and it is often difficult to per- 

 suade a student to do his best with imperfect appli- 

 ances, when he knows that by other means a better 

 result could be attained with greater facility. Never- 

 theless, it seems important tp discourage too great 

 reliance upon the instrument-maker. Much of the 

 best original work has been done with the homeliest 

 appliances; and the endeavor to turn to the best 

 account the means that may be at hand develops 

 ingenuity and resource more than the most elaborate 



determinations with ready-made instruments. There 

 is danger, otherwise, that the experimental education 

 of a plodding student should be too mechanical and 

 artificial, so that he is puzzled by small changes of 

 apparatus, much as many school-boys are puzzled by 

 a transposition of the letters in a diagram of Euclid. 

 In closing, Lord Rayleigh touched on the ' Greek 

 question,' or ' Greek and Latin question,' and tried 

 to ease the fears of the good souls who fear some day 

 to awake and find their souls are no longer their own, 

 but have been made away with by some scientific 

 investigator. 



INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS, 



GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. 



U. S. geological survey. 



(Work proposed for the ensuing fiscal year.) 



The plans for work to be done during the year 

 ending June 30, 1885, have been matured as follows, 

 subject to the exigencies of the service: — 



North Atlantic district. Topography. — The 

 work done during the past year, in this district, by 

 the authority of the secretary of the interior, will be 

 continued under the general direction of Mr. Henry 

 Gannett. Recognizing the value of the work in prog- 

 ress in Massachusetts, the governor recommended 

 and the legislature appropriated a sum of forty thou- 

 sand dollars, to be expended during three years — ten 

 thousand the first year, and fifteen thousand during 

 two succeeding years — for topographic work, to be 

 done under the general direction of a commission ap- 

 pointed to co-operate with the geological survey. This 

 commission consists of Hon. F. A. Walker, president 

 of the Institute of technology, Prof. N. S. Shaler of 

 Harvard college, and Assistant H. L. Whiting of the 

 coast-survey. Four parties will be put in the field, in 

 charge of Messrs. H. F. Walling, Anton Karl, J. D. 

 Hoffman, and S. H. Bodfish respectively, assisted by 

 Mr. W. G. Newman and others. The topographic 

 work by the state of New Jersey having ceased, and 

 the material having been transferred to the geological 

 survey without expense to the United States, it is 

 proposed that the topographical work be taken up by 

 Mr. C. C. Vermeule, aided by competent assistants, 

 under the general superintendence of Prof. George 

 H. Cook, state geologist, who gives his services gra- 

 tuitously for that purpose. 



General geology. — General geological work 

 will be carried on in New England under the direc- 

 tion of Prof. R. Pumpelly. 



South Atlantic district. Topography. — The 

 work begun in 1882 will be continued under the gen- 

 eral direction of Mr. Gilbert Thompson. Six topo- 

 graphical parties will enter the field under Messrs. C. 

 M. Yeates, Morris Bien, F. M. Pearson, W. A. Shum- 

 way, and one other; there will be also two triangula- 



tion parties, one under S. S. Gannett, with general 

 assistants Messrs. Wilson, Blair, McKinney, Oyster, 

 Hackett, Hayes, Wakefield, Niblack, Michler, and 

 Harrison. The area it is proposed to survey includes 

 that portion of the Appalachian region comprised in 

 eastern Kentucky, south-western Virginia, western 

 North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, north-western 

 South Carolina and Georgia, and northern Alabama. 



General geology. — This part of the work in 

 this district will be in charge of Mr. G. K. Gilbert, 

 assisted by Messrs. I. C. Russell, Ira Sayles, H. R. 

 Geiger, J. C. White, and W. D. Johnson. The work 

 begun in the District of Columbia will be suspended 

 during the absence of parties in the field, but the 

 geology will be extended by Mr. McGee through parts 

 of Virginia and Maryland. 



Southern Mississippi and Rocky Mountain district. 

 Topography. — Excepting in Yellowstone Na- 

 tional Park, the general direction of work in this dis- 

 trict will be taken by A. H. Thompson. In Arizona 

 two parties, under H. M. Wilson and A. P. Davis, 

 will be assisted by Messrs. Holman, Wallace, Maher, 

 and Chapman. In Texas, Mr. E. M. Douglas will 

 direct the work, as will Mr. R. U. Goode, with Messrs. 

 Hawkins and Ratcliff assisting, in parts of Kansas, 

 Missouri, and Arkansas. Some astronomical work in 

 this district will be executed by Mr. Robert S. Wood- 

 ward, assisted by Bushrod Washington. In the Yel- 

 lowstone National Park, Mr. J. H. Renshawe will 

 remain in charge of the work, assisted by Ensigns 

 Chase and Garrett and Mr. S. A. Aplin. 



Geology. — Arnold Hague, assisted by Messrs. 

 Iddings, Weed, Wright, and Davis, will carry on the 

 geological survey of the Yellowstone Park. 



Northern Mississippi and Rocky Mountain district. 

 Geology. — The survey of the glacial formations 

 in this district will be continued under Prof. T. C. 

 Chamberlin, assisted by Messrs. Salisbury and Todd. 

 General geological work in Michigan, Wisconsin, and 

 Minnesota, will be continued, as heretofore, under the 

 direction of Mr. R. D. Irving, assisted by Messrs. 

 Chauvenet, Daniells, C. W. Hall, Vanhise, and Mer- 

 riam. Dr. F. V. Hayden will re-enter upon his inves- 

 tigations of the geology of the Upper Missouri, assisted 



