206 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. V., No. 110. 



there has been a tendency to exalt the ama- 

 teur's microscopy to the rank of a separate 

 department of science, and therefore we plead 

 not guilt}' to Mr. Cox's accusation of injus- 

 tice. It is proper for Science to point out a 

 confusion as to the natural demarcations of 

 the sciences, or to call attention to the fact 

 that there is a body of men who are much 

 interested in certain parts of science, but yet 

 chose their interests in so many fields, that 

 they lack that rigorous thoroughness which is 

 indispensable for pure science, and which, in 

 its turn, makes specialization indispensable. 



a full account of whatever system of require- 

 ments is ultimately adopted. 



We regret to announce the resignation, by 

 Professor Harrison Allen, of the chair of physi- 

 ology at the University of Pennsylvania. Our 

 regret is increased by the fact that the step 

 is the consequence of the pressure of over- 

 work, and the growing demands of a large 

 medical practice. We hope that his profes- 

 sional activity will not prevent the continuance 

 of the important researches upon which Pro- 

 fessor Allen has been engaged. The loss to 

 the university will not be readily made good ; 

 for Dr. Allen is not only an investigator of 

 thoroughly scientific spirit, but also one who 

 is singularly appreciative of the good work of 

 others, and encouraging to his co-laborers, as 

 has been shown most happily in the recent 

 establishment of the Biological institute at 

 Philadelphia, in which Dr. Allen had efficient 

 participation. The university will certainly 

 miss his experienced co-operation. 



It is premature to comment on the plan of 

 examination for admission now under consider- 

 ation in the faculty of Harvard college. It is 

 known that such a plan has been found, in 

 its general features, to furnish a satisfactory 

 ground of truce between the combatants, and 

 that both the classicists and the modernists 

 in the faculty are well contented to unite in it 

 as affording a wise and fair adjustment of 

 their differences. But the discussion has not 

 yet reached its final stage, and some important 

 questions still remain to be considered. At 

 the proper time we shall lay before our readers 



The provisions for the scientific bureaus of 

 the government, made in the sundry civil bill 

 passed at the close of the last congress, are, 

 on the whole, less generous than in the pre- 

 ceding year. The appropriations for the 

 weather bureau, including the military branch 

 ($883,433), and for the coast-survey ($551,- 

 498), are slightly greater ; those for the geo- 

 logical survey ($467,700) and the ethnological 

 bureau ($40,000) are the same ; that for the 

 national museum ($147,500), scarcely less 

 than a year ago ; but the fish-commission re- 

 ceives only $256,000, which is $65,000 less 

 than last year ; and to the census bureau 

 nothing is given (it received $10,000 last year) . 

 Thus the natural necessary growth of some 

 of these institutions is not provided for. 



On the other hand, the Smithsonian insti- 

 tution is given $10,000 for maintaining its 

 excellent work in foreign exchanges ; $10,000 

 is appropriated for operating the Watertown 

 testing-machine, and $12,000 for printing the 

 continuation of the catalogue of the medical 

 libraiy attached to the surgeon-general's office ; 

 while the joint commission of three senators 

 and three representatives, to consider the pres- 

 ent organizations of the signal-service, geologi- 

 cal survey, coast and geodetic survey, and the 

 hydrographic office, is continued, and instructed 

 to report at the next meeting of congress. 



By the sundry civil bill, the president is 

 authorized, in case of threatened or actual 

 epidemic of cholera or yellow-fever, to use at 

 his discretion the unexpended balance of the 

 sum re-appropriated for this object in July, 

 1884, together with the further sum of $300,- 

 000, in aid of state and local boards or other- 

 wise, " in preventing and suppressing the 

 spread of the same, and for maintaining quar- 

 antine and maritime inspections at points of 

 danger ; and, by the meagre appropriation of 

 $15,000, the national board of health is resus- 

 citated. 



