August 14, 1885.] 



SCIENCE, 



139 



the ' Anthodiata,' under which he placed the 

 C3'stidea and Blastoidea as sub-groups. The 

 Blastoidea, no doubt, are readilj separated from 

 the true Crinoidea ; but the two groups are so 

 closel}^ linked together b}^ the Cystidea, that it 

 is extremeh^ difficult to assert whether certain 

 forms are crinoids or cystids, or whether others 

 are cystids or Mastoids. For instance : Caryo- 

 crinus and Porocriuus have well-developed free 

 arms, but possess calicine pores ; while Hybo- 

 cj'stites, on the contrary, has cystidean arms 

 and no calicine pores. Similar transitions 

 connect the Blastoidea with the Cystidea ; and 

 it is scarcely doubtful that crinoids sometimes 

 have h^'drospires. These difficulties do not 

 seem to be wholly met hy Carpenter's arrange- 

 ment, nor indeed, it must be confessed, by any 

 other as jei devised. 



Dr. Carpenter's discussion of the relations 

 of the Neocrinoidea to the Palaeocrinoidea 

 should be studied hy ever}^ paleontologist who 

 aims at something more than mere empirical 

 descriptions. He ranks the two groups as dis- 

 tinct orders, and points out very clearly their 

 structural differences. In the course of these 

 discussions he directs special attention to the 

 oral plates of the Palaeocrinoidea. These 

 plates, he thinks, are represented by the so- 

 called ' proximals/ or ring of plates surround- 

 ing the central piece, which he regards as 

 corresponding to the basals in the abactinal 

 system. He calls the central plate the ' oro- 

 central,' and considers it an actinal representa- 

 tive of the ' dorsocentral,' the terminal plate of 

 the column. From one point of view, this the- 

 ory appears plausible, considering that there is 

 a dorsocentral in ophiuroids and starfishes 

 enclosed within the ring of basals ; but it is 

 difficult to understand what function such a 

 plate could have had in the oral sj'stem, since 

 it is to be compared with the base of the col- 

 umn in crinoids, while no echinoderm, at any 

 period of life, or in any group, was ever at- 

 tached by the oral side. 



The limits of this notice do not warrant fur- 

 ther mention of the details of the book, much 

 less discussions ; but the work challenges ad- 

 miration in almost every requisite of a scientific 

 treatise. Dr. Carpenter's style is clear, vigor- 

 ous, and incisive. Those who venture to cross 

 swords with him in scientific disputation will do 

 well to carefully measure their strength ; for they 

 will find a most formidable antagonist, fully 

 armed at all points, vigilant to discover, and 

 quick to strike at the weak points of an argu- 

 ment. With all this, it is a pleasure to observe 

 the eminent candor and fairness of his treat- 

 ment of controverted questions. Those who 



dispute with him are not allowed to forget that 

 the ultimate aim of all such discussion is not a 

 victory of words, but the discover}' of the 

 truth. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Chesapeake zoological laboratory, as the 

 marine station maintained by the Johns Hopkins uni- 

 versity is designated, is established for the present 

 summer session at Beaufort, on the coast of Xorth 

 Carolina. Dr. W. K. Brooks, the director, who was 

 prevented last year by ill health from giving as much 

 time as usual to the laboratory, is fortunately quite 

 restored to his usual strength, and is in full activity 

 at his post. Twelve collaborators are with him, — 

 Messrs. Andrews, Bruce, Haldeman, Hemmeter, 

 Herrick, Howell, Jenkins, McMurrich, Mills, Morrell, 

 Nachtrieb, and Shimek. Several of these are already 

 teachers in various branches of zoological science, 

 and all of them are well prepared to make use of the 

 opportunites which are afforded at this station. An 

 unusual number are engaged in original researches. 

 On account of the limited accommodations, the di- 

 rector was unable to receive three other persons who 

 applied for admission. The season of 18c55, although 

 uncomfortably hot, has thus far been exceptionally 

 favorable for collection. The weather has been 

 calmer than heretofore in June and July, and speci- 

 mens were found in June which have usually not 

 appeared until the middle of August. The company, 

 notwithstanding their personal discomfort from the 

 heat, have maintained their full enthusiasm in the 

 work upon which they are engaged; and it now 

 appears as if the eighth session of the laboratory 

 would be more fruitful in results than its predeces- 

 sors, good as they have been. It is too early to speak 

 of the investigations which are in progress, but re- 

 ports will be made upon them in one of the Johns 

 Hopkins university circulars to be published in the 

 early autumn. 



— A cable message to Harvard college observatory, 

 from Dr. Krueger, at Kiel, announces the discovery 

 at Nice of Tuttle's comet (1858) on its expected re- 

 turn. The position received is as follows: August, 

 9 6124(^., Gr. M. T.; R. A., 1h. 23m. 43.1s.; DecL, 

 +28° V 2A". 



— Prof. J. E. Hilgard, who has just resigned 

 from his position as superintendent of the U. S. 

 coast-survey, was bofn in Zweibriicken, Germany, 

 in 1825. His father, a lawyer by profession, emi- 

 grated to Illinois in 1835, with a family of nine chil- 

 dren, and was a man well known for his writings 

 on social questions. J. E. Hilgard was educated as 

 a civil engineer, and in 1845 entered the coast-survey: 

 he was specially interested in geodetic methods and 

 the tides and terrestrial magnetism. In 1863 he was 

 made a member of the National academy of science, 

 and in 1872 took an active part in the international 

 metric commission in Paris, and was made one of its 

 permanent committee; and it was in that year he 



