302 



SCIENCE, 



[Vol. VI., No. 140. 



they are, the pubHc will look with great lenity on 

 the donor providing himself and his co-laborers 

 with the necessary shelter, while they are engaged 

 upon their professional duties. 



At a meeting of the Brookville society of natural 

 history, Sept. 22, a committee was appointed to 

 confer with the scientific associations, educational 

 institutions, and with individuals throughout the 

 state of Indiana, concerning the advisability of the 

 formation of a state academy of science, and if 

 thought advisable, to cooperate with such persons 

 in favor of the formation of such an association. 

 Free expression of opinion is called for by the 

 committee, both as to the need of such an organ- 

 ization and as to the best plan for its composition. 

 It is now the plan to hold a meeting at Indian- 

 apolis between Christmas and New Year's day. It 

 proposed that the organization shaU enable the citi- 

 zens of Indiana who are engaged in scientific work 

 to meet at certain times " for social intercourse, 

 for the exchange of ideas, and the comparison of 

 results of scientific studies." It would appear from 

 the prospectus that the academy would be a state 

 society similar to the American association. 



We are informed by Prof. Chas. A. Bacon, 

 director of the Beloit college observatory, that the 

 statement made in Science for Sept. 4, that the 

 observatory had been closed on account of lack of 

 funds, is incorrect. Professor Bacon states that, 

 on the contrary, new arrangements have been 

 made for carrying on additional observations in 

 meteorology, and that especial attention wdll be 

 paid to solar and spectroscopic work with greater 

 facilities than before. 



In The American meteorological journal for Sep- 

 tember, Dr. Daniel Draper, director of the Central 

 park meteorological observatory, asks the ques- 

 tions. What is ozone? and Can ozone produce 

 pneumonia? and he gives, for the months of 

 January, February, March, April and May for 

 each year from 1878 to 1885, the death rate from 

 pneumonia for New York City, and the figures 

 expressing the amount of ozone and the number 

 of days on which it was present in the atmos- 

 phere, as shown by the continuous records of his 

 observatory. The coincidence of the curves indi- 



cated by the sets of figures — though possibly only 

 accidental — yet seems sufficient to warrant further 

 investigation of the matter, and would seem to 

 call upon chemists to join now with physicists — 

 who are making a special study of atmospheric 

 electricity — to see if they can further clear up the 

 doubtful relations between oxygen, ozone and 

 electricity, and, perhaps, discover a simpler and 

 more reliable method than the present, by which 

 ozone tests or observations can be regularly made 

 by meteorological observers. 



THE PRESIDENT AJSD PROFESSOR 



AGASSIZ. 



When it became known a few days ago that the 

 President had invited Professor Agassiz to assume 

 the direction of the coast suA^ey, there was great 

 satisfaction among those who desire that the 

 principles of good government should be applied 

 to the scientific bureaus as well as to the other ex- 

 ecutive offices. The independent position of Pro- 

 fessor Agassiz, his administrative ability, and his 

 acquaintance with the state of science in this 

 country are so obvious, that even those who be- 

 Heve as we do, that a person trained in mathe- 

 matical and physical science should be the head of 

 the survey, must have seen that in the emergency 

 Agassiz was a very fehcitous choice. The an- 

 nouncement that he had been selected by the 

 President for this responsible station was an assur- 

 ance that the administration desired a man of 

 unsullied name and of unquestioned ability to 

 guide the affairs of the coast survey in the em- 

 barrassments which they have encountered. It 

 removed the apprehensions which have been enter- 

 tained that scientific work wiQ not be encouraged 

 by the party in power. It showed that the Presi- 

 dent and the Secretary of the treasury, in the 

 difficulty which has arisen, are not indifferent to 

 the survey, but are sincerely desirous of placing it 

 under the direction of an able man, whose name 

 and character would be the guarantee of success. 



The health of Professor Agassiz precludes his 

 acceptance, but he has another reason for refusing 

 the office in question. In his opinion, the guidance 

 of the coast survey requires an expert. The prob- 

 lems to be decided, the methods to be employed, 

 the men to be engaged, should be determined by 

 one who knows the business. Any other person 

 would be in danger of failure. The culture of 

 Agassiz is so broad and his experience has been. 



