SCIENCE. 
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1884. 
COMMENT AND CRITICISM. 
TxHeE authorities at Washington show hope- 
ful signs of an interest in the administration of 
the Naval observatory by proposing the ap- 
pointment of three eminent astronomers as a 
board of visitors, who shall annually inspect 
the establishment, advise with the superintend- 
ent respecting the scientific portion of his 
duties, and report to the secretary of the navy. 
This measure was recommended by the secre- 
tary in his annual report, with the hope that 
many of the objections now urged against the 
administration might thus be removed. That 
he should have expected such a result from 
this simple measure, leads us to doubt whether 
the grounds of the objections referred to are 
fully appreciated, and to suspect that the sub- 
ject is viewed too much from the stand-point of 
the politician. The astronomers of the coun- 
try stand in readiness to give any department 
of the government any advice which they are 
assured will be followed, at least in spirit ; 
but they have no taste for the cheap compli- 
ment of being consulted for the pleasure of 
the thing. That fondness of being ‘ con- 
sulted,’ that appreciation of the privilege 
of giving advice, and that love of carrying 
‘weight’ in public affairs, which are so strong 
in the breast of the politician, are nearly un- 
known among eminent astronomers. The lat- 
ter have too many more important affairs on 
hand to permit of their enjoying the pleasures 
and duties which fall annually to the boards of 
visitors of the naval and military academies. 
They are quite ready to give the government 
the benefit of their advice, provided they have 
some assurance that the advice will be acted 
upon, but not otherwise. Their complaint 
against the observatory is not that they are 
not sufficiently consulted, but that the organiza- 
tion of the establishment does not fulfil the 
No. 49.— 1883. 
condition which common sense shows to be 
necessary to the efficient administration of a 
scientific institution. 
We have already pointed out what we be- 
lieve to be the chief administrative wants of 
the observatory. Briefly summarized, they 
are, a well-considered plan of operations, to 
be devised by the highest expert talent of the 
country, within or without the establishment, 
and to be obligatory upon the superintendent, 
and such an organization as shall give reason- 
able assurance that the plan agreed upon shall 
be carried out in all the details necessary to 
its success. For a mere board of advice, it is 
difficult to see the slightest necessity. The 
observatory has never been without one or 
more able astronomers, whose advice the 
superintendent can command whenever he 
desires, and who have the great advantage of 
an intimate acquaintance with the instruments 
and other means at the disposal of the super- 
intendent. If there is any difficulty in getting 
and using advice from this ‘source, it is be- 
cause the situation is such that something else 
is needed. 
JAPAN may well be proud of the honors that 
have just been won by two of her sons in two 
of the best universities in Germany. A gold 
medal was offered about a year ago, by the 
University of Leipzig, for the best original 
work that should be produced within a year, 
on the embryology of the fresh-water planari- 
ans. The subject is a very difficult one, and 
on this account has hitherto received very little 
attention. Mr. Isao lijima, formerly a student 
in the University of Tokio, under Professor 
Morse, and subsequently under Mr. Whitman, 
was one of the few students selected by the 
Japanese government in 1882 to be sent to 
German universities. Mr. Iijima began work 
at Leipzig, in the laboratory of Professor 
Leuckart, early in the spring of 1882. At the 
