170 
gally acquired game into a neighboring state. 
A carefully considered draught of the proposed 
uniform laws has been presented to the Massa- 
chusetts legislature; and since it would be 
difficult to find, in all New England, persons 
more competent to draught such laws than those 
who recently came together for this purpose, 
it is hoped that the draught, without material 
change, will be accepted by the legislature. 
Provision is made for the granting of special 
licenses only to actual students, cutting off the 
nearly indiscriminate license-giving to young 
men who wish to form collections for their per- 
sonal gratification, and not for true scientific 
study. The lobster question has become far 
more serious than most persons are aware. 
This important crustacean is now nearly ex- 
tinct on our shores ; so that the proposed close 
time, and the prohibition of the capture and 
sale of any lobster under one foot in length, 
are wise additions to the existing laws. The 
proposal to intrust the duties of game commis- 
sioners to the commissioners on inland fish- 
eries, aS is done in some states, is another 
important provision of the proposed law. 
THE movement which within the last few 
years has caused a rapid organization of agri- 
cultural experiment-stations in various parts of 
the United States has developed another phase 
of the problem concerning the distribution of 
work in botanical research. The very marked 
development of botanical science within the 
last ten or fifteen years has necessitated spe- 
cialization in several directions, and renders it 
necessary to consider which of the particular 
fields inviting research should remain identified 
with our higher institutions of learning. One 
of the most promising fields at the present time 
is to be found in vegetable physiology ; but this 
is discovered to be naturally gravitating towards 
the experiment-stations and away from the col- 
leges. This isa phase of the problem which 
should be carefully considered by those who 
have in hand the interests both of the science 
and of the stations ; and care should be taken 
not only that those who are called to the charge 
of these important institutions should be capa- 
SCIENCE. 
ble of fully appreciating the importance of the 
interests involved in this particular branch, but 
that they should secure to it a position com- 
mensurate with its high character and the 
great possibilities which it offers in the way of — 
practical results. | 
Tue present season is remarkable for the 
brilliancy of the evening sky ; the four bright- 
est planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, 
being all above the horizon at once. To add to 
the brilliancy of the spectacle, this takes place ~ 
at a time when Orion, Taurus, and others of the 
brightest constellations, are near the meridian, — 
and nine stars of the first magnitude above the i 
horizon. An additional point of interest to — 
possessors of telescopes is, that Saturn is ap- : 
proaching both his perihelion and the point of — 
greatest opening of his rings, and is therefore — 
in that part of his orbit most favorable for 
study. About the middle of April an addition 
will be made by the simultaneous appearance 
of Uranus, Neptune, and Mercury, so that all 
eight of the major planets will be visible at the 
same moment. Of course a telescope will be 
required to see Uranus and Neptune, but the 
six others will be visible to the naked eye. 3 
ENGLAND has been rejoicing in a piece of ele-— 
phant worship since Mr. Barnum placed at 
the zodlogical gardens in London the white 
elephant which he recently procured from Bur-_ 
mah. ‘The natives of the east affirm, and the ‘ 
Kuropeans are willing to corroborate their state-_ 
ments, that the body of a dead elephant, ex- 
cept of such as die by the rifle, is never found. 
Whether they never die, or betake themselves — 
to some remote body of water before they 
depart this life, isa disputed point. The great 
esteem in which the elephant is held is said to 
be due to the last incarnation of Gautama, 
before he was born as Buddha, being that of 
an elephant; yet, as the Buddhists’ idea of the 
path of beings is on through at least seven 
heavens to the final total annihilation, it is not 
the soul to finally take refuge in an old ele- 
phant, to rest with it in its unknown grave. — 
