vo eer ag ee 
646 
teeth on the roof of the mouth, as Kner describes. 
There are no spines with the crania, although separate 
Pleuracanthus spines are not rare in the same beds. 
The teeth associated with the skulls, moreover, pre- 
sent a button on the superior side of the root. Agassiz 
figures teeth of this kind as belonging to the Diplodus 
gibbosus. St. John and Worthen make these teeth 
typical of Diplodus, and confer the name Thrinacodus 
on those without the button. The button is, how- 
ever, probably only a specific character. The latter 
name is, then, probably asynonyme of Pleuracanthus, 
The button-bearing teeth are figured and described by 
Kner as occurring scattered, and at a somewhat dif- 
ferent horizon from that of the Pleuracanthus speci- 
mens. In Germany, as in Texas, the button-bearing 
teeth are the larger. I suspect that the skulls I de- 
scribe represent a different genus from Pleuracanthus 
proper. This genus will not differ from Chlamydose- 
lachus Garm., so far as we know the latter; but the 
button indicates another species. 
5. Of course, a study of the anatomy of Chlamy- 
doselachus, which I hope Mr. Garman may soon give 
us, may reveal differences between that genus and 
Didymodus; but of these we know nothing as yet. 
6. The order Xenacanthini was proposed by Geinitz 
(Dyas) for Pleuracanthus on account of the supposed 
suctorial character of the ventral fins. This char- 
acter is supposed by Kner to be sexual. In any case, 
this division, whatever its value, must be subordinated 
to the order Ichthyotomi, as I define it. 
E. D. Cope. 
THE GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMIC 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
A rourtH bulletin of the entomological di- 
vision of the department of agriculture has just 
appeared, containing four reports, either by 
persons not closely connected with the depart- 
ment, or by its attachés sent on special mis- 
sions, together with extracts from the miscel- 
Janeous correspondence of the division. The 
latter is of variable and generally insignificant 
value, and would have better been printed in 
small type: it might have been further curtailed 
by the omission of some absolutely worthless 
verbiage, though we recognize that less extra- 
neous matter appears than has been customary 
in the reproduction of similar correspondence 
in the annual reports. Of the special reports, 
the most valuable is that of Mr. J. B. Smith on 
hop and cranberry insects, of which he mentions 
seven or eight species as attacking each plant. 
The least valuable is Mr. Branner’s report of his 
_ inission to Brazil in the interest of the division. 
Being, apparently, only a temporary document, 
and valuable almost entirely for departmental 
purposes, it was quite unnecessary to publish 
it: on the other hand, if this is all that is to 
appear, his expedition must be deemed a fail- 
ure. 
The issue of these bulletins — an innovation 
in the practice of the department — indicates a 
laudable intention, on the part of the commis- 
SCIENCE. 
me w A, 
[Vou. III., No. 69. — 
~~ 
sioner, to publish with promptness reports of 
its special agents upon particular topics. Since 
this cannot fail to stimulate those engaged in 
its work, and to enhance the value of the divis- 
ion in the eyes of our large agricultural popu- 
lation, it deserves commendation. We venture 
to suggest that the plan could be improved by 
issuing the bulletin at stated intervals, and 
making it a periodical, to which contributions 
from all quarters should be invited. All the 
entomologists of the country might thus become 
collaborators of the department without further 
cost to the treasury than the publication of 
the results of their researches: it would prove 
a credit to the bureau, a vast encouragement 
to economic entomology, and a boon to our 
agriculturists. The former experience of the 
present head of the division renders him an 
eminently fit person under whom to inaugurate 
such a plan. 
In few countries in the world would such 
a plan be more desirable, more advantageous, 
or more likely to succeed. Covering, as our 
country does, a wide extent of fertile territory 
subject to most varied climatic conditions, and 
hence embracing unusual diversity of economic 
problems, our people are at the same time 
extremely ready to contribute their knowledge 
or experience, without compensation, for the 
public weal. Americans are not always anx- 
ious for precedents ; yet,if precedent is demand- 
ed, the Annales de la science agronomique (just 
published under the auspices of the minister of 
agriculture), the various reviews, such as the 
Revue des sociétés savantes and the Bibliotheque 
de l’école des hautes études (long published by 
the minister of public instruction), together 
with the Revue maritime et coloniale (issued 
under the direction of the minister of marine), 
show what France alone has done, in similar 
ways, for science and industry during the past 
twenty-five years. Itis time our government 
supported similar aids to material and intel- 
lectual growth. 
In harmony with this plan, a further exten- 
sion of the work of the division would prove 
desirable. Why would it not be feasible to 
district the country (omitting the sterile por- 
tions) into, say, half a dozen great areas, based 
on the geographical distribution of the main 
agricultural products and on _ climatological 
factors, and permanently locate, at some con- 
venient centre in each, skilful assistants of the 
division to study on the spot the history and 
devastations of noxious insects? It is as im- 
possible to do this work at Washington as to — 
do that of the coast-survey or the geological — 
survey, each of which has permanent establish- 
