T74 
scientific men of the first rank. It may also 
fairly be supposed that the French language 
will be more generally spoken by the delegates 
from all nations; and the necessity of a thor- 
ough acquaintance with the French and Ger- 
man languages ought to be duly weighed by 
those having power to make the appoint- 
ments of the American commissioners. ‘The 
power of appointment having been apparently 
delegated to the secretary of state, no suffi- 
cient reason is apparent why this officer, whose 
appointments to similar positions of responsi- 
bility have heretofore been excellent, should 
have transferred his prerogative, in part, to the 
secretaries of war and the navy, the former of 
whom has not yet, it is believed, made his own 
designation. 
The time-convention act provides for the 
appointment of three commissioners. On gen- 
eral grounds, the appointment of President 
Barnard by Secretary Frelinghuysen himself 
is open to no objection; for he has long been 
interested in these matters, occupies a com- 
manding position, is a scientific man of recog- 
nized ability, and has had, in addition, much 
practical experience in international confer- 
ences. His personal disability of extreme 
deafness ought, however, we think, to have 
excluded him from membership of the com- 
mission, as it will practically prevent his 
taking a leading and representative part in its 
deliberations. ‘The second commissioner, al- 
ready named by the secretary of the navy, is 
not open to any such objection: but he is 
practically unknown in science, outside of a 
limited circle in the United States; and, aside 
from his being at present on duty at the naval 
observatory, there is very little reason why he 
should have been selected for this responsible 
scientific appointment, rather than any other 
line-officer of the navy; and, besides, we are 
credibly informed that he speaks no language 
but English. 
It remains to be seen what name the secre- 
tary of war will designate; and it is to be 
hoped that he may consider well the appoint- 
SCIENCE. 
ut.) ia ch Sy ey Pee Oe) ee chat Pale od 
[Vou. III., No. 73. 
ments already made, and add by his own the 
strongest possible name to the list of commis- 
sioners. Unless we mistake, he is not required 
to make the appointment from the army, but 
may select from the ranks of scientific men in 
general. Had Mr. Frelinghuysen asked the 
secretary of the treasury for a name, and had: 
he designated the superintendent of the coast- 
survey to act as commissioner, we should have 
had an officer in all respects competent to 
represent the interests of the nation. Nor 
had any one the power to make a wiser ap- 
pointment than lay in the way of the secretary 
of the navy, —to detail the superintendent of — 
the ‘ Nautical almanac’ for this service. This 
condition of affairs, in so far as the present 
appointment of the American commissioners 
is concerned, points to the advisability of ad- 
ditional legislation on the subject. Congress 
should at once supplement the commission by 
not less than two additional members, and 
stipulate that these be recommended to the 
president (as the original commission might 
well have been) by the president of the National 
academy of sciences; thus making the mat- 
ter one in which the advice of the academy 
is sought by the government, and which, by 
its act of incorporation, the academy is re- 
quired to give. The appropriation of a mod- 
erate sum to defray the necessary expenses 
attending the sessions and records of the de- 
liberations of the convention, ought also to be 
granted. This, indeed, we understand, has 
already been proposed. 
Tue call made by the Peabody museum for 
immediate funds for the continuation of its — 
explorations in Ohio deserves to meet with a 
cordial response ; and, were the valuable and 
novel results which are being secured by this 
exploration more widely known, there would 
be no doubt as to its success. Probably, for 
the first time in all the years that have passed 
since the Ohio mounds and earthworks have ~ 
excited the curiosity of the people, a thoroughly 
scientific and exhaustive exploration is making 
of one locality. This is not merely to collect 
relics from the mounds, which has heretofore 
