234 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXI. No. 528. 



being least in those with an abundance of 

 coarse submerged water plants, and greatest 

 in those virtually free from such vegetation. 

 The reasons for this difference seem not well 

 established in this paper, but they are pos- 

 sibly connected with differences of light and 

 heat already referred to. The most produc- 

 tive body of water examined was a large per- 

 manent pond, with neither inlet nor outlet at 

 a low stage of water, and with bottom and 

 shores of bare mud. 



The conditions which favor a large annual 

 production of this minute aquatic life also 

 seem to favor a large catch of fish, but no 

 direct connection of cause and effect is here 

 made out. The plankton is, however, an in- 

 dispensable element in the food of fishes, the 

 young of nearly every species in our waters 

 being absolutely dependent upon it at some 

 period of their lives, and adult fishes of sev- 

 eral species making large use of it during the 

 season of its greatest abundance. 



No study of the minute life of a river sys- 

 tem has heretofore been made of equal extent, 

 thoroughness, and scientific character with 

 that reported in this paper, and a knowledge 

 of the facts contained in it is indispensable 

 to an understanding of some of the problems 

 of a scientific fish-culture in fresh-water situ- 

 ations. 



The work here reported is a part of that 

 of the biological survey of Illinois. It was 

 planned, established, and equipped by Dr. S. 

 A. Forbes, director of the State Laboratory, 

 and was done under the immediate superin- 

 tendence of Professor Frank Smith, of the 

 University of Illinois, during the first fifteen 

 months, beginning with April, 1894, and of 

 Dr. C. A. Kofoid, sui)erintendent of the sta- 

 tion, the writer of this report, during the 

 remainder of the five-year period. 



THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL OARDEN 

 REPORT. 



Advance galle.ys of the administration re- 

 port of this well-known institution, for which 

 we are indebted to its director, show the cus- 

 tomary progress. In 1904 the number of spe- 

 cies and varieties of plants cultivated was in- 

 creased from 11,3.57 to 14,207, an addition of 



25 per cent. The herbarium was enlarged 

 from 465,205 to 489,310 specimens, an increase 

 of a little over 5 per cent., and the total of 

 books and pamphlets in the library was raised 

 from 42,262 to 45,892, or something over 8 

 per cent. 



The world's fair recently held in St. Louis 

 raised the visitors to the garden to over three 

 times the customary number, a total of 316,- 

 747, or about 2 per cent, of the entire paid 

 admissions to the exposition. That these 

 visitors were of an unusually intelligent and 

 interested class is noted from observation and 

 infeiTed from their purchase of a little hand- 

 book of the garden, the sales of which amount- 

 ed to 1.51 per cent, of the number of visitors 

 in contrast with an earlier average of .246 of 

 1 per cent. 



The report also contains information as to 

 the school of botany, the gardening course, 

 the research work at the garden and the testa- 

 mentary flower sermon, banquets, and flower 

 show, all of which latter were influenced by 

 the holding of the St. Louis exposition, at 

 which the garden met with recognition in the 

 form of two grand prizes and several minor 

 awards. 



The financial report of the trustees shows 

 that street improvements, sewers, property ex- 

 penses and the like have wiped out their 

 savings of the past fifteen years, on which 

 needed buildings and enlargements have been 

 planned by the director, and it is evident that 

 imless unexpected aid is rendered the garden 

 by some public-spirited citizen these improve- 

 ments must necessarily be deferred for at 

 least ten years, although the maintenance of 

 the establishment on its present scale is not 

 in doubt, and there is assurance in its unen- 

 cumbered endowment of some $3,000,000 that 

 gradually it will enlarge to an importance and 

 usefulness equaling the most sanguine ex- 

 pectations of its friends. 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. 



Professor Willis L. Moore, chief of the 

 IT. S. Weather Bureau, was elected president 

 of the National Geographic Society, at the 

 last meeting of the board of managers, at 

 Washington. Professor Moore has been ac- 



