May 5, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



713 



for science, and soon became recognized as a safe 

 scientific thinker and investigator. He was one 

 who never ruslied to conclusions however enticing 

 the facts discovered appeared, but took time to 

 look into every possible avenue of approach to the 

 subject, being satisfied only when his conclusions 

 rested upon a foundation that could not be shaken. 

 Conse(iuently he was not a prolific writer. In- 

 deeti, he gave himself so unreserveuly to his teach- 

 ing and his students that research work was pos- 

 sible only during his brief vacations and at odd 

 hours. 



Professor Wright was a modest, retiring man, 

 always shrinking from publicity, yet his service 

 to the community and the state becomes con- 

 spicuous in his absence. Oberlin's unrivaled 

 water and sewer systems are largely due to his 

 hard study and keen insight. To him is almost 

 wholly due the inception of the topographical sur- 

 vey 01 Ohio. In this he was at first defeated, but 

 by untiring efforts and dogged determination saw 

 the issue to a successful finish. He was also 

 among the charter members of the Ohio State 

 Academy of Science, which he served as president. 



Probably among his most conspicuous contribu- 

 tions to science was his correction of Dr. New- 

 berry's error in the true arrangement of the ven- 

 tral armor of Dinicthys. While the publications 

 over his own name were relatively few, his inspira- 

 tion to others and his constant interest and un- 

 failing kindness in spending himself for others 

 who worked under him will continue long to be a 

 poient factor in the advancement of science. 



Professor Wright was a fellow of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, a 

 fellow of the Geological Society of America, and 

 member of the Ohio State Academy of Science. 



Herbert Osborn, President, 

 L. B. Walton, Secretary. 



TEE NEWFOUNDLAND WHALE FISHERIES. 



The returns of the Newfoundland Whale 

 Fisheries for 1904 show that the eleven steam- 

 ers employed took 1,270 whales, or an average 

 of 116 each. In 1903 four steamers took 859 

 whales, or an average of 215 each. The Fish- 

 eries' ' Gazette ' says that these returns make a 

 very unfavorable showing and that com- 

 parison with those for 1903 is most depressing. 

 That it is so is only what might have been 

 expected. One can take out of a bucket only 

 as much water as there is in it, and with the 

 present rate at which whales are being killed, 

 there is no reason to expect that the supply 

 can at all keep up with the demand. Of 



course local causes may have been responsible 

 for a part of the decrease, but this remains to 

 be seen, and certainly a catch of 1,200 whales 

 in the limited area around Newfoundland 

 must be looked upon as enormous. 



Those familiar with the history of fishing 

 industries are quite aware that the fishermen 

 never admit that their catch has any influence 

 whatever upon the diminution in numbers of 

 animal life; whales, seals and fishes are never 

 exterminated, simply gone elsewhere, although 

 that elsewhere is invariably where the wicked 

 men cease from troubling and the weary ani- 

 mals are at rest. 



The question is now being agitated as to 

 what effect the diminution of whales will have 

 upon other fisheries and in Norway the agita- 

 tion carried on by the fishermen has progressed 

 to such an extent that, right or wrong, the 

 whale fishery in certain districts has been 

 prohibited. That the diminution of whales 

 may have an effect on fisheries is very prob- 

 able, though it is extremely doubtful if the 

 reasons assigned by the fishermen are the cor- 

 rect ones. 



On the Newfoundland coast the whales feed 

 entirely upon small isopods and it may be that 

 the diminution in whales allows a wonderful 

 increase of the Euphausia, who in turn feed 

 upon the minute life on which the caplin and 

 herrings are accustomed to feed. That the 

 whales directly affect either herring or caplin 

 or squid is more than doubtful, since none of 

 these animals form any portion of the food of 

 whales on the Newfoundland coast. Of the 

 hundreds of whales examined none have con- 

 tained anything save Euphausia. The smaller 

 finback whales, such as Batcenoptera acuto- 

 rosirata, feed actively upon the schools of 

 caplin, but this species is not common about 

 the Newfoundland coast and certainly has no 

 appreciable effect upon the fishes. 



F. A. L. 



Brooklyn Institute Museum. 



CONFERENCE OF ANATOMISTS AT THE 

 WISTAR INSTITUTE. 



Ten of the leading American anatomists 

 were invited by the Wistar Institute of An- 

 atomy of Philadelphia to take part in a con- 



