4 



24 SCIENCE. [Vol. VII., No. 153 



so heavily, that nearly all conversational ques- 

 tioning of the speakers was extinguished. The 

 more experienced in such occasions maintained 

 a certain amount of discussion by well-determined 

 efforts to speak as often as possible ; but the 

 greater number felt the difference between speak- 

 ing and talking, and said nothing. Inasmuch as 

 it is generally agreed that the increase of personal 

 acquaintance, and the pleasure of personal con- 

 versation, are the best results brought about by 

 such meetings, we belie ve it will be worth the 

 while of the naturalists' executive committee to 

 make definite preparation for the accomplishment 

 of these ends at Philadelphia a year hence. 



We have before us the tenth annual report of 

 President Oilman to the trustees of the Johns 

 Hopkins university. It is a brief but eminently 

 perspicuous and comprehensive document. It is 

 with no little satisfaction that the president mar- 

 shals in the appendices of his report the swelling 

 lists of professors, associates, lecturers, instruct- 

 ors, fellows, and graduates ; and the record of 

 the work done during the year, as given in appen- 

 dix D, is worthy of the strong force of workers. 

 Perhaps the most notable event in the year was 

 the delivery of a course of twenty lectures by Sir 

 William Thomson of the University of Glasgow. 

 No man living has made to physical science such 

 valuable contributions as Sir William ; and his 

 visit and lectures, therefore, were most welcome. 

 The only part of the president's report which 

 seems to call for particular comment is what he 

 terms ' the group system of undergraduate stud- 

 ies.' The discussion refers particularly to the 

 department of undergraduates in the university. 

 With respect to them the president speaks as 

 follows : "In place of a single curriculum, and 

 instead of no curriculum, several parallel curricula 

 have been arranged, which are assumed to be 

 equally honorable, liberal, and difficult, and 

 whieli therefore lead to the same degree of 

 bachelor of arts. They all include the study 

 of (a) language and literature, (b) mathematics 

 and other exact sciences, (<■) historical and moral 

 science; but the proportions Of the different 

 st li- lies very. Seven schedules are announced 

 upon the register, one of which must be chosen 

 by every undergraduate who wishes to proceed to 

 the bachelor's degree. Certain studies are com- 

 mon to all these courses, that is to say, must be 

 taken up by every undergraduate." The seven 



courses of study are enumerated as the clas- 

 sical, the mathematical-physical, the chemical- 

 biological, the physical-chemical, the Latin-math- 

 ematical, the historical - political, and modern 

 languages. No one can question, that, assuming 

 a good entrance preparation, any one of these 

 seven courses may be made the medium of a 

 solid liberal education. This arrangement pre- 

 sents a practical solution of the question of elec- 

 tive studies for college undergraduates. It pre- 

 sents to the young student several lines of study, 

 any one of winch may be elected and pursued to 

 the bachelor's degree. It reserves for the univer- 

 sity stage of studentship the more free selection 

 of studies which may safely be left to the nia- 

 turer judgment of those who have reached it. 



In its last annual report, the Philadelphia 

 Academy of natural sciences gives a statement 

 of its growth and needs, that, it is hoped, will 

 receive the attention it merits. There is urgent 

 need of more extensive accommodations for the 

 rapidly growing collections, many of which, such 

 as the large series of rocks and fossils of the 

 Pennsylvania geological survey, yet remain un- 

 packed or inaccessible. The present resources of 

 the society are insufficient to meet the rapidly 

 growing demands of modern science. It is ear- 

 nestly hoped that the contemplated extension of 

 the present building may be realized, that this, 

 one of the oldest, as well as most honored of 

 our scientific societies, may keep pace with the 

 activity elsewhere displaved in American science. 



In connection with the recent attempts to pre- 

 vent the further weathering and decay of the 

 obelisk, it will not be without interest to state 

 that Dr. Stelzner of Freiburg early prophesied 

 the injurious effects of our climatic agencies. 

 In his report upon the microscopical characters 

 of the rock, undertaken at the request of Dr. 

 Frazer of Philadelphia, he wrote an earnest plea 

 for the preservation of the obelisk, predicting, 

 that, were no preventive means adopted, it would 

 crumble within a few j-ears. In support of this 

 prediction, he cited the experience with the St. 

 Petersburg obelisk and the press comments on 

 the one in London. This warning, however, 

 owing to the objections of Lieutenant - Com- 

 mander (Jorringe, did not appear in the pub- 

 lished report. 



