110 
ing to the magazine's account, ashes began falHng at the college 
within an hour from the initial explosion. ''The entire college 
was aroused instantly, and Mr. Cuzner prepared at once to take 
such observations as would make the catastrophe as instructive 
as possible. * A chance to see and study the effects of a 
great volcanic eruption is worth more than a day of class work, 
even if the students were not too excited to think about their 
usual studies. Accordingly, the students were dismissed from 
classes, and some eighty of them, with Mr. Cuzner, Mr. Ledyard 
and the dean spent the day on a visit to Tanauan and the shore of 
Taal lake." Very interesting information is given in the article, 
which contains several illustrations, with regard to the varied 
effects of the falling ashes upon different kinds of crops and wild 
growths. The injury to maize, tobacco and sugar cane was great. 
"Lettuce, tomatoes, ferns and strawberries were badly damaged 
even at the college," the Agriculturist article says. 
Other articles in the magazine are well illustrated and a full 
page frontispiece is a view of part of the exterior of the main hall 
of the college which indicates a handsome structure. The articles 
are highly practical and sensible in tone, for example the follow- 
ing reference to several insect pests reported: "The first step in 
the eradication of the above is to rid ourselves of the belief of 
our ancestors, that a failure of crops due to insect pests is brought 
about by Providence as a punishment for sins ; the next is con- 
stant vigilance, and a third, ceaseless eft"ort guided by correct 
methods." 
Of interest to botanists, as well as students of the physical geo- 
graphy of Pacific islands, will be the "Proceedings of the Cali- 
fornia Academy of Sciences," fourth series, Vol. I, p. 7-288, dated 
January 20, 1911, which has just been received. It treats of the 
expedition of the Academy to the Galapagos Islands, 1905-1906, 
the major portion of the volume consisting of a botanical survey 
of the group by Alban Stewart, botanist of the expedition. "In 
preparing for this expedition," Mr. Stewart says, "the Cahfornia 
Academy purchased the U. S. Ship Ernest, a two-masted schooner 
of eighty-seven tons burden, and after refitting, rechristened her 
the Academy. Our party consisted of eleven members as fol- 
lows : R. H. Beck, chief; F. X. Williams, entomologist; W. H. 
Ochsner, geologist and conchologist ; J. R. Slevin, herpetologist ; 
J. S. Hunter and E. W. Gifford, ornithologists; E. S. King, as- 
sistant herpetologist; Frederick T. Nelson, mate; J. J. Parker, 
navigator; James W. White, cook; and myself, botanist. All of 
the scientific members of the expedition shipped as seamen, so 
that the expedition was made up mostly of sailor-scientists." 
