Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/456

 NOTES AND NE fVS 397

" The Growth of Toronto Children " is the title of a contribu- tion of 60 pages, by Dr Franz Boas, to the recently published Report of the Commissioner of Education for 1896-7. It contains the results of various measurements of Toronto school children of both sexes, com- pared with those obtained in the schools of Oakland, California. When, in 1891, active preparations for the World's Columbian Exposi- tion began, Prof. F. W. Putnam, director of its Department of Anthro- pology, placed Dr Boas in charge of the section of physical anthropology, and a plan was devised for representing as fully as possible the growth and development of American children. The article referred to is one of the results of this praiseworthy undertaking. A. S. Gatschet.

New York Academy — The regular monthly meeting of the Sec- tion of Anthropology and Psychology of the New York Academy of Sciences was held Friday evening, February 24th. Two papers were presented by the anthropologists, one by Mr F. C. Spencer on the " Origin and Persistent Influence of Sacred Number Concepts " ; the other by Dr Franz Boas on " Anthropometric Charts." Dr Boas gave an account of some of his recent investigations which seem to indicate that the anthropometric charts now used in the gymnasium and in anthropology are nearly worthless as a means of comparing the develop- ment of individuals. At the meeting of the subsection of Philology, Mr J. Dyneley Prince presented some notes on " Passamaquoddy Literature," and Mr J. C. Egbert Jr a paper on "Wax Writing Tablets of Pompeii." C. B. Bliss.

Deaths — Dr Camille Dareste de la Chavanne, professor at the £cole d'Anthropologie de Paris, and former president of the Socie*te* d'Anthropologie.

Rev. William Colenso, of New Zealand, distinguished for his studies of Maori antiquities and mythology.

Pere Jean-Andr£ Cuoq, of Oka, Canada, aged 78 years ; a leading authority on the Nipissing and Mohawk languages, and the author of numerous works in or pertaining thereto.

At New York City, March 16, Philipp Johann Joseph Valentini, an authority on Central American and Mexican history and certain phases of archeology. An extended notice appears elsewhere in this number.

At New Haven, Connecticut, March 18, Prof. Othniel Charles Marsh, Ph.D., LL.D., of Yale University, aged 68 years ; former presi- dent of the National Academy of Sciences and of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science ; noted generally for his work in vertebrate paleontology, but among anthropologists was known as the

�� �