Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 75.djvu/316

312 of non-hygienic characters for their type. . . renders all comparisons of English and German conditions unprofitable." One might suppose, on the contrary, that this comparison would indicate that progressive myopia is due to environment rather than to heredity. Cohen indeed found that of 1,000 nearsighted children only 2.7 per cent, had a near-sighted father or mother.

Professor Pearson may be correct in urging that "the first thing is good stock, and the second thing is good stock, and the third thing is good stock," but it does not appear that this conclusion can be deduced from what is known in regard to defective eyesight. There is danger that an attitude such as Professor Pearson's may lead to neglect of those factors of the environment which we can improve. When he says: "Pay attention to breeding, and the environmental element will not upset your projects," he rather neglects to emphasize the fact that paying attention to breeding does not under what Galton calls "the existing conditions of law and sentiment" give us much chance to improve the racial stock in man. We can not breed a race immune to myopia, but we can refrain from producing a generation of myopic school children.

regret to record the death of Dr. R. E. C. Stearns, of Los Angeles, known for his work on the Mollusca; of John Morse Ordway, until recently professor of metallurgy at Tulane University; of Mr. Lefferts Buck, a leading New York engineer; of Dr. T. W. Bridge, professor of zoology at Birmingham, and of Dr. V. R. Matteucci, director of the Observatory on Mt. Vesuvius.

of the University of Michigan, has been appointed state geologist of Michigan, to succeed Dr. A. C. Lane, who has become professor of geology in Tufts College.—Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt, lecturer in economic zoology in the University of Manchester, has been appointed entomologist to the Dominion of Canada in succession to the late Dr. James Fletcher.

celebrated his ninety-second birthday on June 30. His scientific career began seventy years ago, when he went out as surgeon and naturalist with Sir James Ross's Antarctic expedition.—Dr. C. Lloyd Morgan, Fit.S., known for his contributions to comparative psychology, has resigned the office of vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol.

French Association for the Advancement of Science will meet this year at Lille on August 2-7, under the presidency of Professor Landouzy, dean of the faculty of medicine in the University of Paris. The gold medal of the association, which was instituted last year, is to be awarded to Professor H. Poincaré who will deliver a lecture during the course oi the meeting.

heirs of the late Herr Heinrich Lanz, head of the Mannheim engineering firm, have given a million Marks for the establishment of an academy of science at Heidelberg.—M. Henry Deutsch has given 500,000 francs, and promises in addition an annual grant of 15,000 francs, towards the creation of an aerotechnical institute in the University of Paris. M. Basil Zakaroff has given 700,000 francs for the foundation of a chair of aviation in the faculty of sciences of the university.