Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/364

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��at the same time it ia the proper function of the geodetic survey. We are informed bj Major Poweli that he makes use of all the eoast-Burvej' results so far as they are avail- able, but he does not indicate what fraction of his labor is thus saved ; aod it goes without saying, that he has no authority, directly or indirectly, to require that the coast and geo- detic survey shall do any thing which he may want done.

Among the BUggestiona made by Major Powell was one that all the scientific bureaus should be placed under the general direction of the regents of the Smithsonian institution. This does not appear to have been considered practicable, and was not furtlier urged by the director himself. One of the possible plans is to place all these bureaus under the interior department. The principal objection to this course is that that department is already over- loaded with work, so that its head coald not give the proper consideration to the subject. Yet this is the simplest course, and would certainly be an improvement on the present 8tal« of things. The more otfective course would be to fonn a separate department of science and public worlis. To this there seems to be no [wsitive and serious obstacle, except the difficulty of getting any measure of the sort enacted into a law. The question whether the head of the department should be a scienlillc expert or a public administrator, is an ulterior one, which need not be discussed at present. In the latter case, the question of its being re- garded as a cabinet oUjce would arise. There will be little hesitation in decidiug this ques- tion in the negative.

In a future number we hope to discuss other testimony taken before the commission, and the proposition which ap|>eared in the supple- ment to our last number.

��THE BOTTLE-NOSE DOLPHIN, TURSI- OFS TURSIO, AS SEEN AT CAFE MAY. NEW JEliSKY.

This is the commonest dolphin on our Atlan- tic coast, occurring from Greenland to at least

��as far south as Florida ; and Professor Flowef is inclined to believe that it is cosmopolitan. The dolphins are very abundant along the shore of New Jersey, passing and re-passjng close to the beach in schools of greater or less magnitude. The fishermen slate that they usually pass around Cape May City into Dela- ware Bay upon the rising tide. Their move- ments would appear to be somewhat uneertain, however ; for we lay all the morning at Here- ford Inlet, expecting to see them approach from Seven-mile lieach, and failed, but found them in the aflernoon at Cai>e May i>oint. from which we had started. It seems probable that they come into Delaware Ba)' from the south-

The school surrounded at Cape May ix>int apparently comprised about thirty individuals. They showed no fear at the approach of the steamer. Upon striking against the lai^e net iu which they weie impounded, they showed no disposition to leap over it, but attempted to make their escape by diving. Observations on this point, however, were brought lo a speedy close IVom the fact that three sped- inens, becoming entangletl in the net, rolled it up from the bottom, and thus allowed the remainder of the school to make their escape.

All the three specimens secured were fbniales : two were adult, about two hundred and sixty centimetres in length, and the third a young animal about a huudred and twenty centime- tres in length. On compressing the sides of one of the larger specimens, milk issued in a fine stream from the mammae. When collected in a bottle, it appeared of the color and con- sistency of cream, was without perceptible od<jr, and possessed the flavor of cocoanut- milk.

I placod some in a bottle to bring to Wash- ington for analysis, but it soured in Irans- portatiou ou account of the warmth of the weather, and forced out the cork. The fisher- men stated that the specimen which furDished the milk was followed about by the j'ounger animal. Although I was not near enough to verify this obae^^■ation, it seems to me veiy plausible. The teeth of the calf were barely visible above the gums, and it showed other signs of youth. I am inclined to believe that it was born in the spring of 1884, and that tb*i time of weaning was not far distant when iij met its death. ,1

Upon opening the abdomen of the seoonLi adult specimen, we found a foetus about twelva' centimetres in length. The stomach of bot^J adults contained simply a few bones and ono 4 or two skulls of a fish which appeared to <

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