establish research fellowships in biology, funds have been secured by the society enabling it to offer several fellowships at a minimum of $1,600 each.

Standardization of biological stains.-This work is directed by a special committee representing the division, the Society of American Bacteriologists, Botanical Society of America, and American Society of Zoologists, together with representatives of the medical sciences. The work has been in active progress under the direction of Dr. H. J. Conn, of Geneva, with the aid of a grant of $1,000 from the Chemical Foundation. (See also under division of medical sciences.)

Biological relations of insects to flowers.-An investigation of the biological relations of insects to flowers, through the cooperative efforts of the division, the American Museum of Natural History, Cornell University, and the University of Colorado, has been undertaken and field work is now in progress in Colorado. The investigators include botanists, entomologists, and physicists.

Advisory board of the American Institute of Baking.-Closer cooperation between the American Institute of Baking and an advisory board set up at its request by the division has been established during the year. Under the supervision of Doctor Prescott, of the board, a study of mold infection of breads has been undertaken in his laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During the past year the institute has transferred its headquarters from Minneapolis to Chicago. One of its chief aims is to enlist the interest of graduate students in chemistry in the possibility of devoting their energy to problems of technical interest to the baking industry. Cooperative relations have already been established by the institute with several universities.

Food and nutrition projects.-One of the main pieces of work developed under the auspices of the committee on food and nutrition is that on the calcium of magnesium metabolism in women undertaken under the direction of Dr. Jean Bogert at the Kansas State Agricultural College. The work which was being done in animal nutrition under the supervision of the late Dr. H. P. Armsby, at Pennsylvania State College, is being continued under the direction of Prof. E. B. Forbes, of the same college. Preliminary results have already been published in the bulletin series of the council.

A special undertaking in connection with food-products investigation with the aid of funds donated by the Glass Container Association of America is an investigation of proper methods for determining the number and character of contaminating microorganisms affecting food products. Part of the work has been developed under the direction of Dr. R. S. Breed, of the Geneva Agricultural Experiment Station, and a report on this work is now being prepared for publication.

Investigations on the atmosphere and man.-With some financial support from the council, used especially for development and promotion work, the committee on atmosphere and man has been able to find additional financial support and to effect cooperative relations with various factories in which it is proposed to make investigations of the relation of atmosphere to the efficiency of the workers." Some of this work is already under way. (See also under division of medical sciences.)

Catalogue of unpublished bibliographies in biology.-Active work has been under way for several months on the preparation of a catalogue of unpublished bibliographies in biology.

Contagious abortion.-In connection with the contagious abortion project, a project undertaken jointly with the division of medical sciences, a committee has been appointed to coordinate the activities of the cooperating workers, including veterinarians, bacteriologists, etc., on this investigation.

Rust project. The project for the bringing to completion, under the sponsorship of the division, of Dr. J. C. Arthur's important monograph on the North American rusts has enlisted the cooperative efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture, Purdue University, Pennsylvania State College, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. A representative from each of these State institutions is to cooperate with Dr. Arthur in advancing this work.

Marine piling investigations.-This project, undertaken by the joint efforts of the division and the division of engineering, is one of the large projects of the council and is actively under way. (For special reference to it see division of engineering in this report.)

Conferences. The division lays special stress upon the value of conferences on important biological problems and it has sponsored a number of these conferences during the year, notably a conference on biophysical problems, a genetics conference, a conference on contagious abortion, and conferences dealing with a federation of American biological societies. Certain of these conferences have already been referred to in connection with the special projects of the division.

DIVISION OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY.'

[CARL E. SEASHORE, Chairman.]

(For list of members, see Appendix A.).

The annual meeting of the division was held in Washington on April 25, 1922.

Conference on anthropological problems.-On September 24, 1921, a conference of distinguished specialists, including psychologists,

medical men, and general biologists, was held in New York to consider the question:

From the point of view of applied racial psychology and anthropology to-day, what are the most timely and promising scientific projects of a basic nature that the division of anthropology and psychology of the National Research Council should attempt to formulate and foster?

A considerable variety of suggestions was made, of which five were generally approved for special consideration and active attention by the division, as follows:

1. The formulation of a procedure for the testing of fitness of prospective immigrants through the consulates of the various countries sending in immigrants on the 5 per cent basis. If there is to be a selection, there is no reason why we should not establish a preferential list, where more than the 5 per cent quota apply, and establish important minimum standards within the quota.

2. A consideration of the needs of vital statistics on the mental side of man for the purpose of encouraging census authorities and various voluntary organizations to insert certain desired items in their census or surveys, and to establish uniform procedure in the collection of these data.

3. The specification and standardization of the basic mental tests that should be observed, measured, and recorded in the comparison of races and other social groups. At the present time there is no consensus of opinion as to which traits are most significant, and there is no well-established technique of procedure.

4. The inheritance of mental traits: This is involved in many projects, and it may be well to give directions to a number of interests working in this field at the present time.

5. A review of the motives and mental conditions that tend to produce crime in this country, the object being to reveal the importance of the instinctive intellectual and mental forces which may be employed in the suppression of crime and the reduction of social unrest.

Committee on State archæological surveys.-The work of this committee during the year falls under two main heads: (1) Developing a plan for surveys in the Mississippi Valley and the formulation of technique for field work, and (2) the stimulation of activities in the several States. The committee has been able to arrange for the starting of surveys in Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. The outlook is good for the initiation of a survey in Illinois. Other States are being approached. A handbook on State archæological surveys is being prepared by the committee.

Psychological abstracts.-The division has had for some time a committee on the initiation of a journal of psychological abstracts. In the light of the development of the plan for establishing a national federation of biological societies (see under division of biology and agriculture) and the probable founding by this federation of a journal of biological abstracts, the division has discharged this committee and set up a special committee on psychological abstracts for the purpose of cooperating with the federation of biological societies in order to standardize abstracts, encourage journals to require and

print authors' abstracts, and develop a single cooperative agency through which all biological (including psychological) abstracts shall be published.

National intelligence tests.-The work during the past year of this important committee-whose earlier work resulted in the preparation of a set of national intelligence tests for school children, published and distributed by hundreds of thousands to the schools of the country by the World Book Co., of Yonkers, N. Y.-has been largely routine. Through the World Book Co. the committee issued in May, 1921, a supplement to the manual of directions and later in the summer a revised edition. All royalties arising from these publications are devoted to financing the further work of the committee.

Material has been collected for the establishment of norms and the revision of old norms, taking into account geographical distribution, sex difference, and practice and methods of converting scores into "mental age" scores.

College entrance tests.-The division has set up a committee on college entrance tests, which is instructed to prepare for publication an annual survey of the subject.

Superior attainment of college students.-In collaboration with the division of educational relations the chairman of the division has taken an active part in planning and carrying on a special study of the problem of the college and university student of superior attainment, or the "gifted student," as he has been called. In this connection the chairman has written an "open letter to college seniors" calling attention to the opportunities open to competent students for careers in scholarship and research. Over 15,000 copies of this "open letter" have been provided college deans and special faculty committees, at their specific request, for distribution to members of graduating classes. The chairman has also prepared a bulletin on "Psychology as a career" and another on "The sectioning of classes on the basis of ability," both of which have been given a wide circulation. Dr. Clark Wissler, curator of anthropology in the American Museum of Natural History and member of the division, has prepared a bulletin on "Anthropology as a career," which has been published. (For further account of the work of the council in connection with the problem of the gifted student see Division of Educational Relations in this report.)

Committee on vestibular research. The committee on vestibular research, a joint committee of three divisions of the council, of which the division of anthropology and psychology is one, is unusual in character by reason of the fact that each member of the committee is personally actively engaged in cooperative research on the problem before the committee. The special efforts of the committee are

directed toward a solution of the problem of animal equilibrium, especially the equilibrium of aviators. The reputed relation of the vestibule of the ear, including the semicircular canals, to equilibrium directs the work of the committee largely toward an investigation of this vestibule, and hence gives the committee its name.

One of the main problems of flying is the problem of balancing in the air. The factors which enter into balancing are complex and but partially known. Three known factors are recognized, the eye, the ear, the joint, muscle, and pressure sensations. Excessive stimuli from at least two of these, the eye and the ear, will result in vertigo. Any or all of these factors may give faulty information, which would tend to produce faulty control of the machine and possible disaster. The causes of this false information are known only in part. Faulty reactions while flying may also come from temporary pathological causes; for instance, blockage of the tube to the ear. These, if recognized, could be guarded against.

Statistics published by the United States War Department show that 96 per cent of fatalities during flying were due to faults or circumstances directly connected with the pilot, circumstances connected with an uncorrected maneuver, or a loss of control.

The purpose of this committee is not only to study the factors which enter into balancing but to study the factors which disturb this balance, and, if possible, to ascertain how to rectify such errors. Since certain individuals have their balance easily upset, the committee would study which particular factor or factors are at fault.

The researches of the committee are actively under way. Certain financial support has been given the committee by the council. (See also under Division of Medical Sciences.)

Immigration problems.—As a result of correspondence initiated by Dr. Robert DeC. Ward, of Harvard, informal conferences have been held with persons interested in the scientific approach to the problem of selective immigration, and there seems to be general agreement that a conference on this subject should be called early in the fall. This conference might meet in two divisions: First, a general conference made up of representatives of those in charge of the immigration examinations, Doctor Pierce, the Commissioner of Immigration, and the chairman of the Immigration Committees in the Senate and House, respectively, Professor Yerkes, Doctor Ward, and the chairman of this division. The object of this preliminary conference should be to establish cordial relations with those who are charged with the administration of the service. This might then be followed up by the organization of a smaller committee to consider the technical work of surveying methods of examination, aims and principles of selection, and cooperation with those engaged in the promotion of legislation.