Evening star., 1909-08-27
INTEREST OF SCIENCE HAZE HIDES TARGETS
Annual Meeting of British AS Conditions Unsatisfactory for
sociation in Winnipeg. Schroeders Fleet.
MANY SPECIALISTS ATTEND HANDICAP TO GUNNERS
Investigation Masts Torpedo Shot
pearance of Away
AN ADDRESS SHIPLEy EIGHTEEN VESSELS PRACTICE
Depleted Torpedo
Battles
to Few Herds me Next
Annua! Meeting of British AS
sociation in Winnipeg.
MANY SPECIALISTS ATTEND
Investigation of Causes for Disap
pearance of Fauna.
AN ADDRESS BY DIR. SHIpLEY
Species Depleted at Rapid Rate.
American Bison Reduced
to Few Herds.

WINNIPEG, Man., August 81. = The
meetings today of the various sections of
the seyenty-ninth annual convention of
the British Association for the Advance
ment of Science were wen attended.
Nearly every delegate present is a spe-
cialist of note in his branch of research,
and great many subjects are being in
terestingly treated.
A plea for q more perfectly organized
work by biologists to probe the rapidly
disappearing fauna of the world was
made by A. Z. Shipley. president of the
geological section DR.. Shipley is a fe :
low of the Royal Society a Cambridge
M. A, and the holder of the degree of
honorary doctor of science from Prince
ton. Species" he declared, ARE d.sap-
pearing from the globe at greater rate
than even the most ardent mutationist
claims they are appearing.
Striking Gases Cited.
ITO mention the most striking cases:
The European beaver has almost gone,
though few linger on around the periph-
cry of the continent Norway, the
lower Danube, eastern and arctic Russia
still harbor them, and a very few are said
still to inhabit the Rhine and the Rhone.
The European bison Is now represented
by q few wild specimens in the Caucasus.
THE American bison is reduced. and
that by the deliberate and calculated ac-
tion of man. to a few herds. most care
fully preserved by the government. The
largest of these. containing some 600
head. is now at the National Park at
Wainwright. Equally, deliberate and
the fur-seal. which threatens soon to be
complete The Greenland sealing is al
most thing of the past
Dr.. Shipiey said lnat big game was
rapidly disappearing from Africa. Many
districts of Australia, he asserted, have
been almost entirely cleared of their ma
tive animals. during a period of only thir-
ty years.
Although $4,000 different species have
been described and catalogued, DR.. Ship
ley said the museums Of the world are
unable to cope with the material at
hand. new specimens being brought TO
them faster than they can be classified
He urged that men Of scientific train
ing, or at least of scientific sympatnies
be given places in the government.
Must Have Patience and Faith.
The business man." the speaker con-
cluded always on the outlook for a
dividend, has sometimes complained that
some OF our inquiries do not seem to
him practical, but he must have patience
and faith.
A" few years ago no knowledge could
seem so useless to the practical man. no
research more futile than that which
sought to distinguish between one species
of gnat or tick and another; yet today
we know that this knowledge rendered it
possible to open up Africa and to cut the
Panama canal"
The Wemen's Canadian Club entertained
the wives and daughters of the delegates
at luncheon today. A reception at gov
ernment house by the lieutenant governor
will be held this evening.