, 18AM, were outer walls. They were about two feet thick. The room was be- low the level of the street in front, 3» 2OAM, but had free circulation of air around ~. 2TAns the outer sides, the building being | separated from the coal-vaults in ») 224a 7 front by an area five or six feet wide. ‘The comparator was parallel to the eastern (longer) side of the room, and about three feet from it. .The doors of the room were kept closed, and the daily range of the temperature seldom exceeded three degrees. Fie. 2. standard remained constantly in No. 5; after each set of comparisons, the bar in No. 8 was put in No. 1; each other bar being moved forward one space, except that in No. 4, which In manipulating the bars, the. screw and contact-slide of the com- — 7 =" APRIL 6,;1883.] - was moved to No. 6. Now, it will be seen from the comparisons, that the influence of the cold wall was such, that despite the care SCIENCE, 241 The variations from the mean are magnified sixteen hundred times. with which the bars were protected, and their nearness together, each one had a different length for each posi- tion that it occupied. When the comparisons had con- tinued for two or three days, it was seen that the range of individual re- sults was greater than should be from mere errors of comparison. The true cause was not, however, suspected until the set had been completed by running the bars through each posi- a tion of the rack, returning to the ar- rangement with which the set started. The following table gives the relation of the standard to the steel metres, the differences being expressed in microns (one micron equals one- thousandth of a millimetre). ~ S| Sys pe ups fe rs So S 3 So So 3 S Sf ea ey ea ea ea le March 15, A.M. . 8.9 4.0 9.4 | +2.1 | +0.1 Jao) 10.9 eS; Ps Me) |< 7.4 3.2 8.2 4.7 0.1 5.1 14.6 «e616, A.M. . Tall 2.9 6.3 5,4 |.+0.5 9.7 14.6 SEAL SHAGNES | 7.2 | —2.9 6.6 5.4 | —3.3 8.9 14.4 18, AM. . 5.8 | +0.1 5.8 1.2 3.4 8.3 14.4 eel 20) AVMs 4.3 | +0.4 | 10.0 2:0 2.7 8.3 11.4 4 SP 215) ANE: 4.0 | —3.4 9.4 2.3, 2.3 6.0 11.1 ‘ 22, A.M. .|—8.6 | —3.9 | —9.5 |. +2.4 | —3.4 | —6.8 | —10.8 Brety —6.74} —2.48| —8.13) +3.19. —1.80) —T.18] 12.77 While the regularity of, the change is ap- parent in this table, it:is much» more readily Fie. 3. In this diagram the vertical’lines represent the mean values; and the points in the curves are obtained by using the differences from the means as offsets to the right or left, for posi- tive and negative differences. The greatest length of each bar is found when the bar is farthest from the outer wall, and the least length when nearest it. If the differences be shown graphically in parallel projection, the similarity of the curves is still more forcibly shown. This form is given in Fig. 3. That the variation. of temperature within so small a space so carefully protected should have shown so marked an effect, was entirely unexpected. It is susceptible of much Nol3 | Nos [020 No more accurate determination through the bars themselves than by the use of ee. No.7 | No.9 | NoJL BEES S SAS Marcle2I AM. | _ Be 3. NA ] 2 294M) | \) HN aay | ea zease|_| Ne | \ _» _JoPat| _\ LN bee rai. |' ie IN J STEM. | ; _ Fie. 4. seen ii n. a graphic projection. This is shown. WeqPigs Wieibar bs: oy thermometers. ‘In the case under consideration, the difference between the extreme positions corresponds to a difference of temperature of about 0.7° F. To lessen the effect of the influence of the outer wall, other piers were built at double the distance from the, wall, and a large screen was placed: between the comparator and the wall. The screen was made of a frameworls of wood, covered on each side with heavy paper. Another series of ob- servations upon the same bars was then begun. The results show the ; same influence-to haye been at work ; but. the effect is very muchreduced. « A graphic representation is given in, Fig. 4. 242 This illustration presents in a forcible man- ner the importance of giving the closest at- tention to the protection of the standards, where refined accuracy is sought. The influence of the heat from the observer’s body is frequently less than that*of other causes against which protection is supposed to have been made. With a micrometer capable of measuring with certainty a hun- dred-thousandth of an inch, we can repeat observations again and again with a range not exceeding this amount, and yet the result will differ from that obtained on another day by a quantity several times larger than the extreme range during a set taken all at once. Any one who has made careful linear or other compari- sons will have noticed this. The fact that the bars, while subjected to apparently the same influences, SCIENCE. [Vou. I, No. 9, _ which form enlarged ends to the latter, and are marked g. In Fig. 19, which represents a (foo Y/ hie Ta are yet differently affected, is the principal cause of this trouble; and the only way of eliminating the effects from the final result is to so change and alternate the bars in position as that the disturbing influences may operate in turn on the one or the other of the standards under consideration. EL. W. Brarr. HISTORY OF THE APPLICATION OF THE ELECTRIC LIGHT TO LIGHTING THE COASTS OF FRANCE. V. Ir only remains now to describe the de Meri- tens machine to complete the description of the electric appliances for light-houses. M. de Meritens has devised several types of machines. The one adapted for light-house purposes, shown in Fig. 16, has the permanent magnets of horseshoe form arranged radially around the axis in a precisely similar manner to the disposition of the field-magnets of the old Alliance machine, which in general appear- ance it at first sight much resembles. Fig. 17 is a transverse section of the machine, and Fig. 18 a longitudinal section taken through the axis, so as to show, in both views, the armature ring, and the position of the field- magnets with respect to it. Figs. 19, 20, and 21 show the details of the armature bobbins marked H, the iron core- pieces, 2 h, and the projecting pole-pieces, 1 Concluded from No. 8. Fie. 16. section through half the ring, the method of attachment and of coupling up is clearly shown. On reference to Fig. 17, it will be seen that each. armature ring, G, is built up of sixteen flat- tened oval bobbins, H, separated from one once A en SAI I IIIA II Fie. 17. NYG. GG another by the projecting pole-pieces, g; and around each ring are fixed, radially to the \ ‘| APRIL 6, 1883.] frame of the machine, eight very powerful SCIENCE. 243 brought together, in two groups, to the four compound permanent magnets, each composed brass collecting-disks, i, which are mounted aR i 10: 5 e aE) WN ce Tir ; i D ° bs + —- = i N Le SI) | Se i ¥ FF i Decl = t i Re i 3 A i H [= H L i fi i still of eight laminae of steel. The distance apart of the two limbs of each magnet, as |” well as the distance between the north | pole of one magnet and the south pole of s the next, is precisely equal to the distance ™ apart, or pitch around the armature, of the pole-pieces and the coils. The details .y of the magnets, and their method of adjust- ment and attachment, are shown in Figs. 22 and 23. Each magnet is built up of eight laminae of steel, each ten mm. in thickness, and are held together tightly by the bolts and nuts, ed, the whole being attached to the brass frames, F, which are fixed to the framing of the machine in radial slides, by which the distance from the armature ring can be adjusted with Fre. 19. Fie. 21. great accuracy. The total weight of the forty magnets (see Fig. 16) is about one ton. The currents from the five armatures are in pairs on an insulated bush, j, fixed to the principal shaft of the machine. The -y~ details of the collecting-apparatus are shown in Figs. 24, 25, and 26. Against the disks, 7, are pressed, by means of springs, the four collecting plates or brushes, K’ K’, which are in metallic connection with the attachment screws, K K, of which there are two pairs,— one at each end of the machine (as shown in Fig. 18). The construction of the armature is very interesting and ingenious. Each of the induction coils shown at H (Figs. 19, 20, and 21) is composed, first, of a flat spool or bobbin of the form marked h, and then is wound in a lathe with insulated copper wire 1.9 mm. in diameter, and of which the total weight in the whole machine is from 120 to 130 pounds. The iron cores of these coils are built up of eighty thicknesses of soft sheet-iron one milli- k-_—--200_..----- ei Ky AK k Zia Xe i. 2 es KS ZZ fj SS ————— Q Lk Za SS Uo a metre in thickness, and stamped out by a machine. The coils are wound, and attached to the armature wheel by a set of bolts marked e, which pass through the projecting lugs, g, of the wheel, and through the cylindrical hole formed by the semi-cylindrical grooves in the ends of the iron core-pieces when abutting the one against the other. The coupling-up of the armature coils is one of the most ingenious features of the machine ; for, as the magnets are arranged around the armature in such a way that, in the rotation of the coils, alternate poles are presented to any one bobbin, it follows, that if the bobbins were numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., up to 16, the currents induced in all the even-numbered bob- bins would be in one direction, and in all the 244 odd numbers in the opposite; and it would appear at first sight that these coils could not be’ connected together in series without the one set of currents neutralizing the other. Fig. 25, But, by connecting the ar- mature coils together in the manner shown in Fig. 27 it will be seen, that al- though the currents gen- erated in consecutive coils are opposite in direction to one another, yet their combined current transmitted to the collecting- apparatus is in the same direction. In the early part of this article, attention was drawn to the distinction between the luminous and geographical range ; and, in all the instal- lations. described, regard has only been paid to the increase of the former, the latter being neglected. ‘This is readily explained by the necessity there was of giving a unit to the new system of lighting the French coasts. There is, however, a point which it will be important to consider, and which may serve to augment the efficiency of the system. In days of heavy fog, when the luminous range is considerably diminished, this diminution would be much less if the geographical range could be increased. A rather important step has been made in this direction by the use of specially constructed optical appa- ratus. This apparatus is furnished on the upper part with a series of an- nular lenses, whose effect is to project above the light a beam of vertical rays extending to a great height. This beam illumines either the clouds, or “the vapor which fills the atmosphere, and is even visible in clear weather, because the air con- tains enough particles, both solid and vapor- ous, to allow the phenomenon of diffusion to be produced. These luminous rays thus pro- jected are visible to quite a distance even in Fig. 26. Fie. 27. SCTENCE, ‘ratus 0.3 met. in diameter. [Vot. i No. 9 foggy nights, and the geographical range is notably inereased. The first application of this system, which has not yet been adopted in France, is about — to be made in the Sea of Azof. The ships which cross this sea in the direction of Berdi- ansk are guided to their point of arrival by a light, which, in the actual state of its installa- tion, could not be seen sufficiently far; and it was decided to apply the system mentioned above. The apparatus recently constructed by Messrs. Sautter and Lemonnier will shortly be installed, and then the efficacy of the as tem can be judged. The example thus given by the French Tighe house board has alr eady been followed by other nations. The Ottoman government has studied a plan of electric lighting for the coasts of Turkey. In England an appropriation has been asked to establish, in 1881, about sixty electric lights; and a similar request will be made for the establishment of a hundred lights in 1882. On account of the ‘time which the complete execution of the project for lighting the French coasts will take, it may be that the experience obtained with the first lights will show some modifications to be made to the adopted plan, and that the lights last made may not have entirely the same dimensions and characteristics as those first built. In fact, some criticisms have been made by foreign engineers, especially on the diameter of 0.6 met. of the optical apparatus, —a di- jameter which these engineers consider rela- ‘tively too small. /apparatus of small diameter are those of heat-. The faults ascribed to optical ing too readily on account of the proximity of the luminous foyer, and also that of being more quickly covered with carbon-dust. We do not, however, believe that there is much to fear from this with apparatus 0.6 met. in diameter ; since, for the last twenty years, the lights of la Héve have worked well with appa- The probabilities are, that future -modifications will only be changes in detail, which will not affect the general project. _ The above shows the means France has taken to light her coasts, and is a most emphatic recognition of the value of the electric light for that purpose. The are-light, however, has two defects which have not been mentioned, — one, a lack of fixity; the other, a deficiency in the red and yellow rays of the spectrum. This lace of fixity is partly due to the carbons not being homogeneous, and partly to faults in the regu- Apri 6, 1883.] lators. Improved processes of manufacture have in a great measure removed these defects, but even the best lights will still occasionally ’ flicker. The red and yellow rays have the greatest penetrating power; and for this reason an oil- light, which is rich in these rays, can be seen farther in fogey weather than an electric light of equal candle-power. But the electric light can be made so much more powerful than the best oil-light, that this deficiency can be more than made up; still, it must be borne in mind when the candle-powers of the two lights are ~ compared. When the French system was adopted, the incandescent electric light had not left the domain of experiment; and even now its lu- minous intensity is very much less than that which can readily be obtained from an arc-light of moderate dimensions. It possesses, how- - ever, the element of remarkable fixity, and is rich in red and yellow rays. No light could be better for a light-house, if it can be produced cheaply, have sufficient luminous intensity, and be made reliable. It will, moreover, dispense with the somewhat complicated and expensive regulators. It is in this line that the Light-house board of the United States is about to make experi- ments, and the results obtained will have great interest for the whole world. Davin Porter Heap. GEOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE AND COLORING. Tux following stratigraphical divisions have been provisionally adopted by the international commission of the geological map of Europe. The colors placed against them are those pro- posed by the directors. 1. Gneiss and protogine. Bright rose-red. 2. Crystalline schists (mica schists, tale and chlorite schists, amphibole schists, and foliated gneiss). Medium rose-red. 3. Phyllites (argillaceous schists, urthon- schiefer). Pale rose-red. . Cambrian (all fossiliferous beds below the Llandeilo flags; primordial fauna, Ta- conic). Reddish gray. ). Silurian, lower fauna (second of Barrande). Dark silk-green. 6. Silurian, upper fauna (third of Barrande). Light silk-green. 7. Devonian, lower. Dark green-brown. . Devonian, middle (limestone of the Eifel). Medium green-brown. 9. Devonian, upper. Light green-brown. if oo SCIENCE. 245 10. Carboniferous, lower (culm, mountain limestone, etc.). Blue-gray. 11. Carboniferous, upper (houillier, millstone- crit, ete.). Gray. 12. Permian (dyas), lower etc.). Burnt sienna. 13. Permian (dyas), upper (zechstein and equivalents). Sepia. 14. Trias, lower (grés bigarré). 15. Trias, middle (muschelkall). violet. 16. Trias, upper (keuper and equivalents). Light violet. 16’. Rhetic, provisionally (haupdolomit ex- cluded). 17. Jurassic, lower (lias). Dark blue. 18. Jurassic, middle (dogger, kellovien in- eluded). Medium blue. 19. Jurassic, upper (malm with tithonic and Purbeck). Light blue. 20. Cretaceous, lower (Neocomien and Weal- dian). Dark green. 20’. Gault, provisionally. 21. Cretaceous, upper (from the cenomanien). Light green. 22. Kocene (nummulitic, etc.). low. 22’. Flysch, provisionally. 23. Oligocene (with the aquitanien). yellow. 24. Miocene (mollasse). Medium yellow. 25. Pliocene. Light yellow. 26. Diluvium. Naples yellow. 27. Alluvium.- White. The subdivisions, ‘ Rhetic,’ ‘Gault,’ and ‘Flysch,’ whose affinities are doubtful, will be figured separately in the preparatory work ; so that they can finally be joined either to the upper or lower formation, according to the decision reached by the commission of nomen- clature. (rothliegendes, Dark violet. Medium Orange-yel- Dark INDIAN RELICS FROM NEW BRUNS- WICK. THoueH Indian relics of the ordinary type, such as arrow-heads, axes, gouges, celts, etc., are of common occurrence in this region, as elsewhere, it is extremely rare to find any articles showing other features than those of mere utility; while remains of pottery, so far as am aware, have, until recently, been entirely un- known. During the last summer, however, my atten- tion was directed to a locality which is one of some interest, not only as containing undoubted relics of this character, but also as illustrating a somewhat un- usual mode of occurrence. : The locality in question is that of a small stream or ‘thoroughfare’ connecting two sheets of water known as Grand and Maquapit Lakes, being the two principal members of a series of lakes and streams covering a considerable area in the central coal-basin of New Brunswick, and tributary to the river St. John. Both 246 shores of this thoroughfare are low, that intervening between it and the St. John being a mere marsh sub- ject to overflow by the spring freshets; and it is in the soft muds forming the bank of the stream, and thus annually submerged, that the relics in question are obtained. These are in the form of broken fragments of pot- tery, of which the largest obtained by me was about two by two and a half inches, and, although not suf- ficiently perfect to give any definite idea of the form or size of the vessels of which they once formed a part, reveal very clearly, by their composition, texture, and ornamentation, their true nature. Asarule, they are quite firm, looking as if made up of a granular admix- ture of clay and fine sand, through which, in many specimens, are scattered numerous and rather con- spicuous fragments of a lustrous black mica; the whole being hardened, if not vitrified, by heat. The outer surface is usually covered with a reddish or dark-brown glaze, which is less coarse than the mate- rial beneath; and upon this surface are stamped or im- pressed numerous indentations variously arranged in series of parallel, forking, or decussating lines. In one instance only could any thing like definite form be rec- ognized; this being a well-rounded rim, or margin, striped on either side, of what appears to have been a shallow hemispherical bowl, or basin, of some six inches in diameter. During the extreme low water of summer, such fragments may be readily obtained lying on the surface of the hardened mud-beds, but at other times are to be had only by wading. With these remains of ancient pottery has been found a great variety of stone implements, some of exceptionally perfect design and workmanship, and in, two instances elaborately ornamented; while at short distances along the shore, and laid bare by the plough- ing action of the ice in spring, are small heaps of flint- chips of all shapes and sizes, with, not unfrequently, broken pebbles or bowlders of quartz from which these have been derived. The locality is one eminently fitted by its position for the temporary or permanent occupation of the ab- original tribes, giving easy access by water not only to the St. John River, but to an extensive lake-region, which must have abounded then, as it still does, in game of various descriptions. It has, indeed, been a favorite camping-ground with the natives ever since the time of the first settlement of the country by the Europeans. A curious instance of the contact of the two races has been observed in the finding, during the ploughing of a field, several feet below the surface and not far from the thoroughfare above described, of a large copper caldron, or kettle, evidently of French manufacture, but containing within, besides a quan- tity of moose-hide, a variety of colored glass beads, some arrow-heads, and a single human molar tooth. L. W. BatLry. Fredericton, N.B., March 4, 1883. THE PROPERTIES OF CARDIAC MUS- CLE, AND THE NATURE OF THE AC- TION OF THE VAGUS NERVE UPON THE HEART. Wr printed recently (Sc1mncr, No. 2) an account of the researches of Engelmann upon the rhythmic properties of cardiac muscular tissue. Almost simul- taneously with the appearance of Engelmann’s paper, Gaskell read before the Cambridge (Eng. ) philosophi- val society a communication on the same subject, which has since been published in the proceedings of the society (vol. iv. 277, 1882). Gaskell inde- SCIENCE. [Vou. L., No.9: pendently arrives at the same general conclusion as Engelmann in regard to the rhythmical properties of cardiac muscle, but adds much that is new on this and other points. Researches on the hearts of frogs and tortoises, previously published, had led him to the following conclusions: 1°, The beats of the heart represent peristaltic contractions, which start at the venous sinus, and thence travel over the heart; 2°, The peristaltic nature of these contractions is obscured by the fact, that the wave of contraction passes along a tube which is not of the same calibre or of the same properties throughout, consequently the systoles of certain parts (auricles, ventricles) which have bulged out and become prominent, or which by differentiation of structure in the course of development have gained the power of more rapid or forcible contraction, being most conspicuous, give the impression of separate and successive contrac- — tions; 3°, Between sinus and auricle, and auricle and ventricle, in these animals, is a connecting band of muscular tissue of feeble contractility and slow con- ductivity. A systole started in the sinus is thus separated by an apparent interval from the auricular contraction, and this in turn from the ventricular. Gaskell had further proved that one could artificially produce in any region of the heart a zone of slow conductivity, corresponding to the natural sino- auricular or auriculo-ventricular boundaries. If a clamp, for example, be closed not too tightly around the ventricle, then a pause occurs between the con- traction of the base and of the apex of that division of the heart. In the tortoise, one then gets, added to the usual succeeding phases of the heart-beat, sinus systole, auricle systole, ventricle systole, — an additional one, due to the separation of the ventricu- lar. systole into two distinct contractions, — one of its base, followed, after an interval, by that of the apex. If the clamp be still further tightened, only one con- traction of each pair exhibited by the base passes on to the apex of the ventricle; on further tightening, one in three, one in four, and so on, until the block caused by the clamp becomes complete. The above experiment serving to show how easily, by differences in the conductivity of certain zones of the heart, a primitively continuous peristalsis may be turned into apparently distinct beats of various regions, each separated by an interval from that of the heart-chamber preceding it, the question arises, What is the source of the-primitive contraction start- ing from the venous sinus ? Does it lie in nerye-cells, or in the possession by the sinus of muscular fibres, which have a greater tendency than those elsewhere in the heart to exhibit apparently spontaneous rhythmic contractions? Observations on the heart of the tortoise strongly support the latter view, as they show that any section of the heart will, if left to itself, sooner or later contract automatically; the difference in this regard between the venous sinus and the tip of the ventricle is one of degree, and not of kind. The isolated sinus begins beating at once, the auricle a little later, the ventricle later still, and a strip cut out of the tip of the latter only after about four hours. Once the beats in any division commence, they become rapidly more and more regular and powerful, and then continue uniformly for, in some cases, more than twenty-four hours. These facts seem to show that all parts of the tortoise-heart are spontaneously rhythmically contractile, but that the spontaneity is most marked in the sinus, and less and less prominent as the apex of the ventricle is approached. The latter, however, contains no ganglion-cells ; and, as we can pass back by gradual steps from its properties to those of the al APRIL 6, 1883.] sinus, it seems pretty certain that the systoles of that part are also primarily due to its muscular tissue, and not to the nerve-cells in it. Recent researches seem to show that all contractile tissue has primi- tively a tendency to contract rhythmically; and we may perhaps regard the phenomena above described as due to a greater retention of this property in the muscle-fibres of the venous sinus of the tortoise- heart, as compared with those of the ventricles, which have been so modified for the purpose of rapid and powerful contraction as to interfere with the mani- festation of the fundamentally inherent tendency to exhibit so-called spontaneous rhythmical beats. The concluding portion of Gaskell’s paper is con- cerned with the action of a weak, interrupted cur- rent upon certain functions of the cardiac muscle, and its resemblance to the action of the vagus nerve. He had already proved, so far as the frog is con- cerned, that stimulation of the vagus might, under various circumstances, produce directly opposite re- sults, which may be arranged in pairs. It may cause, 1°, Slowing or acceleration of the rhythm; 2°, Diminution or increase of the force of the contrac- tions; 3°, Diminution or (possibly) increase of tone. From subsequent work with the tortoise-heart, he now adds, 4°, Diminution or increase of conductivity in the cardiac muscle. As a corollary to the latter, is to be added the influence of vagus stimulation upon sequence of beats in the successive heart-cavi- ties. When an artificial hindrance to conduction in the cardiac muscle (as by clamping) is interposed, vagus stimulation may either entirely check the trans- mission of the wave of contraction, or may facilitate it; and similarly it may shorten or lengthen the time- intervals between the contractions of successive heart-chambers. The initial effect of vagus stimu- lation is often to depress some function: its final and most enduring power is to exalt, intensify, and re- pair that function. It slows rhythm, but its stimu- lation makes rhythmic beats last longer than they otherwise would. It diminishes at first the force of the contractions, but its ultimate effect is to improve and sustain the contractile force. It may primarily diminish conductive power, yet in the end it com- pletely restores that power. Gaskell concludes that the vagus is essentially the trophic nerve of the heart. All the above results of vagus stimulation are re- peated exactly when an interrupted current not pow-. erful enough to cause contractions is sent through an isolated strip of the apex of the ventricle of the heart of the tortoise. Further: atropine applied to this strip prevents the action of the interrupted cur- Tent upon it, just as this drug prevents the action of the vagus upon the whole heart. Since the strip contains no nerve-cells, the interrupted current must act directly upon the muscular tissue. Hence it is made probable that the vagus nerve also immediately influences the cardiac muscle without any necessary intervention of nerve-cells; and also that atropine exerts its well-known influence upon the heart, not, as has hitherto been generally assumed, by acting upon the ganglia in that organ, but by immediately influencing the properties of its muscular tissue. H. NEWELL MARTIN. THERMOMETER EXPOSURE. SoME may have been misled by a note on ther- mometer exposures of the signal-service, which ap- peared on p. 156 of Scirncr. The subject is by no Means so simple as that note would seem to indicate. Results of temperatures obseryed in the same neigh- borhood vary greatly. That the heat of a city, caused SCIENCE. 247 by the burning of coal for heating and manufacturing purposes, can affect the temperature of the air an appreciable amount, will be seen to be hardly tenable when it is considered that a breeze of five to ten miles per hour (which is a very light one) will entirely re- move the air in the city each hour; that the number of flues by which the heated air is carried out is ex- ceedingly small as compared with the whole atmos- phere over the city; lastly, that reliable observations taken in the city and adjacent country show that no such effect is noticeable. Of the last, any one can satisfy himself by consulting observations made in Central-Park observatory and the Signal-office in New-York (ity. Both of these observatories are fitted up with the very best instruments, and the records may be regarded as reliable as any in the country. The observations for 1878 for the first- named station have been published in the annual re- port of the New-York meteorological observatory, and, for the second station, in the reports of the chief signal-officer for 1878 and 1879. The following figures show maximum and minimum temperatures for each month of 1878: — | MAXIMUM. MINIMUM. | 1878. its ] =| j serge , Central Signal- | Central | Signal- || “Park. |} (Office: (|) Parka’ 99) Office. ae =| Se = Se January. . | al° | 51° ‘ie 9° February 56° 57° | Te | 10° March . PHP Ge Beith BE JGMN Siyseh 76° 75° 42° | 4u° May : 34° 81° 40° | 41° June . 5 | 89° 88° 49° 47° uly we eee 94° 94° 63° | 61° August | 90° 8s° 59° 59° September . | Cer) 86° 45° 45° October . . | 80° | 78° 39° 39° November 60° | 59° 29° 28° December | 60° | 58° 13° 12° Mean 749° | 73.6° 33.8° | 33.7° When it is considered that these stations are in such diverse surroundings, with different exposures of instruments, and widely different positions as respects the sea, the above agreements can but appear very remarkable. Abundant similar facts may be easily found. Undoubtedly there are great differ- ences of temperature in the same city or village, due to currents of cold air coming down valleys, ditfer- ences of exposure of instruments, proximity to large bodies of water, and innumerable other causes ex- ceedingly difficult to guard against. If any one has a doubt as to the uniform results obtained by the signal- service, a glance at the weather-map any day will con- vince him that isotherms can readily be drawn by using the observations made by the service. If it be claimed that these temperatures on the Atlantic seaboard are too high, it will, at the same time, be seen that this is due in large measure to the proximity of the cities to the sea; and it is necessary to establish the stations there to meet the needs of seafaring men. Experiments are being carried on in England in order to determine the proper manner of exposure of ther- mometers. Certainly the continental method of pla- cing thermometers at four feet from the ground will hardly give proper temperatures in the spring and autumn in the northern United States so long as there is snow on the ground. What are needed are definite results from careful observations, and not indefinite or general expressions. f LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Cracking in ice. I noticrp recently a peculiar cracking in ice. Snow had fallen to the depth of about a foot, and had been followed by a cold rain; so that the snow was covered with a layer of ice about three-quarters of an inch thick. The snow immediately under the ice was more firmly packed than that farther down; so that pieces broken out had their under-surfaces covered to a depth of about three inches with close- jy-packed snow. ; The cracks seemed to run over the field irregularly, without 1egard to the conformation of the surface. In one or two cases they seemed to have a ‘radiant’ point in a bunch of thistles. Their peculiarity was in the fact, that, for a great part of their extent, they were almost perfect sinusoid curves. Where a crack ‘began, or joined another, it would run quite straight for ten or twelve feet; and then the curves would ‘commence. Most of the curves were of the same size, —about three feet and a half from crest to crest. The two edges of the ice where the crack was were separated about a quarter of an inch to half an inch, and one was uniformly a little higher than the other, JACOB REIGHARD. La Porte, Ind., Feb. 10. Caterpillars eaten by a kitten. One of our beautiful springs was sadly rifled of “beauty and comfort by severe inroads of insects. Elms of noble promise hung around my lawns chiefly as chandeliers for the constant descent of canker- worms. Following the gardener, a pet kitten was attracted by this novel harvest. She ate the cater- pillars with infinite relish; and so long as canker- worms hung from the trees, so long did the kitten pass her time in constant leaping after the pendant worms. Among my birds, only my little Black-cap was her rival in rapid voracity. Fed by them as gathered in bowls, the mocking-bird was not to be named in comparison with either. M. C. SPARKS. Badly crystallized wrought iron. This seems to be such a condition of affairs as is pointed out by Mr. Kirkaldy, who shows that a erystalline fracture is not an indication of the strength of material, but simply of the way in which rupture is effected. A sudden fracture always shows crystalline constitution. In the broken walking-beam referred to by Mr. T. M. Clark (p.169), the exterior lay- ers doubtless yielded gradually, and the interior layers suddenly; which accounts for the crystalline appear- ance in the latter case, and the fibrous appearance in the former. I think similar cases will be found reported in Mr. Kirkaldy’s excellent work. C.S8 Radiant heat, and the second law of thermo- dynamics. The application made by Prof. J. W. Gibbs of the doctrine of radiation (SCIENCE, p. 160) would seem to me in all points to be correct, were it not really a question of the composition of velocities, of which no sufficient account seems to be taken. To make this clear, suppose a body (such, for exam- ple, as a right cylinder) to be projected lengthwise in empty space of uniform temperature, with a velocity equal to that of radiant heat. No heat can then over- take its rear surface: hence its front will receive a double amount, and so have its temperature aug- mented; thus causing heat to flow along the cylinder from front to rear. But any disturbance of tempera- tures, such as this, is in apparent contradiction to SCIENCE. {[Vou. I., No, 9. the proposed application of the doctrine of radia- tions, which attempts to prove in general that no ~ changes of temperature can arise from the motions of bodies. It is not quite certain that this would also constitute an exception to the second law, although it may well do so, because the radiations encountered may possibly cause a pressure upon the front surfaces though it is difficult to see how this can be so in ease it is entirely black. This illustration, then, which needs more complete discussion, will at least serve to make evident the necessity of taking into account the velocities of moving bodies in cases in which no such pressures oppose their motion. This is what has been attempted in the brief computation contained in the original paper;! and it seems to be admitted, in so far as direct exchanges of radiant heat between A and B are concerned, that more is transmitted in one direc- tion along a line of apertures, a c b, than in the other. Now, suppose the screens to be non-conducting, and enclosed by a non-conducting cylindrical] surface; also let the entire interior of the cylinder and screens be perfectly reflecting. Then no part of the interior can be a continuous source of radiant heat. The en- closed space is also excluded from exchanges with all bodies except A and B, and these only exchange heat through apertures in the screens. It appears possible, by suitable reflectors moving with the sereens, to return to A and B respectively all heat radiated from each which does not pass through the screen c. Now, if a less amount of heat pass in one direction through the apertures ac b than in the other, then, in order that equilibrium may continue, more heat must pass through ¢ along other lines. But, , as there are no sources of heat in the interior, this ean- not continue, although true at the start. It is there- fore sufficient, in attempting to establish the propose process as an exception to the second law, to show, as has been attempted, that more heat is transmitted directly from A to B than from B to A; since their exchanges with other bodies and parts of the appa- ratus may be left out of the account, as was tacitly assumed in the original paper. H. T. Eppy. Keweenaw-point geology. On account of certain statements in Prof. R. D. Irving’s letter in Sclmncr, March 9, it seems proper to attempt to undeceive him regarding the position of some geologists towards the evidence of the Wis- consin survey, and to make clearer to others the points of discussion. That evidence has neither been ignored nor denied by them; but, while willing to grant its correctness, they deny the conclusions that Irving and his associates have drawn therefrom. Foster and Whitney, in 1850, clearly showed that the copper-bearing traps were a series of lava-flows, between which, in many places, were conglomerate and sandstone beds, composed, in part, of the débris of the underlying lava. These detrital deposits were laid down on one Java-flow, and then the succeeding flow was poured over all. Later, Mr. A. R. Marvine brought forward full evidence of the same kind. The present writer also collected similar proof, and, in addition, showed that the traps overflowed and indurated the eastern sandstone. The structure of the district along a line extend- ing obliquely from Toreh Lake to Copper Falls, across the eastern trappean belt, and uniting the sandstone on both sides, is as follows: On the eastern side of Keweenaw Point a series of sandstone and conglom- erate beds was laid down, having a gentle but in- creasing dip as the traps are approached; over these poured the first lava-flow, indurating the underlying 1 Journ. Frankl. inst., March. . | . | 2. a ee Se are ow APRIL 6, 1883. ] sandstone; this lava was partially denuded, and buried under a conglomerate composed of its débris, mingled with rhyolitic, trachytic, and granitic material. The detritus was also buried under another lava-flow; and this alternating action went on, first with increasing and then with diminishing eruptive activity, until the western sandstones and conglomerates were reached, which were laid down on the last lava-flow. It is probable the lava came from fissure eruptions. Wher- ever the detritus was deposited on the lava, whether within the trappean belt or on its western side, de- nudation has taken place, and fragments of the trap (melaphyr and diabase)have been enclosed in the over- lying detritus. Unconformability would, of course, thus exist, and the writer has figured such a case; but it is the unconformability that always exists when lava flows on a shore, and is subjected to the denuding ac- tion of the waves, and proves nothing regarding the geological age. The evidence which Irving claims has been ignored, _and which he says is ‘‘proof absolute that the Ke- weenawan [copper-bearing rocks] series belongs below the base [Potsdam] of the paleozoic column of the Mississippi’’ (Geol. Wisc., iii. 23), is principally the finding of a trappean rock at Taylor’s Falls, against which rest sandstone and shales holding fragments of the trap and primordial fossils. Excepting the fossils, these are exactly the conditions which are found, and which ought to be found, within the copper-bearing belt, and on its western side; and it proves nothing regarding geological age, but only sequence of time. If such evidence as this is ‘ proof absolute’ of distinct geological age, then there is proof absolute that there are as many different geo- logical formations in the copper-bearing rocks as there are detrital beds enclosed in the traps, and proof that the last lava-flow of any active voleano, reaching the sea, is separated by a distinct age and ‘ immense un- conformity’ from the detritus deposited upon it be- fore it is hardly cold. Unconformity of itself proves nothing, unless both formations are sedimentary ; for an eruptive rock cannot, from the very nature of the case, be conformable, in the true sense, with any thing. The relations that the old basaltic lavas have, accord- ing to Irving, to the western sandstone, are exactly what they ought to have from their origin, as shown thirty-three years ago. Again: according to the Wisconsin geologists, the Taylor’s-falls trap is fifteen miles from any other so- called copper-bearing rocks, and may as well be an azoic rock; for similar ones have been collected by the writer in the granite of the Marquette azoic dis- trict. If it is referred to the copper rocks on litho- logical grounds, the same argument could be used to unite with this series a large part of the basaltic traps the world over. The resemblance between them is, in the writer’s opinion, that which any two basaltic lava-flows or dikes have wherever they may have been extruded. The writer has shown that the first trap on the east overflowed and indurated the eastern sandstone; and he collected specimens showing the induration, the trap, and the trappean detritus in the overlying con- glomerate. Therefore Irving’s statements, that the eastern sandstone unconformably overlies the trap, and that no trappean detritus occurs in the fragmental rocks, are.incorrect; and the published evidence was in his hands several years ago. Irving is mistaken when he says that all the geologists who approached the question from the east felt baffled, as the writ- ings of Foster and Whitney, Selwyn, or myself, give no indications of the kind. It may be mentioned, that in 1850 Foster and Whitney showed that a fault SCIENCE. 249 existed along part, at least, of the eastern side of the traps, and that the Bohemian range was a later pro- trusion. This evidence will explain the apparent unconformity of the traps wifh the eastern sand- stone observed in some places. For a fuller discussion of the copper-bearing rocks and allied formations, together with the literature down to 1880, the writer would refer to the bulletin of this museum, vol. vii. pp. 1-157. M. E. WADSWORTH. Museum of comp. zool., Cambridge, Mass., March 15, 1883. Domestic ducks that fly abroad like pigeons. In response to Mr. Storer’s note under the above heading (SctENCcE, No. 3), I would state that in my boyhood I lived on a plantation in Liberty County, Ga., on which there were a great many domesticated ducks, both mallards and musk-ducks. Many of these latter belonged to the negroes, and were tended with but little care. Near by the negro village there was a swamp full of large trees, and often covered with water. A considerable portion of the swamp was cleared, and annually planted in rice; but many dead cypress (Taxodium) trees still remained standing. This swamp was a favorite resort for wild ducks of all kinds, especially mallards, teal, and summer ducks (wood-ducks). Many domesticated musk-ducks, es- pecially those belonging to the negroes, flew abroad every morning, remained in the swamp {one to two miles distant) all day, and returned at night. Some of them built their nests and reared their young im the swamp, though they never became thoroughly wild. I never observed this habit, except in the musk- duck. Thereason, I think, is plain. In shape, in gait, in flight, and in habits, the musk-duck is very similar to the wood-duck (sponsa). Like the latter, it walks with freer step, it rises, flies, and alights with greater ease and grace, than other species, because the wings are broader and rounder. Like the wood-duck, also, it alights on trees. The dead cypress-trees were a favorite resting-place for the musk-ducks. Like the wood-duck, too, it builds its nest on trees or stumps, and takes down the young when hatched. I have never known the musk-duck to build on the tops of tall eypresses, like the wood-duck, but often on the tops of hollow stumps fifteen to twenty feet high. JOSEPH LECONTE. Berkeley, Cal., March 16. Apparent attractions and repulsions of small floating bodies. To obviate possible misunderstandings, it may be proper for me to make a few remarks in relation to ‘Hh. H. H.’s’ critique (ScreNcr, i., p. 43) on my article (Amer. journ. sc., Dec., 1882) on the above phenomena. Lam to blame for whatever ambiguity attaches to the use of the term ‘tension’ as applied to the expla- nation of these phenomena. In one instance (that cited) I inadvertently used the expression ‘ superior tension’ instead of ‘superior force.’ But inasmuch as in the formal announcement of the capillary prin- ciple — which is applied to the case in question, and also in the preceding as well as the succeeding context —it is very clearly indicated that the effective capil- lary forces (and not the surface-tension) are regarded as inversely proportional to the radii of curvature of the meniscuses, few physicists will, I trust, bemisled by the expression. He does not admit ‘“‘that a liquid film tends to draw a solid, to which it is attached, toward the centre . 250 of concavity of the film.’ The most simple and sat- isfactory proofs of the relative efficiency, as well as the direction, of the resultant of these capillary forces, are to be found in the well-known contrary movye- ments of small columns of water and of mercury, when introduced into conical capillary glass tubes placed horizontally. In these cases it is evident, that the effective forces are inversely as the radii of curva- ture of the terminal meniscuses, and are directed toward their respective centres of concavity. He maintains, that, if the capillary forces were di- rected toward the centre of concavity of the film, “‘the tendency of a column of water raised between two floating bodies by surface-tension would be to lift those bodies: similarly, a column of liquid sustained in a fine tube would tend to lift the tube.’’ Simple mechanical considerations are sufficient to show that he is mistaken in supposing that such a result would follow. Indeed, it is obvious that the elastic reaction of the common meniscus, formed when two such float- ing bodies are brought near to one another, does not tend to lift them; for the vertical component of the capillary forces, directed toward the centre of con- cavity, is exactly counterbalanced by the weight of the adhering liquid elevated between them, while the horizontal component is free to draw them together. So, likewise, the column of liquid sustained in a capillary tube can have no tendency to ‘lift the tube;’ for it is evident that the weight of the liquid elevated must exactly balance the vertical component of the capillary forces acting at the crowning meniscus within the tube: the horizontal component tends to draw the sides of the tube together. It is freely admitted that my explanation of this elass of phenomena may be imperfect, and may be more or less unsatisfactory; but it seems to me that its shortcomings are not to be found in the directions indicated by the objections put on record by the critic. Such elementary facts as have been elicited above could not appropriately find a place in my paper. After all, however, the simplest method of reducing this class of phenomena to the reaction of elastic films of liquids is the application’(as has been done near the close of my paper) of the principle of Gauss; viz., that this reaction ‘‘ always tends to reduce the surtace to the smallest area which can be enclosed by its actual boundary.’’ JoHN LECoNTE. Berkeley, Cal., March 16, 1883. A new lecture experiment. It has long been known, that an iron bar may be permanently magnetized by holding it in the direc- tion of the dipping-needle, and striking it a blow with a hammer. The novelty of this experiment, so far as I am aware, consists in indicating the magnetiza- tion of the bar at the instant the blow is delivered. I use for the purpose a reflecting galyanometer (Kohlrausch’s pattern), a lantern with detached lens for focusing the reflected beam (or, in the day-time, a porte lumiere), a piece of gas-pipe 80 em. long and 45 mm. diameter, and a coil of fine wire large enough to slip freely over the gas-pipe. After carefully de- magnetizing the gas-pipe, the coil of wire is con- nected with the galvanometer, and slipped down against the hand, holding the pipe about 30 em. from the upper end. With the pipe pointing in the direc- tion of the dipping-needle, a ringing blow is struck on its upper end, and the spot of light on the screen moves promptly from two to four feet, according to the distance of the screen from the galvanometer. A second blow produces only a very small movement compared with the first one. Reversing the gas-pipe, and again striking it, the change of magnetism is SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 9. indicated by another induced current about equal to the first. The direction of the current is the same as is obtained by moving the coil from the end struck toward the middle of the pipe. By moying the coil along the pipe, before the blow and after it, the induced currents indicate that the temporary magnetism of the pipe produced by terrestrial induc- tion is much weaker than the permanent magnetism produced by the blow. H. 8. CARHART. North-western university, March 20, 1883. HOUGHTON FARM EXPERIMENTS. Houghton Farm. Experiments with Indian corn, 1880-81, with a summary of the experiments with wheat for forty years, at Rothamsted. Cambridge, Riverside pr., 1882. T5p. 1. 8°. Agricultural physics. Seriesi. Nos. 1, 2. Meteorology and soil-temperatures. By D. P. PENHALLOW, B.S. Newburgh, Ritchie & Hull, pr. [1883.] 57p.,5pl. 1. 8°. Busrpus the intrinsic value which these publi- cations have as reports of carefully conducted experiments, they possess additional interest to all who have at heart the advancement of scien- tifie agriculture in this country, because they are the first public reports of what is here a novel undertaking. The proprietor of Hough- ton Farm, Mr. Lawson Valentine of New York, has, in effect, established upon it an experi- ment-station devoted to the scientific investi- gation of agricultural questions. So far as we are aware, this is the first institution of the kind in the country supported by private: munificence, and hence untrammelled by the demand for results of immediate practical utility, and by the mass of miscellaneous chemical work which seriously circumscribes the scientific activity of public experiment- stations. The outcome of this form of the “endowment of research’ will therefore be awaited with much interest. The first of these reports gives an account of the field-experiments with Indian corn, exe- cuted by Dr. Manly Miles in 1880 and 1881. These experiments are, in the main, modelled after the famous Rothamsted experiments of Lawes and Gilbert, and are to be continued through a series of years, with the design of doing for Indian corn what the English experi- ments have done for wheat and barley. The experimental plots having been laid out and drained in the previous year, a crop of corn was grown in 1880 without manure, in order to test the uniformity of the soil and ,establish a basis for subsequent comparisons. ‘This was followed in 1881 by a crop to which various kinds and quantities of manures were applied on the several plots, certain plots being left unmanured for comparison. ApRIL 6, 1883. Unfortunately the season of 1881 was ex- tremely dry, and the manures applied produced seareely any appreciable effect; so that, al- though yarious minor results of interest and value were obtained, the main object of the experiments was scarcely at all advanced by the year’s work. The most interesting of these minor results is, perhaps, the striking and bene- ficial effect exercised on the yield of some of the plots by the thorough drainage which they received. Barnyard manure was the only fertil- izer which produced any noticeable effect ; and this is ascribed rather to its physical action in making the soil more retentive of water than to any direct fertilizing action. It is evident that circumstances have con- spired to render this simply a preliminary re- port, whose value consists in its account of the plan and methods of the experiments more than in any results yet attained. _ Dr. Miles appears to be fully aware of the complex nature of the problems attacked, and to have taken great care to execute all the operations of tillage, planting, cultivation, and harvesting in a uniform manner on the several plots. He is cautious, too, in drawing con- clusions, and not in haste to attribute small difference of yield to the effects of different fertilizers, as is too often the case. His method of comparing the yields of a manured and an unmanured plot is novel and interesting. Instead of assuming the differ- ence between the two to represent the effect of the manures, as is usually done, he first grows 4 crop on all the plots without manure. In the crop of the succeeding year, he first notes the gain or loss of yield on the unmanured plot, and then assumes, that, if the plot to be compared had not been manured, its yield would have varied to the same extent. Then the difference between the actual yield of the plot and what it would have yielded without manure is regarded as the effect of the fertiliz- _ ers applied to it. The following example il- - lustrates the method : — Yiela Monty ee | Manure 1880, | Yield yielde eile cerns | in 1881. aaea 1881. without | manure. | = manure. Muriate of| 2 Plot. .|) “votach | \ ora | 43.5 36.2 7 - Plot3. .| Nothing | 28.1 | 87.2 37.2 = _ This method of comparison is evidently in- tended to take account of the natural uneven- ness of the soil, and it is to a certain extent an improvement over the direct comparison of SCIENCE. 251 yields ; but it also involves errors of its own, and not only that, but errors of wnknown amount. Because plot 3 yielded one bushel per acre more than plot 1 in 1880, it is by no means certain, that, in the very different season of 1881, the same difference would have been observed: indeed, it is highly probable that it would not have been. Dr. Miles recognizes this, and designates the 7.3 bushels of our table as ‘ probable increase produced by ma- nures.’ But he gives us no means of knowing whether this amount is within or without the limits of error; that is, whether the manure on plot 1 actually did produce an effect or not. This cannot but be regarded as a serious defi- ciency in these otherwise valuable experiments ; and it is one that no care in the execution of the experiments can do any thing to re- move. A field-experiment with fertilizers involves one of two assumptions, — either that the . several plots have exactly the same crop-pro- ducing power, or that the differences observed in a preliminary unmanured crop are constant. Neither of these assumptions is true. With the greatest care in the selection of plots, very considerable differences in both respects will show themselves. Such being the case, the scientifie conduct of a field-experiment requires that the amount of error involved in the above assumptions shall be determined, to the end that we may know whether the apparent differ- ences in the effects of the fertilizers have any real significance. This may be done by mul- tiplying the number of plots which receive the same treatment, and distributing them uniform- ly over the experimental field; the only limit to the multiplication being that imposed by practical considerations of the possibility of treating a large number of plots. In this way it is possible to obtain, not only the average yield of a certain fraction of an acre under particular treatment, but the amount of yariation from that average which may be expected in individual cases. This method calls for a multiplication of the manured, as well as of the unmanured plots: it greatly inereases the labor of conducting a field-ex- periment; but the results, once obtained, are reasonably accurate, and we know how accu- rate they are. This whole subject has recently been very thoroughly discussed by Wagner; and a peru- sal of his papers? cannot fail to be in the high- est degree interesting and suggestive to all who contemplate making field-experiments. 1 Journal fiir landwirthschaft, xxviii. 9; Landw. versuchs- stationen, xxviii. 123, 202 The account of the Rothamsted experiments on wheat, from the pen of Mr. Lawes, which is appended to the report, will be read with special interest, as showing what important gains to our knowledge may result from such experiments as those initiated at Houghton Farm. The papers on agricultural physics contained in the second report relate to local meteor- ology and soil-temperatures. Under the first of these subdivisions the most interesting state- ment is, that local predictions, based on the signal-service and on local observations, were made at noon for the succeeding twenty-four hours, with only two per cent of error. Con- fidence in them was established, and they served an important purpose for the time during which they were issued. The obser- vations on soil-temperatures will, of course, yield more trustworthy averages when based on more than a single season’s work; but results of value are already obtained. Hight thermometers with the bulbs immersed in oil within wooden cases, to prevent change of record during their observation, were placed at the surface, and at depths of three, six, and nine inches, and one, three, five, and eight feet, and were observed hourly between seven A.M. and nine p.m., from May to October, 1882, and sometimes throughout the twenty-four hours. The soil was gravel upon hardpan and clay. The observations are elaborately discussed by Mr. Penhallow, who obtains the following results. The penetration of the surface-heat to a depth of three inches requires one and a half to two hours; to one foot, eight to ten hours: hence, at a little greater depth than the latter, the diurnal waves of temperature would be reversed. Hourly change of temperature ceases at about eighteen inches, and daily, near eight feet; but these, as well as the average daily variations, being only for the hours from seven A.M. to seven P.M., need supplementary observations to show their full measure. The use of minimum thermometers would greatly increase the value of the results. Irregulari- ties in the daily temperature-curye are con- sidered first as shown in a diminished total variation (‘mean depression of hourly varia- tions’), and, second, as seen in marked irregu- larities in the curve (‘sudden depressions ’). The first of these is found to be always con- nected with rainfall and consequent excess of moisture in the soil, probably aided by absence of direct sunshine ; the second generally comes either from a temporary obscuration of the sun, as by a passing cloud, or about as fre- quently from the reaction after a sudden rise SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 9. of surface-temperature much above that of the soil below. Of more interest are the comparative results of observations made in June, three inches be- low the surface, in one uncultivated, and two plots of cultivated ground, referred to in the report as a and b. One of the cultivated plots, a, had been treated with composted stable-manure ; the other, 6, with an equiva- lent mixture of commercial fertilizer ; and both were planted with corn. The uncultivated ground had the greatest daily range, chiefly from its higher maximum temperature ; plot a had the least range, as its minimum was 3° to 1° C. higher than in plot 6. This dimin- ished variation would seem to result from heat evolved by the decomposing manure. All the observations are neatly recorded in tables and diagrams. Their only inconvenience arises from the use of even numbers of feet or inches in determining the depths for observa- tion, while the records are kept in fractional centimetres; so that 3, 6, and 9 inches are always rendered 7.6, 15.2 and 22.8 em. One system or the other should be fully adopted. As the first season of observation includes only the warmer months, studies of frost are not yet published. FOSSIL ALGAE. Apropos des algues fossiles. Par le marquis de Sa- porta. Paris, Masson, 1882. In a fine imperial quarto, the author criti- cally examines the nature of some impressions described by phytopaleontologists as remains of fossil Algae, but which a Swedish naturalist, Nathorst, in a considerable work published at Stockholm (1881), has considered as repre- senting tracks of invertebrate animals. In his memoir, Nathorst illustrates by a large number of figures the tracks and impressions which the author himself and others have observed, as produced by the movements of small crabs, insects, worms, even of water-currents and waves, upon sand, or soft, muddy surfaces. As points of comparison, the Swedish author gives a list of the works where, to his belief, are represented so-called Algae corresponding to his figures. Among the memoirs quoted in the list are Saporta’s Paléontologie francaise (vol. i.) —where, among the Jurassic plants, all the Algae, excepting Itieria and perhaps one or two others, are considered as true tracks — and the Hvolution du régne végétal, by Saporta and Marion, where most of the impressions described as Algae are regarded as tracks of divers kinds. It is to defend his ya! nie A 76 p.,10 pl. 14°. _ Aprit 6, 1883.] position, and that, indeed, of phytopaleontol- ogy, that Saporta has prepared a really noble volume. He first examines the conditions of the vegetable remains, their mode of preserva- tion, the evidence of their vegetable nature compared with the impressions produced by animals or mechanical agency. On this sub- ject he adds a note of Dr. Marion, who has followed the same line of research as Nathorst, in carefully studying the character of the cells produced by animal agency, and who points out the great difference between these tracks and vegetable impressions. The second part of Saporta’s memoir contains a detailed exam- ination of some types of fossil Algae. The species described are represented, as well as ‘their living related types, with admirable care and precision. Some of the documents from which Saporta has derived valuable assistance are from the works or communications of American authors; Harlania Hallii, among others, is beautifully figured. With few ex- ceptions, all the evidence adduced in the admirable work of Saporta is opposed to the opinions of Nathorst, and renders great ser- vice to phytopaleontology. BOLTON’S QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS. The student’s guide in quantitative analysis, intended as an aid to the study of Fresenius’ system. By H. Carrineron Bouton, Ph.D., Trinity col- lege, Hartford, Conn. _New York, John Wiley § Sons, 1882. 6124p. 8°. 2m Tue above title is somewhat misleading ; for the bool, as stated in the preface, is a series of notes on a system ,of quantitative analysis, as developed and modified by the author, from a course of instruction originally organized in the School of mines, Columbia college, by Prof. C.F. Chandler. Viewing the book in this light, two things must be taken into consideration, — SCIENCE. 253 first, whether the analyses given are typical ones, such as would enable the student, on the completion of the course, to work out by himself the common problems of quantitative analytical chemistry ; second, whether the notes given under the various determinations are such as explain, not only the different steps of the process, but also the reasons that neces- sitate them. The first of these two questions we can answer decidedly in the aflirmative- The only criticism that we might male is, that possibly too much attention has been paid to alloys, and not quite enough to complex min- eral determinations. ‘The first analysis given is baric chloride, then magnesic sulphate, and other simple salts where no process of separa- tion is necessary. The book then takes up, in well-chosen order, almost all the common alloys and minerals, gives the simpler prob- lems of volumetric work, the determination of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen in organic compounds, and many of the most striking commercial tests; such as the examination of sugar, millk, mineral-water, coal, and petro- leum. The notes, however, under these different analyses, we cannot consider as perfectly sat- isfactory. They consist of a short account of the process, with references to Fresenius or the original article, and sometimes a tabulated plan; but no explanation of the various steps is given. If, after each. analysis, the reasons why the different reagents had been added, and other numerous details, had been explained, the value of the book would have been much greater ; for it is the want of such elucidations in Fresenius that makes his system seem con- fused and difficult to the young student. Asa whole, however, when studied, as intended by the author, in connection with Johnson’s trans- lation of Fresenius, or when supplemented by a thorough series of lectures, we can recommend the book as giving a valuable course in quan- titative work. WEEKLY SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS ASTRONOMY. Encke’s comet, and a resisting medium in ‘space.— Dr. O. Backlund, in a paper entitled Kurzer bericht weber meine untersuchungen ueber die hypothese eines wiederstehenden mittels (Mélanges math. et astron., vi.), makes the following statement of the results of his researches on Encke’s comet: “The investigations hitherto made of the theory of Encke’s comet really prove nothing as to the exist- _ ence of a resisting medium in space. Even if we OF SCIENCE. should succeed by such a hypothesis to explain suffi- ciently the increase of the mean motion and the decrease of the eccentricity during the period 1819- 48, a simple hypothesis like this will not at the same time suffice for the motion of the comet after 1865, as the variation of the mean motion after that time has most probably become different. Not until the period 1865-81, and its connection with the earlier one, have been fully discussed, will it perhaps become possible to find indications of the nature of the unknown forces which act on the comet.’’ — (Coper- nicus, Feb.) D. P. T. [531 254 Selective absorption of solar energy.— Pro- fessor Langley publishes an extended, elaborate, and exceedingly important paper on the selective absorp- tion of solar energy, as determined by observations with the spectro-bolometer at Allegheny observatory, and upon the summit of Mount Whitney. It consists mainly of a statement of results, with comparatively little detail, — perhaps in some cases not quite so much as would be desirable in order to enable the reader to judge how far the numerical conclusions are to be trusted, since probable errors are seldom given. Fur- ther papers are promised, however, in which these matters are to be more fully treated. Prof. Langley’s observations cover all the spectrum. from about wave-length 0."35 in the ultra-violet to 3.00 in the infra-red, — far below the limit reached by any other investigator. The principal results are the following: 1. The maximum of energy in the diffraction spectrum is near the luminous maximum between the red and yellow, though varying with the sun’s altitude. 2, Our atmosphere produces an enormous systematic absorption, increasing continually from the infra-red extremity of the spectrum, where it is comparatively slight, to the ultra-violet, where it is very great. This, however, is not to be taken as denying the ex- istence of remarkble absorption-bands in the infra- red. ‘The observations, in fact, show four such bands at wave-lengths 0."94, 1.14, 1.87, and 1."83, each of them quite as remarkable as the great line A, near the lower extremity of the visible spectrum. 38. The character and color of the sunlight is markedly changed by the atmospheric absorption; so that, to the naked eye placed outside our air, the sun would appear decidedly bluish. 4. The solar constant indi- cated by the observations is even higher than Forbes’s value: it rises to 2.84, and seems not unlikely to reach 3.00. (The units in which the solar constant is here expressed are not calories per square metre per min- ute, but ten-thousandths of a calory per square cen- timetre per minute.) 5. The apparatus used was so delicate that all the principal Fraunhofer lines of the visible spectrum showed themselves in the galva- nometer readings. 6. The ratio of the luminous to the dark heat is greatly changed by the atmospheric absorption, being much greater outside our atmos- phere than within it. The writer adds, ‘‘It is probable, however, that the solar spectrum before absorption, though probably weak below the red, yet extended very much farther into the infra-red than our charts indicate. We may even regard it as prob- able that some agent of the atmosphere acts as an almost complete barrier to the entrance or departure of rays below the point charted.”’ The salient features of the investigation are the exquisitely sensitive apparatus devised for its prose- cution, and the new method of deducing the solar constant from pyrheliometer observations at the earth’s surface by means of separate co-efficients of transmission determined for radiations of different wave-lengths. An interesting question arises, also, as to the way in which our atmosphere acts to retain the sun’s heat on the earth, in view of the observed fact, that, contrary to all previous suppositions, the air is more transparent to the red and infra-red rays than to those in the upper part of the spectrum. It would seem, as the author suggests, that the air must be almost opaque to rays of wave-lengths below some limit; that limit, however, being below the extreme point reached by his measures. —(Amer. journ. sc., March.) oc. A. Y. [532 SCIENCE. “a [Von. L., No. 9 MATHEMATICS. Algebraical curves.— M. Noether seeks to estab- lish a thoroughly rigorous foundation for the general theory of algebraical curves in space, and, to this end, proposes to investigate all of the fundamental prop- erties of such curves as can be derived from the general theory of algebraical functions. References are given to the most important papers which have already appeared on this subject; and the author re- marks that but two processes have been employed in these earlier papers. The first, developed principally by Cayley, depends upon the representation of these curves by a cone and a ‘monoid:’ the second seeks to apply the theory of algebraical functions directly to groups of points on the space-curve. The author uses both of these processes; founding them, how- ever, upon firmly established and constantly valid theorems concerning algebraical functions, and shows that the first method, although leading to very gen- eral results, is not sufficient for a rigorous establish- ment of the entire theory. The limits of applicabil- ity of the second method are also indicated. The curves treated are without multiple points; and, since they are regarded as general intersections of surfaces, these surfaces can have no multiple points, nor can they have contact along a curve. The first part of the memoir treats of special cases of intersections of surfaces; and the second part, of the intersections of surfaces in general, these surfaces being condi- tioned only by the fact that they must contain the space-curve under consideration, be destitute of mul- tiple-lines, etc. This general theory has inversely its most general application in the development of the geometry of special surfaces. A brief section is devoted to this latter subject, which the author pro- poses more fully to develop in a forthcoming paper. The present paper is undoubtedly a most important addition to the existing literature of algebraical space-curves.— (Journ. reine und angew. math., Xciii. ) at (eh [533 Orthogonal surfaces.— M. Bianchi announces a theorem concerning certain triple systems of orthog- onal surfaces ; viz., all surfaces of constant negative curvature, —p, give rise to a triple system of or- thogonal surfaces, of which one system is formed of surfaces having the same constant negative curva- ture, and the other two of surfaces which have cir- cles of radius, R, as one of the systems of their lines’ of curvature. An application is given to the surface formed by the revolution of the tractrix; the Carte- sian co-ordinates, «, y, 2, of a point in the corre- sponding triply orthogonal surfaces, are given in terms of three parameters, wu, v, w; and the method of gen- eration of these surfaces is described. — (Atti della r. acad. det lincei, vii.) TT. C. [534 On Fuchsians,—M. Poincaré, in a series of me- moirs presented to the French academy, has treated certain new functions, which he calls ‘ Fuchsians,’ ‘Kleinians,’ ‘theta-Fuchsians,’ and ‘zeta-Fuchsians.’ These functions have a certain analogy to the elliptic and Abelian functions; viz., while these latter func- tions afford integrals of certain algebraic differentials, the new functions afford means of integrating linear differential equations with algebraic co-efficients. In the present paper the author merely introduces the subject by studying certain properties of Fuchsian groups (groupes Fuchsiennes), and expresses the inten- tion of returning later to the study of their conse- quences from the point of view of the theory of func- tions. A fuller account of M. Poincaré’s paper will be given later, the present brief notice being taken ig ' , Apri 6, 1883] from the Probehe/t of the new mathematical journal edited by G. Mittag-Zefliler in Stockholm. — (Acta math.,i.) T. c. [535 Definite integrals.—M. Davidoff obtains two very general formulae, depending upon an arbitrary function F (7) of the nth degree in y. He claims, by aid of these, to be able to obtain nearly all of the known theorems concerning definite integrals, by making n infinite, and properly choosing the form of F(x). Several applications are made, based upon the assumption of particular forms for F (7). — (Journ. de math., 1882.) T. c. [S53 PHYSICS. _ New method of determining specific gravity of solids. — Professor Munroe, having occasion to ascertain on shipboard the specific gravities of sam- ples of coal, and being prevented by the motion of the vessel from using the balance, devised a procedure which not merely served his purpose, but is suscepti- ble of wide application. Placing a block of coal in a liquid so dense as to float it, he gradually reduced the density by the admixture of a lighter liquid, until the coal floated immersed. The homogeneity of the mix- ture being maintained by stirring, this equilibrium "was, of course, reached only when the specific gravity of the liquid became equal to that of the immersed solid. He then measured the specific gravity of the liquid with acommon hydrometer. For the Hotation of the lighter coals, he used a thick solution of cane- sugar; for anthracite, strong sulphuric acid. As a test of the accuracy of the results, he after- ward repeated the determinations with Jolly’s balance, obtaining, — | | ya Oly2s eB vad eee Balance. Mixture. Difference. ~~ | Anthracite . 1.5640 | 1.560 | —.004 Bituminous coal. 1.3008 1.310 | +009 ES oe 5 1.3000 1.300 | -000 SS a 5 |} 1.2790 1.285 | + .006 Cannel coal | 1.1550 1.155 | -000 4 ss rt | 1,1292 1,120 — .009 Lignite . | 1.0909 | 1.090 — .001 | Mean . | + .004 | (Phil. soc. Wash. ; meeting March 24.) [537 Heat. Domestic thermometry. — M. Gaston Tissandier considers the errors that are likely to be made in de- termining the temperature of a room by the usual method of a thermometer hung on the wall. He found that the apparent temperature of a closed room varied from 16° to 21.75°, according to the position of the thermometer. The air in the upper part of the room was much warmer than that near the floor, and the window had a yery marked effect on the temperature of the air in its vicinity. These observations were made with tested ther- mometers. The errors made with the ordinary domes- tic thermometer are, of course, much greater. In order accurately to obtain the temperature of a room, M. Tissandier advises the thermometer to be held at the height of a man for about two minutes at Several different points, and the mean of these obser. vations to be taken. — (La Nature, No. 508.) ¢.B. P. [538 Electricity, Determination of resistance-unit.— Lord Ray- leigh recently read a paper before the Royal society, SCIENCE. 255 describing experiments conducted by him on the value of the B. A. unit of resistance. Three series of observations were taken, —two by Lorentz’s method, and a third, in which the induction coils were sepa- rated from the disk so far that the result was practi- cally independent of the radius of the coils. The mean yalue obtained was 1B. A. unit = .98677X 10° (c. G. s.). The standard of time was a tuning-fork, whose abso- lute pitch was determined by a new method. — (Elec- trician, Feb. 10.) J. @. [539 Pressure and resistance in carbon. —S. Bidwell read a paper before the Royal society, giving the re- sults of experiments on carbon cylinders making con- taet at right angles with each other. He proves that changes in pressure produce the greatest proportional effect when the pressure and strength of current is comparatively low; on the removal of the pressure, the resistance returns to about its original value. The passage of a current the strength of which does not exceed a certain limit causes a permanent dimi- nution of the resistance. Similarly, the lessening of resistance due to pressure is magnified by the action of the current. —J. T. [540 ENGINEERING. The Antwerp water-works. — Mr. William An- derson recently read a paper at the Institution of civil engineers in London, which contains some in- teresting facts in regard to the purification of water for domestic purposes. Antwerp has 200,000 inhabit- ants, and until recently its water was derived from shallow wells and from open canals. The well-water, though clear to look at, was for the most part dan- gerously contaminated by the sewage. The new works take the water from the Néthe at a point eleven miles from Antwerp. This water was very impure, even after ordinary filtration through sand, as the river flowed through a highly cultivated country, carrying up the drainage of Malines on the flood-tide, and bringing down that of the villages on its upper waters on the ebb. The time during which water could be taken was thus limited to about three-quar- ters of an hour in each tide. Prof. Bischoff, Dr. Frankland, and Mr. Hatton had shown that finely divided metallic iron had the power of destroying organic impurities, removing color, separating finely suspended matter, and, above all, destroying the germs of putrefaction, of bacteria, and probably those of epidemic diseases. To confirm the laboratory evi- dence, a pair of filters with a total area of 680 square feet was made at Waelhem; the first filter being placed upon a higher level than the second, and filled with a bed of spongy iron and gravel, mixed in the proportion of one to three, covered with a layer of ordinary filter-sand. In this filter the water would become charged with iron, to eliminate which it was to be exposed to the air, and passed through a second or common sand-filter, in which the red oxide would be deposited. Three months of trial proved so satis- factory that three filters of the same kind were made, having an aggregate area of 31,000 feet, with three sand-filters of the same area. Highteen months’ work has shown that the water remains clear and bright, while the spongy iron showed no signs of deteriora- tion. Dr. Frankland reports favorably upon the chemical condition of the water, and also upon the complete destruction of bacteria and their germs.— (Van Nostrand’s mag., March, 1883.) G.L. Vv. [541 Seasoning wood for musical instruments. — Mr. C. René of Stettin has devised a process for the drying of wood, intended especially for the prepara- 296 tion of wood for musical instruments, but perhaps otherwise useful. It is described as follows : — . The wooden boards are so arranged in a large iron kettle that gases may freely circulate over their en- tire surface, and exposed, in the first place, for twelve hours, to the drying effects of hot air. After this the kettle is closed, reheated by the apparatus below, and the air exhausted, when the kettle is filled with oxygen ozonized by electrical sparks passing contin- ually between two points of platina, forming the end-poles of two wires conducted through tubes of glass into the kettle. The ozone is said to act so energetically upon the heated wood, that it consumes the destroying resinous, oily, or other parts in from twelve to twenty-four hours. —(Engineers’ club, Philad.; meeting March 3.) [542 CHEMISTRY. ( Organic.) Investigations on the unsaturated acids. — For the purpose of defining the lactone formation _with greater precision, a series of investigations has been undertaken in Fittig’s laboratory, which, al- though not completed, have yielded yaluable results in this direction. By reduction of 6-aceto- and f- aceto-isobutyric acids, Gottstein prepared two new caprolactones. A heptolactone was obtained by ENS from the reduction of ethylacetopropionic acid, — Ver, = co Coon CH, — CH — CH, — CH, + H, = OH; — CH — 0 — ce CH, — CH -— CH, — CH, An octolactone resulted from the reduction of methyl- ethylacetosuccinic ether. Lactones were derived by Hjelt from allylmalonie, diallylmalonic, and diallyl- acetic acids. From the formation of paraconie acid from itabrompyrotartaric, it was shown by Beer to be a carboxylic acid of butyrolactone, — Wea On — CH — Guy 0 ——— CO Other lactones of an interesting nature were prepared by Jayne and Penfield. Of special interest is a delta- lactone obtained by Wolff. In lactones hitherto ex- amined the general structure has been, — + HO. | = : — CH, — ¢ = CO O or reduction has taken place between the carboxyl group and a hydroxyl group attached to the third car- bon atom from the carboxyl. Starting with sodium- acet-acetic-ether and f-iodpropionie acid, acetoglu- taric ether CH, — co C,H; — 0 — CO — CH — CH, — CH, — CO — OC,H, —was first prepared. By treatment with hydrochloric acid this substance was converted into y-aceto-butyric acid (CH, — CO — CH, — CH, — CH, — COOH), which, by the action of nascent hydrogen in alkaline solution, gave the deltalactone of normal capronic acid, — 4 CH, ~ CH — CH, ~ CH, ~ CH, Oo —————. CO Results obtained by Ebert in the study of cumarine, by Fittig and Ebert on cumarilic acid, and by Erd- mann on the action of sulphuric acid upon cinnamic acid, were also described. — (Ann. chem., cexvi. 26.) © Cc. F. M. [543 SCIENCE. [Vor. I, No. 9 Constitution of the nitroso-bodies. — The nitrosoketones discovered by V. Meyer in 1877 are now regarded by him and M. Ceresole as containing an oximido-group (= N — OH) instead of the group — N = O; for example, — CH; — CO — CH = N — OH instead of CH, — CO — CH — NO. Several facts are mentioned in support of the first form; and, as an experimental proof, the benzyl ether of nitrosoacetone was made and compared with the benzylnitrosoacetone obtained by the action of nitrous acid on benzylacetacetic ether. Since the isomerism of these bodies was established by differences in their physical and chemical properties, the first cannot contain a nitroso-group. oH, — co — CNP — on, Benzylnitrosoacetone from benzylacetacetic ether. CH, — CO-— C=N. OH — GH. Benzylnitrosoacetone from nitrosoacetone. Whether nitrosoacetone contains the group a C=N—OH or the group C’ | NO termined. The authors conclude that true nitroso- bodies are probably produced by nitrous acid when it acts on the group = CH; when acting upon the group = CHa, isonitroso-bodies containing the group —C=N. OH result. — (Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xv. 3067.) C.F. M. [544 remains to be de- GEOLOGY. Geology of the vicinity of Havana.— Pedro Salterain y Legarra has published a geological map which shows along the Cuban shore, in the jurisdiction of Havana and Guanabacoa, a narrow strip of modern rocks; then a band twice as wide, which he refers to themiocene. Next to thisis a band of about the same width, colored as eocene. The rest is represented as eretaceous, with narrow tongues of eruptive rocks running through it in a general east and west direc- tion, the largest of which begins at Regla. Guana- bacoa is situated on it, and it extends eastward to the limit of the jurisdiction. Tothe south-west, along the Rio Marianao, the cretaceous becomes yery narrow; and south of and including Pedroso, the eocene again appears. The first part of the accompanying memoir consists of a brief orographiec and hydrographic de- scription of the districts, together with a number of analyses of the water of the Rio Almendares and of various mineral-springs. Great difficulty was experienced, in studying the geology, from the heavy mantle of vegetable earth, and the consequent distance between outcrops. His clas- sification of the formations is as follows: 1°. The quaternary or recent, containing the reef-formations of corals and zoophytes, detrital, and alluvial deposits. 2°. Post-pliocene, the relations of which to the qua- ternary or to the upper tertiary pliocene are uncertain. It generally consists of a sandy, whitish-yellow lime- stone, with many fossils generally identical with liv- ing species. In Matanzas a molar of a hippopotamus was found in a similar deposit. 3°. The miocene, which is placed between the overlying madreporic or quaternary and the eocene band. It extends along the northern slope of the first range of hills, and con- sists of a rock of generally identical character in all parts, a somewhat argillaceous white limestone, gen- erally very fossiliferous, coarse, porous, and rough to the touch. Most of the fossils are casts. Zoophytes are abundant, as in the post-pliocene; but the relative Apniz 6, 1883.] _ proportion of mollusks, principally lamellibranchiates, is larger. Echinoderms are also of more frequent occurrence. 4°. The eocene, the most important for- mation in the island, which serves as a point of de- arture of comparisons between the formations. It ies at the base of the miocene, and rests uncomform- ably on the very inclined and dislocated beds of an older system, probably cretaceous. It contributes chiefly to the formation of the first range of hills paral- lel to the coast. The upper part consists of fossilifer- ous limestones dipping 10°-12° N.W.; and below are various beds of clay and limestone. A cephalopod (Aturia zigzag Sow.) occurs, with a large number of gasteropods, lamellibranchiates, some echinoderms and corals, and many Orbitoides Mantelli. 5°. The cretaceous, in which no fossils are found. It underlies the tertiary and overlies the western group of moun- tains, which some geologists have considered jurassic. ‘The general strike of its beds is east and west, and their dip about 50° S. or S.S.E. In this formation oceur the numerous deposits of asphalt, which appear to be contemporaneous with certain igneous erup- tions, none of which have affected the tertiary. The eruptive rocks have been called ‘Serpentinica formacion,’ because serpentine is the prevailing rock in them. The characters of the rock are very varia- ble. Theserpentine is frequently associated with dial- lage, and yellowish-green olivine often abounds in the darker and more compact rock; there is also much oxide of iron and some oligist iron. The centre and highest part of the eruption is often occupied by diorite, then the olivine and diallage serpentine, and outside a taleose serpentine of brilliant lustre. Lists of the fossils found in the miocene and eocene are given with the localities in which they occur. M, Fernandez de Castro, in a lecture on the pale- ontological proofs that the island of Cuba was united to the American continent, says he believes that all the great geological divisions are represented in the island; but he adduces almost no evidence in support of this assertion. Those interested in the subject will ‘find a bibliography of works relating to the geology of Cuba in vol. iii., p. 62.— (Bol. com. mapa geol. Espana, vii.) J.B. M. [545 METEOROLOGY. Spectrum of the aurora.—Professor S. Lem- strom, chief of the Finnish meteorologic observatory at Lodan Kyli (lat. 67° 24/ N., long. 26° 36’ E.), has tried a novel experiment for determining practically the nature of the aurora. He placed a galvanic bat- tery with conductors, covering an are of 900 square Metres (98 feet square), on the hill Oratunturi. He calls the arrangement a streaming apparatus. The conductors were constructed of uncovered copper wires, provided at each half-metre with fine erected points. The wire was led in slings to the top of the hill, and reposed on the usual telegraph-insulators. From one end of this wire a covered copper wire was conducted, on insulators, to the foot of the hill (600 feet high), and there joined a plate of zinc in- terred in the earth. In this circuit was put a gal- vanometer. Professor Lemstrém found the hilltop to be generally surrounded by a halo yellow-white in color, which faintly but perfectly yielded the auroral spectrum. This, he states, furnishes a direct proof of the electrical nature of the aurora, and opens a new field in the study of the physical condition of the earth. Further experiments in Enare, near Kul- tala, on the hill Pietarintunturi, confirm the above results. On Dec. 29, 1882, a straight beam of au- rora was seen over the galvanic apparatus. — (Nature, ’ Feb. 1.) #. A. H. [546 S SCIENCE. (257 Meteorologic council of England.— There will be published soon, by the English meteorologic council, ‘ Contributions to our knowledge of the me- teorology of the arctic regions.’ These will consist of observations, taken almost entirely by British ships, from 1819 to 1873. The council has also resolved upon obtaining data for synchronous weather-maps for the Atlantic Ocean for the thirteen months, August, 1882, to September, 1883, inelusive. [Charts for October, during the West- India hurricane season, would be an important addi- tion.| The council publishes 78 per cent of its forecasts of wind and weather as verified. It has also instituted an investigation of the cause and character of London fogs, the best form of thermometer-screen, Stevenson’s or Prof. Wild’s metallic screen, the best manner of determining moisture in the air, and the motion of the upper air-currents. All these are still in progress. The latter experiments have been tried by firing six-pound shells with fuses of fourteen sec- onds. ‘The vertical height reached before the explo- sion was 2,896m. (9,500 feet). The smoke cloud was clearly visible under a blue sky, and remained so for a considerable time. The council has made inspections of all the first and second class stations. A noteworthy fact has been brought out by the inspector of the stations in England: namely, that at some stations the abnormal deviations of the wind-direction from local causes is very great; e.g., at Shields, the vane points 22° to the right of the true direction for all except south- west winds. — (Rep. meteor. council Royal soc., 1882.) H. A. H. : 547 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. The Gleisen valley, near Munich.—A recent study, by Chr. Gruber, of this dry valley in the Ba- varian plain, shows its connection with the period of glacial extension from the Alps, down the valley of the Isar, to the line of morainal hills, when the overflow- streams from the melting ice cut out channels now abandoned. — (Ausland, 1883, 76, 87.) w.™M.D. [548 Ice-caves. — Professor Fugger read an entertaining paper on ice-caves at the fourth international alpine congress at Salzburg last summer, in which he showed that the common idea of the summer growth and winter melting of the cave-ice is incorrect, although supported by high authority, as the elder Pictet, Murchison, Herschel, and others, and generally ac- cepted in text-books. This error is doubtless based on the coolness of the caves in comparison with sum- mer air, and their apparent warmth in the colder months, as well as on insufficient observations. Equally wrong is the view sometimes suggested, that the ice of caves survives from the glacial period. The grotto of La Baume, near Besancon, was known to contain ice in 1592; but in 1727 it was completely emptied by the duke of Lévi, to supply his army, en- camped near by; yet in 1743 the bottom was covered again with ice, and a dozen ice-columns two metres high were formed. It is found by direct measure that the summer temperature of ice-caves is a little above freezing; but in winter it is several degrees below, the cold being derived from air that sinks in from the surface. Water trickles in at the tempera- ture of the enclosing rocks, but is then soon frozen; and, if enough ice accumulates, it will last over the following summer season of melting. This is a sim- ple and sufficient expianation. Summer evaporation has no effective share in producing cold, as the cavern air is very damp. Fifty-six ice-cavyes are known in the Alps, eight in the Jura and the Carpathians, four in middle Germany, and many more elsewhere. 258 None are known where the winter, or at least the January temperature, does not average below the freezing-point. The most important previous studies are by Thury, Sur les glaciéres naturelles (Bibl. univ. Geneve, 1861), and by Browne, Ice-caves of France and Switzerland (1865). —(Peterm. mitth., 1883, 12.) Ww. M. D. [549 GEOGRAPHY. (Aretic.) Wotes from the north.— The Russian authori- ties have established meteorological stations at Mesen and Bereosoff in west Siberia. —— The international station at the mouth of the Lena reached its des- tination in August, and erected its dwelling on the island of Sagastir, with four observatories connected with it by covered pathways. The Russian savant Eliséieff is pursuing ethnological studies in Russian Lapland, and reports that there are not in that area more than three hundred individuals of the Lapp race. —— The ‘Louise,’ after unsuccessful attempts to carry a cargo to the Yenisei in 1881 and 1882, finally returned to Europe with the much- handled cargo, which had, part of the time, been stored at Hammerfest. For some time, at least, it is expected that the commerce of the Weser will flow preferably in any other direction than toward the Yenisei, if, indeed, these repeated failures do not put a quietus on trade by the Karagates. —— The results of the hydrographic investigations carried on during the voyage of the schooner ‘ Willem Barentz’ are ex- hibited in the December number of the Annalen der hydrographie for 1883, by Bogoslavski. The ‘ Jean- nette’ survivors left Liverpool for New York on the 18th instant. A chart of the ‘north polar lands’ by Berghaus, with special reference to the work of the international polar commission, is on the point of publication by Justus Perthes. The stations will be represented in red, and the limits will extend to latitude 60°. The waters eastward from the Taimyr peninsula have received the name of the Norden- skidld Sea from the author of the map, which will, as a matter of course, represent the latest researches, and, moreover, will be sold for the inconsiderable sum of one dollar. —— The Danish expedition in Greenland is to be commanded by Lieut. Holm, who will give two years to the work. Dr. Boas pro- ceeded to the German station at Cumberland Inlet, with the meteorological party, in order to make a special study of the Innuit. Poliakoff, who went in the summer of 1881 to the island of Sakhalin to make collections and explorations for the St. Peters- burg academy of sciences, passed most of the winter on the south-east coast, at Taranka, Patience Bay. Rich collections, and a part of his report, with maps, have already been received, and will soon be pub- lished. He will now proceed to the western shore of the Gulf of Tartary, and continue his investigations between Sakhalin and Vladivostok. —— An account of Dr. Stejneger’s journey and observations in Kamt- chatka and the Commander Islands of Bering Sea appears in Natwren, —a popular scientific monthly of Christiania, Norway. — Ww. . D. [550 (Burope.) ‘ Moors of Oldenburg.— The construction of canals through the moorlands of the duchy of Oldenburg has given much accurate information about them, which is summarized by chief inspector T. Schacht. Their area is 1,0000 km. (about 400 O miles) in a total surface of 5,876 0 km. The lower moors are perfectly level, and occupy depressions once filled with water. The upland moors are faintly SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 9. undulating or slightly convex, sometimes climbing fifty feet above sea-level, and only occupy ground that has free drainage even at itslowest point. They begin at some moist locality with the growth of sphagnum, which, by its power of absorbing and holding moist- ure, spreads over the surrounding surface, and drives out the pre-existing vegetation. The thickness of these deposits sometimes reaches thirty feet. Great quantities of peat are taken from the moors, and hardly any other fuel is used in this region. Itseryves in brickyards, and even in iron and steel works; one establishment at Augustfehn requiring five to seven tons daily. The moors still in growth are impassa- ble, but the older are of firmer surface. Of the latter, 270 O km. are under cultivation, and a small part of the remainder is sometimes burnt over for growing buckwheat, filling the air with a dark, penetrating smoke. The moors are underlaid by sand or some- times clay; and not unfrequently the remains of old forests of fir, birch, alder, hazelnut, and, on the higher ground, of oak, are found beneath the peat. Birch stumps are sometimes found growing on a thin layer of turf, showing an alternation of forest and moor conditions before the latter took final possession ot the surface. Roman coins and weapons and the remains of plank roads are found four or more metres. below the surface, implying a growth of that amount in two thousand years. Similar moorlands are common throughout northern Germany. — (Peterm. mitth., 1883, 5.) Ww. M. D. (551 (Asia.) North-eastern Borneo and Sulu islands. — W. B. Pryer, British north Borneo company’s resident at Elopura, furnishes a general description of this region and its tribes. One of the chief features of north- eastern Borneo, or Sabah, is a low plain, some four thousand square miles in extent, enclosed by hills and _ mountains of sandstone and limestone on the north, west, and south. It has a heavy rainfall, and receives also the drainage of the high lands to the west in the form of numerous large rivers, along which there are many native villages in spite of the danger from fever. The higher land is thought probably suitable for Eu- ropean settlement. The forest fauna includes the elephant, rhinoceros, orang-outang, and some twenty kinds of monkeys, besides buffalo, deer, pigs, and bear, and many other animals. The largest orang-outang found measured four feet four inches in height; their appearance is deceptive, as they seem much taller. The adjoining islands of the Sulu archipelago are gen- erally volcanic, though no voleanic rock is found on the part of Borneo visited. The islands are hilly, populous, generally cleared, and fairly well cultivated. They are surrounded by white coral strands, and, with their moderate temperature and pleasant, light breeze, are unusually attractive. The tribes of this region are very numerous. Some interesting details of their customs and condition are given. — (Proc. roy. geogr. soc., 1883, 90.) Ww. M. D. [552 (Pacific Ocean.) Mindanao.— The account of Dr. J. Montano’s ethnographic exploration of this island of the Phil- ippine group includes a few notes on its physical appearance. Its rocks are generally eruptive, partly covered with deposits of coral rock, implying a mod- ern upheaval. Similar coral reefs fringe the shore. Near the northern end of the island is the circular Lake Mainit, about five miles in diameter, apparently situated in an ancient crater with steeply sloping borders. Earthquakes are frequent and violent in its vicinity. The surrounding mountains contain warm springs, and, especially when the atmospheric press- APRIL 6, 1883.] ure is low, are covered with vapors from these warm waters. Rain is heavy on the eastern coast (winter months), and the rivers are frequently in flood. — (Bull. soc. géogr. Paris, 1882, 593; map.) W. M. D. [553 BOTANY. (General and physiological.) Effect of electric light on vegetation. — From experiments conducted at the Palais d’industrie dur- ing the electric exhibition of August, 1881, P. P. Déhérain concludes that the electric are emits some rays injurious to vegetation, which are, for the most part at least, arrested by colorless glass, The light is sufficient to maintain mature plants in vegetation for two months and a half, and is decidedly beneficial to plants which obtain only diffuse daylight, but can- - not effect the ripening or germination of seeds. — (Hlectrician, Feb. 10.) J. T. [554 Nettles as artillery-plants.— L. H. Bailey, jun., finds, that, under fayorable circumstances, Urtica gra- cilis exhibits an elastic erection of stamens, coupled with dehiscence of their anthers, which scatters the liberated pollen in puffs. The same phenomenon is recorded for this and other genera of Urticaceae by a number of writers. — (Bot. gazette, Feb.) Ww. 7. 5 Fertilization of Catalpa speciosa. — According to the observation of one of Prof. Beal’s students, only large bumblebees brush anthers and stigma, and so pollinate the flowers while gathering their nectar. The stigma is sensitive, its lobes closing after being touched. The mode of fertilization of this species is similar to that of the common southern species with which it was long confounded. — (Bot. gazette, Feb.) w. T. [556 The formation of starch out of sugar. —It is not yet known with certainty what is the first product of assimilative activity in a vegetable cell containing chlorophyll. Among the views most widely held may be cited those of Sachs and of Boehm. The former regards it as highly probable that the first and direct product is starch, while the latter holds that it is one or more of the sugars. As is well known, starch- grains are found in chlorophyll-granules after expo- sure to light. But Boehm thinks that the presence of starch in the granules of chlorophyll is no proof that this is the first product of assimilation, since it might have been formed there by the changes in other and simpler carbohydrates. That such changes may take place is rendered more than possible by his dis- covery that starch ean be made in chlorophyll-gran- ules out of sugar artificially furnished the plant. Nor does it, according to him, make much, if any, difference which of the sugars is used for the experi- ment. His method of experiment appears to be open to criticism, but is simple and ingenious. In the main, it consists in supplying to cut surfaces of her- baceous parts a dilute solution of sugar, being careful to avoid too great concentration of the liquid. The result of this administration of elaborated food is immediate. Starch-grains appear at once in the chlorophyll-granules, and the leafy shoots keep fresh and active for six weeks. — (Bot. zeit., Jan. 19 and 26, 1883.) G. L. G. [557 ; ( Systematic.) Anew Oxytheca.— An Oxytheca from the Mo- haye region, California, described by Dr. Parry, is the eighth of that genus, which is now quite polymor- phous in its character. This species is especially dis- tinguished by the spreading, several-flowered invo- luere, which is cleft nearly to the base, the segments SCIENCE. 259 closely resembling the bracts. — (Bull. Torr. bot. club, Feb., 1883.) s. W. [558 New species of Agrostis. —Two small sub-alpine species of Agrostis are described by Dr. Vasey, — one from the San Bernardino Mountains, California; the other, from Mount Adams, in Washington Territory. The author does not recognize Mount Adams and Mount Paddo as only different names for the same peak. — (Bull. Torr. bot. club, Feb., 1885.) sS. W. 559 New Passifloreae.— Dr. Masters proposes a new genus (Mitostemma), remarkable for its peculiar corona, consisting of numerous thick thread-like pro- cesses arranged in a triple series at the throat of the very short flower-tube, and having the hypogynous stamens separate from the gynophore. ‘Two species are described, from Brazil and British Guiana; also a new species of Tacsonia, and five of Passiflora, one of the latter from Mexico, the rest from tropical South America. — (Journ. bot., Feb., 1883.) 8s. W. 560 Selaginella tortipila. — Mr. Baker, in the synop- sis of the genus Selaginella, which he has commenced, reduces this supposed species of the higher Allegha- nies to a form of the very widely distributed S. ru- pestris. — (Journ. bot., Feb., 1883.) s. w. [561 (Fossil plants.) Permian Ginkgos and other fossil plants.— Saporta describes a Salisburia, or Ginkgo, from speci- mens communicated by M. Grand’Eury from the Permian of Russia. The author considers the plant as a representative of the most ancient species of Ginkgo, and calls it Salisburia primigenia; remarking, that, until now, the Ginkgo has not been known lower than the Rhetic. This is contradicted by the discoy- ery made by Profs. Fontaine and White, in the Per- mo-carboniferous of Virginia, of fine large leaves, very similar to those of Salisburia, described and figured under the name of Saportea Salisburioides and S. grandifolia (Second geol. survey Penn., PP, pl. 38). Tf M. Saporta has not seen the specimen, he has at least seen these figures of the leaves, and admitted their close affinity to Salisburia,—an affinity sup- ported by the presence of leaves of Baiera in the same strata. The memoir describes also a new species of Nelumbium, from the lignites of Fuveau, Bouches du Rhone, and mentions a number of plants discovered under the voleanie ashes of Kantal, lower pliocene. Some of the specimens represent tertiary types, like Abies intermedia, a new species; Corylus insignis, Heer; Planera Ungeri, Ett.; Acer pseudo-campestre, Ung.; Tilia expansa, Sap.; and Pterocarya denticu- lata, Web. Of species living at the present epoch, he quotes Salix mauritanica, Def.; Viburnum pseudo-tinus, Sap., nearly identical to Viburnum rugosum, Per. ; a Ruscus, like R. aculeatus; a Ranun- culus, like R. philonotis; and Fagus sylvatica-pliocen- ica, whose organs of fructification have been found. The leaves show a gradual passage to the European species, while they are evidently related to the Ameri- can Facus ferruginea, Michx.— (Comptes rendus, April 3, 10, 1882.) 1. L. [562 ZOOLOGY. Mollusks, Report on the mollusks of the north Atlantic. —The Norwegian north Atlantic expedition, under the direction of Prof. H. Mohn, during 1876-75, made, as is well known, valuable researches into the biology, as well as the hydrography, of the deep sea between Norway, Spitzbergen, and Jan Mayen. Sev 260 eral of their reports have appeared. The last is that of H. Friele on the mollusks, including those belong- ing to the Buccinidae. It is printed in parallel col- umns of Norwegian and English, and illustrated by six quarto plates anda map. The paper is practically a monograph of the Buccinidae of the arctic part of the north Atlantic and its shores. Jumala is described for Fusus Turtoni Bean and Neptunea Ossiani Friele. It is founded on important differences in the dentition. Several species, which had been before but briefly described, are here figured and characterized in detail. Siphonorbis Dalli, S. un- dulata, Buecinum: nivale, B. suleatum, new species, and a large number of new varieties, are described, —not merely the shell, but, in a majority of cases, the embryo, odtheca, operculum, and dentition, with various anatomical and biographical details. Friele finds, like others who haye studied large series, that species, in the old-fashioned sense, can hardly be said to exist in the genus Buccinum; and, indeed, Neptu- nea is not much better; but the author considers that a certain part of this confusion is caused by hybridi- zation. — W. H. D. [563 Worms, Worth-sea annelids. —G. A. Hansen, in Norwe- gian and English (in parallel columns), gives an ac- count of the annelids collected by the Norwegian North-sea expedition of 1876-78 (Christiania, 1882, 53 p., 7 pl., map, 4°). He criticises Malmgren’s method of distinguishing and delimiting genera, of which he thinks Malmgren has made far too many on unimportant characters. He points out the constancy of the bristles: ‘‘ The type of the bristles is the same in all Polynoae, with the exception of Melaenis Loveni and Polynoe scolopendrina.”’ The scales, in Hansen’s opinion, are much more valuable, being characteris- tically constant in each species. Mobius and Tauber have gone too far in the opposite direction, of ‘lump- ing’ Malmgren’s species and genera. Tables of dis- tribution are given, from which it is evident that few families are absent from the frigid area, and the spe-. cies are the same as those found in temperate waters. P. globifera alone indicates that its favorite, if not its sole, habitat is the cold bottom-strata. A number of new species are described. — (Journ. micr. soc. Lond., Feb., 1883, 60.) c. s. M. [564 Australian Aphroditea.— W. A. Haswell pub-- lishes a monograph of the Australian species of this annelidan family, wherein he gives descriptions of about thirty species, of which more than half are new. There appear to be two entirely distinct provinces of distribution, — the northern, intertropical shores of Queensland, and the temperate coasts of New South Wales and Victoria. As compared with the same group in northern seas, there is no marked dis- tinction of the forms: the species are different, but the genera the same or nearly related. The first part of the paper is anatomical, and contains interesting notes on the structure of the scales. He corrects Williams’s mistake of describing the intestinal coeca as segmental] organs, —a mistake repeated by Ehlers, —and himself describes the true segmental organs in Polynoe. They are ciliated tubes, opening in a tuber- cle at the base of the parapodia. Some observations on the sexual organs, the coeca of the intestine, and the pseudhaemal system, are also recorded. The form of the coeca is described. ‘The interior of the coecum is lined here and there with ‘hepatic cells.? These are large spherical or oval cells, with a delicate... membrane, and golden-yellow, oil-like contents, with a nucleus, or, more frequently, two or three.’”? Among these yellow cells are others of the same ‘size, but of very different character, containing numerous cells, SCIENCE. The new genus , each enclosing a spherical green body. Haswell thinks these are the young stages of the yellow cells. —(Proc. Linn. soc. New South Wales, vii. 250.) Cc. 8S. M. [565 Anatomy of Ctenodrilus. — Kennel’s valuable monograph of the anatomy of Ctenodrilus is to be sup- plemented by a memoir on another species of the same genus (C. monostylos) by Zeppelin, who has published a preliminary notice of his results. An abstract will be given here of the final memoir when published. (Zool. anz., vi. 44.) Cc. Ss. M. [566 VERTEBRATES. Third corpuscle of the blood.—Dr. Richard Norris of Birmingham, Eng., claims to have discoy- ered that the white corpuscles of the lymph peel off the body of the cell, setting the nucleus free. The latter then enters the circulation as a colorless disk, which is ordinarily invisible, having the same refrac- tile index as the liquor sanguinis. The disk gradually becomes colored by the endogenous secretion of haemaglobin. He then applies this history to set aside a good many established views concerning the physiology and pathology of the blood. He has pre- sented his opinions in an octavo volume illustrated with numerous plates, forming a revolutionary publi- cation (London, 1882). We should a priori give little credence to these surprising conclusions, which have been subjected to telling criticisms by Mrs. Ernest Hart. Norris’s principal observation was, that, by cer- tain methods of treatment, colorless disks could be found in the blood, and photographed. Mrs. Hart has repeated his numerous and varied experiments, and shows that the methods employed create the colorless disk out of the red corpuscle by removing, in one manner or another, the haemaglobin. The basis of Norris’s theories is thus taken away, and with the base fall all the far-reaching deductions built on it. Nevertheless, although Dr, Norris’s inter- pretations cannot be accepted, it should be remem- bered that he has published a series of careful and useful observations. — (Lond. med. rec., Oct. 15, 1882.) Cc. S. M. [567 Werves of the bile-ducts. — Variot has confirmed and extended Gerlach’s observations (Centralbl. med. wiss., Xxxvi). The author first gives a_ brief account of the structure of the bile-ducts and gall- bladder. The nerve-fibres on the ducts are rarely medullated. In gold-chloride preparations one sees the large meshes of the submucous nervous plexus of naked fibres. The ganglion-cells lie mostly in the nodes of the plexus, but are also found elsewhere be- tween the fibres; now and then they are clustered into a little ganglion. A second intermuscular plexus, such as Gerlach described, could not be observed. Nothing was learned of the ultimate terminations. The distribution of the ganglia was studied in longi- tudinal sections through Vater’s ampulla and the neighboring part of the ductus choledocus. At the point of junction is found an extension of Auerbach’s plexus. Between the two muscular layers lie the ganglia; but nothing corresponding to Meissner’s plexus was found; although, at the junction of the intestinal and ductal mucosa, there is a mass of ganglia, The observations were made on man, dogs, and cobayas. — (Journ. de Vanat. physiol., xviii. 600.) Cc. 8S. M. [568 Salivary alkaloids. — Gautier found in normal human saliva an alkaloid-like non-nitrogenous sub- stance, forming a crystallizable compound with chlo- rideofgoldandplatinum. Inits physiological actions this alkaloid resembled the post-mortem alkaloids (ptomaines) : injected into animals, it acted like snake- -[Vou. I., No. 9. _ _ APRIL 6} 1883/]) poison, especially on birds. The directions given for preparing the alkaloid, and information as to the quantity of itnecessary to produce lethal results, have, however, been very deficient. Budwin, desiring to obtain further information on the latter point, arrives at results which throw doubt on the whole matter. He finds that fresh extract of 100 cub. cm. of human saliva subcutaneously injected does no harm to frogs, moles, or pigeons. —(Arch. path. anat. phys., xci., 1883, 190.) H.N. M. [569 The influence of heat and cold upon muscles poisoned by veratria. — It has for some time been known, chiefly from the work of V. Bezold, that ve- ratria exercises a remarkable influence upon muscular contractions. A rapid and powerful contraction is followed by an extraordinarily slow relaxation. In the hope that closer study of the veratria muscle- curve might throw some light upon the nature of a muscular contraction, Lauder Brunton and Cash have made a fresh study of it, especially investigating it under different temperatures. Their work, while not giving much information in regard to this pri- mary point, has led to some interesting results... They find that the influence of veratria varies much with the temperature of the muscle experimented upon. Up to a certain limit, heat increases the effect of the drug; cold diminishes it. Exposure to extremes of heat or cold not sufficient to kill the muscle pre- vents entirely the manifestation of the usual veratria symptoms. The authors point out, that the modifi- cations which temperature-changes bring about in the action of veratria on muscle suggest that temper- ature may modify the influence of other drugs, not only on muscles, but on nerves and nerve-centres. Accordingly the different action of drugs on differ- ent animals, or on the same animal in various physio- logical and pathological conditions, may be due in part to temperature differences, physiological or pathologi- cal, of the organisms to which they are administered. —(Journ. of physiol., iv. 1.) H.N. M. [570 Conditions influencing the amylolytic action of saliva.— Working with saliva previously carefully neutralized, —a precaution which has not been always taken by previous observers, but which is clearly ne- cessary on account of the variable acidity or alkalin- ity of different specimens of saliva, — Langley and Eyes arrive at the following conclusions: 1°. Neu- tralized saliva converts starch into sugar much more actively than unneutralized. 2°. .0015 per cent HCl distinctly diminishes the amylolytic action of ptyalin. 3°. Sodium carbonate also diminishes the activity of previously neutralized saliva, and more the more of the alkaline salt is present. 4°. .005 per cent HCl has a very obvious destructive influence on ptyalin. 5°. Sodium carbonate has a very slight destructive power, but greatly retards the action of the salivary ferment. 6°. Neutralized saliva converts starch into sugar more quickly in the presence of neutral peptone than in the presence of peptone plus dilute H Cl. 7°. The larger the percentage of acid in proportion to the peptone, — that is to say, the more acid unem- ployed in combining with the peptone,—the more marked the injurious influence of the acid. Hven before the peptone is completely saturated with acid, the injurious effect, due apparently to the presence of acid-peptone, becomes obvious. 89°. Ptyalin is de- stroyed by acid combined with peptone much more slowly than by the same amount of acid without the peptone. 9°. When peptone is present, the deleterious influence of sodium carbonate is greatly diminished. Not merely peptone, however, but myosin, alkali albu- men, and acid albumen act in the same protective manner. ©The’ authors conclude that all ptyalin is SCIENCE. 261 destroyed in the stomach very soon after that first brief stage of gastrie digestion in which no free acid is present. — (Journ. of physiol., iv. 18.) H. N.M. [571 Mammals, Caudal end of vertebrate embryos. —In his studies on the development of Melopsittacus, Braun observed that a constriction is formed around the end of the tail, which leads to the construction of a termi- nal knob, connected by a thin stalk with the base of the tail. Into this nodulus caudalis the chorda and medullary tube originally extend; but they afterward withdraw from it, leaving the nodulus, a ball of meso- derm covered by ephithelium, to be finally resorbed. This discovery led Braun to search for similar struc- tures in mammals, and he now publishes his results. His investigations were made principally on sheep em- bryos, and observations were also made on those of other species. He finds an homologous structure, haying, however, more usually a thread-like form. In sheep it may be readily seen in most cases when the tailis from 1.5 to3mm.long. His general results are: 1°. The tail of mammalian embryos consists of two parts, —an anterior or basal vertebrate; and a posterior invertebrate and smaller portion, which, from its usual form, may be called the caudal thread. 2°, The vertebrate portion may be partly or wholly embedded in the body (internal tail), and terminates at the sacral vertebrae in front; the division of the tail which protrudes is the external tail. 3°. The caudal thread contains originally the terminal por- tions of the chorda dorsalis, the medullary tube, and the caudal gut (schwanzdarm). These are the first parts of the thread to be resorbed; the rest disappears later, the epidermal covering lasting longest. 4°. The caudal gut is a rectal coecum ; before it is resorbed, it breaks up into single parts, of which those in the tip of the tail endure the longest. 5°. The chorda dor- salis projects beyond the last vertebra, its ending being often forked or contorted. 6°. The medullary tube reaches to the tip of the tail or the base of the caudal thread, and its posterior end is probably resorbed. Braun further believes that he has found traces of a neurenteric canal in sheep embryos. He adds a dis- cussion of the tail in human embryos. Finally he homologizes with the embryonic caudal thread, the soft cocecygeal appendix of Innus pithecus, and simi- lar structures found abnormally in the chimpanzee, orang-outang,.and man, and gives citations to prove that the caudal thread exists in human embryos. — (Arch. anat. physiol., anat. abth., 1882, 207.) c. 1578 Mucous layer of the skin.— Ranvier has made sections of the human skin, hardened in bichromate of ammonia (2%) for two or three months, and then with gum and alcohol. In these the intracellular network is well shown by haematoxylin. The fibres of the network project beyond the cell, and establish the union between the cells. In the intercellular spaces these fibres are thicker than within the cells: they have therefore acquired an additional envelope. Ranvier further argues against considering the threads as protoplasm, but maintains that the clear substance in which they are embedded is the true protoplasm in all cells derived from the ectoderm. This is espe- cially maintained for the central nervous system. (His arguments do not appear convincing). — (Comp- tes. rend., xcv. 1874.) c. Ss. M. [573 ANTHROPOLOGY. The archeology of Russia. — Count Ouwarof of Moscow published, in 1881, a work on the prehis- toric archeology of Russia,- As to paleolithic man, 262 : the author sums up the result of his researches in a few sentences. 1. His existence is completely demon- strated. 2. He had spread himself to the north as far as 33° 35’. 3, The Chelléenne epoch of Mortillet has not yet been met with in Russia. 4. The Mous- terian epoch, on the contrary, is well represented, as well in Poland (Zawisza) as in the Crimea (Mérej- kowsky). 5. The epoch of Solutré has not been observed. 6. The epoch of La Madeleine has been well identified in Poland and in the Crimea. Re- garding the neolithic age, the author believes that in Russia 1 there is no such hiatus separating it from the paleolithic as seems to have existed in France and Belgium. Count Ouwarof has enjoyed and utilized rare opportunities for extensive researches over the vast Asiatic and European territory under the dom- ination of the Czar.— J. w. P. [574 The human fauna of the District of Colum- bia. — With reference to the former aborigines, Prof. Otis T. Mason stated that the remains were of three kinds, — so-called drift implements on the surface, chipped implements on the surface, and soapstone quarries. While former censuses had stated the population of the district, the health and police records had not been published in such form as to give good results. The death-rate is as follows for seven years :— POPULATION. DEATHS. DEATH-RATES. Whites. Colored. Total Whites. Colored. Total. Whites Colored. Total. Year. i | 50,859] 157,600)| 2,090! 2,072 52,870| 162,375]| 2,190 2,014 54,960) 167,300|| 2,167| 2,068, 57,053] 172,300)| 2,196 2,113 59,402) 177,638|| 2,085! 2,121 61,760| 183,060] 2,205! 1,931 64,212| 188,643 2,358 2,218 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 106,741 109,505 112,340 115,247 118,236) 121,300) 124,441 4,162 4,204 4,235 4,309 4,207 4,136 4,571 19.58) 20.00) 19,29 19.06) 17.63) 18.18 18.91 40.74 37.39 37.63} 37.03) 35.71 31.27 34,54 26.35 25.89 25.32 25.00 23.68 22.59 24.23 In this table should be noticed the preponderance of colored deaths, the diminishing death-rate, and especially the better health of the excessive colored population. The crime of the district was also discussed,-and some very interesting facts elicited. Im the census year the arrests were as follows: — 1879. 1880. Popula- | ,. Per as Per tion, | “Trests-// cent. || ATests: | cont, Males 83,578 10,839 1297 | 11,432 1367 Females 94,046 1,771 -0188 2,126 -0226 Total . 177,624 12,610 .0709 13,558 -0763 All births in the district are not recorded, so that it is impossible to draw safe conclusions regarding the natural increase of population. The sources of information, in collating the material for this paper, were the census-office, the board of health, and the superintendent of police. — (Biol. soc. Wash.; meet- ing March 2.) [575 Bandelier’s investigations in New Mexico, — The language, manners, and arts of the modern In- dians were examined with minute care. The ruins which antedate the sixteenth century, according to SCIENCE. [Von. I., No. 9. architectural characters, are divided as follows: 1. Cave-dwellings; 2. Cliff-houses ; 3. One-story build- ings of stone, "forming scattered villages; 4. Large houses with retreating stories. ‘There appear to be, in fact, but two types of aboriginal architecture — in New Mexico, —the many-storied communal house and the one-story building of stone. The latter is either found in villages on the level ground and on gradual slopes, or clustering on rock-shelves, and scattered in recesses like the so-called cliff-houses. The cave-dwellings appear as an incidental form, re- sulting from the ease with which the rock was hol- lowed out, or from the existence of natural cavities, which, from their size and the security of their posi- tion, afforded advantages superior to those of in- dependent buildings.’? — (Bull. arch. inst. Amer., No.1.) J. w. P. [576 Mohammedans in the world. — A writer in the Missionary herald makes the following calculation of 4 the Mohammedans in the world: Turkish empire, 20,000,000 ; India, 41,000,000; East Indies, 23,000,000; China, 5,000,000; Egypt, 8,000,000; Morocco, 2,750,000; Al- giers, 2,920,000; Tunis, 2,000,000; Tripoli, 750,000; Sahara, 4,000,000; Soudan, 38,000,000; Zanzibar, 380,- 000; Central Asia, 14,000,000; total, 173,800,000.— (Miss. herald, March, 1883.) J. w. P. [577 The manuscript Troano.— After the brilliant feats in paleography of Grotefend and Champollion, — the former in deciphering the cuneiform; the lat- ter, the hieroglyphics of Egypt, — nothing seems too hard for the student of philology. Of all the outstand- ing languages, the Maya of Yucatan presents the greatest temptation to the decipherer. In the forth- coming fifth volume of Contribudéions to North-Ameri- can ethnology, published by Major J. W. Powell, Dr. Cyrus Thomas presents a monograph upon the Manuscript Troano, already published separately, and occupying 237 quarto pages, illustrated by 31 plates and 101 figures. This volume is the result of years of study, and the last word in an elaborated form of many preliminary utterances and publications. In typography, illustrations, and indexes, it realizes . our ideal of a book, yielding the maximum of infor- mation and pleasure for the minimum of effort on the part of the reader. In an Introduction, by Dr. Brinton of Philadelphia, are clearly set forth the phonetic system of Central-Americans, the de- scription thereof by Spanish writers, references to Maya literature in the native language, the existing codices, and the previous efforts at interpretation that have been made. Dr. Thomas clearly defines his method in his preface: ‘‘I have studied the manuscript somewhat in the same way the child un- dertakes to solve an illustrated rebus, assuming as a stand-point the status of the semi-civilized Indian, and endeavoring, as far as possible, to proceed upon the same plane of thought.” The results attained are as follows: 1. The work was a ritual or religious cal- endar. 2. The figures in the spaces are symbols, or pictographs, relating to religion, habits, occupations, and customs. 3. It was prepared for people living away from the sea. 4. They were sedentary, agri- cultural, and not warlike. 5. The evidences of hu- man sacrifice are very meagre. 6. The cross was a religious emblem. 7. Although the figures’: move from right to left in pairs, the characters are in col- umns, to be read from the top downwards, columns following each other from left to right. 8. There is no rule for the arrangement of parts in compound characters. 9. The characters are not true alpha- betic signs, but syllabic; some are illeographic; others abbreviated pictographs. 10. The work was written Persia and the Caucasus, 12,000,000; J Apri 6, 1883.] about the middle or latter half of the fourteenth cen- tury. 11. The Ahau, or Katun, was a period of twenty-four years; and the great cycle, of three hun- dred and twelve years; also the series commenced with a Cauac instead of a Kau year. 12. Brasseur was right in supposing that the work originated in Peten. In a future issue we hope to present a review of this work. — J. Ww. P. [578 Craniometry for general use.— Confusion of the worst kind exists among the craniologists in the _ following particulars, —the base line or orienting of the skull, what marks or characters have anthropo- logic significance, and the comparative value of the various parts. We have even a French school and a German school. Both of these have been simpli- fying their methods of late. The Germans held a eraniometric conference at Munich in 1877 (Corr.- ~blatt., 1878, No. 7), one in Berlin in 1880 (Corr.-blatt., 1880, 104-106), and finally came to an agreement at Frankfort in 1882. The result of the last meeting new appears (Corr.-blatt, No. 1, 1883), signed by the most distinguished ecraniologists in Germany. A model-chart in blank accompanies the report, with spaces for number, source, sex, age, skull, counte- nance, and indices. The number of measurements required are very reasonable, and they are not diffi- cult to make. — (Corr.-blatt. deutsch. ges. anthrop., xiv., No.1.) J. w. P. [579 EGYPTOLOGY. Art in Egypt.— In a discriminating review of Per- rot’s great work, Miss A. B. Edwards says, M. Perrot “has so thoroughly entered into the spirit of ancient Heyptian culture, so firmly grasped the central idea of ancient Egyptian belief, that he has been enabled, not only to trace those influences through every rami- fication of Egyptian art, but, from a purely philo- sophic stand-point, to survey and treat his subject as a co-ordinate whole. This it is which gives pre-emi- nent value to the present work. This it is which we here find attempted and achieved for the first time. And, in truth, it is only within the last few years that such a work has become possible.’’ — (Academy, Feb. 17.) 4. 0. [580 Pithom-Succoth. — The Egyptian exploration fund of England has signalized its advent to Egyptian soil by a discovery promising great results. M. Na- ville, on the suggestion of Maspero, director of the Bovlak museum, began exploration at Tel-el-Maschu- SCIENCE. 263 tay —a heap of ruins beside the Sweet-water Canal, south of the railway, east of and near Mahsamah, and about fifteen miles west of Ismailia. He writes, Feb. 12, 1883, ‘‘I have a piece of good news to begin with. Tell-el-Maschuta is Pithom, or, in other words, the temple of Tum, in the city or region of Thuku, which Dr. Brugsch has identified with Succoth. ... I can give it for certain from the inscription of a statue belonging to a priest of the temple.”” M. Na- ville also found a Roman milestone with the inscrip- tion, — DD NN VICTORIBVS MAXIMIANO ET SEVERO IMPERATORIBYS ET MAXIMINO ET CONSTANTI . . NOBILISSIMIS CAESARIBY. AB ERO IN CLYSMA MI VIIII P. ‘Ero’ would be the transcription of Ar (Ari or Aru), which means the storehouse, and which is found on the statue of the priest. His titles are ‘‘ the chief of the storehouse of the temple of Tem [Tum] of Theku [Thuku].” Reginald Stuart Poole and Miss A. B. Edwards regard this as a momentous discovery. — (Academy, Feb. 24, March 3.) 3. 0. [581 Love-songs. — How the ancient Egyptian young men and maidens confessed their love, and rejoiced or mourned, may be learned from Maspero’s transla- tion of the hieratic papyrus of Turin, published in facsimile by Pleyte and de Rossi, pl. 79-82. This had been translated by Fr. Chabas (Rec. of past, vi. 156); but a rearrangement of the broken parts of the papyrus has enabled Maspero to gain a clearer view of the whole. Maspero sees a clear resemblance be- tween the Hebrew and the Egyptian conception of love, and suggests that a comparison of the Hebrew with the Egyptian language of love would explain some points now obscure. — (Journ. asiatique, Jan.) H. 0. [582 Geographical lists of Karnak.— The only text of these lists open to students is the very faulty one in Les listes géogr. des pylones de Karnak, etc., edited by Mariette in 1875. In an open letter to Brugsch, which is accompanied by two pages of facsimiles, Golenischeff offers many corrections of these lists. He says, ‘‘ While these lists are of the greatest im- portance, the study of them in the faulty copies in Mariette’s Karnak is not to be recommended.” — (Zeitsch. dgyp. sprache, 3 heft, 1882.) 4H. 0. [583 r INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. Bureau of ethnology: Explorations in the Mississippi valley. — Mr. P. W. Norris, on behalf of the bureau, devoted last summer to the examination of mounds and other antiquities of the valley of the Mississippi. His explorations were confined chiefly to eastern Iowa and south-west- ern Missouri, though trips were made to Wisconsin, - Minnesota, and Mississippi. Among the results of the work, we mention the following: — . ‘Several somewhat extensive groups of effigy- mounds were discovered in north-western Iowa. One of the groups bears a strong resemblance to one referred to in William Pigeon’s singular volume. . In the same region ancient earth-works were found in which the enclosing wall is of the form given in De Bry’s figures of the Palisades. From a mound opened in Wisconsin, a copper ket- tle, silver bracelet, silver rings, and a silver locket were taken, indicating its modern origin. Two new localities of Indian pictographs were found, and the drawings copied. Besides stone implements, pottery, pipes, and other evidences of aboriginal art usually found in mounds, two very nicely carved statuettes were obtained in Mississippi. Mr. Norris’s collection consists of nearly a thousand specimens. Professor Cyrus W. Thomas is in immediate charge of these mound-explorations; and the work of the past season is represented by a collection of nearly three thousand five hundred specimens. Department of agriculture. Results of field experiments with various fertilizers. — Professor Atwater has given the results of a large 264 number of experiments of a special and general na- ture, carried on at his suggestion in different parts of the-country for the purpose of studying the demands of our chief crops for various fertilizing materials. In a general discussion of the results, he concludes that corn responds but little to nitrogen, being able to gather its small supply from natural sources, and, for this reason, is not to be regarded as an exhaust- ing, but more nearly a renovating crop. It responds, however, liberally to supplies of mineral fertilizers, phosphoric acid or potash being the dominant under different circumstances, depending upon soil and sea- son. Potatoes have been found to respond uniformly to all the fertilizing ingredients; and they have less capacity than corn for gathering from natural sources. The same is apparently true for turnips. For other crops the number of experiments does not justify . conclusions. Practically the largest average yield for all crops was obtained with the complete fertilizers. Nitrate of soda, and superphosphate, yield less than potash and superphosphate, which is significant of the value of potash, and the propriety of adding more of it to our fertilizers. Nitrate of soda, and potash, proved the least efficient. Separately, the nitrate of soda was rarely useful, the sulphate of lime fre- quently, the muriate of potash very often, and the superphosphates generally. Soils vary widely in their capacity for supplying food to crops, and consequent- ly in their demands for fertilizers; and there are many conditions affecting their action after applica- tion. The only way to find what a particular soil wants is by careful observation and experiments. Lawes and Gilbert’s paper on the sources of nitro- gen in crops, read at the meeting of the American. association at Montreal, is appended to Professor At- water’s report. After maintaining that there is much more experimental proof of the fact that the soil is the source of nitrogen for all crops than that any can be assimilated from the air, a comparison is made be- tween the comparatively recently broken-up soils of America and those of England, which have been long under arable cultivation. Analyses of four soils from the west show a much greater percentage of nitrogen than was found in those at Rothamsted; or, in gen- eral terms, the surface-soils of our territories are more than twice as rich in nitrogen as the average Roth- amsted soil. In the face of this fact, the difficulty arises as to why less wheat can be raised upon the rich soils of the north-west than upon the worn-out soils of England. As faras they are informed, these writers attribute this result to vicissitudes of climate, and lack of care in cultivation. This conclusion can hardly be considered as satis- factory; and it remains a question worthy of the greatest attention, as also whether these now rich soils are not being impoverished by the present method of cultivation. NOTES AND NEWS. — The gold medal of the Royal astronomical soci- ety has this year been awarded to Dr. Benjamin Apthorp Gould, for his ‘Uranometria Argentina.’ In his address before the society, Feb. 9, on the presen- tation of the medal, the’ president, Mr, E. J. Stone, lately her Majesty’s astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope, and now the director of the Radcliffe observa- tory at Oxford, made allusion to the number and variety of Dr. Gould’s astronomical papers, which treat of almost all branches of the science, and es- SCIENCE) [Von. I, No. 9. pecially to his reduction of D’Agelet’s observations, —a work of considerable extent and of great value. All these were not without their influence in guiding the decision of the council in the award of the medal; but their attention was chiefly concentrated on Dr. Gould’s direction of the work of the observatory at Cordoba, in the Argentine Republic. The principal — part of this work may be considered an extension of Argelander’s scale of magnitudes to all the stars which can be seen by a good eye, without instrumental aid, between ten degrees north declination and the south pole, together with a series of charts exhibiting on a stereographic projection the positions of all these stars to the sixth magnitude, and a proposed revision of the boundaries of the southern constellations. This was the work first undertaken by Dr. Gould on his arrival at Cordoba, with four assistants, thirteen years ago. Some indication of the magnitude of the work may be obtained from the fact that the number of estimations made for the formation of the ‘ Ura- nometria Argentina’ exceeded forty-six thousand. Dr. Gould has carefully discussed the results of these estimations of stellar magnitude, and compared them with nearly all the materials which were available for the purpose; and, in particular, he has compared his estimations of the magnitude of the brighter stars — with results obtained from a discussion of the photo~ metric observations of the second Herschel and of Seidel. The maps published by Dr. Gould are fourteen in number, one of which is a skeleton-map showing the proposed revision of the boundaries of the southern constellations. The materials collected in’ this ura- nometry are far more complete and accurate than any which previously existed; and Dr. Gould has there- fore been naturally led to discuss their*bearing on those great questions of the constitution of our stellar universe which offer so fascinating and inex- haustible a field for philosophical speculation. The results which he has obtained are in general accord- ance with those of previous investigators of the sub- ject. It appears to be clearly proved that distance is one of the most important factors in producing dif- ferences of apparent brightness in the stars; but the agreement between the number of stars of different magnitudes, and the number which might,be ex- pected if these changes of apparent brightness de- pended solely on distance, is not perfect over any large range of magnitudes. There appears to be a- decided preponderance in the number of the brighter. stars. It is possible that this preponderance may be partially due to the conventional scale of magnitudes. not being a truly photometric scale. Dr. Gould has’ been led, after a careful discussion of his own.obser-. vations, to infer that the preponderance of the brighter ‘stars is due to the existence of a stellar cluster consisting of some four or five hundred stars, of which our own system is supposed to be a member. ee ee ee —ss ie or ‘ Apri 6, 1883.] ‘The position of the northern pole of the medial plane ‘of this belt of stars has been fixed by Dr. Gould at &. A. 11 h. 25 m., N. P. D. 60°, whilst that of the galactic circle is at R. A. 12h. 41 m., N. P. D. 62° 597, — The notes on the progress of astronomy during the past year, brought before the Royal astronomical society at its anniversary meeting, Feb. 9, related to the following subjects: small displacements of the plumb-line; investigations relating to the tides; the micrometric measures of the Harvard-college observa- tory; double star observations; Oppolzer’s ‘ Syzygien- tafeln;’ the constant of precession ; the mass of Jupi- ter; discovery of minor planets in 1882; M. Gogou on a lunar inequality of long period, due to the action of Mars; the celestial charts of Prof. C. H. F. Peters; Professor Holden’s monograph of the nebula of Ori- -on; the Harvard-college observatory catalogue of stars for 1875; Dr. Huggins’s photographs of the corona; astronomical photography; Houzeau’s ‘ Bibliographie d’astronomie;’ the transit of Venus; the comets of 1882; and Professor Langley’s researches on the solar radiation. — Col. Prejevalsky has given up his projected ex- pedition to eastern Turkestan, and will probably, instead, be sent as chief of a government expedition to determine the boundary between Siberia aud Mon- golia. —J. Martin is exploring the mountainous country of Siberia south of Yakutsk. His last report, dated November, mentions excessive cold, with a minimum of — 56° F., in which his party has suffered greatly. In spite of the general snow, he has made some ob- servations on the rocks of the country, but details are not yet given. — The annual report for 1882 is the latest example of the excellent work done by the Geological survey of New Jersey under the lead of Professor George H. Cook. It contains a well-colored state map (scale six miles to an inch), besides small outline-maps showing _ the river-basins and the progress. of triangulation and topographic work. Chapters are given on the triassic formation; on the iron industry, showing an esti- mated output of 900,000 tons in 1882, —an excés of 140,000 over 1881, and larger than ever before; on the plastic clays, showing that the generalizations made ‘in the special clay report and map (1878), are verified by recent work; on shore-changes, chiefly by erosive Waye-action, proyed by comparison of old and new surveys, amounting to two and three hundred yards at Several places south of Barnegat Inlet; proved also by the discovery, at very low water after storms on Long Beach, of roots and axe-cut stumps, as well as horse and cattle tracks preserved in the firm sod of old marshes (p. $2); on water-supply, giving important Statistics of rainfall, drainage-areas, and analyses; and recommending the boring of artesian wells, which the structure of the Atlantic slope would favor along the seashore, where the surface-water is SCIENCE. 265 generally poor. The probable depths at which water- bearing strata would be found are given for several points on the coast. Other topics are also treated. The expenses of the survey have been kept strictly ‘within the appropriation of $8,000 a year. The chapter on the triassic rocks has special technical value. It is remarkably well illustrated by tinted lithographs by Bien, showing the general trias- sic landscape at Plainfield, the columnar structure of the trap at Little Falls on the Passaic, the Palisade trap at its intrusive junction with the sandstones at Weehawken (a three-foot horizontal interbedded branch-dike in the lower part of this plate is colored like the sandstone), and the intrusions of trap be- tween the shales at Martin’s dock on the Raritan. The latter are much better than any illustrations of the triassic traps yet published. The working hy- pothesis adopted to explain the peculiarities of this puzzling formation seems open to criticism. The original connection of the New-Jersey and Con- necticut sandstone areas is very improbable. Their similarity results rather from similarity of original conditions than from continuity. We believe that further observation will show the parallel Wachung Mountains to be, not intrusions, like the Palisades, but overflows of trap poured out on the sandstones during their formation, and altogether inactive in producing any perceptible share of the well-known monoclinal tilting. The curved form of these trap- ridges, and probably of all the many others of over- flow origin in Connecticut, is the result of the trap- sheets having been faintly folded, with their con- formably enclosing sandstones, long after their forma- tion, and most likely at the time of general tilting. It is difficult to understand how any eruptive force would ‘necessarily’ produce such forms. The dis- covery of a few faults in the sandstones since 1868, when none had been found, gives hope that the origin of the monoclinal structure may some day be better understood. Apart from these somewhat hypothetical matters, an extended description is given of the character and distribution of the triassic rocks, for the purpose of enlisting the aid of local observers, whose contributions are much needed to ‘solve the questions still open.’ New Jersey is fortunate in having already progressed so far, and in having the road for further work so well marked out. — Mr. G. Brown Goode has been appointed by the President commissioner to the London fisheries ex- hibition. Mr. KR. E. Earll, Mr. A. Howard Clark, Capt. J. W. Collins, Mr. W. V. Cox, Capt. H. C. Chester, and Mr. Reuben Wood accompany the commissioner. Representatives of the Signal-office, U.S.A., Light-house board, and Life-saving service, have also been detailed for special duty in connec- tion with the exhibition. —The Marquis Antonio de Gregorio annowices from Palermo, Feb. 9, that, if four hundred subscrib- 266 ers can be obtained, he will publish a Journal of geology and paleontology, which he hopes will become an international magazine, since he will accept arti- eles written not only in Italian, but also in English, French, and German. It is to appear on alternate months, and contain from fifty to a hundred quarto plates a year. The subscription price is fixed at thirty scudi (dollars). —The fifth annual meeting of the Ottawa field- naturalists’ club was held on Tuesday, March 20. The report of the council shows that the club con- tinues successfully the work for which it was or- ganized. Three excursions were held during the summer, and five soirées during the winter. The club received during the year many valuable donations and exchanges, and published Transactions (No. 3), consisting of sixty-six closely printed pages, and two good plates. The number of members is a hundred and eight. Sixteen new members have been elected during the year. Notwithstanding the cost of publish- ing transactions, and increased general expenses, the club has a satisfactory balance on hand. The follow- ing officers were elected for 1883-84: president, H. B. Small, M.D.; vice-presidents, R. B. Whyte and Prof. J. Macoun; secretary, W. H. Harrington; treasurer, W. P. Anderson. — Dr. George M. Steinberg has written a book, soon to be published, on ‘Photomicrographs, and how to make them,’ which will be illustrated with seventeen heliotype plates. —In Scrence, p. 192, column 1, lines 10, 11, the clause, ‘‘the coal next the mouth not partaking of the motion of that farther in the hill,’”’ belongs to the preceding, and not the succeeding sentence. RECENT BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. Arnold, G. M. Robert Pocock, the Gravesend historian, naturalist, antiquarian, and printer. London, Zow, 1883. 8°. Bonnier, G., et Leignette, A. Premiers éléments des sciences usuelles. Lecons des choses: or, argent, monnaies. Paris, Dupont, 1883. 36 p., illustr. 12°. Boston society of natural history. Constitution and by-laws, with a list of officers and members. [Boston], 1883. 35 p. 16°. Braconnier, M. A. Description géologique et agrono- mique des terrains de Meurthe-et-Moselle. Nancy, imp. Berger- Levrault et Cie, 1883. 444p., illustr. 8°. ,Pradshaw, J. New Zealand as it is. London, Zow, 1883. 8' Broglie, duc de. La science et la religion: leur conflit ap- parent et leur accord réel; legon d’ouverture du cours d’apolo- gétique chrétienne professé a I’Institut catholique de Paris. Paris, imp. Levé, 1883. 62p. 18°. Cadet, F. Lettres sur la pédagogie, résumé du cours de Vh6tel de ville (mairie du 3e arrondissement). Paris, Chaix, imp., 1883. 3810p. 16°. i Caspari. Détermination de positions géographiques en Cochinchine. Paris, imp. nationale, 1883. 30p. 8°. Cassino, 8. E. The international scientists’ directory; con- taining the names, addresses, special departments of study, etc., of amateur and professional naturalists, chemists, physicists, as- tronomers, ete., in America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceanica. Boston, Cassino, 1883. 8+150+299 p. 12°. Catalogue de la collection archéologique provenant des fouilles et explorations de M. Désiré Charnay au Mexique et dans Amérique centrale pendant les années 1880, 1881, 1882, ex- posée provisoirement au palais du Trocadéro. Paris, Tremblay, 1883. 14p. 8°. SCIENCE. Charles, E. Lectures de philosophie, ou Fragments extraits des philosophes anciens et modernes. 2 tom. Paris, Belin et fils, 1883. 1.,8+556p. Il, 590p. 12°. Charpentier, A. tude de influence de la coloration sur la visibilité des points lumineux. Paris, imp. Davy, 1883. 7p. Siva — Note complémentaire relative & Vinfluence de la surface sur la sensibilité lumineuse. Paris, imp. Davy, 1883. 7p. 8°. Church, A. H. Precious stones considered in their scientific and artistic relations; with a catalogue of the Townshend collec- tion of gems in the South Kensington museum. With a colored plate and woodcuts. London, Chapman, 1888. 116p. 8°. Dauge. Lecons de méthodologie mathématique 4 Vusage des éléves de l’école normale des sciences, annexée a l’Université — de Gand. Gand, G. Jacgmain, 1883. 416p. 4°. Delage, A. Eléments d’histoire naturelle des pierres et des terrains (programmes officiels du 2 aotit, 1880), pour la classe de quatriéme. Paris, imp. MJartinet, 18838. 173 p., illustr. 16°. Eve, H. W., Sidgwick, A., and Abbott, E. A. Three lectures on subjects connected with the practice of education, delivered in the uniyersity of Cambridge in the Easter term, 1882. Cambridge, Cambridge Warehouse, 1883. (Pitt press series.) 92p. 12°. Fabre, G. Etude sur les eaux minérales de Caprem (Hautes- Pyrénées). Paris, imp. Davy, 1883. 56p. 8°. = Greer, H. The storage of electricity. N.Y., Coll. electr. eng., 1883. 40+14p. 8°. Hamard. L’Age de la pierre et Vhomme primitif. Lyon, imp. Waltener et Cie, 1883. 18+503 p., illustr. 18°. « Hanstein. Le Protoplasma considéré comme base de la vie des animaux et des yégétaux. Traduit de Vallemand. Paris, Coulommiers, 1833. 1382p. 18°. Hoffman, F., and Power, F. B. A manual of chemical analysis as applied to the examination of medicinal chemicals. Philad., Henry C. Lea’s Son & Co., 1883. 628p. 8°. Hull, E. Contributions to the physical history of the British Isles. With a dissertation on the origin of Western Europe and of the Atlantic Ocean. London, Stanford, 1883. 150 p., illustr. 8°. Jacques, V. Eléments d’embryologie, lecons recueillies & VUniversité de Bruxelles. Bruxelles, HY. Manceaux, 1888. 108 p., illustr. 12°. Kengla, Louis A. Contributions to the archeology of the district of Columbia; an essay to accompany a collection of abo- riginal relics, presented for the Toner medal, 1882. Washing- ton, Waters, pr., 18838. 4+42p., 5pl.,map. 8°. Lorentz, B., et Parade, A. Cours élémentaire de culture des bois créé 4 l’école forestiére de Nancy. Paris, Poitiers, 1883. 28+721 p. 8°. Malley, A.C. Micro-photography; including a description of the wet collodion and gelatino-bromide processes; together with the best methods of mounting and preparing microscopic objects for micro-photography. London, Lewis, 1883. 142 p, 3° Morelle, E. Recherches chimiques sur la bergenite. Lille, imp. Danel, 1883. 30p. 8°. : a North Carolina — Agricultyral experiment station. Sec- ond biennial report of the director, Charles W. Dabney. 1881— 82. Raleigh, State, 1883. 24p.,pl. 8°. — The same. [Bulletins.] i-iv. 3 nos. [Raleigh], 1883. 20, 82, 16 p. Page, D. Advanced text-book of physical geography. 3d ed., revised and enlarged by Charles Lapworth. London, Black- woods, 1883. 350p. 8°. Pillsbury, J. H. Development of the planula of Clava lep- tostyla, Ag. N.Y., Thompson & Moreau, pr., 1882. 3p.,1pl. 8°. Report of the scientific results of H.M.S. Challenger. Zo- Glogy, vol. vi. London, Zongmanns, 1883. 4. Rogers, J. E.T. Ensilage in America; its prospects in Eng- lish agriculture. London, Sonnenshein, 1883. 162p. 8°. Rollet, J. Influence des filtres naturels sur les eaux potables. — Lyon, imp. Giraud, 1883. 16p. 8°. Romanes, G. J. Animal intelligence. 1883. (Intern. sc. series.) 14+520p. 12°. Scott, R. H. Elementary meteorology. London, Paul, 1883. (Intern. sc. series.) 420p., illustr. 8°. Teale, T. P. Economy of coal in house fires; or, how to con- vert an ordinary fire grate into a slow combustion stove ata small cost. London, Churchill, 1883. 50 p., illustr. 8°. White, W. F. Ants and their ways. x giving a complete list of genera and species of the British ants. London, fe/igious tract society, 1883. Illustr. 8°. Wild flowers of Switzerland; or, a year amongst the flowers of the Alps. By H.C. W. London, Low, 1883. 76p. 4°. N.Y., Appleton, [Vou. I., No. 9. With an appendix — F | ‘j : ta the best existing maps. Bt aa APRIL 13, 1883.] FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 188% THE NEW YORK STATE SURVEY. Some of the readers of Scrmnce are doubt- less familiar with the work of the state survey of New York, and will be interested in the re- ports of its progress, which will be published from time to time for the information of our readers. But the work bas been going on so quietly that many are unacquainted with the history of the survey, and the scope of its work. It is therefore as an introduction to occasional reports of progress that we publish a short sketch of the survey. Several governors of New York had in vain called the attention of the legislature to the importance of such a survey. In ‘the autumn of 1875 the matter was taken up by: the Amer- ican geographical society, which caused’ an investigation to be made into the character of Having found them grossly erroneous, and productive of grave practical evils, the geographical society ap- pointed a committee to secure, if possible, the necessary legislation to organize a state sur- vey. This resulted in the passage of a law, organizing the survey under the direction of commissioners, who appointed Mr. James T. Gardiner, formerly geographer of the U. S. geological survey, to be director. The first work of the director was a thor- ough examination of the evils which the state survey was expected to remedy; and his plan for the work is based on the results of this inquiry. The report for 1876 showed that ‘‘ although the boundaries of eleven counties, having over sixty corners, were examined in whole or part, yet only two corners were found marked with any authentic monuments. . . . The north- west corner of Albany county was originally marked by a dead hemlock-tree. This dis- appeared many years since, and no monu- tment indicates the spot where it stood. A few old blazed trees alone remain as evidence of the western line of Albany county... . The original north-east corner of Montgom- ery county was a stake in a cultivated field. No. 10.— 1883. SCIENCE. 267 It has disappeared, and nothing marks the point.”’ Concerning local and private surveys, the observations and recommendations of the re- port are of importance to the whole country. It says: ‘‘ The want of a permanent system of landmarks, whose distance and direction from one another are exactly known, renders posi- tions of all lines very uncertain. Starting- points from which the surveyor is expected to begin his work are very often in doubt by many feet: he has, therefore, no object in running lines accurately, as it is evident, that, if the initial point of a survey is wrong, all points on the lines will be wrongly located, even when chaining and compass work are absolutely correct. . . . An examination of the present method of surveying lands must convince any engineer that its necessary imper- fections are the principal sources of those an- noying and expensive quarrels and litigations about boundaries with which all land-owners are painfully familiar. These troubles are by no means peculiar to American experience. Perishable landmarks and imperfect surveying have produced uncertain boundaries in every civilized country. Throughout Europe and India this evil has been perfectly remedied by basing all land-surveys upon a system of per- manent monuments located by accurate tri- angulation. We must continue to waste force and’ money in quarrels and lawsuits over un- certain lines, until we apply the only cure © which civilized Europe has found permanently satisfactory.”’ The accuracy of the best maps of the state was next tested, and they were found to rep- resent the towns from one to three miles from where they really are. ‘‘If the purpose of maps is to describe truthfully boundary-lines, towns, and topographical features, as they actually exist on the earth’s surface, then the maps of this state are proved to be false wit- nesses ; and the sooner their character is known and condemned, the earlier may improvement be looked for.’’ The report proceeds to show that a sufficient remedy will never be applied through the exer- 268 tions of local authorities, or the enterprise of private map-publishers: ‘‘ The radical dif- ficulty with our modern surveys lies not in want of capacity, integrity, or ambition among the local surveyors, but in the want of a sys- tem of lines measured with absolute precision, and permanently marked, which can be made a base of all surveys, and can furnish checks at short distances, and keep errors within cer- tain well-defined limits.”’ A trigonometrical survey of this nature, whenever completed, will be used in a great variety of ways, entirely independent of any topographical mapping that may be founded upon it. In pursuance of this policy, the sur- vey has been confined to trigonometrical work. The triangulation is based on that of the U.S. coast and geodetic survey, which had been extended across Massachusetts to the Hudson ; certain stations on the Hudson River series of coast-survey triangles having been connected both with the New England and Fire Island bases. Comparison of results from these different lines of measurement shows that the positions of points overlooking the Hudson River valley are known with great exactness, and may therefore be used as starting-points for most accurate surveying. The lines of principal triangulation are be- ing pushed into the settled parts of the state as rapidly as possible, in order to set tertiary stations for use of local surveyors, wherever property is most valuable, and to save bound- aries whose loss seems imminent. Principal stations being once established, the subdivision in smaller triangles, and determination of pub- lic boundaries, can proceed at separate places whenever demanded by the exigencies of spe- cial regions, and can be done at the expense of individuals, towns, and counties. The Hudson yalley is already well supplied with principal stations by the U.S. coast sur- vey. The state survey has therefore planned to lay out a series of principal triangles ex- ° tending from Albany westward through the central and western counties of the state; and another from the lower part of the Hudson, through what is known as the southern tier of SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 10. counties. ,The first of these, or the central series of triangles, begins at the coast-survey stations, Rafinesque and Helderberg ; the first being north-west of Troy, and the latter west of Albany on the Hudson River. The distance between these points, which is the base of this system of triangles, is about 36,966 metres. The triangulation beginning at the Hudson runs westward, spanning the valley of the Mo- hawk River, and the valleys which continue this great depression westward across New York. Along the shore of Lake Ontario, from Oswego to Buffalo, the U.S. lake survey has measured a small but accurate chain of triangles, a part of their main chain along the lakes. With this lake-survey triangulation, the scheme of. 7 the state survey was connected south of Oswe- go; the distance between the lake-survey sta- tions, Victory and Clyde, being the joining line, and, in fact, forming a base from which work was begun on the western part of the state-survey chain, before connection was made with the Hudson River section. The measurement of the angles of the larger triangles is done with 12-inch horizontal cir- cles divided by Troughton and Simms of Lon- don. One of them was, however, mounted by Fauth and Co. of Washington. The Fauth theodolite has three reading microscopes di- vided to seconds, and a telescope of 23 inches focal length with object-glass of 2} inches diameter. The Troughton and Simms the- odolite has two reading microscopes divided to seconds. The angles of the smaller sec- ondary, and of the tertiary triangles, are meas- ured with 8-inch Troughton and Simms circles with two reading microscopes divided to sec- onds. These instruments have also vertical circles divided and read in the same way as the horizontal. A complete system of trigonometrical level- ling is carried on in connection with the sec- ondary and tertiary triangulation, the zenith distances being observed with the 8-inch cir- cles. Measurement of the horizontal angles of each class are repeated until the probable errors are within the limits prescribed by the U.S. coast survey and the British ordnance —_— APRIL 13, 1883.] survey. The secondary stations along the Mohawk valley are from four to seven miles apart. Where tertiary work has been done, the stations are from half a mile to a mile distant from each other. In the matter of marking stations, the New York suryey has departed widely from the method of the U.S. coast survey, which has preserved its points by burying in the ground within eighteen inches of the surface a pot, jug, or other object, leaving no surface mark what- ever. The state-survey stations are marked by sinking a hole five feet deep, in the bottom of which is placed an earthen pot of truncated- cone shape, with centre mark, and stamped with the letters ‘N. Y. 8S. 8.’ The earth is rammed about and above this for about four inches. A granite monument six inches square by four feet long is then placed in the hole, and its centre adjusted over the pot. The upper extremity of the stone, which projects above ground, is dressed, and the same letters and the number which designates the station are cut deeply into it. Diagonal grooves on the top of the stone mark its centre. The monuments are of one pattern, and from a single quarry. These stones, deeply embedded in the earth, are very difficult to moye or destroy without the perpetrator of such an act being detected. They are easily found by local surveyors or others wishing to identify the points. The action of freezing and thawing unequally on the north and south sides of the stones will eventually throw them over toward the south. Any disturbance of this kind can be detected by the edges being out of plumb; and the stone can be recentred over the pot, which, being below frost-line, can neyer move. In addition to the deeply buried pot and stone, two witness-pots ‘are buried from twelve to eighteen inches deep, and three feet from the station. On their tops are stamped arrows which point to the station. The work of the survey is carried’ on by a director and a permanent corps of trained as- sistants divided into three parties, —two for observing angles of the primary and secondary triangles, and one for signal-building. Assist- SCIENCE. 269 ant O. S. Wilson, formerly of the U. S. north- west boundary survey, and Assistant Horace Andrews, jun., formerly of the U. S. coast survey, have charge of the observing parties ; and Assistant O. H. Bogardus, of the signal- building party. Im addition to the regular force, from six to nine heliotropers are em- ployed in summer. During the winters the assistants are engaged in reducing the results, and the preparation of maps and reports, in the offices of the survey in the state capitol at Albany. In the bill providing for the expenses of the state government, an annual appropriation of $15,800 is now made to carry on the survey. This sketch of the causes which brought about the New York state survey, the purposes for which it was instituted, its guiding policy, its plans, grade of precision, methods, and organization, is essential to a right under- standing of the results of the work whose progress will be described hereafter. GLACIAL PHENOMENA IN OHIO. Pror. G. F. Wrieur of Oberlin read a paper before the Boston society of natural history on the 7th of March, giving the results of his work last summer in determining the exact southern boundary or terminal moraine of the glaciated area of Ohio. The course of this boundary-line is shown upon the accompany- ing map, and is a continuation of that traced by him and Professor Lewis the previous year across Pennsylvania. The terminal moraine in Ohio is not every- where so prominent in its features as it is south of New England, through Cape Cod, the Elizabeth Islands, and Long Island; but the southern boundary of the glaciated region is everywhere very sharply defined, and the limits of the ice can be traced with nearly as much certainty as the shores of the ocean. At various places in Stark, Holmes, Fairfield, and Ross counties there are vast piles of glaciated material at the very limit of the glaciated re- gion. All that portion of Ohio north and west of the line above described is covered with the material which was ground up underneath, and transported by the moving ice. ‘This consists of unstratified fine clay, containing scratched stones and fragments of rock of various kinds from the north. The average depth of this 270 accumulation (which Dr. Newberry calls ‘ the grist’ of the continental ice-sheet) is about sixty feet ; though in places at the very border, as at Adelphi, in Ross county, it is two hun- dred feet. Granite bowlders from northern Canada are found all the way down to this limit, but not beyond it. There is a granite bowlder at Lancaster 18 x 12 x 6 feet. The glaciated portion of Ohio is level, and univer- sally fertile. This is in part owing to the di- versity of rocks ground up by the advancing ice, and in part to the fact that it was pul- verized by mechanical action, and is spread evenly over the surface. South of the line the country is cut up into gorges; and, as a rule, the soil is shallow and comparatively sterile. Scratched stones are entirely absent, and gran- ite is found only in the river-valleys. The SCILNCZH. [Vou. I., No. 10. crop-reports show that the average production of wheat per acre is nearly twice as large in the glaciated as in the unglaciated portion of the state. . Professor Wright’s investiga- tions fully confirm the surmise of Professor Shaler, t. during its greatest extent, the r hogion- — eos | = Zanesville a= je = MAP SHOWING THE COURSE OF THE TERMINAL MORAINE OF THE GLACIATED AREA OF OHIO. ice of the glacial period crossed the Ohio River at Cin- cinnati, and extended a few miles south. From this, some interesting conclusions follow. The Ohio River, through its entire course, occupies a valley of erosion, haying, for more than a thousand miles, cut a gorge from three hundred to five hundred feet deep through the horizontal strata of the coal-formation. Dur- ing the extension of the glacier into Kentucky, this cation of the Ohio must have been filled with ice at Cincinnati, forming a barrier in the agri es! 2 APRIL 13, 1883.] river nearly six hundred feet in height. This would form slackwater in the Ohio all the way up to Pittsburg, submerging the site of that city to the depth of two hundred and fifty or three hundred feet, and setting the water back far into the valleys of the Alleghany and Mo- " nongahela Rivers. In the extensive gravel-deposits of Ohio, south of the glacial line, no paleolithic imple- ments have as yet been found; but they may be confidently looked for. When they are found, the investigations of Professor Wright and his associates wil] have important bearings in determining their age ; for, in many respects, Ohio affords unrivalled opportunities for deter- mining the amount of erosion which has taken place since the ice of the glacial period with- drew. So far, the evidence points to a later date for the glacial period than that which is advocated by some. The erosion which has taken place since the glacial period is surpris- ingly small. The streams running over the glaciated surface occupy very shallow valleys. In those rivers whose course was changed by glacial action so as to produce waterfalls the gorges are never more than a few miles long. The period cannot have been extremely long, or these streams would have done more work. THE WEATHER IN FEBRUARY, 1888. Destructive floods on the Ohio and tribu- tary waters occurred from Cincinnati and Louisville southward. The water rose higher than ever previously recorded, and property was destroyed estimated as worth $30,000,000. Warnings were issued by the signal-office ten to fifteen days in advance ; and merchants had ample time, in most instances, to save their property. The following table exhibits some of the principal facts : — Highest water Date Walex above Derewratey aa 2 reache: STATION. the danger- gene ater 4 ogee ine. Am't.| Date. line. i f Feet. Pittsburg, Penn.. . 5 4.8 5 9 $50,000 Marietta,O. . . . = = 1) ae = 50,000 Maysville. Ky. . - - - 12 - - Cincinnati,O.. . . 8 16.3 15 22 1,500,000 Lawrenceburg, Ind. - - 14 - - Vevay,Ind. ... - - 15 - - Jettersonville, Ind. . - - 16 - 100,000 Louisville, Ky. . . 8 20.4 16 25 367,000 New Albany, Ind. . 9 - = = 1,000,000 Shawneetown, Ill. . - - - - 250,000 ( : Above at ‘CERO ION oA Seater 13 12.2 | 26 end of - month Memphis, Tenn.. . 21 Still jrising 28 - Vicksburg, Miss. . 24 Gs © 28 - The last column contains losses only so far as reported. The injuries due to sweeping away SCIENCE. 271 of homes, to imperilled health and comfort, and to business delayed, cannot be estimated, but are known to have been yery extensive. A very full report is given in the Monthly weather-review of the signal-service. The month has been colder than the mean for the region west of the Mississippi River. The mean temperature was from 8° to 16° below the normal on the Rocky-mountain pla- teau ; it was slightly below the normal in the north, east of the Mississippi; and above the normal in the south. In the whole country east of the Rocky Mountains the temperature was 0.5° below the normal. The lowest tem- perature reported was —57°, at Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The rainfall of the Pacific during the winter has not been sufficient to assure a medium wheat-crop in that region. The defi- ciency was over 4 inches in central California and Oregon in February, and there were larger deficiencies during the previous winter months. This important crop, therefore, depends largely upon the spring rains, which in this region are usually very light. On the other hand, there has been a large excess of rain in the lower lake-region and Ohio valley, the excess in the latter region being 3.86 inches. Ice dangerous to navigation is slowly drift- ing south to latitude 43°, between longitudes 45° and 48° W. The chart on the next page shows the mean distribution of air-pressure and temperature, with the prevailing wind-directions in the United States and Canada. This chart shows very high pressure over nearly the whole coun- try, it being from .1 to .2 of an inch above the mean, except in Florida and southern Cali- fornia. The areas of low pressure traced to the Atlantic have all passed over the St. Law- rence valley, and in no ease has the centre of any depression passed to the south of the Ohio valley or middle states. The total number of storms that have been traced in the United States during each Feb- ruary since 1877 is given below. The mean velocity of the storms, as published in the .annual reports of the chief signal-officer, are added for comparison. > No. of Mean velocity, Rican storms. miles per rahe BUST 5) oye tO: pene: OMe co 11 26.5 BENS Ge io. a pM So eo Boe 8 27.8 USO mere ine rob enlss ated a-aiirs 6 33.3 DESIST) io. < ce os «4 een emer an 14 39.6 SEL oat Gi chrd? Giaeeucenos 'p 9 43.8 BETA 5. SERGE. SR ICuEnEn 11 42.5 UE) oo Gee oR ee oe ce os 10 36.4 WAS PAO unner i Ouaec 9.9 35.7 272 SCIENCE. [Vou. L., No. 10, uoySearqsuM Dp UBS FOuL) 29 O THU! anys a'r ead pus Sag "N3ZVH'S'M if 'HYAA JO AU VYLSHIIG6 @HLaO H3QUO AB GaHsI1ENg MONTHLY MEAN ISOBARS, ISOTHERMS, AND WIND-DIRECTIONS, FEBRUARY, 1883. REPRINTED IN REDUCED FORM BY PERMISSION OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL-OFFICER. APRIL 13, 1883.] Ten storm-tracks were traced across the ocean. Of these, a very severe one was felt in the north Atlantic from Feb. 4th to 7th. The winds were of unusual severity, and press- ures as low as 28.1 inches were reported by several steamers. This storm, however, was exceeded in extent and severity by most vio- lent gales from the 12th to the 16th, when press- ures below 28 inches were recorded. The total movement of the air on Mount Washington (as indicated by a specially de- vised Robinson’s anemometer) was 32,404 miles, there being 1,825 miles on the 17th. Winds over 100 miles per hour were reported on the Ist, 17th, 26th, and 27th. Ninety-two cautionary signals were displayed during the month ; of which 75, or 81.5%, were justified by winds of at least 25 miles per hour within 100 miles of the station. The most extensive auroral display was that of the 24th, which was observed on the New- England coast, and from the upper Mississippi to Washington Territory. Auroras are also reported on the Ist, 4th, 5th, 13th, 25th, 27th, and 28th. Prof. D. P. Todd of Amherst re- ports sunspots most numerous on the 12th and 13th, and least on the 23d and 24th. Unusual earthquake-shocks were experienced on the 4th in Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Maine. It would seem, that, at the same time, shocks were felt in Agram (Hungary) and Madrid (Spain), as cabled to the New-York Herald. On the 27th another notable shock was felt in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. THE LAW OF NUCLEAR DISPLACE- MENT, AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN EMBRYOLOGY. During his investigations upon the develop- ment of fishes, mollusks, and arthropods, the writer’s attention has been drawn to the physio- logical relations of the food-yelk, and the germi- nal matter of the ova of these forms. A more thorough study of the relations of the two prin- cipal materials of the ova of various forms has led him to the conclusion that there is a general law which largely, if not entirely, deter- mines the mode of cleayage apparent in various _ embryological types. Approximations towards a general statement of the law have been made by Von Baer, Haeckel, Balfour, Whitman, and Mark. My only object is to present what I believe to be some new evidence, and to extend the scope of what appears to be an important generalization. There are only two clearly marked types of SCIENCE. 273 ova. These are, first, the holoblastic or evenly seomenting, and, secondly, the meroblastic or unevenly segmenting. The so-called centro- lecithal type is found almost altogether amongst the arthropods, and seems to be in a great measure characteristic of them ; but, upon close examination and comparison, I believe it will be found that this mode of segmentation is not so widely different from that met with in the ordinary meroblastic ovum. Whatever may be the opinion with regard to the claims for the recognition of two or three types of segmenta- tion, there can be but two forms of ova discrimi- nated in the animal kingdom ; viz., those with, and those without, a food-yelk. Those without food-yellk may be called homoplastic; that is, they are composed of but one kind of plasma, all of which is germinal. ‘The first sezmenta- tion-nucleus is central in position after fertili- zation, so that the first cleavage divides the ovum into two equal segmentation-spheres. The result of further segmentation is to divide the total germinal mass into tolerably even- sized spheres. The other type, opposed to the foregoing, may be called the heteroplastic, by which it is intended to signify that two or more proteids may enter into the composition of the egg, besides oils in the form of drops. At the time of maturation and impregnation the nucleus is displaced from its original cen- tral position to a remarkable extent; in fact, it may be so displaced, as compared with its position in very young eggs, as to appear as if it were altogether superficial or parietal; as in the large ova of fishes, reptiles, and birds. This parietal position of the first sezmentation- nucleus is not its original one, as an inyestiga- tion of the developing ovules in the ovaries of these forms will show; but, even long before the first segmentation-nucleus is formed by the fusion of the male and female pronuclei, we actually find, that in some cases the ger- minative vesicle has migrated from the centre of the ovum, towards the periphery, without having suffered any marked change in size. To what cause is this permanent displace- ment of the ege-nucleus due? We find it to occur only in those ova in which we may detect two sorts of plasma, or in those with germinal matter to which a second or passive quantity of matter has been added during the intra-ovarian growth of the egg. The added material may be in the form of a clearly defined yell, or it may make its presence manifest only after the beginning of segmentation, by aggregating at one pole or centrally as a less homogeneous, more granular mass than the portion directly involved in the process of segmentation. The 274 germinal matter, protoplasm of the ege, is the self-motile part. The yelk or deutoplasm, on the other hand, is often composed of spherules, granules, plates, or oval bodies, and is convert- ed by metabolic processes into the first during the later stages of development. The first is the potential part of the egg: the latter is the passive and nutritive. Wherever the yelk is greatly in excess of the germinal matter, the embryo is often far developed, as regards mor- phological details, before the deutoplasm is nearly all absorbed, its final absorption being accomplished largely through the intermedia- tion of the vascular system of the embryo; as in the ova of fishes, birds, and reptiles. The greater the mass of the yelk in proportion to the bulk of the germ, the more extensive is the permanent displacement of the nucleus from its original central position as observed in the young ovicell. The displacement of the nu- cleus, or germinative vesicle, would then ap- pear to be due to the development of the yelk as a deposit of material of a lower grade of differentiation than the germinal protoplasm in the central part of the egg, as in meroblastic and centrolecithal ova, from the central portion of which the nucleus has been repelled, and taken up into the germinal matter. In the eggs of osseous fishes it is certain that the protoplasm, or germinal matter, is ar- ranged on the outside of the yelk, or deuto- plasm, in some cases, or sends down processes er a meshwork into the latter, prior to the time of the formution of the germinal disk ; so that the teleostean ovum actually passes through a centrolecithal stage. In birds and reptiles, this probably occurs during late in- tra-ovarian development, as impregnation must occur before encapsulation in the shell, which is formed in the oviduct after the albumen, or ‘white,’ has been added. Every grade of pro- portion, from a very small quantity of deuto- plasm up to an excessive amount as compared with the germinal protoplasm, may occur; so that no sharp line of demarcation exists be- tween truly holoblastic and truly meroblastic ova. The degree of inequality in the seg- mentation is therefore, generally speaking, dependent upon the amount of deutoplasm, or food-yelk, which is present, and the degree to which the germinative vesicle has been per- manently displaced from its central position. This is, however, qualified by certain second- ary modifications, to be discussed at the end of this paper. This principle accounts for all the forms of unequal segmentation, even including the cen- trolecithal, where the peripheral segmentation SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 10. of the germinal matter ultimately displays the working of the same principle of the repulsion of the nuclei from the deutoplasm, and their attraction for the outer protoplasmic seement- ing stratum. It, however, explains most beautifully what it is that determines the de- gree of inequality between the first segmenta- tion-spheres of all truly meroblastic ova. It is therefore of fundamental importance in a scheme of the primary laws of segmentation. The expulsion of the germinative vesicle from the centre of an evenly segmenting ege, to develop the polar cells, is not to be con- founded with the movement of the nucleus towards the periphery of the ovum while still in its follicle, in the large-yelked meroblastic — type. The distinction between these two cases, I believe to be fundamental. In the ovum of Ostrea, Unio, Mya, ete., the nucleus at the time of the emission of the ege is still approximately central in position, although the ova are slightly meroblastic ; while in Lepi- dosteus, for example, the nucleus of the nearly mature ovarian ovum is actually peripheral, but has not yet been broken up, or lost its form. Moreover, in the holoblastic type, the nucleus, after its metamorphosis and conversion, in part, into the first segmentation-nucleus, is again repelled towards the centre of the egg, — a phe- nomenon which does not occur in any meroblas- tic ovum with a germ-disk of relatively small dimensions, lying upona disproportionally large yelk. This is a vital distinction, and one which, as far as J am aware, has not been in- sisted upon in the discussion of nuclear move- ments. SG pS anaes 0.74 3.56 MBGMEem Neri ck ce le +) 0.66 3.57 LR 6: Lot BGS oS 0.57 2.44 From 1868 the improvement, though well marked, is rather slow. The mean result for the three years, 1879-81, is, — Sec. Mean difference between daily rates on two consecutive GESTS MG 9.) 3). BONG SBN be tour Sasa itcenco ss houmard Difference of rate when flat and vertical . . . . ..- - 1.84 Sum of the variations in all four positions . .... - 8.23 It would be interesting to know how these numbers compare with the corresponding ones for American watches. But in no other coun- try than Switzerland are the public interests so deeply involved that such data are officially pub- lished. We know that the Waltham watches, and probably those of all other American fac- tories, are adjusted with the greatest care, to _ have, as nearly as possible, the same rate in -different positions; but we do not know how near they approach precision, nor how they _ would stand the test after being a few months - outside the factory. After all, the practical question is not so much how good a watch is it possible to make, as how cheaply can you make a watch of the first class. One has long been able to get as sood a watch as could be made from Frodsham or Jurgensen by paying from $300 to $500 for it. What the world has gained by the revolu- tion is the ability to command a watch equal, or but little inferior, to the best, at less than half the old price. Here seem to lie, at the present time, the best grounds for the claim of superiority on the part of the Swiss. I am informed that the best anchor escapement watches, such as those whose performance is given in the preceding table, are sold in gold eases for $120, manufacturer’s price: this for watches that cannot be exceeded in quality. Can any American company do as well as this? The Swiss manufacturers have not been slow to avail themselves of the American system of machinery, but I doubt whether they have been able to bring the system to the perfection _ which it has attained at Waltham. There are two or three great factories on the American plan; but I have not had an opportunity to visit any of them. Owing to the want of steam and water power, and the habit of having the operatives work at home, only such machinery SCIENCE. 297 as each man can manage for himself is availa- ble at the great centres. Such is the case at Locle and Chaux-de-Fonds. That this is a great disadvantage can hardly be doubted. A point which the official Swiss tests do not sufficiently consider is the isochronism of the balance under changes of pressure. The Swiss follow the American plan of dispensing with the fusee and chain, and winding up the main- spring from the centre. A great advantage is thus gained.in simplicity of structure and free- dom from accident; the frequent breaking of the chain, in former times, having been the ereatest source of annoyance to the owners of watches. But, if great accuracy of running is aimed at, we now have the disadvantage that the spring acts with greater force when the watch is first wound up, and that the pressure continually diminishes as the watch runs down. The change of rate between day and night thus arising may exceed the variations from all other causes combined. To avoid this difii- culty, each balance and hair-spring has to be adjusted by repeated trial; and the perfec- tion of the adjustment should, in all cases, be one of the subjects of any scientific test. This gives rise to an ulterior question, on whichT , am not quite satisfied. One carries the most perfectly adjusted watch in his pocket for two or three years, and then has. to hand it to a watchmaker to be cleaned and oiled. Will the watchmaker be able to put it together again, in perfect adjustment, without spending on it the same time, trouble, and skill which was originally spent by the maker? If this question is to be answered in the negative, it will practically be a waste of labor to perfect the pocket-watch further without re-introdu- cing the fusee and chain. But in these times, when every one who wants accurate time can get it without trouble, an error of a few seconds a day in the running of a watch will be a less evil than the liability to accident from the breaking of the chain. SomNe Neuchatel, March 12, 1883. THE TAGALS OF LUZON. Tue present natives of the Philippines are generally believed to be of Malay origin, and to have been carried there from the Pacific islands involuntarily by the monsoons, or pur- posely by migration. They have the same form, character, and habits, as the more bar- barous branches of the same race, though of more agreeable and manly features. Those of the southern islands look more like Malays than do the Tagals of Luzon, who are more or 298 less mixed with Chinese, Japanese, and Negri- tos. In some islands the Chinese, in others the Japanese, type prevails, according to the proximity of these countries. They are finely formed, of good stature, copper-colored, with abundant straight, coarse, TAGALS OF THE PHILIPPINES. 4 black hair, without beard; head well shaped, but flattened behind ; forehead moderate, cheeks prominent, nose flattish, face long, and chin narrow ; mouth large, with thick lips, strong teeth, and powerful jaws; chest wide; limbs and feet small, though the great toe is abnor- mally developed, and almost as prehensile as a thumb ; the joints very supple. Nature supplies the Tagal with rice, fruit, roots, and fish; and his skin is his principal garment. He has, therefore, little inducement to work, and, as a rule, does not, unless from necessity, or to buy some gewgaw; then re- lapsing into his dolce far niente under the palms. ‘Their family ties are close, but pecul- iar in many of their ideas of what we should call propriety. They are trusty servants, good soldiers and sailors, fertile in expedients, using with much skill their natural advantages. They think little of death, beyond a splendid funeral, and, though nominally Catholics, believe in secret in the superstitions of their race. They chew betel, smoke immoderately, and are very SCIENCE. [Von. L, No. 11. fond of cock-fights and lotteries. Their houses ~ ‘are made of bamboo and canes, thatched with the leaves of the nipa palm, and supported on posts. No nails or tools are required for their construction. All the Tagal needs is his bolo, or knife ; for the materials are growing all around. I know of no race more independent of the industrial arts. His bolo is his‘only es- sentialimplement. His spoon, bowl, and basket he finds in the shell of the cocoanut ; his basin, plate, and umbrella, in the leaf of the banana ; most of his domestic utensils, in the bamboo ; his house, mat, hat, in the various palms. His fruit requires no cooking, and his fish and rice only the simplest. If ever there were a child of nature, the Tagal is one. The Tagals are noted for their skill in weay- ing the vegetable fibres of their country, and — especially those of the pineapple, hemp, bam- boo, palms, and reeds. Justis raw silk; seda, spun silk; hemp, abaca, lupis, and sinamay, which are variously combined in the gauze- like tissues for which these islands are famous. How they make such exquisite fabrics with the rude processes at their command is one of the puzzles which the traveller often meets among semi-civilized peoples. COSTUME OF TAGAL WOMEN. The Tagals are the most numerous, best known, least barbaric, and most industrious of the races. They speak a dialect of their own, — the mother-tongue of the others, — and number about 1,500,000. The Visayas of the southern islands are possibly more in number. The islands belong to Spain, and, during her three centuries of occupation, have been very poorly developed. SamMurEL KNEELAND. _ APRIL 20, 1883.] . the eclipse of last May. THE SOLAR ECLIPSE OF MAY 6. Tue members of the expedition for observ- ing the total solar eclipse of May 6, who left _ New York on March 2, arrived in Callao, Peru, on March 20. At that port they were received by the U.S. vessel Hartford, and sailed on the 22d for Caroline Island, expecting to make the journey .in about twenty-five days. Ample time is thus secured for the preliminary work for the contemplated observations. It is not known yet whether the party will establish themselves upon Caroline or Flint Island. Preference is given to the, former, on account of its larger size, and it will be chosen unless it is found that the French astronomers have already located there, in which case the Americans will select Flint Island, that both points may be occupied. The L’Eclaireur, the man-of-war which is to convey the French astronomers from Panama, was not in that port when the Americans passed through there. The two English members of the party, Messrs. H. A. Lawrance and C. Ray Woods, joined the expedition at Panama. They are sent out by the Royal society and the Com- mittee of solar physics, of which Messrs. Lockyer, Stewart, and Stokes are the leading members, and made important observations of These gentlemen come from South Kensington, and have been en- gaged in spectroscopic work with Mr. Lockyer. The plans of the party show that spectro- scopic observations will be the principal work attempted. An outline of these plans will be of interest. A spectroscope with a large prism, attached to a 64-inch telescope, will be used by Dr. Has- tings for studying the corona, especially the outer corona. During partial phase the chro- mosphere will be examined, a grating being substituted for the prism. Mr. Rockwell will observe with a grating spectroscope attached to a 4,4,-inch telescope, and will note the rela- tive lengths of lines reversed just before total- ity within a small region of the spectrum. Probably just after this, the grating will be exchanged for a single 60° prism, and an ex- amination made of the limits to which the line 1474 can be traced. A prismatic spectro- scope, which consists of a large 30° prism placed before the objective of a 24-inch tele- scope, will be used by Mr. Upton for obsery- ing the relative heights and brightness of the hydrogen group, and of other portions of the spectrum. Mr. Brown will use an integrating spectroscope for observing the lines which ap- pear during totality, and the changes which they undergo. SCIENCE. 299 Mr. Lawrance has planned an equatorial stand upon which is mounted a 6-inch objec- tive, having at its focus a grating spectroscope with cameras on each side, for photographing the spectra of the first and second orders. On the same stand is a 6-inch photographic lens, in the focus of which is a spectroscope of low dispersion, armed with a camera. These three cameras will be used to photograph the flash just before and after totality, in order to confirm, if possible, by photography, Mr. Lockyer’s eye-observations of last year. He observed the short, bright, chromospheric lines ten minutes before totality began, and, just before totality, the lines which are usually thickened in sunspots, extending as faint lines to a much greater elevation than those of the protuberances. Mr. Woods will employ a sid- erostat to throw a beam of light upon four in- struments, —integrating, analyzing, and pris- matic spectroscopes, and a Rowland grating. The photographic plate of the integrating spec- troscope is very long, and will be driven by clock-work, in order that, as the portion of the plate illuminated at any given instant is small, the integrated effects that have hitherto been photographed may be differentiated if possible. The grating is provided with came- ras on each side, —one to photograph the F region ; the other, that more refrangible than H. The prismatic camera was used with great success in Egypt last year. It integrates the light from all parts of the corona; and it is hoped that all the rays, from the violet to the ultra-red, will be photographed. The analyz- ing spectroscope was also used with good re- sult in Egypt. The plates will be ‘red-end’ ones, in order to take in all the rays of the spectrum. In addition to the spectroscopic work, other important observations are planned. Professor Holden will search for intra-Mercurial planets with a 6-inch telescope, and Mr. Preston will use a Savart polariscope attached to a 4-inch or a 23-inch telescope. Two photoheliographs will be used for photographing the inner and outer details of the corona, under the manage- ment of Mr. Lawrance. Observations of solar radiation, of meteorological phenomena, and of the times of contact, will also be made. After the eclipse, the party is to be conveyed to Honolulu by the Hartford, from which point they will reach San Francisco by the Pacific mail line of steamers. Should there be no delay, intelligence of the results of the expedi- tion may be expected by the middle of June. Wa We Callao, Peru, March 22, 1883. 300 THE FLORIDA EXPEDITION TO OB- SERVE THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.1 In selecting the four stations in the northern hemisphere from which to observe the transit of Venus on Dec. 6, 1882, the probable weather at that season, together with the geo- graphical position of the various points con- sidered, were the principal terms in the problem. It was desirable to find points where good weather would be likely to prevail, and where all the contacts, both at ingress and egress, could be seen. Considerable advantage being gained by increasing the distance between the southern and northern stations, those in the United States were chosen as far north as pos- sible, and fulfil the first two conditions. With these views, the transit of Venus com- mission selected a point near Fort. Selden, New Mexico, San Antonio, Tex., Cedar Keys, Fla., and the naval observatory at Washing- ton. The three southern stations, all between 29° and 33° N. Lat., presented marked difter- ences in their surroundings. The station in New Mexico was about 5,000 feet above the sea, with the air dry and cool. San Antonio has an elevation of about 600 feet, with a dry, warm climate. Cedar Keys is barely above the water of the Gulf of Mexico. In Noyem- ber the weather was hot and comparatively dry, with increasing dampness as the nights became cooler, about the first of December. Washington was chosen because a complete set of apparatus was in working order at the observatory. The party under my direction was assigned to Cedar Keys, which point we reached Nov. 4. The name Cedar Keys was formerly applied to the whole group of keys between the mouths of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers, but is now used to designate an active business town on Way Key, the largest of the group. This town sprang into existence after the close of the war, and is chiefly interested in the lumber, shipping, and fishing interests, while it is the shipping-point for all the cedar used by the Faber and the Eagle pencil companies, in the manufacture of pencils, ete. A site for the observing station was selected in a small park at the eastern end of the town; and the construction of the buildings and mounting of the instruments were pushed forward as fast as possible. The so-called soil of Way Key is simply a mass of white sand ; and in the grounds of the station, where a pipe well, with a pump, was sunk, the sand existed at a depth of at least fifteen feet. 1 Abstract of a paper read by Prof, J. R. Eastman before the Washington philosophical society, March 24, 1883. SCIENCE. [Vou. IL, No. 11. The buildings for the protection of the instruments were a transit-house, photograph- house, and the building to contain the equato- rial telescope; while a small storehouse was built to protect the stores, ete. The principal instruments were a portable transit, a 5-inch equatorial telescope, and a photoheliograph. The first two require no description. The photoheliograph consists of an objective of 5 inches aperture and about 40 feet focus, a heliostat for throwing the sun’s rays on the objective, and a plate-holder at the focus of the objective. The objective and the mirror of the heliostat are mounted on the northern pier at northern stations, and the plate-holder is mounted on a similar pier in the photograph- house. The accessory apparatus consists of a measuring-rod, permanently mounted, for ac- curately measuring the distance from the ob- jective to the photograph-plate; a moyable slide, with a slit of adjustable width for expos- ing the plates; and a circuit connecting with the chronograph in the transit-house, so ar- ranged, that when the exposing-slide is moyed to expose the plate, and when the centre of the slit is opposite the centre of the plate- holder, the circuit is broken, and the record made on the chronograph. A black disk is painted on the north side of the slide, and so placed, that when the slide is at rest at one end of its course, and the image of the sun is ad- justed concentric with this disk, it will fall on the centre of the plate-holder when the slide is moved. When all the adjustments are made, the exposing of the plates is quite a simple matter. The image of the sun is thrown by the heliostat upon the black disk and centred, the sensitive plate is fixed in the plate-holder, the operator moyes the exposing-slide, and the time of exposure is recorded on the chrono- graph. The plate is now ready to be deyel- oped ; and here the ablest photographer has an ample field for the exercise of all his skill. The first photographs were made Noy. 23. The weather was excellent till the last of November, when we had our first norther and a frost, followed by rain and another norther ; but Dec. 4 and 5 were clear and mild. At sunset on the 5th, a low bank of clouds was spread along the south-western horizon; but the sky was clear at midnight. On the morn- ing of the 6th, the southern and eastern sky was nearly covered with light cirrus and stratus clouds, with an upper south-west wind, while the surface wind was from the east. All the apparatus was examined, and found to be in good order; and the astronomers went to the equatorial telescope to observe the first contact. a ' = One , : OTe ‘ Q fe ; : j APRIL 20, 1883.] we <= it FS ee ' For observing contacts I used an eye-piece ' magnifying 216 diameters, attached to a Her- schel solar prism, and a sliding-shade glass with a density varying uniformly from end to end. The limb of the sun was remarkably steady. The assistant astronomer, Lieut. J. A. Norris, U.S.N., was to take the time of my signals from a mean-time chronometer, while with an obserying-key I was to make a record on the chronograph as a check. About forty seconds before the computed time of first contact, a narrow stratus cloud passed upon the south-eastern edge of the sun, and shut out all the light. The cloud remained - about three minutes; and, when it passed off, the notch in the sun’s limb was plainly marked. Two photographs were taken to test the appa- ratus and the plates; and then the time before second contact was devoted to an examination of the limbs of Venus and the sun. Both were perfectly steady. In observations of the sun for the Jast twenty years I never saw it better. At about thirteen minutes after first contact, the outline of the entire disk of Venus could be seen, and seemed perfectly circular. About two minutes later, a faint, thin rim of yellowish light appeared around the limb yet outside the sun. This rim was at first broadest near the sun’s limb, but soon the width of the light became uniform throughout. The light was wholly exterior. to the limb of Venus; i.e., the - black limb of Venus on the sun, and the dark limb outside, formed a perfectly circular disk with the rim of light, or halo, outside the por- tion off the sun. As the time of second con- tact approached, Lieut. Norris again took up his station at the chronometer. As the limbs neared geometrical contact, the cusps of sun- light began to close around Venus more rapidly ; and the perfect definition of the limbs, and the steady, deliberate, but uniformly increasing motion of the cusps, convinced me instantly that the phenomena attending the contact would be far more simple than I had ever imagined. I had only to look steadily, to see the cusps steadily but rapidly extend them- selves into the thinnest visible thread of light around the following limb of Venus, and remain there without a tremor or pulsation. At the moment the cusps joined I gave the signal, and also made the record on the chrono- graph. Still keeping my eye at the telescope, I saw nothing to note save the gradually in- creasing line of light between the limbs of the two bodies. The disk of Venus on the sun was black. All the apparatus connected with the photographic work was again examined ; and, at about ten minutes after second contact, SCIENCE. B01 each member of the party was at his station. Lieut. Norris, who had charge of the chrono- graph and the heliostat, was stationed at the latter instrument to see that at certain inter- vals the motion of the heliostat was corrected, and the sun’s image thrown in the proper direction. In the photograph-house, the as- sistant photographer, Mr. G. Maxwell, took each plate from the box, placed it in the plate- holder, called its number, and, after exposure, returned the plate to the properbox. My own share of the work was to record the number of the plate, move the exposing-slide, record the time of exposure of each plate from a chro- nometer as a check on the chronograph record and as a means of identification, and commu- nicate with Lieut. Norris by a system of signals on the measuring-rod. The chief pho- tographer, Mr. G. Prince, developed the last plate exposed until nearly all the clouds had disappeared, carefully watched all the photo- graphic manipulations, advised in regard to the length of exposure, etc., and prepared and developed, with occasional aid from Mr. Max- well, all the wet plates used during the day. After the clouds disappeared, measures of the diameter of Venus were made with a double- image micrometer attached to the 95-inch tele- scope; and then the photographic work was resumed more leisurely. It was intended to use dry plates for all the work; but difficulty in drying the first 150 which were coated, led me to the determination to coat anew only 150 plates, and leave the others to be used as wet plates if the dry plates should unexpectedly fail at the last hour. After eleven o’clock a.m., the clouds disappeared ; and, finding we had plenty of time on our hands, we exposed sia wet plates after each group of twelve dry plates. At about ten minutes before third contact we had exposed 150 dry plates and 30 wet ones. The majority of the dry plates were exposed with a slit 1.5 inches wide, while with the wet plates the width was three-eighths of aninch. On going to the telescope to observe the last contacts, I found the limbs of Venus and the sun as steady as in the morning; and, though there was now some haze over the sun, it did no harm. ‘The third contact was ob- served with great accuracy, nothing occurring to obstruct or complicate the very simple and definite phenomena which was in the reverse order of that seen at second contact. The rim of light appeared around Venus as soon as the limb was visible beyond the sun, and was seen for nearly ten minutes. The eom- plete outline of Venus was visible for two 302 minutes later. No phenomena worthy of note were seen between third and fourth contacts. The lapping of the limb of Venus over that of the sun gradually but steadily decreased, until the final separation was observed with great accuracy for such a phenomenon. Soon after the last contact, the entire apparatus was again carefully examined, and the necessary observations made to determine the errors of the chronometers. All the measures were made, also, for determining the exact position of the photoheliograph. The dry plates were developed in a few days ; and 146 dry plates and 30 wet ones were sent to Washington, all of which can be easily measured. Two dry plates were exposed in the forenoon, when the clouds were too dense, and no images were obtained ; and two others were accidentally broken. Inthe observations of interior contacts there was no trace of any tremor or fluctuation of the light in the cusps, as they closed around the limb of Venus; and it is almost needless to say, that there was no trace of a shadow or a black drop or ligament between the limbs at second and third contacts. The probable error of the second and third contacts was es- timated at 0.3s.; for fourth contact, 0.5s. Observers of transits of Venus and Mercury haye written so much in regard to the obstacles encountered from the apparition of the shadow or black drop between the limbs of the two bodies at second and third contacts, and so full has been the testimony in favor of the ex- istence, and the almost necessary occurrence, of this phenomena, that, at the transit of Mer- cury in 1878, many observers claimed, as evi- dence of their skill, that they did see it, while others less fortunate apologized for not seeing it. Observers of the black drop were so gen- erally confined to those with imperfect appa- ratus, or to those unaccustomed to observations of the sun’s limb or disk, that the true nature of the obstacle was pretty well understood before it was carefully investigated. It is now quite well settled, that the ‘ black drop’ is due to bad eyes, imperfect apparatus, or the inex- perience of the observer. With good eyes and proper apparatus, a good observer never should see the black drop: for, when it is seen, there is something wrong; it is a spurious phe- nomenon. A TELEPHONIC TIME-TRANSMITTER. Amone the various methods of distributing time, the telephone affords one commendable for its simplicity. Its use for this purpose does SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 11. not seem to be generally appreciated, and I know of only one contrivance adapted to it other than the one to be described. This one can be called a time-transmitter from its re- semblance in appearance and action to the Blake transmittér in ordinary telephones. It is the invention of Mr. C. W. Ruehle of De- troit, and has been in use at the observatory at Ann Arbor for about six months. Its beha- vior is in every way satisfactory. Its general character can be seen from the accompanying figures. Fig. 1 is the face view of the transmitter. Ata,a are the binding- Fie. 1. posts for the wires from the battery ; 6, 0, those for the wires of the telephonic circuit. Between the latter is a switch, not represented in the drawing, which enables the operator to cut out the telephone circuit when any thing goes wrong. c is a button, by pressing which the instrument can be set going. When started, it runs for two and one-half minutes, during which time the hand in the centre completes a revolu- tion. At the end of that time it stops, and can be started again only by pressing the button. In Fig. 2 we have a view of the interior. We have here ordinary clock-work, with the addition of a Rubmkorff coil at d, the unlock- ing part e, a circuit-breaker at f, and an inter- mitting-wheelg. This wheel moves to the right. a Aprin 20, 1883.] As it turns, the radiating bars on it are brought to a vertical position one after the other; and, while passing this position, they raise the lever suspended above, and, by the action of the pin atits end, keep the circuit open. They are so + placed and gauged that they hold the circuit open from 55 to 60 seconds of the first, and then of the second minute. Fie. 2. Each break in the primary circuit causes a distinctly audible sound in the ear-telephone. This sound is so loud that I have sometimes heard it across the room. As the circuit is broken each second for the first fifty-five sec- onds of each full minute, and for the full thirty of the last half-minute, the time-transmitter ' gives a series of seconds signals easily received at any telephone in connection with it. The intermission of five seconds at the end of each full minute serves to notify the receiver that the next minute is about to begin, and thus saves him the trouble of counting. In using the time-transmitter, the person who desires the time calls me up by telephone, and Istart the transmitter at the beginning of some “minute by his time. The correspondents are usually jewellers, and do not need to be told the minute at which the transmitter began. If they do need the minute, it can be given them verbally by the Blake transmitter. The suc- a. SCIENCE. 308 cession of beats and intermissions gives the receiver four opportunities for comparison ; viz., the beginning of the first, second, and third minute, and the end of two minutes and a half. An important feature of this method is its capacity for transmitting time to several or many persons simultaneously. In order to test this, Manager Keech of this place obligingly called up all the exchanges connected withus. Some did not respond ; but those who did —a dozen or fifteen in number, and distant in all directions from ten to seventy-five miles from us — all heard the beats of the transmitter distinctly, except at Port Huron. From this and some other tests, I concluded, that, by this method, the time could be received by at least twenty- five telephones simultaneously. M. W. Harrineton. PARENTAL INSTINCT AS A FACTOR IN THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIES. In a recent lecture at the Sheffield scientific school, New Haven, the writer called attention to the lack of maternal care as one of the probable causes, though usually overlooked, of the extinction of many of the large and powerful reptiles of the mesozoic age, and of the large mammals of the tertiary. The very small size of the brain and its low organization, in these early animals, are now well known, and we are justified in believing that their in- telligence or sagacity was correspondingly low. They were doubtless stupid and sluggish in their habits, but probably had great powers of active and passive resistance against corre- spondingly stupid carnivorous species. But, unless the helpless young were protected by their parents, they would quickly have been destroyed ; and such species might, in this way, haye been rapidly exterminated whenever they came in contact with new forms of carnivo- rous animals, having the instinct to destroy the new-born young of mammals, and the eggs and young of oviparous reptiles. Thus it would have come about, that the more intelligent forms, by the development of the parental instinct for the active protection of their young against their enemies, would have survived longest, and therefore would have transmitted this instinct, with other corre- lated cerebral developments, to their descend- ants. This mode of natural selection must always have been a very active one, wherever carnivorous mammals, birds, and reptiles, have existed in contact with herbivorous species. 304 Moreover, such Carnivora, among modern species, will also devour the eggs and young of other Carnivora. Therefore the development of equally strong parental instincts in the Car- nivora themselves would have come about in thesame way. Itis evident, that, in this man- ner, carnivorous animals of comparatively small size may have been the means of exter- minating the largest and most powerful beasts and reptiles. Among nearly all of the existing mammals and birds, the parental instinct is very remark- ably deyeloped in one or both sexes, usually more so in the female. Many species, now abundant, would soon become extinct if the parents did not have remarkable sagacity in protecting their young against numerous ene- mies. Many reptiles, fishes, insects, and still lower forms, also show wonderful maternal instincts. We cannot suppose that their an- cient allies had these instincts in the same way, nor to the same extent. In many cases the enemies to be protected against are of com- paratively modern origin. New modes of parental protection must, therefore, have been developed or acquired as new enemies ap- peared. The ways in which different species protect their young are exceedingly varied, as all naturalists know ; and many areas wonderful as any habits known among the lower animals. The development of the powerful parental instinct for the protection and care of the young, in the earliest races of man, must have been of vital importance in man’s struggle for existence in his primitive and comparatively helpless condition. In fact, it is evident, that without this strong impulse, and the intelligence necessary to make it effective, neither man, nor any of the species of mammals belonging to the higher orders, could haye existed, even for a short period. Possibly the variations in the degree of de- velopment of the parental care, in different races of man, may be connected with the in- crease of some races and the extinction or de- cline of others. A. E. VERRILL. LAKES AND VALLEYS IN NORTH- EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. H. D. RoG@ERs, many years ago, pointed out the connection between the lakes and the northern drift in Pennsylvania. In a recent report of the second geological survey,! Mr. White gives fuller informa- tion on this interesting question, and shows that 1@.6. Geology of Pike and Monroe Counties, by I. C. White; Special surveys of the Delaware and Lehigh Water- -gaps, by H. M. Chance. Harrisburg, 1882. SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 11. the numerous ponds north of the Delaware Water- gap (forty-two are enumerated) are generally held in either drift-barrier or drift-enclosure basins, though the depth of some of them seems partly dependent on local erosion in soft shale. The largest is about two square miles in area, and nearly all are less than forty feet in depth. Their shape is generally round or . oval; but Long Lake, a narrow expansion of Tunk- hannock Creek, three miles long, is an exception to the rule; and, unlike the others, it stands just_out- side the so-called ‘terminal moraine,’ or margin of the glaciated area. Glacial action is not regarded as having effected great destructive changes in the pre- existing topography, except in the way of ‘pushing or disrupting’ rocks that were divided into blocks by joints. The corniferous limestone, especially, has suffered in this way; and its great bowlders, ‘many of them as large as a good-sized house,’ are strewn beyond its outcrop over a scored and polished surface of cauda-galli grit. It would be interesting to learn if such corniferous bowlders are limited to the gla- ciated district, and do not occur farther south as a result of simple weathering. All the larger valleys of this region contain modified drift, on which the streams flow without reaching the rocky bottom. In ~ the Delaware and Lehigh valleys, this drift extends far beyond the limits of glacial action; but in the Schuylkill valley, which heads outside of the glaciated area, it is absent altogether (p. xvii.). At and above the Delaware Water-gap, the rocky channel is filled with drift to a depth of probably one hundred feet. All the line of outcrop of the Marcellus shale, from north of Rondout, N.Y., past Port Jervis, where the Delaware joins and flows along it, even beyond Stroudsburg, a distance of ninety miles, is an old, wide, deep valley, buried in stratified drift; but on passing out of the glaciated area, just south of Sciota, some distance after the Delaware turns southward through its gap, the same weak shale is occupied by a valley less than a tenth of its former width. It is therefore suggested that this buried valley was cut by streams under the ice of glacial times. Narrow post-glacial channels of moderate length, cut in the rock by streams turned from their open pre-glacial valleys by drift-obstruction, are found at several points. The drift-filling of the old Sawkill is as much as three hundred feet deep; and the falls on its new channel are a result and mark of its recent adoption. Raymondskill Falls have the same cause. The Wallenpaupack takes a short cut of two miles, instead of following its old path of four miles, to the Lackawaxen, and, on its new course, has eroded a gorge seventy-five feet deep, ending in falls with a total descent of two hundred and “sixty feet in a mile. Above the gorge, the stream meanders for ten miles over a broad, marshy flat, falling only half a foot to a mile, —the final stage of a lake that must have existed in the obstructed valley till the cutting of the gorge drained it. It is very plausibly suggested that all the cascades of this district ‘‘owe their origin to a similar diversion of their streams by the drift- dams thrown across their pre-glacial channels;”” and we believe that this cause of gorge, ravine and cas- cade has a very general application in'glaciated coun- tries. The greater part of the report following these introductory. pages is devoted to a detailed descrip- tion of the geological formations of the district. Mr. Chance’s surveys of the Delaware and Lehigh Water-gaps, in the same report, include fine illustra- tion of these notable cross-valleys in contour-line maps and vertical sections; but their description is chiefly geological. It may be noted, that the disloca- ‘ . 4 i APRIL 20, 1883.] tion that determines the position of the Delaware _ Gap is regarded as warping or gentle transverse fold- ing, rather than as a fault, as it has generally been considered (p. 838). The map of glacial striae includ- ed in this volume is constructed by Professor Lesley, from Mr. White’s observations. It shows a general trend of striae S. 20 to 30° W., but with significant deflections on approaching Kittatinny and Pocono Mountains. A perched bowlder was found on the top of High Knob, 2,010 feet above tide, and glacial scratches were observed on Pocono Mountain at an elevation of 2,15v feet. W. M. DaAvis. AN APPARENTLY NEW ANIMAL TYPE. Pror. F. E. ScHuLzs#, who already ranks so high among zo6logists, has now another claim to distinc- tion, through the discovery of an animal quite differ- ent from any thing hitherto known. The animal was observed in the salt-water aquaria of the zoélogical institute at Graz. Itis a thin plate, about 0.02 mm. thick, and only a few millimetres in diameter. It constantly changes itsform. It is trans- lucent, and grayish white in color. At rest it is rounded in outline, but may draw itself out into a long thread, which may so curl and twist, that it recalls a Persian or a Turkish letter. The move- ments are usually so slow as to be barely perceptible, as the animals creep along upon their under surfaces. Microscopic examination shows that the whole sur- face of the body is ciliated. Close under the upper surface is a layer of highly refractile balls from 5 to 8z in diameter, and distributed pretty evenly. Besides these, there are other balls nearer the under surface, which seem to be essentially different from those first mentioned. There is no indication of internal or- gans, nor of only bilateral or radiate symmetry: the organism is uniaxial. Schulze names it the ciliated plate, Trichoplax, with the specific name adhaerens, because it clings so closely to the surface on which it is moving. = Such an organism one would expect to find re- lated to the protozoa; far from it, for two different epithelial layers of cells form its upper and lower surfaces, and contain between them a fully developed layer of connective tissue. The upper epithelium is composed of large, flattened, polygonal cells: the lower epithelium, on the contrary, is composed of eylinder-cells, whose outer ends form a mosaic of small polygons, but whose inner ends terminate in processes that are lost in the connective tissue. This last, forming the middle layer of the body, consists of spindle-shaped and branching nucleated cells, which are probably contractile, and are embedded in ahyaline basal substance. The balls above mentioned are contained in large cells. There are, then, three layers, which from their relations would naturally be compared with the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endo- derm of other metazoa; but the justification of this comparison must await a knowledge of the develop- ment of the organism. Professor Schulze speculates as to the relationship of this creature, but finds it impossible to assign it to any known class. Although it has been watched for a year, no sign of metamorphosis or of reproduc- tion has been observed; but Schulze thinks it possible that it may have multiplied in the autumn by divis- ion. It seems to me that the animal bears a strong re- semblance to a sponge larva. The surmise that it is the young of a porifer may be a useful hint for the further study of this singular form. : SCIENCE. 305 The original article is published in the Zoolog. anzeiger, no. 132. CHARLES S. Mrnor. THE COLOR-PREFERENCES HIV E-BEE. Dr. HERMANN MULLER, who does not accept the results of Sir John Lubbock’s studies of this subject as very conclusive, has himself made a considerable number of observations in the same line (/tosmos for Jan.). Though too few to serve as a basis for very broad generalization, they give, so far as they go, a strong degree of proof to several points pre- viously theoretical. The colors experimented upon were not artificial, but actual floral colors, prepared for use by gumming fresh petals between two ordinary microscope-slides, care being taken that no protruding parts were left, and that the margin was sealed with gum-water, to prevent the possibility of any odor from the petals influencing the bees in their choice. The bees to be observed were at first accustomed to visit uncolored slides, smeared with honey, exposed close by their hive, and gradually removed, in the course of several days, to a distance of twenty-six metres, where they were replaced by two slides of the colors to be compared, similarly smeared, and placed one decimetre apart. Each bee was marked on its back with an oil-color, by which it was recog- nized on its different visits. It was found later, that bees from distant hives, if caught on flowers a few steps from the place of observation, and transferred to the honeyed slides under a tumbler that had been sweetened in the same way, usually returned regularly. In the different observations a number of marked bees were employed, both as a means of economizing time, and to compensate for the somewhat different preferences of individual insects. To eliminate the influence of location, the positions of the slides under observation were changed from time to time. The general results reached are as follows: — Leaf-green is less attractive to bees than the colors usually found in flowers adapted to pollination by them. The colors of these, which may be conveniently called bee-flowers, are, without exception, preferred to fulgent colors, like the yellow of buttercups and the scarlet of some poppies, which usually occur in flowers open to a mixed circle of visitors, or adapted to humming-birds. The extent of their choice in each case may be seen from the annexed table; the figures indicating the relative number of visits, on a basis of 1,000 to each bee-flower color. (Table I.) Fulgent colors are less attractive to bees than the neutral tint which precedes them in the development of the flower. Bright yellow is less distasteful than other brilliant colors, but it is least acceptable of the colors found in bee-flowers. (Table II.) Yellowish white and white are at least as attractive to Apis as many shades of purple, but less so than blue and violet. (Table III.) Blue is preferred to the red of bee-flowers, or is at least equally acceptable, in the shades tested. Pure deep blue is even more attractive than violet. (Table IV.) With the exception of blue, violet is more attractive than other colors experimented with. (Table VY.) Red, in the shades found in bee-flowers, constantly surpasses only yellow in its attractiveness for the hive-bee. It is equalled or surpassed by all other colors used for comparison. (Table VI.) OF THE SCIENCE. Fulgent colors. Bright yellow (Ranunculus) « “ “ *« orange (Calendula) G3 «¢ (Esscholtzia crocea) Red (Tropaeolum) Scarlet. (a) Papaver rhoeas (6) Canna (c) Pelargonium Scarlet (Papaver rhoeas) « « « Yellow of bee-flowers. Yellow (Potentilla anserina) Golden yellow (Viola tricolor) Deep yellow (Oenothera glauca) Yellow (Helianthus annuus) Golden yellow (Viola tricolor) Chrome-yellow (Paper) Yellowish white and pure white. Yellowish white (Viola tricolor) White (Lathyrus odoratus) Yellowish white (Lamium album) OY ‘© (Viola tricolor) “ “ “ a White (Paper) Yellowish white (Viola tricolor) Blue. Cobalt-blue Indigo (Aconitum napellus) Violet (Geranium pratense) Sky-blue (Borago officinalis) Pansy-blue (Viola tricolor) Deep pansy-blue « « “ Sky-blue (Borago officinalis) st (Echium) a (Borago officinalis) Corn-flower blue (Centaurea cyanus) Violet-blue (Lathyrus odoratus) Pansy-blue, with some transmitted yellow Violet. (Viola tricolor) « « “ « « “ “ “ “ ‘e “ “ Red of bee-flowers. Pink-red (Silene armeria) Purple (Trifolium pratense) Pure purple (Rosa) Dark purple (Lathyrus odoratus) Rose-color (Rosa centifolia) WS (Echium) Purple (Lanium maculatum) Bright purple (Geranium sanguineum) Dark « (Lathyrus odoratus) Pure “« (Rosa) Impure dark purple (Symphytum officinale) TABLE I. Bee-flower colors. Honey-yellow (Diervilla) White (Calystegia sepium) Rose (Rosa centifolia) “ “ oe Violet (Viola tricolor) Rose-color. Rosa centifolia “ « «6 “ Pink-red (Dianthus armeria) Blue (Centaurea cyanus) TABLE II. Other colors of bee-flowers. Purple (Trifolium pratense) at first later Yellowish white (Viola tricolor) Indigo-blue (Aconitum napellus) Pink-red (Silene armeria) Violet (Viola tricolor) Cobalt-blue (Paper) TABLE III. Other colors of bee-flowers. Golden yellow (Viola tricolor) Dark purple (Lathyrus odoratus) Purple (Lamium maculatum) Blue (Viola tricolor) “ “ « Sky-blue (Borago officinalis) Violet (Viola tricolor) TABLE IV. Other colors of bee-flowers. Chrome-yellow Yellow (Oenothera glauca) Impure dark purple (Sympbytum offi- cinale) White (Paper) Yellowish white (Viola tricolor) Violet (Viola tricolor) iG “ “ Bright purple (Geranium sanguineum) Violet (Viola tricolor) Rose-color (Echium) 0 «© (Rosa centifolia) Purple (Rosa) Dark purple (Lathyrus odoratus) Pansy-violet TABLE VY. Other floral colors. Golden yellow (Viola tricolor) Yellowish white (Viola tricolor) Purple (Rosa) Blue, with some transmitted yellow ° (Viola tricolor) Sky-blue (Borago officinalis) Deep pansy-blue (Viola tricolor) “ « “ “ « TABLE VI. Other colors of bee-flowers. Yellow (Helianthus annuus) oe (Potentilla anserina) Corn-flower blue (Centaurea cyanus) Violet-blue (Lathyrus odoratus) Sky-blue (Borago) ce (Echium) Yellowish white (Lanium album) Sky-blue (Borago) White (Lathyrus odoratus) Violet (Viola tricolor) Violet-blue (Geranium pratense) 615 : 437: 310 : 338 : 362: 164: 472: 530 : 493 : 167: 1000 : : 2250. 1000 1000 : 1000 : : 2000. : 2741. : 8200. : 3636. 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : + 1388. 1000 : : 2181. 1000 1000 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : : 1000. : 1000. 1000 1000 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : 1000 : : 1140. : 1209. : 1428. 1000 1000 1000 1000 : 1000 : : 1000. : 1000. 1000 1000 1000 : : 1055, : 1061. : 1256. 1000 1000 1000 1000 : : 1482. : 1848. 1000 1000 [Vou. L, No. 11. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1000. 1476. 1000. 1971. 507. 757. 942. 1214. 1777. 275. 500. 541. 562. 720. 700. 826. 800. 877. 947. 1000. 1243. 308. 458. 698. 804. 365. 677. 1000. 1321. W. TRELEASE. _ APRIL 20, 1883.] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [Correspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The writers name is in all cases required as proof of good faith.] United States geologists, sandstones, and the Keweenawan series. HAVING objected to certain current views in geol- ogy and lithology, especially those of one of the pre- ceeding U.S. geological surveys, it is with great pleas- ure I observe that some of the officers of the present U. S. geological survey, in recent publications, take concordant grounds, in several points, with those pub- lished by myself between 1877 and the summer of 1880. These are: 1°. The necessity for the essential union of field and microscopic work, the former to dominate in points relating to the origin of rocks, from the ina- bility of the latter to do what it was claimed it could; and as a reaction against the present too exclusive sedimentary theories; 2°. That propylite has no ex- istence as a rock species, but is an altered state of other rocks (principally andesite), its erection into a distinct species being due to erroneous microscopic and other observations; 3°. That the conglomerate beds of Keweenaw Point.are formed in the main from the débris of granitic and old rhyolitie and trachytic rocks (the basaltic débris is subordinate). Apropos of Mr. G. P. Merrill’s letter in SCIENCE, No. 8, it is proper to state, that, since sandstones are detrital rocks, the minerals contained in them would of necessity have the same inclusions as they had in the rocks from whose detritus the sandstones are formed; and that it has long been known to litholo- gists, and fully published in the past, that the quartz of sandstones contains fluid inclusions (both with and without moving bubbles), glass inclusions, tri- chites, ete. , Owing to some remarks in the same number, it is necessary to add somewhat to my previous letter upon Keweenaw Point geology. The evidence advanced by Logan, which Dr. Hunt finds so convincing, was mainly a difference in dip between the traps and sandstones when several miles apart; and all the evi- dences, as Logan says, only ‘“‘seem to support the suspicion that the sandstones may overlie unconform- ably those rocks, which, associated with the trap, con- stituted the copper-bearing series.’’ The ‘ Keweena- wan series’ was first founded on observations on Keweenaw Point; and it, of course, is to live or die there. The observations mentioned in my previous letter are clear, definite, and positive, and substan- tiate the views of Whitney, Selwyn, and Winchell. They include and explain those of the Michigan and Wisconsin geologists on which the series was based; and, until they are disproved, they definitely show that the Keweenawan series has no separate existence, but overlies, and is continuous with, the eastern sand- stone. Dr. Hunt’s argument is based on the dictum that the traps underlie the eastern sandstone; and hence his argument is void. Over two years ago the attention of Messrs. Selwyn, Hunt, Irving, and Win- chell was called to my observations; and, until they disprove them, it is difficult to see why they should ignore them, and enter upon an interminable theoret- ical discussion regarding a series which those obser- vations showed did not exist. Cambridge, Mass., April 3, 1883. M. E. WADSWORTH, The Ainos of Japan. A note in ScrrNcE of March 30, on the Ainos of Japan, seems to call for a word of comment. A residence of four years in the Island of Yesso, in the SCIENCE. 307 capacity of a government official, threw me in almost daily contact with the Ainos, and presented oppor- tunities for studying this most interesting people, which enable me to speak with some degree of assurance concerning them. That the Ainos of Japan have no race affinities with the Japanese is not to be denied: in fact, all authorities upon the subject, especially those who have studied the people in their own home, are unan- imous upon this point. It would seem, however, that, with regard to the Aino population, there is a diversity of opinion, which makes glaring discrepan- cies in the records given. Haying personal acquaint- ance with some of the authorities which Dr. Brauns cites, —i.e., the missionaries of Hakodate, — and having had abundant opportunity to verify the gov- ernment statistics by inspection of Aino settlements in various parts of the island, I cannot but feel justi- fied in the statement that the figures given by Dr. Brauns, and so often stated at random by others, are far too large. Statistics compiled for me from the government records show the following population, by provinces :— PROVINCE. Male Female. OMA oe 5 6 a ee 6 6 237 223 intakameve curren ce) ven ite pity fiers 2,561 2,709 Iburi . eres) her Camel ite 1,889 1,837 IGiNGS 58g 8 6 op ao 84 532 526 Lge se oo Pos a lola Nou.) to 635 614 AIO) 5 oO o ao jo a 9 Oo. 782 717 NRO o Soo op oo o o 6 229 244 Os) oC Go oo OO a ole 125 120 Soret oy G a Go o Ho 450 407 ALBION 9. 0 so a 1G or -6 theo 186 166 MIDE 5 G6 6 0 8 6 OOO 740 798 SRotale ten sean Vetere (fe ott 8,316 8,321 (CneyaGl Shoes 4 5 6 0 6 0 - 16,637 The province of Chisuma includes all of the Kurile Islands, while the other provinces are embraced in the Island of Yesso. Of the 1,058 Ainos in the province of Ishicari, 750 were brought from Saghalien when that island was ceded to Russia in exchange for the Kuriles, about the year 1876, and are those spoken of by Mr. Brauns as found near Sapporo. With regard to the number of Ainos found on the Asiatic continent, no reliable statistics are to be found; but it is probably large. The tribute which Mr. Brauns pays to the Aino character is certainly worthy of indorsement; and it would be a pleasure to add to what he says, were it not that want of space forbids, and that these facts will shortly appear in a more permanent form, as they are embodied in a book now nearly ready for the publisher. It only remains to add, that, while the figures given are undoubtedly very near the true population of the various Aino settlements, they cannot be taken as more than closely approximate. D. P. PENHALLOW. Houghton Farm, Mountainville, N.Y., April 2, 1883. PREHISTORIC TREPHINING. On prehistoric trephining and cranial amulels. By Ropert FietcHer, M.R.C.S. Eng., Act. asst. surg. U.S. army. Washington, Government printing-office, 1882. 32p.,9pl,cuts. 4°. Tuts brochure, which is a part of vol. v. of the Contributions to North-American ethnol- 308 ogy, gives in a very compact form the facts obtained in regard to the practice of trephin- ing among prehistoric races. The first communication on the subject was made by Broca in 1877. His attention was directed to certain crania, belonging to the age of polished stone, presenting curious losses of substance not to be explained by the action of weathering. What, then, was the cause of this, and what its object? Pathological anat- omy and experiment might answer the first of these questions quite conclusively, while the second lies within the realm of speculation only. The skulls in question usually had holes in them, the edges of which were partly sharp, rough, and irregular, and partly smooth, ebur- nated, and slightly bevelled. In a few the lat- ter condition alone was present. The smoothed edges were evidently the result of cicatrization, the diploetic portion having been replaced by a compact, bony structure, thus giving the ivory-like character. Such a process could only have taken place during the life of the individual. Congenital deformity, disease, or injury were the causes which could have given rise to a loss of substance of this sort. The first two are easily excluded for reasons which would at once be accepted as valid by those who have studied the changes produced in bones under such circumstances. An injury, then, remains to account for this; and such can be accidental or intentional. Of the for- mer sort those received in battle are the most common; and had the people of the neolithic time been armed with sharp, cutting weapons, the occurrence of these wounds might have been referable tothem. » mite, and treating of quite an extended list of subjects. The principal topics discussed are the quadrature and rectification of curyes, the determination of the areas and volumes of curved surface, the general theory of functions of a complex variable, and the application of this theory to the study of the Eulerian inte- grals and the elliptic functions. The first five chapters are devoted to geome- try, and contain applications which are chosen with a view to what is contained in the suc- ceeding chapters. Since, for the rectification of conics and the quadrature of plane cubics, it is necessary to consider integrals of the form S Ff (ay) du, where f (xy) is a rational func- tion of a and y, and y is the square root of a quartic function of x, the author takes up this general integral, and gives Legendre’s reduc- tion to the normal forms of the elliptic inte- grals, and also some of Tchebychef’s results concerning the cases where the elliptic inte- erals are reducible to algebraico-logarithmic functions. The next three chapters are taken up with an exposition of the more elementary properties of functions of a complex variable, the author giving an account of Darboux’s investigations relatively to the integral /? F (x) f (a) da, where F (a) is, between the limits, always positive, f (@) is a continuous function of the form (w) +7 (@), and where a and 0 are real. Another method, due to Weierstrass, for inte- orals of this nature, is also indicated. In the next four chapters the immediate consequences of Cauchy’s theorem are devel- oped, and an account given of Weierstrass’s and Mittag-Leffler’s investigations in the theory of uniform functions,sincluding their decompo- sition of a holomorphic function into prime factors, and their general expression for a uni- form function with an infinite number of poles, or of essential singular points, the last being due almost solely to Mittag-Leffler. The next three chapters deal with the Eule- rian integrals, and include Prym’s expression for T (w), and Weierstrass’s expression for and a demonstration by M. Hermite 1 T(a)’ of Laplace’s formula for the approximate cal- culation of IT (%), where x is a very large integer. 338 The next two chapters refer to functions which are discontinuous along a line, — Ap- pell’s and Tannery’s series, ‘and Poinearré’s example of a function haying an espace lacu- naire. As preliminary to Cauchy’s theorem concerning the number of roots of a polyno- mial contained in the interior of a contour, the expression is given by a line-integral of roots of an equation contained within a given con- tour. Then follows Cauchy’s theorem, the establishment of Lagrange’s series, Hisenstein’s theorem upon series whose co-efficients are com- mensurable, and which satisfy an algebraical equation, and the enunciation of Tchebychef’s theorem upon series with rational co-efficients, which may represent functions composed of algebraic, logarithmic, and exponential func- tions. The next chapter treats of multiform func- tions arising from the integration of uniform and of multiform functions, and of the means of reducing them to uniform functions by sys- tems of cuts (conpures). / The remaining five chapters treat entirely of the doubly- periodic functions. After first showing the multiple values of the elliptic in- teorals « of the first kind which correspond to the different paths traced out by the variable, and establishing the double periodicity of the inverse functions to this integral, he defines a function, ® (@), which conducts to the analyti- cal expressions for the doubly-periodic func-' tions. The function ® (a) is defined by the equations, — SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 12. O(e@ +a) = D(@ +b) = O(@) exp.[ — int ®(x) (2x +b) ], where & is an integer. Then follows the in- vestigation of the elliptic functions, including, of course, Jacobi’s ©, H, and Z functions, the definition of Weierstrass’s functions, Appell’s expression for doubly-periodic uniform fune- tions in the case where they possess essential singular points, and, finally, a demonstration by M. Goursat of Fuch’s theorem concerning the definite integrals A and A’, considered as functions of the modulus. It is perhaps to be somewhat regretted that the book is lithographed instead of printed in the usual manner ; but this is of comparatively little consequence, as the writing is very clear and legible. Thanks are certainly due to M. Andoyer, the editor, for the trouble which he must have taken in elaborating what would seem to have been merely a set of notes on — M. Hermite’s lectures. The whole matter has* been revised by M. Hermite, and the agere- gate result of his and M. Andoyer’s labors is a book which is a decided acquisition to mathe- matical literature. It is to be hoped that M. Hermite will see fit to go more fully into the subject of the functions of a complex variable, and that of elliptic functions, at a future time, and give to the world a treatise which will be more satisfactory than even the present yery valuable work. T. Crara. WEEKLY SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. ASTRONOMY. New measures of Saturn’s rings.—O. Struve gives the results of a series of measurements of the rings of Saturn at Pulkowa during August and Sep- tember, 1882, compared with a similar series, also taken by himself, with the same instrument, and at the same time of the year in 1851. In a memoir on the subject in 1851, he seeks to prove, that, while the outer diameter of the rings remains constant, the inner is continually shortening, basing his conelu- sions on the observations and drawings from Huy- gens’s time. If the conclusion were correct, and the contraction constant, the measures of 1882 should have given a per ceptibly shorter inner diameter than those of 1851. The inner diameter of the dark ring seems to be slightly shorter than in 1851, but the difference is not nearly so large as the theory calls for. The dark ring seems, however, to have changed since 1851. Then it seemed divided by a dark streak, the inner part being entirely separate from the bright ring. In 1882, all tr ace of this division had disap- peared, and the dark ring seemed to be merely a faint continuation of the bright ring. — (Ast. nachr., No. 2498.) M. Mon. [68 Formation of the tails of comets.— Mr. Rum- ford suggests that the repulsive force which is un- mistakably manifested in the formation of comets’ tails may be due, not to any electric action, or any imagined impulse of solar radiations, but merely to evaporation. A small particle from which evapora- tion is taking place on the side next the sun will be driven backward with a velocity continually acceler- ated; and, when more than half of the mass of the particle has been evaporated, the velocity of the residue may be much greater than the average veloci- ty with which the gaseous molecules are driven off from the heated body. In the case of hydrogen at a temperature of 70° or 80° F., the velocity thus ac- quired might be greater than a hundred thousand miles aday. If we suppose the evaporating material to be gases which have been liquefied by the cold of space (carbon dioxide and yolatile hydrocarbons), it becomes easy to account for a powerful repulsive action at distances from the sun even much greater than that of the earth. The writer suggests that the comet’s light may be in part due to the ‘ bombardment’ of precipitated particles by the evaporated molecules in the condition called by Crookes ‘the fourth state of matter’; so that, ‘“‘ without electrical discharges, a » "4 ee ao ee ee oe ee et ee ; Oe ye eee, ate PAR. ; APRIL 27, 1883.] _ —(Sitzungsb. akad. wissensch. Wien, 1882.) the whole phenomena of the continuous and bright line spectrum in the neighborhood of the nucleus may be accounted for.” He also discusses briefly some of the polarization phenomena of comets, and the envelopes which appear near the nucleus. The article is a very interesting and suggestive one; but in view of the fact that comets’ tails sometimes grow, not a hundred thousand, but more than a million Iniles a day, it is doubtful whether the proposed hy- ‘pothesis can be regarded as sufficient. — (Asir. reg., [689 March.) c. A. Y. GEODESY. Altitude of Lake Constance. — Part of the work Jaid out by the European geodetic commission con- sists in carrying an accurate series of levels across the country, and a share of this has recently been completed by the royal Prussian geodeti¢ institute. It is published as the Gradmessungs-nivellement zwi- schen Swinemiinde und Konstanz, by W. Seibt (Ber- lin, 1882), and records the altitudes of a large number of points from the Baltic, where the datum plane is the mean water-level from fifty-four years’ observa- _ tions, to Lake Constance, where connection is made with the Swiss triangulation. The railway station in Constance is 399.990 met. above the Baltic. — (Verh. ges. f. erdk., Berlin, 1882, 514, 538.) w.M.p. [690 MATHEMATICS. Symmetric functions.— Previous mention has been made of Mr. Durfee’s tables for the twelfthic. By a curious coincidence, M. Rehorovsky of Prague has, almost simultaneously with Mr. Durfee, com- puted the same tables. M. Rehorovsky’s tables differ from those of Mr. Durfee only in arrangement. The tables as arranged by the former are identical in form with those given by Prof. Cayley for the first ten orders in the Phil. trans., vol. 147; while those of Mr. Durfee are arranged symmetrically, and cannot be included in a half-square, as M. Rehoroysky’s are. T. C. [691 Maximum value of a determinant.— The ele- ments of a determinant being restricted to lie be- tween (— a) and (+a), Mr. Davis finds, that, for all determinants whose order is greater than 2, a numer- ical maximum is found by making all the elements of the principal diagonal = — a, and all the remaining elements of the determinant —-+a. In the maxi- mum cubic determinant De? a’, all of the strata are made identical, and equal to sD) . The value of this ; : 2 determinant is + n! De a’. Formulae are also given for hyperspace determinants. — (Johns Hopk. univ. cire., No. 20.) TT. c. [692 Functions of several variables. —M. Combes- cure seeks to develop completely the immediate conditions to be satisfied by an analytic function of several imaginary variables. Assuming 2), 22... 2 as the variables, these are defined by the equations 2; = a + iyj, wherej =1,2...m. Then the func- tion to be considered is F(z, 22...2n) = @+ iv. The differential co-efficients of @ and w of the first order are connected by relations precisely similar to those connecting these quantities when there is only one variable, 2: so, when one of the functions ® or w is given, the other may be found by simple quadratures. It is shown that the group of con- ditions ee ae determination of ¢ reduces itself to n(n the me TD) 5) partial differential equations of the second order, Az; ¢ = 0, where SCIENCE. 309 a a? Ank = ae, daz > dyn dyx? for h,k =1,2...m, and, of course, including the cases where h =k. These are the necessary and sufficient conditions to be satisfied by ¢. A means is given of representing @ analytically by an exponen- tial series, the co-efficients of which depend upon the sines and cosines of (a,7, +... + @@) and (Biy; +... + BnYn); @ @, as well as the constant co-efficients of these sines and cosines, being indeter- minate real quantities, to which we can give any values we please. — (Comptes rendus, Jan. 22.) T. ©. [693 ~Homologies and conics.—If L and M are two fixed points on a conic, K, and Pa variable point, then PH, perpendicular to L M, cuts again the circle 1, M P in a point, H, which describes a conic, K’. If the cir- cle on L. M as diameter cuts K again in E F, then L M and EF are the axes, and the point at infinity in the direction P H is the common centre of two of the twelve homologies which two conics in general de- termine. The ratio of corresponding areas of K and XK is constant, — a function of the eccentricity of K and of the inclination of L M to the focal axis of K. Given, on the other hand, the centre and axes of the homology, two triply infinite systems of conics, K and K’, can be determined; the conics of each system be- ing similar and similarly placed, and the common — points at infinity of one system being orthogonal to those of the other. All the conics of the plane are thus distributed into a doubly infinite number of triply infinite systems. The net of conics determined by three arbitrary points in a plane will give a doubly infinite number of conics, one out of each system, and hence will produce all the homologies of the plane, and each once only. There is therefore a (2,1) corre- spondence between the doubly pointed plane and the plane of the homologies. The discussion of these points by Luigi Certo is followed by an investigation of the variation of the ratio of corresponding areas, first, with the variation of the eccentricity, and, sec- ond, with the variation of the direction of the line LM. He also considers the distribution in the plane of the pairs of similar conics of which the system of conics through four points on a circle is composed. — (Giorn. mat., Xx.) C. L. F. [694 PHYSICS. Optics. Color of water.— W. Spring reviews the several explanations suggested to account for blue and green- ish colors of water in lakes and seas, — Bunsen’s idea of inherent color, Tyndall’s theory of reflection, and others, —and concludes that some further study of the question is needed. Blue from reflection would imply red by transmission, but this is not observed from diving-bells. The author concludes provision- ally that the color depends on the presence of certain salts, especially calcic carbonate in solution. The more complete the solution, the bluer the water. — (Rev. scient., 1883, 161.) Ww. M. D. [695 (Photometry.) Spectrum photometry.— MM. J. M. de Lépinay and W. Nicati have recently completed an inves- tigation of the relative brillianey of white surfaces when illuminated by different colored lights and by different portions of the same spectrum. In the pre- liminary experiments, two lights were employed, — a yellow and a blue one,—the blue light being the fainter. Their intensity was compared by means of a Rumford photometer, casting very small shadows. 340) Two experiments were tried. In the first, the yellow light remained stationary, and the blue one was moved towards the screen till equality of the shadows was obtained. In the second experiment, the blue light was left in its first position, and the yellow one moved away from the screen till the shadows were equal. On comparing the results obtained, it was found that they differed materially from one another. In another experiment the two shadows were cast so that when the eye was in a certain position they appeared of equal brilliancy. On approaching the screen, the blue shadow was found to appear more brightly lighted than the other; and, on going away from the screen, the reverse effect was observed. To further investigate these results, two methods of measurement were employed: 1. The intensity of the light corresponding to the different wave-lengths of the spectrum was determined by means of a Rum- ford photometer, as above described; 2. A small figure consisting of three short, broad, black lines, drawn on a white surface, was placed in different portions of the spectrum, and the intensity of the light increased or diminished until its outlines were just distinguishable. It was found that the results obtained by the two methods agreed almost exactly for the less refrangible portion of the spectrum, as far as wave-length 517; - but beyond that point the differences suddenly be- came very marked; and it was shown that a blue light had to be many times brighter than a yellow one in order to distinguish the same details by its aid; also, that the brighter the lights were, the more marked did this difference become. Now, for purposes of artificial lighting, whether public or private, the end desired is less to produce a luminous sensation upon the eyes than to enable us to distinguish the objects around us. It is there- fore concluded, that, for lights of equal brilliancy, the superiority of yellow sources (such as gas-flames and incandescent electric lamps) to sources richer in the blue rays, as the are light, is beyond question. — (Journ. phys., Feb.) Ww. H. P. [696 Electricity. Transmission of power.— Experiments relating to the electrical transmission of power were made on the 4th of March last, in Paris, at the Chemin de jer du Nord, before a commission of the French institute, composed of MM. Bertrand, Cornu, Tresca, de Lesseps, and de Freycinet. The resistance of the line was 160 ohms, —a resistance equivalent to that offered by a copper wire 106 kilometres in length, and 4 mm. in cross-section. The power applied to the generating-machine was equivalent 10 4.4 horse- power ; and the rotation of the generating armature was varied from 380 to 1,024 revolutions per minute in order to ascertain the effect of speed of rotation upon the mechanical return at the other end of the line. As the general result of the experiments, ‘ La Lumiere électrique’ announces that the available power transmitted was 47.5% of that which actu- ated the generating-machine.— (Za Lwm. électr., March 17.) A, G. B. [697 ENGINEERING. Steel for structures.— Mr. Ewing Matheson dis- cusses at considerable length the important question of the modern use of steel for engineering-works. The author commences by stating the following prop- ositions: 1. Rolled plates and bars of the various forms required for structures are now made of steel with as much certainty, in regard to quality, as iron of the first class; 2. Advantages in regard to size SCIENCE. 4 [Vou. I., No. 12. and weight of pieces can be obtained in steel, which in iron are either impossible, or can only be had at very great expense; 3. Steel has a superiority in strength, ranging from once and a half to twice that of iron, and at the same time a more than proportion- ate superiority in ductility and elasticity; 4. Steel can be bent, straightened, cut, punched, planed, and drilled with the same tools and processes that are used for iron, and, for the most part, without extra force; 5. Protection against rust is of more impor- tance for steel than for iron, but, if treated in the same way as is usual with iron, steel is less liable to waste by rust; 6. Owing to the above advantages, structures of steel are superior to those of iron, but — economically it is only in some cases in regard to ships, and in still fewer cases in regard to bridges, that there is at present any pecuniary advantage in using steel; 7. This limit to the application of steel is due partly to official rules, which restrict the work- ing-strains on steel, and partly to exigencies of de- sign, which hinder the reduction in size and weight of members to the extent which its superior strength might otherwise allow; 8. Although, for the above reasons, steel structures may cost more than iron ~ without any immediate compensation, yet, if meas- ured by actual units of strength and durability, steel is cheaper as well as better for all but very small struc- tures; 9. The employment of steel may be encour- aged and extended by a fuller knowledge, among those who use it, of its qualities, by facilities for verifying these qualities by exercising a wider choice of the kind of steel suited to the purpose in view, and by such a liberal alteration of the present official rules as will allow fuller advantage to be taken of steel than is usual or permitted at present. The simplicity of manufacture, as compared with that of rolled iron, renders almost certain a nearer approximation in cost, if, by a wider permission, the demand for steel should increase. Hach of the above points is taken up in de- tail and carefully considered, the admiralty specifica- tions for steel plates for ships are given, the question of steel riveting is examined, the important matter of rust is discussed, and an extended comparison is made between the weight and cost of iron and steel for bridges. The whole paper is of great value, and well worth careful study. — (Proc. inst. civ. eng.) @. L. V. [698 Recent hydraulic experiments.— At a meeting of the Institution of civil engineers held in London Noy. 14, 1882, Major Allan Cunningham gave an account of an extensive course of experiments on the flow of water in the Ganges canal, extending over four years (1874-1879), the principal object being to find a good mode of discharge measurement for large canals, and to test existing formulae. Not less than fifty thousand measurements for velocity were made, and six hundred for surface slope, while five hundred and eighty-one cubic discharges were measured under very varied conditions. Forty measurements of evap- oration from the canal surface were made in a floating pan, during twenty-five months. The results showed the movement of water in such a canal to be in many respects quite different from those before reported. — (Engineering, Noy. 17, 1882.) @. L. v. [699 Railroad accidents, and the earth’s rotation, — R. Randolph shows that the deflective force arising from the earth’s rotation is entirely too small to de- termine derailments, and also, that, as an excess of right-handed derailments has been credited solely to north and south tracks, this proves it to be wholly im~ aginary; for the deflective force at any latitude is the same for all directions (Van Nostrand’s engin. mag., 1883, 117). The numerical results given are but half a fais _ the same path, at short intervals. _ APRIL 27, 1883. ] their true value, as two elements of the deflective force are omitted (ScIENCE, p. 98); but this does not affect the author’s conclusions, as the deflective force is still insignificant, and, for a fast train in this latitude, amounts to but about sou of the weight. —W. M. D. : [700 The type of modern marine engines. — Con- structing-engineer Albrecht, of the Austrian navy, discusses the various forms of engines and boilers which have been proposed or used, gives data and indicator-diagrams for various ships, shows that the compound engine effects a saying of fifty-seven per cent over the simple, and pronounces the three- cylinder compound engine the most economical and best. — (Mitth. gebiete seew., x. 9.) C. H. M. [701 Torpedo-nets:— Lieut. Sleeman, R.N., proposes to render torpedo-nettings useless as a protection for ships by sending one Lay torpedo after another, in The first breaches the net; the second passes the breach, and explodes against the ship.—(Journ. de la flotte, Feb. 18.) Cc. E. M. ; _ [702 Pendulum-chronograph.— Capt. Caspersen, of the Danish army, has devised a chronograph for ballistic purposes, which consists of a pendulum pro- longed above its point of suspension so that it can be arrested at its extremities at will by levers con- nected with electro-magnets. A horizontal wire is _ fastened at the point of suspension, with its ends bent so as to dip in cups of mercury; and thus, when the pendulum is oscillating, the contact is made alternately on the two sides, and registered automatically on a dial. The instrument measures with precision the hundredth of a second. — (Mitth. gebiete seew., x. 9.) CO. E.M. [703 CHEMISTRY. (General, physical, and inorganic.) Conduct of moist phosphorus and air to- wards carbonic oxide. — In repeating the experi- ments of Leeds and of Baumann, Prof. Ira Remsen and H. H. Kaiser observed a copious precipitate on passing the mixed gases through barium hydrate. When, however, all contact of the gases with corks and connectors was prevented, there was no formation _ of barium carbonate. — (Amer. chem. journ., iv. 454.) C.F. M. [704 White phosphorus.— A modification of phos- phorus, quite different in its properties from the variety hitherto known as white phosphorus, was obtained by Remsen and Kaiser in the distillation of ordinary stick phosphorus. The distillation was conducted in an atmosphere of hydrogen, and the distillate collected in a receiver partly filled with water andice. At the end of the distillation a thin white cake was found floating on the surface of the water. It dissolved readily in carbonic disulphide, melted at the same temperature as the common form, and, on melting, was transformed into the latter. Tt withstood the action of sunlight longer than ordi- nary phosphorus. — (Amer. chem. journ., iv. 459.) C.F. M. [705 Specific heat and valence of thorium.—On further study of the metal thorium, L. F. Nillson finds that it is tetratomic, and that its atomic heat caleulated from the mean of several determinations of the specific heat 0.02787 is 6.4. Analogous to sili- - con, it forms a fusible alloy with platinum ; and the composition of its chlorplatinate corresponds to those of tin and zirconium. — (Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 153.) ©. F. M. [706 Formation of arsenides by pressure. — Whena SCIENCE. 341 mixture of zinc filings and arsenic in powder was sub- jected to a pressure of 6,500 atmospheres, W. Spring observed the formation of an arsenide (Zn;As.). Corresponding arsenides of lead (Pb;As.), cadmium (Cd,As,), and of copper (Cu;As,), were also pre- pared. Varying the proportions-of copper, CugAs» and Cu,2As. were formed. Tin gave Sn;As,, and silver Ag,;As and Ag,As, the latter a brittle mass of metallic lustre and gray color. — (Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 324.) C.F. M. [707 Production of apatites and wagnerites con- taining calcium bromide. — When sodium bromide is heated to a temperature just above fusion, and cal- cium phosphate is added to it, A. Ditte states that well- developed hexagonal pyramids separate on cooling, which have the composition Ca Br, . 3(Ca;(PO,).). On heating calcium bromide and calcium phosphate together, a compound (Ca Br, . Caz (P O,)2) corre- sponding to wagnerite crystallizes in long needles. If calcium arseniate is used, instead of the phosphate, in the preceding experiments, in the first case the com- pound CaBr» .3(Ca3(As O,4)2) crystallizes in hex- agonal pyramids, and, in the second case, Ca Bry . Ca; (As O,). is formed. When vanadic acid is fused with sodium bromide and calcium bromide, the chief , product is a bromo-vanadate, Ca Br, . 3(Ca;(V O,)2). The corresponding wagnerite (Ca Br. . Ca (V O,4)2) results when the acid is fused with pure calcium bromide. Analogous compounds may be formed in which calcium is replaced by other metallic elements. — (Comptes rendus, xevi. 575.) C. F. M. [708 _ The atomic weight of lanthanum.—Since the atomic weight of lanthanum was reduced by the re- sults of Brauner to 138.28 from 1389.15, the value for- merly obtained by Cleve, the latter sought to verify or disprove Brauner’s result by a more careful prepa- ration of the material from which the atomic weight was determined. From 1.5 kilos. of the mixed oxides of cerium, thorium, lanthanum, and didym- ium, the first two elements were removed by treat- ing the partially decomposed nitrates with water, and didymium by fractional precipitation with ammoni- um hydrate. The seventh fraction was converted into the sulphate, and submitted to fractional crystal- lization. The last mother-liquor contained 10 grms. of the sulphate, which, on analysis, gave 158.69 as the atomic weight. Since a trace of didymium could still be detected by the spectroscope, the fractional crystallization was continued until analysis showed a constant percentage of lanthanum. The mean of several determinations gave 138.22 as the atomic weight. Cleve seeks to explain the difference be- tween his results and those of Brauner by the dif- ferent methods employed to obtain pure material. He thinks, that, since Brauner depended upon a frac- tional crystallization of the oxalates, his product may have contained a trace of yttrium. — (Bull. soc. chim., xXxxix. 151.) ©. F. M. [709 METALLURGY. Silver-milling at Charleston, Arizona. — Ac- cording to Mr. W.- Lawrence Austin, the ore, as the mine was developed, gradually changed, and was found to carry wulfenite (molybdate of lead). The bullion resulting from milling this changed ore ran down to from 200 to 300 fine. The fineness was again restored to 970 by stamping much finer, and giving up altogether the grinding in the pans; departing from the usual custom of stamping, 35 mesh to the inch, aud grinding, and also by the use of lime in cleaning the amalgam. Cerussite and galenite did not cause the same trouble as wulfenite. — (Hng. min. journ., Jan. 27.) BR. H. R. [710 342 Refractory bricks.— The waste liquors from manufacturing potash salts at Stassfurt and Leo- poldshall, containing 27 to 80% of chloride of mag- nesium, are now saved. The evaporated salt is treated, at an elevated temperature, with highly superheated steam in an oxidizing flame; and nearly chemically pure magnesia and hydrochloric acid of 21° Baume, are obtained. This magnesia is well adapted, not only for making the cement of oxychlo- ride of magnesia, but also for making magnesia fire- bricks, now so much used. — (Eng. min. journ., Feb. . 24.) R. Wk. Proposed modification in copper-smelting. — Paul Johnsson proposes to heat the 35 to 40 % copper matte, derived from cupola or other furnace smelting, in a Siemens furnace, and to direct a blast of air upon the surface of the molten metal, in order to oxi- dize the impurities, and to bring the matte forward to blister copper in one operation of 12 hours. He esti- mates that 20 tons of matte could be treated in one furnace, with the labor of 10 men, in 24 hours; while, by the old method, 8 calciners, 4 reverberatory fur- naces, and 40 men, would be required to do the same work. —(Eng. min. journ., March 3.) R. H.R. [712 Bessemerizing matte in a reverberatory fur- nace.—H. M. Howe refers to the article of Paul Johnsson (Eng. min journ., March 3), and claims that the credit of the process belongs to the Orford nickel and copper company, and not to Paul Johns- son. —(Eng. min. journ., March 17.) Rk. H.R. [713 GEOLOGY. Lithology, Lithology of the Hisengebirge.— The rocks of the Hisengebirge of Bohemia are divided by Helm- hacker into three groups, — crystalline schistose rocks, crystalline massive rocks, and clastic (fragmental) rocks. Under the first are described rocks classed as amphibole gneiss, gneissoid granulite, porphyroid, mica schist, and phyllite; under the second group are placed red granite, gray granite, gneissoid granite, syenite, granite porphyry, quartz porphyry, felsite porphyry, diorite, diorite aphanite, diabase, gabbro, uratite diorite, corsite, and troktolite; and of the last, a diorite-tuff-conglomerate only is described. Under the name ‘ porphyroid,’ a term well known in the early part of this century and previously, Helm- hacker places rocks which resemble quartz and felsite porphyry, but have a schistose structure. They pos- sess a felsitic groundmass and crystals arranged in more or less parallel layers. Phyllite is divided into staurolite, andalusite, and ottrelite phyllite, and fruchtschiefer and lydite. In the thin section, the first is seen to possess a groundmass composed of sericite plates, between which biotite scales and mag- hetite grains were lying. The staurolite lies porphy- retically enclosed in this groundmass, and shows agere- gate polarization. In the second, the groundmass is principally composed of biotite scales and magnetite or anthracite grains. The andalusite in the thicker sections is of a pale rose tint; in the thinner, color- less. The ottrelite schist or phyllite was formed by the contact metamorphosis of black argillite with granite. ‘This formation of ottrelite schist, by the action of intrusive rocks, agrees with the present writer’s observations on Lake Superior (Bull. mus. comp. zo0l., vii. 45). The ottrelite or chlorotoid plates are surrounded by a very fine, granular, scaly groundmass, formed principally of a muscovite-like mineral, which polarizes brilliantly. The irregular polygonal ottrelite plates have a pale grayish-green color, and are plainly dichroic. They are homogene- SCIENCE. ae [Vou. I., ‘No. 12. ous, and, excepting some dust-like grains of magne- tite, are free from inclusions. The term ‘troktolite’ is the equivalent of the more common one ‘forellenstein’ ; and the diabase-tuff-con- glomerate belongs to that class of rocks which the present writer named in a briefer way, in 1879, poro- dite (I. c., v. 280). Our space forbids an adequate idea of an extended paper filled with details. — (Arch. natur. landesdurchf. Bohmen, 1882, v. 87.) M. EB. W. [714 METEOROLOGY. Winds on sea and on land,—Mr. Alexander Buchan has recently discussed the observations of the wind made by the Challenger during its cruise of three years and a half, ending with May, 1876. Observations of the force and direction of the wind were made on 1,202 days, at least 12 times each day. Of these, 650 were on the open sea, and 552 near land. The seas were the North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific, and the Southern Ocean. Mr. Buchan finds the diurnal range of the wind- velocity on the open sea very small, not varying more than 1 mile, on either side of 17.5 miles per hour, during the 24; while near land the range was very marked, being nearly 15 miles per hour at 2 p.m., and only a little over 11 from 9 p.m. to8 A.M. This he explains from the fact that the daily range of surface- temperature, for example, on the North Atlantic, is only .7°; and hence over the ocean the atmosphere rests on a floor the temperature of which is all but constant day and night. On approaching the land, however, the daily range of the temperature of the air over the sea becomes materially augmented, and amounts to 4.39; and we know, from all observa- tions, that on the land the range is still greater. This shows that the phenomena of the daily range of wind- velocity is intimately associated with that of the sur- face-temperature. Mr. Buchan writes, “‘So far as concerns any direct influence on the air itself, con- sidered apart from the floor or surface on which it rests, solar and terrestrial radiation do not exercise any influence in causing the diurnal increase of the wind-velocity with the increase of temperature.’? On nearing land, the wind is everywhere greatly reduced in force, the retardation being due chiefly to friction. The winds were found lightest over the North Pacific (14.5 miles per hour), and strongest over the Southern Ocean (23.5 miles per hour). — (Nature, March 1.) H. A. H. [715 Rainfall of New South Wales.—A valuable map by H. C. Russell, for 1881, shows a fall of forty to sixty inches at several points along the coast north and south of Sydney, and diminishing to twenty or even ten inches on the plains of the Darling River, some five hundred miles inland. —(Journ. roy. soc. NV. S. Wales, xv.) Ww. M. D. i _ [716 Weather-predictions in Australia. — All the Australian colonies being now counected by telegraph, it is proposed to issue daily, at Melbourne, a weather- chart, showing atmospheric conditions at nine A.M., and attempting predictions for the following day, especially when cyclone disturbances show them- selves within the vicinity of the coast. Most of these storms come from the southern Indian Ocean, and move east or north-east, sometimes running ashore, sometimes passing south of Tasmania. As the ba- rometer falls on their approach, warm north winds come down with increasing strength from the heated interior country. Rain is generally heaviest with these winds, but sometimes falls to a considerable amount after the storm-centre has passed, the wind veering through the north-west, as a rule, but some- ss ApRIL 27, 1883. | times backing through the east when the centre passes inland. Australia sends storm-warnings by cable to New Zealand. Nearly every barometric depression observed in the former region reaches the latter, re- quiring two or three days for the intermediate ocean- passage. —(Zrans. roy. soc. Victoria, xviii.) Ww. 0 me PHYSICAL GHOGRAPHY. Hawaiian Islands.— Preparatory to his studies of the Cascade range, Capt. Dutton, of the U. 8. geological survey, visited the Hawaiian Islands last year. He regards Kilauea formed independently of Mauna Loa, and describes its lava-lake. The colos- sal eruptions of Mauna Loa were especially remark- able: that of 1855 would have built Vesuvius. The mountain has no cinder-cones; and when in eruption there is no roar of vapors or cloud of steam, but a huge river of fiery lava wells forth like water from a radial fissure on the mountain flank, sometimes begin- ning as a great fountain several hundred feet high, then swiftly flowing down toward the sea. The lava being very liquid, the volcano is abnormally flat, and, as yet, if has no streams or ravines upon it; but there are many long tunnels in the lava, which lead the drainage underground. Mauna Kea has numer- ous cinder-cones, which form striking features on its slopes. The difference between the erosion on its windward and Jeeward sides is very marked. The other islands were also examined. Haleakala, on Maui, presents grand scenery in its deep valleys; Oahu and Kaui are also deeply eroded, implying a cessation of their activity earlier than that of Hawaii, but not necessarily an earlier beginning. — (Amer. journ. sc. 1883, 219.) Ww. DM. D. [718 ; GEOGRAPHY. 4 (Aretic.) Norwegian arctic fishery in 1882.— The fish- eries from Troms6 and Hammerfest employed 575 persons, in 67 vessels of 2,654 tons total burden, and produced, in 1882, 148 walrus, 5,839 seal of all spe- cies, 117 beluga, 49 polar-bear's, 211 reindeer, 332 kilos ' eider-down, 65 hectolitres whale-blubber, 261,400 had- dock, 369 hectolitres of haddock-livers, and 2,480 of other fish-livers, — having a total value of some 210-, ~ 000 kronor, or about $60,000. — (Deutsch. geogr. bl., [719 vi. i. 1883.) Ww. H. D. Commerce of the White Sea.— In curious con- trast with prevalent notions about the arctic regions, are the statistics of trade between the four ports of Norwegian Finmark and the Russian ports of the White Sea, especially Archangel. In 1881 four hun- dred and seventy vessels, employing over two thou- sand men, visited the Finmark ports; and in 1882 a ' still larger number, bringing goods, chiefly the prod- uct of the rich fisheries of the White Sea, to the amount of more than $700,000, and receiving cargoes for Russia of nearly equal value. — (Deutsch. geogr. bl., vi. i., 1883.) W. H. D. [720 (Asia.) Persia.— Stack’s ‘Six months in Persia’ (2 v., New York, Putnam, 1882) is an entertaining narra- tive of an overland journey by one well fitted for it from his knowledge of the language of the country. His descriptions seldom have an especially geographi- ¢al turn, as most of his route had been fully described before; but one would like to hear more of the burial of the old town of Askizar in drifting sands (ii. 4), of the depth to which the rivers have cut in the alluvial SCIENCE. 343 slope at the foot of the mountains, so as to be out of reach for irrigation, and of the ascent of Demavend (ii. 179). The characteristic Persian landscape is desert plains bordered by rugged mountains, with villages along the lower slopes where they can get a supply of water. The accounts of the people’s dis- satisfaction under Persian misgovernment; of their apparent desire for external control, and their wonder whether it will come from Russia or England, of which they have very indistinct notions; and of the polyglot society in the larger towns,—are all of inter- est. A chapter is given on the outfit necessary for travelling in comfort; and a number of route-maps illustrate the several parts of the journey from Bushir to Karmin, Ispahan, Tehran, and the Cas- pian, — W. M. D. [721 Southern Persia. — Persian exploration seems to be attracting much attention in England; and the March number of the Royal geographical society’s proceedings is almost entirely occupied with the ac- counts of recent travellers there, and the discussions their narratives excited. Col. Champain points out the small amount of trade carried on with Persia by British merchants, and shows that Russian wares are superseding British in the Persian markets. This he ascribes to the wretched condition of the roads from the southern coast of the country and in Turk- ish Arabia, and advocates an attempt to improve them, as well as to build a railroad from Baghdad to Khanakin (100 m.), and to improve the channel of the Kartin River where obstructed by rocks at Ahwaz. G. S. Mackenzie, of the house of Gray, Paul, & Co., at Bushir, on the Persian Gulf, described his expe- rience on inland journeys, made some years ago, as far as Ispahan; and, while he considered it too soon to project railroads there, he thought much could be done by improving the rivers and roads. Capt. H. L. Wells gives detailed narrative and surveys of sey- eral routes across the mountainous country from Bushir, inland to Ispahan, and from Lake Niris, near Shiraz on the south-east, as far as the Karun River, 300 miles to the north-west. Although far better than the deserts of central Persia, the towns are generally forlorn and dirty, and the roads are very rough. Lake Niris is also quite unlike the flat swamps of the desert regions farther east, as its shore-line is very irregular, its banks are often pre- cipitous, and numerous rocky islands rise from its blue waters. It was found to have a large extension to the east from its north-western end, not previously explored, known as Tasht or Nargis, joining the main lake by a narrow passage. The lake has no outlet, and its waters are bad but drinkable. Ruins and, cuneiform inscriptions were found at several points. — w. M. D. [722 Yesso. —This northern Japanese island is de- scribed by Dr. Brauns of Halle as even more pictur- esque than Dai Nippon. Its surface is sharply broken by mountain and valley, and the voleaniec peaks and leaping streams give it a most attractive landscape. Voleano Bay, north of Hakodate, with numerous cones rising to six thousand feet around it, is named as one of the most beautiful places in the world. The central part of the island contains a bold and high range of old crystalline rocks, bordered by the heavy miocene lignite formation, and the fossiliferous pliocene strata. The voleanic rocks belong with the latter, and consist of the true eruptive masses (Lyman’s ‘old volcanic formation’) and the later stratified tuffs, which often cover extensive areas. No glacial action is recognized in the quaternary deposits. Brief notes are added on the fauna and flora. — (Verh. erdk. Berl., 1883, 43.) w. M.D. [723 344 BOTANY. Cryptogams, Action of light on Algae.— Berthold has made a minute study of the action of light on seaweeds, especially Florideae, and gives the results of his ob- servations on species growing near Naples, and of his cultures made at the zoélogical station in that city. Under the influence of feeble illumination, the species studied turned towards the light; but, when stronger light was used, they turned from it. He considers, in detail, the effect of light in modifying the growth and branching of different species. Many seaweeds are, at some seasons of the year, covered with color- less hairs, whose function has hitherto been supposed to be connected with absorption of nutritive material. Berthold denies this supposed office of the hairs, and maintains that they act as a protection against too bright light, and states that exposure to light is fol- lowed by an lincrease in the growth of hairs. He also gives an explanation of the iridescence of certain species, which is produced by the formation of small plates on the outer part of the cells, as in Chylocla- dia, or by globular or irregular bodies in the cells, as in Chondria and Cystoseira. He denies the existence of any true fluorescence in such cases, which he con- siders to be merely instances of iridescence, and as- serts that the plates and globules act as shields against too strong light. He also attributes a similar func- tion to the calcareous incrustation found in Chara and seaweeds like Acetabularia and Corallina. — (Pring- sheim’s jahrb.) W. GF. [724 Fertilization of red seaweeds.— Professor Fr. Schmitz has published some general observations on red seaweeds, in which he advances the view that the thallus in this group of Algae is always of a fila- mentous origin, no matter what the cellular charac- ter of the nfature frond may be, and secondary cell- divisions never include the axis of the primary cells. He considers, in detail, the fertilization and the for- mation of the carpospores, and is of the opinion that there is no indirect impulse transferred from one cell to another at a distance, even in genera like Dudres- naya and Polyides, but that there is always a direct transfer of cell-contents. The abstract question of the nature of the sexuality in Florideae, as compared with that of other orders, as Ascomycetes and Col- lemaceae, is treated at length; and he unites the Bangiaceae with Chlorophyceae, rather than with Hlorideae, as has recently been done by Berthold. — (Bericht. akad. wiss. Berlin.) Ww. G. F. 725 Phenogams, Influence of sunny and shaded localities on the development of foliage-leaves.—Stahl of Jena has given considerable attention for several . years to the effect which light has in the deyelop- ment of the assimilative tissues. It has been held by some that the degree of exposure of a leaf unfold- ing from the bud can have no influence upon the character of its cells, except so far as etiolation or blanching might produce it. Upon reviewing all the evidence in the light of his recent researches, Stahl thinks that in shaded places the leaves have a less well-marked palisade system, whereas in full sun- light they develop a better palisade system and a less well-characterized spongy parenchyma. The author is convinced that these facts in regard to the partial adaptation of leaves to their surroundings should be borne in mind in the selection of the amount of light in our greenhouses. The paper is well illustrated. — (Zeitschr. naturwissensch., xvi.; N. 8., ix. 1, 2.) G. L. G. |726 SCIENCE. The largest flower.— Dr. Thurber gives an ac- count of the pollination of Rafilesia, written in an interesting way for young readers. The immense mottled flowers, with an expanse of three feet and a weight of fifteen pounds each, are dioecious. They are fertilized by flesh-flies, attracted by their carrion odor. — (Amer. agric., April.) w. T. [727 ZOOLOGY. Coelenterates, Structure and development of nematophores. — As the result of his study of the nematophores of Aglaophenia, Antennularia, and Plumularia, Merej- kowsky concludes that we must abandon the old view that a nematophore is an amoeboid mass of sareode, since the use of reagents shows that it is made up of distinct nucleated cells. These cells are derived from both layers of the body; the endoderm forming the central axis, and the ectoderm the outer layer. The nematophore is usually divided into two parts, of which one shows no power of motion, and contains a battery of very large lasso-cells; while the second portion is very movable, and exhibits amoeboid changes of form. The active portion is composed entirely of ectoderm, while the immovable portion contains an endodermal axis. The active portion pre- sents a peculiar type of histological structure, since its cells are embedded in and surrounded by a struc- tureless layer of contractile protoplasm, which has in itself the power of active change, and to the contrac- tile power of which the amoeboid movements are due. This’ protoplasmic layer seems to correspond to that which unites together the cells of labyrinthula; and something similar is found in sponges. Merejkowsky’s investigations of the development of nematophores haye led him to believe that these structures are neither organs which have been ac- quired for a special purpose, nor specialized polymor- phic hydranths, but simply degenerated hydranths. In support of this view, he says, that, when a colony. of Plumularia halicioides was kept over night without a supply of running water, the tentacles and oral ori- fice disappeared, the whole body became reduced in size, and the hydranth thus became converted into something which bore a very close resemblance to a nematophore. The ectoderm gave rise to long pseu- dopodia, and changed its form continually, exhibit- ing amoeboid movements which were almost exactly like those of a true nematophore. — (Arch. zool. exp. gén., 1882, 4.) Ww. K. B. {728 Worms, Haplobranchus, a new serpulid.— A. G. Bourne describes Haplobranchus aestuarinus, a new species of serpulid, belonging, apparently, to the Sabellidae, but differing from all known forms. H,,=N OH); from allylacetone, allylace- toxime (C;H,,=N O 1); and from suberoue, suber- oxime (C;H,;,.=N OH). Of still greater interest was the formation from camphor of camphoroxime, — Cy) H,,0 + NH.OH = HO + Cy Hy, = NOH. This reaction is a strong indication of the ketone character of camphor. Hydroxylamine was without action upon borneol and menthol. With chloroform the following reaction took place: — CCl; cl—C=NoHn | .. +2NH,0H = 2HCl + H,0 + \ H —C=NOIL CoH Chloroform. Monochlorglyoxime. Max Wittenberg and V. Meyer employed the hy- droxylamine reaction to prove the constitution of benziland benzoin. If the formulae hitherto accepted are correct, two molecules of hydroxylamine should be absorbed by benzil, — C,H;— CO” NH,OH 1+ = 2H,0 + C,H;—CO NH,OH and one molecule by benzoin, — Cys — CO Cio; = c = NOH C,H; — CHOH C,H; — CHOH On trial it was found that one molecule only of hydroxylamine entered into the reaction in either ease. ‘To mike sure that hydroxylamine acts the same upon the group —CO—CO-— as upon the group —CO—CHII,-—, the reaction was tested with glyoxal, with the following results: — HCO Nu,OH HC = NOH I = =2H,0+ | HCO NH,OW Ic = NOH Benzil cannot, therefore, be a substituted glyoxal. These investigations will be continued in different directions to determine which of several possible formulae represents ils constitution. — (Berichte deulsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 494, 500.) ©. r. ut. |766 OH; — € = NOH D | C,H, — C = NOH + NH.OH = H,O + (glyoxime). May 4, 1883.) , The alkaloids of nux vomica.—On heating _ brucine in sealed tubes with concentrated hydro- ehlorie acid, W. A. Shenstone found that the tubes opened with great pressure, and that methyl chloride eseapeil in large quantity. The formula of brucine _ may be regarded as derived from that of strychnine, _ by replacing two hydrogen atoms in the latter by two - methoxy! groups: — Cy Mon ( Ho) NsOg Oo; Ho (CHy0)2N205 Strychnine, Brucine. For the purpose of testing this hypothesis, the de- €omposition with hydrochloric acid was performed on a quantitative basis, which gave 79 per cent of the amount required for two methoxyl groups. When the contents of the tubes were dissolved in water, alkalies precipitated a base which proved to be too unstable for examination. The results obtained with hydriodie acid were still less satisfactory. Esxperi- ments will be next tried with strychnine. — (Journ. chem. soc., ecliii. 101.) ©. F. M. [767 - Certain substituted acrylic and propionic acids. —Dr. C. F. Mabery described several acids belonging to these series, which he had obtained in various ways. By the addition of chlorine to B-dibromacrylie acid, a dichlordibrompropionic acid (CBr.Cl —C HCl —COO HF) was formed, which will be desienated as the y-acid, to distinguish it from the a- and #-dichlordibrompropionie acids previously investigated. A molecule of hydrobromic acid was removed from the y-acid by the action of aqueous barice hydrate, with the formation of a dichlorbroma- erylic acid (C Br C1=C C1—COOT!). In like man- ner, from the a- and P-acids, baric hydrate removed hydrobromice acid, giving the corresponding substi- tuted acrylic acids, whose structure is yet to be deter- mined. It was hoped that a chlorine addition-product of brompropiolic acid could be formed, since it would serve as a means of comparison; but on trial it was found that four chlorine atoms were taken up, in- stead of two, forming tetrachlorbrompropionic acid (C Br Cle —C Cl, —COOH); melting-point, 225°. Chlorine was also absorbed by chlorbromacrylic acid. From the resulting trichlorbrompropionic acid (CCl.Br—CH Cl1—COOTI) barie hydrate elimi- nated hydrobromic acid, with the formation of tri- ehloracrylic acid (C Cl,=CCI—COOH). These substances will be submitted to further study. — (Harvard chem. club; meeting April 24.) [768 AGRICULTURE. Rancid butter.— According to Hagemann, the peculiar properties of rancid butter are due to the presence of free butyric acid, and other volatile fatty acids. ‘These are set free from the glycerides of the butter by the action of the lactic acid arising from the fermentation of the small quantity of buttermillc retained by the butter. That the liberation of butyric acid itself is not due to a fermentative action, was shown by the fact that all attempts to render butter rancid by adding to it the butyric ferment failed, and also by the fact that rancid butter failed to infect fresh butter. That the explanation given above is an adequate one, was shown by mixing both lactic acid and other dilute acids with butter or with pure butier-fat, the fat speedily becoming rancid in all cases. The same effect was produced on artificial butyrin. To prevent butter from becoming rancid, the buttermilk should, in the first place, be removed as thoroughly as practicable. In the second place, any thing which will prevent the lactic fermentation will, of course, remove the cause of -the evil. The author does not enter into a consideration of the Most suitable meairs of doing this, further than to SCIENCE. 367 point out that acids (such as salicylic acid) are not applicable, since they themselves are liable to act on the fat, and render it rancid. — (Landw. vers. stat., XxvVili. 201.) .P. A. [769 Ropy milk.— Schmidt finds that the ropiness of milk, which is sometimes observed, is caused by the action of a microscopic organism, which he describes, upon the milk-sugar. The same organism acts also upon cane and grape sugar and on mannite, convert- ing them into a substance resembling vegetable mu- cilage in its properties. Small quantities of acid are produced, but no carbon dioxide. The fermentation appears to resemble, if not to be identical with, the mucilaginous fermentation of wine. The organism acts most energetically at 30°—40° C., and is destroyed by heating the fluid containing it to 60° C. or over. Freezing does not destroy it; and, if dry, it withstands a temperature of 100° C. Only comparatively large quantities of antisepties prevent its action.—(Landw. vers. stat., XXvill. 91.) HH. P. A. [770 GHOLOGY. Geology of Brazil. — Professor Edward D. Cope made a communication based upon a collection of vertebrate fossils from Brazil, recently placed in his hands for study. As his examination of the material was not yet completed, he could only allude to the leading points of interest in connection with the geology of the United States and western Europe. The localities in which the fossils in hand were found are all south of the Amazon River. The eastern and western ranges of mountains correspond to our Alleghany and Rocky Mountains, and are approxi- mately of the same age. A cretaceous formation is found in the neighborhood of Pernambuco. There are bare fossiliferous deposits near Sergipe, while the beds near Bahia are evidently lacustrine. The fossils from Pernambuco include several genera of sharks, and a genus of crocodiles identical with Hyposaurus of New Jersey. There is found with these a fine genus of rays, the teeth of which were described. These generaindicate this cretaceous formation to be near the top of the series, correspond- ing to the Maestricht chalk, or our number 5. At Maroin was found a new species of fish of the genus Pyenodus. He believed it to belong to the order Isos- pondyli; although it is very different in general form from the herrings, salmons, and other recent fishes belonging to the order. The form of the basilar bone of the pectoral fin, which the speaker considered of first-rate importance as indicating the relationship of the genus, was observed, and indicated that the position assigned was the correct one. The region about Bahia furnishes many fishes and saurians, but no cretaceous mammalia have as yet been discovered. There are two species of herring, —a small one, six inches Jong; and a large one, two feet long, resem- bling Hyodon and Chirocentrus. Crocodiles and dinosaurs are abundant, the former indicating higher beds than those at Pernambuco. A gavialresembling Holops of the New-Jersey cretaceous No. 5 was also found in these beds, which may be said to represent the Laramie deposits of the western United States. A tertiary horizon in Bahia has so far produced but one fossil, —a new species of Toxodon. The age is pampean. In San Paulo the beds seem to be Permian, and haye yielded one batrachian form, which may, however, be ecarboniferous. The head bones of a large fish, the locality of which was not known, were also described. During the pliocene period the verte- brate fauna of Brazil was’very distinet from that of North America; but the fossils now being studied 368 : indicate a marked similarity in earlier periods, — (Acad. nat. sc. Philad.; meeting April 10.) (771 Lacustrine formations of St. John, N.B.— As studied in the deposits of Lawlor’s Lake, G. F. Mat- thew finds these to have begun about the middle of the terrace period, when the sea, which had _pre- viously submerged this portion of the coast to a depth of 200 feet, had so far shoaled as to bring up the land within 65 feet of its present level. During the inter- val between this epoch and the present time, a series of layers has been deposited, resting upon the marine Saxicava (or Macoma) sands below, and consisting, in succession, of lacustrine clays, lacustrine peat, peaty marl, and pure marl, to a depth of about 81 inches. From the character and relations of the de- posits, together with the vegetable and animal remains which they contain, he finds it possible to trace out a number of successive phases in the lake-history of the region, accompanied, probably, by equally marked climatic differences. Among the plant-remains ob- Served, the most interesting are those of the Chara- ceae, of which particular descriptions, accompanied by figures, by Dr. T. F. Allen, are given. In addition to the spores of Chara, fragments of wood (some of them gnawed by the beaver), bark, cones of evergreen trees, bud-scales and leaves, and fruits of several Species of land-plants, occur. A small fragment of charcoal was also found some distance below the surface, indicating, probably, the presence of man. The character of the plants is regarded as presenting a more northern facies than those dwelling in the same region to-day. ‘The variations of the molluscan fauna attendant upon the changes in the condition of the lake are especially interesting, and have been made the subject of particular study by Prof. Hyatt. — (Bull. nat. hist. soc. N.B.) wu. w. B. (772 Lithology. The Cheviot andesites and porphyrites. — The Cheviot district is composed largely of a series of quartzless eruptive rocks, to which the name “porphyrite’ is usually applied. They have a com- pact felsitic groundmass porphyritically enclosing numerous felspars. The color is generally dark purple or red. They are much altered ; and amys- daloidal varieties are found. In addition to the ordi- nary porphyrites, there occur masses of volcanic ash and breccia, and also a rock known as pitchstone porphyrite. ‘These porphyrites have been described by Teall under the name ‘andesites,’ regarding them as more or less altered andesites. Mr. Teall describes the mineral constituents as felspar, pyroxene, magnetite or mennacanite (a glassy base containing various devitrification prod- ucts), apatite, and hematite or biotite. The fel- spars contain numerous inclusions of the base, and are principally plagioclase. The pyroxene is in elon- gated, octagonal, and irregular crystals and grains. ‘The erystals are sometimes twinned, and he regards them as augites. The inclusions in the augite are glass cavities and colorless microlites. The eround- mass is described as a ‘felted aggregation of micro- lites in a glassy base.? The present writer has preferred to denominate this as a ‘felty base.? The microlites of the felty base Teall regards principally as felspar. The alteration products appear mainly to be siliceous. The age is stated to be ‘ post-silurian and pre-carboniferous.? Some specimens were later examined by Dr. H. Rosenbusch of Heidelberg, the leading European lithologist. He found that part of the pyroxenie constituent was orthorhombic, prob- ably hypersthene, while the remainder is augite. SCIENCE. [VoL. I, No. 13. The constantly increasing discovery of other min- erals besides augite, in the andesites, is leading, in the present system of nomenclature, to a series of distinct names for rocks structurally and chemically alike, and will probably in time cause the abandon- ment of the mineralogical nomenclature of rocks. In this case it should lead to the employment of the term ‘andesite’ alone. — (Geol. mag., March, 1883.) M. E. W. [773 GEOGRAPHY. (Arctic.) Worthern notes. — Later adyices have been re- ceived from the British party at Fort Rae. After - experiencing a miniature shipwreck on Great Slave Lake, they arrived at Fort Rae in the latter part of August. Sept. 1, meteorological, and, two days later, magnetic observations were begun. Winter set in Nov. 1. The minimum temperature of the air to Noy. 30 was — 43°C. The latitude of Fort Rae was determined to be 64° N., a degree farther north than previously supposed. Corrections in the position and shape of Great Slave Lake also seem necessary. ~ The party were well, and work progressing fayor- ably. They expect to return in October, 1883. The plans of Baron Nordenskiold for the present summer in Greenland have been in part made public. South-west Greenland is to be visited, and a study of the inland ice from that direction is contemplated. Later in the season, when the usual lane of water forms between the pack-ice and the south-east shore north from Cape Farewell, the party will proceed in umiaks, or sealskin canoes, as far as circumstances will admit, with the view of reaching, at the head of some of the fiords, the highlands which exist in east Greenland, and which are believed to be partly free from glaciers. ‘Traces of the ancient Norse colonies at Ost-bygd are among the things to be sought for, though the present weight of evidence is in favor of the theory that these colonies were on the south rather than on the east coast, and that they are rep- resented by the well-known stone ruins of south Greenland. — Ww. H. D. [774 Siberian notes. — Number four of the quarterly Isvestia of the imperial geographical society for 1882 (printed 1883) contains an article by N.S. Shtukin on ‘ Popular traditions of eastern Siberia,’ which contains much interesting matter, and some amusing instances of ideas associated by the residents with certain ancient monuments. Another by the same author is, ‘ An explanation of certain picture-writings on the cliffs of the Yenisei River.’ These are figured, but are not particularly, remarkable, except as being the work of invaders from the far south, perhaps Persians. - Camels and pheasants are among the animals represented. U. V. Arsenieff discusses the consequences of early publications on, and explora- tions of, the Amur River. Bussé continues his valu-- able (separately paged) bibliography of the literature of the Amur region. The first edition of this bibliog- raphy, containing 522 titles, appeared in 1874. The present edition is brought down to 1881, the forty- eight pages already published including 973 titles. The work, which will probably be completed in. the next number, is announced to contain, in all, 1,416 titles, divided under appropriate subjective subheads, but catalogued by authors. Of the proposed bibliog- raphies of Hoevert and of the academy of sciences, nothing has lately been heard, which makes the result of private enterprise so much the more wel- come. Bussé’s titles are condensed, but sufficiently full for reference, and a large proportion refer to articles in Russian periodicals. — Ww. H. D. [775 z 3 4 , r: J : i x f May 4, 1883.] ? (Africa.) , Abbé Guyot on eastern Africa.— This enter- prising missionary leader gives a summary of the difficulties encountered in entering Africa from Zan- ziljar in his several expeditions since 1879. His party included at times as many as six hundred persons, among whom brawls were very frequent, and deser- tion aid robbery were prevented only by the strictest presented the greatest danger. ~ watch, In passing the numerous Ugogo villages, there was always delay and much palaver concerning the imposts collected of travelling parties. The fever Sixteen of his thirty- _ five missionaries died of it in three years, and four more were killed by the negroes. Bad reports are spread by the Arabs about the Europeans, who are represented as woman-stealers and cannibals. The abbé bought and brought back with him four native children, who are now baptized and learning Latin, as preparation for the study of medicine; for as doc- tors they can exert the greatest influence. Guyot was considered a great magician, because he cured a native sorcerer who was unable to cure himself. It was hoped that the Louaha, flowing from the coun- try east of the lakes to the ocean, might prove an easy means of communication with the interior; but it was found unnavigable. Large game was common, and gave plenty of food for cheap living for the cara- vans. The natives call ‘gli, gli!’ when hunting the hippopotamus; and, if within hearing, it rises from the shallow, muddy banks of the river, and comes towards them. This was tried many times, and always proved successful. The friendly native tribes are good-hearted; but they must be allowed their Own peculiar ways, such as shouting and dancing all night to do honor to the white travellers to whom they had presented food. The abbé hopes soon to go to western Africa, and ascend the Kongo. — (Comptes rendus soc. géogr. Paris, 1883, 44.) w.M.D. [776 Climate of the upper Senegal.— M. Colin, phy- sician of Commandant Derrien’s topographic party to the upper Senegal in 1880-S1, divides the year there into a dry and a wet season, and two transition periods, —the dry season, from Noy. 15 or Dee. 1 to March 15, with nights and early morning hours cool, and days supportable; transition, from March 15 to May 15, still dry and healthy, but very warm and uncomfortable for Europeans; the rainy season, from -May 15 to Oct. 15, cooler and often cloudy, without evaporation from the marshes, and hence still healthy ; the second transition, from Oct. 15 to Noy. 15 or Dec. 1, still somewhat rainy, but with subsidence of rivers and drying of low plains, excessively unhealthy. — (Comptes rendus soc. géoyr. Paris, 1883, 86.) w. u D. 777 Country of the upper Niger. — Commandant Gallieni’s second paper gives many details on the hy- drography and population of this region, and a few notes on its geology. The rocks are chiefly horizon- tal sandstones, showing barren plateaus, separated by fertile valleys, in which the streams are subject to rapid and regular floods, rising in June, and falling in December. The Niger is considered in three parts. The upper stream begins at the rocks of Sotuba, ten kilometres below Bammako, and extends through the broken country to its head waters, but even here probably in part navigable for small steamboats. The middle course includes the least-known part of the river from the rocks of Sotuba to the falls of Busa. Here the stream flows in numerous channels through a flat country, which it enriches. An active river-trade in slaves, cattle, gold, etc., is carried on between large villages on its banks. This division is more navigable than the first. The lower course XN SCIENCE. 369 extends from the falls of Busa to the sea, and has often been ascended a considerable distance by trad- ing-vessels. The total length is over 2,000 miles. Several of the towns described have well-constructed fortification walls, which are illustrated by plans and figures. On the assault of the village Gubanko in 18$1, a hundred cannon-shot were needed to make a breach two or three metres wide. — (Bull. soc. géogr. Paris, 1882, 616.) Ww. M. D. (778 BOTANY. Cryptogams. . Ohio fungi.—In a paper on the Mycologic flora of the Miami valley, Mr. A. P. Morgan has given descriptions of eighty species of Agaricus belonging to the division Leucospori, found in south-western Ohio. The paper is accompanied by four colored plates, in which are figured six new species of Agaricus. — (Journ. Cine. soc. nat. hist., vi.) Ww. G.F. [779 Diseases of trees.— The third part of the Unter- suchttngen aus dem forstbotanischen institut of Mu- nich contains several articles on the diseases of woody plants caused by fungi. Dr. H. Mayr has a paper on the disease of maples, linden, and horse-chestnut, caused by Nectria cinnabarina. Prof. Robert Hartig describes a new species, Rhizomorpha (Dematophora) necatrix, which he considers to be the cause of the root-rot in grape-vines. The Rhizomorpha produces conidia, which are figured by Hartig; but he was unable to find ascospores of any kind. While recognizing that the root-rot is caused by a species of Rhizomor- pha, he differs from Millardet and Frank, who con- sider that the Rhizomorpha is the same as R. fragilis, which develops into Agaricus melleus; and, on the. other hand, he differs from Prillieux, Thuemen, and others, who attribute the rot to a growth of Roesleria hypogaea, which Hartig considers to be merely a sa- prophyte which occasionally develops on the diseased roots. Hartig calls attention to the fact that in Ger- many the white pine of the United States (Pinus strobus) is especially susceptible to fungous diseases, and mentions several destructive fungi which are prone to attack it: among others, he cites Perider- mium pini. In this respect the experience of Ger- man mycologists does not agree with observations made in this country, where the white pine is appar- ently less liable than some other species to attacks of the Peridermium. — w. G. F. [780 Insects and the spermogonia of Uredineae. — For seyeral years Rathay has been studying the rela- tions between the rust-fungi and certain insects which visit their spermogonia to feed upon the spermatia and a sugary excretion which is found with them. The fragrance of the spermogonia of a number of species —e.g., Puccinia suaveolens of the Canada thistle—has been noticed by everybody who has studied these fungi; and the brightly colored spots in which they occur is equally well known. What bene- fit the fungi derive from the visits of ants and other insects is still to be shown, and will probably remain a mystery until the true function of spermatia is understood; but there is some reason for believing that the color, fragrance, and sweet secretion of their spermogonia are designed, like the similar peculiari- ties of many phenogamic flowers, expressly to at- tract these visitors. — (Denkschrift. wien. akad., xlvi.) We ats [781 Phenogams, Wotes on Echinocactus.— Mr. Thomas Meehan announced the discovery of sensitive stamens in Echinocactus Whipplei. The motion of the stamens, when touched, was not instantaneous, several seconds 3710 sometimes elapsing before the effect was observed. The flowers of this species are unable to expand to any great extent, on account of their short tube sur- roumled by strong and stiff spines, If the flowers could expand, as in Opuntia, and the stamens lie flat, as in that genus, the motion might be equal. As in Opuntia, the motion was not always up tewards the pistil, but might be horizontal, to the left or te the right: there seemed to be norule. The bending was from the base, as the filament retained a perfectly straight line during the movement. Mr. Meehan further remarkel, that, in descriptions of cactaceous plants, the relative length of petals or stamens to the pistil was often given. He had observed, that in many species, near the period of the ejection of the pollen from the anther-cells, the stamens and style were of about equal length, but that the latter con- tinued to grow after the maturity of the anthers, and, in Hehinoeactus Whipplei, would finally reach to near half an inch above. He had not been able to get any genera of Cactaceae to fruit under cultivation, except Opuntia, unless they were artificially pollenized. By the application of the flower’s own pollen to the stigma, they usually perfected fruit. His specimens of Echinoeactus Whipplei and E. polyancistrus had bright purple flowers, although the latter were usually described as yellow or greenish. — (Acad. nat. sc. Philad. ; meeting April 10.) [782 The relations of heat to the sexes of flowers. —Mr. Thomas Meehan remarked that he had ob- served that a few comparatively warm days in winter or early spring would bring the male flowers of mo- noecious plants to maturity, while the female flowers remiined to advance only under a higher and more constant temperature. He believed this accounted for their frequent barrenness. Last spring the male flowers of a specimen of Corylus avelliana were past maturity befure the appearance of action in the female flower-buds. There were consequently no nuts on this tree last season. The present season was one of unusually low temperature, and the hazel-nut had not had its male blossoms brought prematurely forward. The male flowers were showing their anthers, while the female buds had their pretty purple stigmas protrud- ing. We could therefore predict with confidence a full crop from the tree which the season before was barren. — (Acad. nat. sc. Philad. ; meeting April 10) 7 ( Systematic.) Grasses. — Dr. Vasey proposes to publish, in con- nection with F. L. Scribner, a full catalogue of North-American grasses, and in a cireular gives the names merely of twenty-nine new species and varie- ties, mainly based upon recent collections, but as yet unpublished. Mr. Scribner continues his list of the grasses of Pringle’s collection in Arizona and Cali- fornia, giving descriptions of the less familiar species. He also de-cribes a new Poa from the head waters of the Sacramento, and a viscid species of Diplachne from near ‘Tucson; though of the latter he says, ‘It is not improbable that it has already been described in works not accessible.’? — (Bull. Torr. bot. club, March, 1853.) s. w. [784 Wew ferns.— Mr. Lemmon’s researches in the Huachucha Mountains, near the boundary-line in Arizona, add several species to the list of United- States ferns. Prof. Eaton describes five such species, previously known only from Mexico or farther south, —a Polypodium, a Notholaena, a Pellaea, a Cheilan- thes, and two Aspleniums. He adds a new Notho- laena, from California and Arizona, hitherto confused with N. candida, and notes the discovery of Asple- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 18, nium montanum in Connecticut. — (Bull. Torr. bot. club, March, 1883.) s. w. [785 Lythraceae. — Koeline concludes the strictly sys- tematic portion of his monograph with the genus Lagerstroemia, of twenty-one species, chiefly of central Asia, China, and Japan (two native to Aus- tralia, and one in Madeira), and Lawsonia, of a single species, the ‘Henna’ of the orientals, widel cultivated in the tropics, but of uncertain origin. discussion of the geographical distribution and of the morphology of the order is to follow. — (Zngler’s vot. jahrb., March, 1883.) s. w. [786 ZOOLOGY. Protozoa. Investigations on certain Protozoa.— Dr. August Gruber, the skilful observer of Protozoa, has published a memoir in which he describes two new salt-water rhizopods, and reports new observations on certain Infusoria, and the conjugation of Actino- phrys. The first new rhizopod is named Pachyimyxa hystrix. It is distingnished especially by an envelope composed of little rodlets, standing perpendicular to the surface. In this envelope are pores through which simple, not branching, lobate pseudopodia can be extended, as in a foraminifer. ‘The animal can slowly alter its form. It is brown in color, and has in its interior numerous bodies which may be small nuclei. In the same aquarium a similar animal was observed, but which had no envelope. Gruber con- siders this second form as probably the same species in a different condition. The second new species, Amoeba obtecta, is very small (0.03-0.04 mm.). It builds itself a granular dome-shaped house, It has no contractile vacuole; but a nucleus may be brought out by reagents. As they move about little, they are usually found in colonies. In part second (Infusoria) a new species (S. guttula) of Spongomonas is deseribed. The minute round or oval flagellate animals live each in its tube; but the tubes are all united together to form a hollow sphere. Gruber suggests, that, as they occur in putrid water, they have gathered together around a bubble of oxygen, and so come to form a hollow colony. The genus Stichotricha is remarkable among hypo- trichous Infusoria for forming a protective covering. Gruber describes several forms, which may be only varieties of S. socialis, besides another form, which he names 8. urnula. It lives in a transparent, mem- branous, flask-shaped shell, has the characteristic ciliation of the genus, two oval nuclei, to be seen only in stained specimens, but no nucleoli were detected. Over the body are flexible cilia, capable of acting alternately as cilia and pseudopodia. The animals multiply by division ; the two daughter- animals living a while in one shell, until one wan- ders forth, and forms a new shell, usually near by, so that a colony may be thus formed. Gruber also refers Kent’s Chaetospira and Hudsou’s Archimedea to Stichotricha. Besides the usual fusion of two or many individual Actinophrys, Gruber has observed the fusion as rather absorption of a small Actinophrys without a nucleus by a big nucleated individual. There is no reason for believing that either form of fusion is coneerned with reproduction. Tinally the author advances some general considerations to show that the nucleus has no importance for those functions of the cell-body which stand in no direct relation to reproduction ; namely, movement, assimilation, ex- cretion, and growth. It may also be without influence on the external form. — (Zeitschr. wiss. zool., XXxXviil. 45.) ©. 8. M. [787 May 4, 1883.] Mollusks. Large American pearls.—Some remarkably large pearls have been obtained, during the last fishing- season, at the fishery near La Paz, in the Gulf of California. One found in December, — the largest on record from this region, — weighing 75 carats, sold on the spot for $14,000, and is considered to be worth much more. Another very perfect one, of 47 carats, is valued at $5,000; and a third, at $3,000. It is many years since such good fortune has attended the divers of this region, though the produet of pearls of moderate size has been tolerably constant. — (Mea. JSinancero, Jan., 1883.) Ww. 1. D. [788 Ottawa Unionidae. — The researches of Mr. F. R. Latchford among the fresh-water mollusks of the vicinity of Ottawa have heen fruitful of results. In “Notes on Ottawa Unionidae,’ he mentions fourteen species of the genus Unio, of which one (U. borealis Gray) is new, and apparently valid. three species of Margaritana, and ten of Anodonta. Previously, only twelve species altogether had been recorded from this vicinity. The paper is full of in- teresting biographical details in regard to the species enumerated, and their varieties. The author notes the asymmetry of the embryos of Unio in Anodonta fluviatilis, Unio luteolus, and U. borealis, and infers it for Unionidae in general, though they have been described as perfectly symmetrical. A mite found in the gills of A. fragilis, and placed in the hands of Mr. ‘Tyrrell for investigation, is as large as a pellet of buckshot. It appears that the lumbermen on the Chaudiere eat these mollusks, and obtain them in an ingenious manner. Birch brushwood, tips down, is attached to the raft so as to drag gently over the bot- tom when in the shallows. The open bivalves feel the twigs passing over, close the valves on them, and hold fast. At intervals the brush is lifted, and the adhering ‘clams? are picked off. —(Zrans. Ott. field nat. club, no. 3.) W. H. D. [789 Fossils of the Rizzolo clays.—Sceuenza las just issued a brochure in regard to the clay deposits of Rizzolo, province of Syracuse, Sicily, with lists of the fossil mollusks found in them, which comprise two pleropods, fifty-five gasteropods, and sixty-eight lamellibranchs, many of which still live in adjacent waters. The deposit is considered by the author to be quaternary, and derives its interest particularly from the fact, that remains of the living African elephant (KE. africanus Blum.) have been discovered in it, raising interesting questions as to the former range of that mammal. To the discussion of this branch of the question, and of the ideutity of the species, the paper is chiefly devoted. —w. u. p. [790 Myriapods. Devonian myriapods. — An interesting discovery has been made by B. N. Peach, in the lower old red sandstone of Scotland, of myriapods in rocks older than the carboniferous series, the lowest that have before this yielded them. ‘Two species are described and excellently figured, one of which has long been known, and supposed to be a Crustacean, having been described by Page under the name of Kampecaris forfarensis. They are of small size, and differ con- siderably from each other. Kampeearis is cylindri- eal, scarcely tapers at the head end, and is composed of numerous stub-equal alternately larger and smaller somites, each bearing a pair of legs. Archidesmus is depressed, fusiform, with alternately very unequally larger and smaller somites, each bearing a pair of “six or seven jointed’ spinous legs (none are shown in the figures attached to the smaller, intercalary SCIENCE. There are also, 371 somites). It will be seen that they differ consider- ably from the known earboniferous myriapods. — (Proc. roy. phys. soc. Edinb., vii. 177, pl.) [791 Dermal appendages of Polyxenus. — The differ- ent forms of hairs in P. fascicularis are described and figured by Scudder; those upon the body-joints, a, b, varying from ¢ club-shaped spines, furnished with several rows of flattened teeth, to sabre-shaped spines, serrate on the convex side. The posterior extremity of the body is provided With a pair of cylindrical fascicles, resem- bling those of the larva of Anthrenus, but eomposed of very curiously-formed bris- tles, c, shaped like an elongated fish-hook, the shaft gently curved, and the tip re- eurved and apically barbed. The shaft is armed with delicate spinules, and the erook furnished on the concave side with \y a few spatulate, drooping appendages. yf These appendages are also figured, rather \ rudely, by Packard in the Amer. nat. for March, — (Proc. Bost. soc. nat. hist., xxii. 67.) SSS ee Tusects. The American species of swallow-tail butter- flies. — As the result of the study of a large series of forms partly collected by himself in Washington Ter- ritory east of the Cascade Mountains, —a hitherto unexplored region, —Dr. Hagen concludes that P. Zolicaon, oregonius, and Aliaska, are all specifically inseparable from the old-world P. Machaon, the range of variation in which he also discusses. He also unites P. Rutulus and Eurymedon, and considers them a western form of P. Turnus. —( Papilio, ii. 149.) W. UH. Edwards vigorously combats this view, so far as the first series is concerned (Ibid., iii. 45, pl.). [793 Wisconsin Lepidoptera.— The geological sur- vey publishes a catalogue of Wisconsin Lepidoptera by Hoy, long known as an enthusiastic collector in that state. The title is a misnomer ; for, besides the butterflies (99 sp.) and hawk-imoths (52 sp.), the author only enumerates the Bombycidae (75 sp.) and Geometridae (109 sp.); the Noctuidae (388 sp.) being oddly placed in a separate list, and other groups wholly omitted. Not the slightest notes are appended, except in the first two groups, where an indication of the abundance of the species, in a single word, is usually given. With the exception of an occasional straggler from the south, the list contains nothing nolteworthy.— (Rep. geol. surv. Wisc., i.) [794 Geographical origin of WNorth-American Sphingidae. — Three proximate sources are found , by Grote for our Sphingid fauna, which consists of about 93 species. Omitting Sphinx, which the au- thor claims to belong to an older period of separation, 10 genera (32 sp.) are considered as descendants of a circumpolar pre-vlacial fauna; 11 genera (26 sp.), accessious from the tropics; and 14 genera (20 sp.), of North-American origin peculiar to the continent. All the species of a genus (excl. Sphinx) are thus seen to have a common geographic origin. ‘The decisive element in our fauna does not come from the old world.” —(Amer. journ. sc., March.) [795 VERTEBRATES. (Physiology.) Influence of the centre of deglutition on that of respiration.— Steiner calls attention to some generally overlooked researches which show that an act of swallowing is usually accompanied by a more or less marked respiration, and himself adds 072 some new facts. He finds, that, on stimulation of the central end of the superior laryngeal nerve in the rabbit, every resulting swallowing movement is accompanied by more or less marked inspiration and expiration, and that the respiratory muscle concerned is the diaphragm. He concludes that the two centres are so united by commissural fibres that every stimu- lation of the deglutition centre is associated with excitation of the respiratory. —(Du Bois’ archiv, 1883, 57.) H.N. M. [796 Digestion with exclusion of the stomach. — Working on dogs, Ogata finds, that when food is directly placed in the duodenum, and all gastric (also salivary) secretion is kept out of the intestines, the animal can still digest many things well, so as to maintain its weight, and pass normal faeces. Certain foods, however (as connective tissue), need the pre- paratory action of the gastric acid in order that they may undergo normal digestion; others need a change in their surface, or decomposition into small frag- ments such as usually occurs in the stomach, in order that they may lie long enough in the intestine to be thoroughly dissolved. The stomach, therefore, gives the dog opportunity to use a wider range of substances for the satisfaction of its nutritive wants. The transformation of proteids into urea occurs more uniformly when the stomach is allowed to act. —(Du Bois’ archiv, 1883, 89.) H. N. M. [797 Influence of carbon-monoxide poisoning on trypsin. — Podolmski has found that the transfor- mation of pancreatic trypsogen into trypsin is associ- ated with thé assumption of oxygen. Herzen finds that the pancreatic infusion of dogs killed by carbon- monoxide gas, which infusion, under normal cireum- stances, would have contained much trypsin, possesses hardly any. He concludes that either the absence of oxygen from the blood has led to a reconversion of trypsin into trypsogen, or that trypsin forms with carbon monoxide a compound which is not proteo- lytic. — (Pfliig. archiv, xxx. 308.) U.N. M. [798 Reptiles. The physiological action of Heloderma poi- son. — That this lizard, the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum ), is venomous, has been often asserted and as often denied. Weir Mitchell and Reichert find that its mouth-liquids are highly poisonous, killing frogs, pigeons, and rabbits in a few minutes. This establishes it as the only venomous lizard known. What is of even more interest, perhaps, is the fact that the physiological action of the poison is quite different from that of snake-poison: the latter kills essentially by paralyzing the respiratory centre, the former by paralyzing the heart. Heloderma yenom causes no local injury when injected subcutaneously ; and arrests the heart in diastole, from which condition the organ slowly passes into a contracted state. The heart-muscle entirely loses its irritability when the organ ceases to beat, and when other muscles and the nerves still readily respond to stimulation. The spinal cord is paralyzed. —(Medical news, Feb. 10.) H. N. M. [799 Relations of the Mosasauridae. — M. Dollo, as- sistant naturalist to the royal natural history museum of Brussels, separates the Mosasaurus Maximiliani of Goldfuss generically from the M. Camperi, under the designation Pterycollasaurus. In this new genus the pterygoids are united along two-thirds of their entire length, especially in the dentary portion, whereas in the typical Mosasaurus they are entirely separate, This last is also the case with the Ameri- can genera Tylosaurus, Lestosaurus, Holosaurus. In another new genus now indicated, Plioplatecarpus SCIENCE. [Vou. L., No. 13. (P. Marshii), which appears to be closely related to Leiodon and Lestosaurus, and of which fragments are contained in the museum of Brussels, the author indicates the presence of a sacrum composed of two united vertebrae having the same disposition as the similar parts in the pelvic girdle in the iguana and monitor. From the presence of this sacrum, M. Dollo concludes, in opposition to the views of Prof. Cope (who, under the name of the Pythonomorpha, ap- proximates these animals to the serpents), that the mosasauroids were true lacertilians, and that they held a place among these similar to that occupied by the pinnipeds among the carnivora. — (Bull. mus. royal Belg., i. 55.) A. WH. [800 Mammals, The bunotherian mammals.— Professor E. D. Cope defines the Bunotheria as resembling in most technical characters the Edentata and the Rodentia. Their enamel-covered teeth, however, separate them *from the former, while the articulation of the lower jaw is different from that found in the latter. This is a transverse ginglymus with a posterior process in the Bunotheria, as distinguished from the longitudi- nal groove permitting antero-posterior motion of the Rodentia. After dwelling on the characters of the related forms, and pointing out the inconsistencies of the present classification, he defined the five suborders as follows :— I. Incisor teeth growing from persistent pulps. Canines also growing from long persistent pulps, agreeing with external incisors in having molari- form crowns. . . . . I. Taeniodonta. Canines rudimental or wanting ; hallux not opposa- bleeae: . . If. Tillodonta. Canines none; hallux opposable. III. Daubentonioidea. II. Incisors not growing from persistent pulps. Superior true molars quadrituberculate ; hallux op- posable. . . IV. Prosimiae, Superior true molars quadrituberculate; hallux not opposable d . . V. Insectivora. Superior true molars trituberculate; hallux not opposable . 2. . 3 Vi. Creodonta. It was possible that the eroup which he had called the Mesodonta may yet be distinguished from the In- sectivora by characters now unknown. But he could not admit any affinity between this group and any form of pachyderms, as suggested by Filhol, or of Suillines as believed by Lyddeker, as such supposi- tions are directly opposed to what we know of the phylogeny of the mammalia. These views are ap- parently suggested by the bunodont type of teeth found in various Mesodonta; but that character gives little ground for systematic determination among Eocene mammalia, and has deceived paleontologists from the days of ‘Cuvier to the present time. The only connecting-point where there may be a doubt as to the ungulate or unguiculate type of a mammal is the family Periptychidae of the suborder Condylar- thra. ‘The suborder Hyracoidea may furnish another index of convergence. He had at one time called this order by the name Insectivora, a course which some zodlogists may pre- fer. A name, however, should as near ‘ly as possible adhere to a group to Which it was first applied, and whose. definition has become currently associated With it. Such an application is a material aid to the memory. ‘There are yarious precedents for the adop- tion of a new general term for a group composed of subordinate divisions which haye themselves already received names, — (Acad. nat: sc. Philad. ; meeting April 3.) [801 \ it _ May 4, 1883.] r ANTHROPOLOGY. Are the stone graves modern ?— Throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, and other sections draining into the Ohio, the aboriginés, at some former period, buried their dead in stone boxes or cists, made of thin slabs of limestone, and other rock. There are those who maintain that this form of burial was practised by a highly cultured race of people, who passed away before our modern Indians set foot in that country. Dr. Charles Rau, in a paper before the American association at Montreal, gave an account of graves opened by Dr. Wislizenus, in Randolph County, Ill., containing both of Dr. Morton’s types of North-Americans, —the Toltecan, and the true American. Dr. H. Shoemaker opened a stone graye, in Monroe County, Lll., which contained the remains of a Kickapoo Indian. Dr. Rau concludes that the Stone graves owe their origin to the race inhabiting within historic times, or even earlier, the district where they are found. —(Amer. nat., Feb.) J. w. P. [802 Cup-shaped sculpture. — One of the enigmas of the stone age is the occurrence of cup-shaped cut- tings, singly or in groups, from the size of a half-bul- let upwards, upon small, movable bowlders, as well as upon large stationary rocks. Dr. Rau, in his paper on ‘‘Cup-shaped and other lapidarian sculpture in the old world and in America,” has ransacked the literature of Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Ger- many, Scandinavia, and India, for old-world exam- ples. Many of these are very elaborately carved and encircled, giving evidence of connection with ancient mystic rites. ‘The American specimens are much ruder; and the cautious author is disinclined to at- tribute to them the same mystery that hangs over those in the eastern world. —(Contr. N. A. ethnol., vy.) 0. T. M. [803 lll EGYPTOLOGY. The Fayoum. — The good work done by Mr. Cope Whitehouse (Rev. archéol., Juin, 1882; Bull. Amer. geogr. soc., 1882, No. 2) on the boundaries of the ancient Lake Moeris is to be supplemented by further researches into the formation of the pyramids, and the possibilities of irrigation in the Fayoum. Mr. White- house is now in Cairo; and, with the aid of government surveyors, he hopes to verify his theories, which have been somewhat misunderstood. —( Athenaeum, March 24.) H.O. [804 _ Ancient Egyptian economy.— Broken crockery _ was not entirely lost to the Egyptian, for he saved the pieces to have inscribed on them the tax-gatherer’s SCIENCE. 373 receipts. Immense numbers of these inscribed frag- ments have been found; and, from the collection in the British museum, Dr. Birch has given a series of translations, showing the tax in Hgypt under the early Caesars. — (Proc. soc. bibl. arch., March 6.) H. 0. [805 New discoveries. — This year promises large re- sults in new discoveries. The director of the Boolak museum, Maspero, though with scanty means, has made great progress in new work. He has obtained a royal sarcophagus of the twenty-fifth dynasty, and several yaluable mummies. He has also found an Egyptian crypt containing an early Coptic church, with all its ecclesiastical furniture intact. — (Acad- emy, March 24.) 1. 0. [806 Work in progress. — The mural decorations of the tomb of Seti I. (Belzoni’s tomb) at Bab-el-Molook are now being copied by Lefébure, Loret, and Bour- goin, members of the French college of archeology at Cairo. The temple of Luxor is to be excavated in the autumn. Maspero is to resume the excavation of the pyramid at Lisht in May. — (Academy, March 24.) H. 0. [807 EARLY INSTITUTIONS. Manumissions at four roads.—F. E. Warren finds proof, in the Leofric missal, —a X.—XI. cent. MS. preserved at the Bodleian in Oxford, — of the existence, in England, of the custom of manumitting slaves at places where four roads meet (on feower wegas). The passage is given in full from the MS. — (Rev. celt., Jan., 1882. Cf. Rep. Devonsh. ass. adv. Sc., viii. 417, 1876.) D. W. R. [808 Ostracism.— M. Houssaye gives a brief history of ostracism as it obtained in Athens and other Greek cities and colonies, & propos of the effort to introduce something like it in France. — (Rev. deux mondes, 15 Féy.) D. W. R. [809 Moslem property-law.— Baron von Tornauw writes at length upon this subject. It has been gen- - erally maintained, in regard to the land in Moslem countries, that it has been the common property of the people (der moslemischen religionsgenossen- schaft); that the individual has had no real right of property in it, only a usufruct (nutzungsrecht). The writer attempts to show, that according to the Koran, according to tradition, and according to the law-books (scheriétbiichern), private property in land, in the fullest sense of the term (volles eisenthumsrecht auf grund und boden), existed everywhere. The writer gives a list of sources (34 titles). — (Zeitschr. deutsch. morgenl. gesellsch., XXXVi. ii.) D. W. R. [8LoO INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. _ Peabody museum of American archaeology, Cambridge, Mass. The ancient cemetery at Madisonville, O. — In his re- cent explorations in connection with Dr. G. L. Metz, Mr, Putnam made extensive researches at this place. Near the cemetery are several earth-circles, from forty-three to fifty-eight feet in diameter. Trenches Tun through four of them revealed in the centre of two, on the clay bottom, beds of ashes in which were potsherds, flint-flakes, and burnt bones, with a per- ‘forated clam-shell. In the trench, on the clay, there were found a rudely chipped stone hoe, a rude stone axe with a groove, a split pebble, a fragment of a Stone gorget, worked antler-tips, and several rude « arrow-points. The results of the examination of these circles proved them to be the sites of habitations, over which from one to two feet of leaf-mould has formed since the central fires were deserted and the circular structures fell from decay. The few things found within the circles, and the abundance of household utensils, implements, and refuse, found in the ash- pits, suggest the possibility, that on special occasions all the articlesin the house, with ornaments, imple- ments, and other personal objects, were partly de- stroyed by fire, and the remnants, being gathered up with the ashes, were deposited in a pit dug for the purpose; while the great number of broken bones of various animals, mixed with the ashes, indicates that at such times feasts were held. Such a custom would 374 account for the character of the contents of the pits, and the great number of the pits would indicate a long-continued occupation of the village. Houghton Farm, Mountainville, N.Y, _ Soil-temperatures. —During the past year obserya- tions upon soil-temperature were carried on by means of mercurial thermometers of special form, adjusted to slow action. It was sought, however, to overcome the inconveniences of their use, since they require to be drawn at each reading. Recourse was therefore had to an electrical thermometer, which is now in use, supplementary to, and in extension of, the mercurial thermometers, which will continue to be employed. The thermo-apparatus is really one of Becquerel’s electrical thermometers, though some slight modi- fications have been introduced in the method of bal- ancing the current. The apparatus, as now in use, may be described as follows: — Couples are formed by soldering copper wires to the iron line-wire at such intervals as are required. These are then enclosed in an hermetically-sealed tube, filled with perfectly dry sand, free from iron, and brought to a common level above ground, where they are firmly connected with binding-screws. The cap carrying the binding-serews is of wood, three inches greater in diameter than the tube, and painted white to prevent any possibility of radiation from the latter. ‘Phe tube is then planted in the soil, wherever needed, at the required depth, and such connection made with the office as may be desired. A duplicate set of couples, exactly like those in the tube, is pro- vided in case a test is necessary. The wires are of the same size all the way through, and are No. 8 copper, insulated, and No. 8 telegraph wire. In the office a second couple of the copper and iron wires is carried down into a well of wood, having a diameter of one inch and a quarter inside, with walls of two inches thickness. This is provided with a stop-cock aud overflow attachment. From a convenient sup- port, immediately aboye the mouth of the well, de- pend a thermometer, the bulb of which is brought to the same level with the couple, and two glass tubes, which supply hot and cold water from reser- voirs placed upon a shelf at convenient distance. A switch-board is introduced into the line of copper wire, while a very sensitive galvanometer is intro- duced into the line of iron wire. A deflection of the galvanometer-needle to the right or left is neutralized by balancing the current with the hot or cold water, as the case may require, and readings taken when the needle comes to zero. I believe this is the first attempt in this country to apply this apparatus to so extended use. So far as observations have gone, the advantages which this instrument possesses over mercurial ther- mometers seem to be: 1. Greater accuracy; 2. Expe- dition; 3. Greater durability; 4. Personal comfort, and absence of those annoyances inseparably con- nected with an instrument which must be drawn from the ground in all kinds of weather, and at all times of day and night. NOTES AND NEWS. Since the leading article of this issue was ready for the press, the circular issued by the council of the British association to its members has come to hand; and from this it would appear that the meet- ing in Montreal is regarded as substantially deter- mined on, and that the time fixed for it will probably SCIENCE. be the last week tember, 1884. — The director of the Illinois state laboratory of natural history, Dr. S. A. Forbes, to whose office that of the state entomologist was recently attached, has made a special report to the state board of edu- cation, in which he states that the field-work of the botanical and zo6logical survey of Illinois is substan- tially done, and recommends the immediate prepara- tion and publication of systematic reports on the natural history of the state, having special reference to economic ends. He estimates four volumes as necessary to cover the zodlogy (exclusive of injurious insects) and cryptogamic botany. No additional ap- propriations appear to be asked for, but rather the diversion of the ordinary funds from field-work to publication. The board of education, which con- trols the laboratory in Illinois, was so appreciative of the excellent work which Dr. Forbes has been doing as to vote him $500 more than he asked. We wish Dr. Forbes success in his new departure, and shall anticipate volumes of unusual interest. — Professor Weyenberg of Cordoba, who has writ- ten upon many branches of Zodlogy since he has been in the Argentine Republic, is now engaged, also, in publishing a manual of histology in Spanish, under the title ‘Principios histologicos.’ —Mr. Dérfluger, of the Milwaukee natural history society, has recently made a minute examination of the methods of installation and details of adminis- tration in the National museum, with a view of introducing the best features into the new museum to be established by the city of Milwaukee, upon the basis of the collections of the society. Mr. Dorfluger will visit the natural history museums in the larger eastern cities before returning to the west. —Major-Gen. Pitt-Rivers, of the English army, has spent the most of his leisure in collecting the most valuable anthropological museum in the world, from one point of view. Discarding areas, races, and epochs, his aim has béen to collect from all parts of the world the products and implements of human industry in such numbers and variety as to illustrate the evolution of art. Having offered this splendid collection to the university of Oxford on condition that they would erect a building ade- quate to contain and to display it properly, Gen. Pitt-Rivers has the satisfaction of knowing that the university authorities will comply with his request. The delegates of the museum have elected Dr. E. b. Tylor to be keeper of the collection. — Under the title ‘“‘Mittheilungen tber die ar- beiten der moor-versuchs-station in Bremen in den jahren 1877-1882 (von Dr. M. Fleischer),” the last number of the Landwirthschaftliche jahrbiicher (xii., no. 192) contains an account of the founding of this. station, which is devoted to the investigation of ques-— of August, or the first week of Sep- tions connected with the reclamation and cultivation — [Vou. L., No. 13. investigations are recounted in detail. May 4, 1883.] of the extensive moors of north-western Germany, and a summary of its work up to the present time. ‘This is followed by five papers, in which some of its The subjects _ of these papers are: a geographical description of the _ moors of north-western Germany and the Netherlands (by Lalfeld), the Kehdinger moor (by Virchow), the behavior of insoluble phosphates in moor-soils (by Fleischer), the influence of certain salts on the action of peat upon phosphates (by Kissling), materials for manuring and improving moors (by Fleischer). This is the first detailed account of the work of the station which has appeared, — The Franklin democrat of Brookville, Ind., prints, March 1, an account of the work of the Brookville society of natural history for the year ending Febru- ary, 1883, by the secretary, Amos W. Butler. The active members increased in that period from fifteen to twenty-six. — The building of the ice-palace at Montreal this winter has recalled to notice (Symon’s monthly meteor- ological journal, February) an account, by Prof. G. W. Kraft, of that built at St. Petersburg in 1740. The most remarkable part of Professor Kraft’s state- ment is, that an ice-cannon was made, and that a bullet fired from it, with a charge of a quarter of a pound of powder, penetrated a plank two inches thick at a distance of fifty paces. — An excellent résumé of the present condition of our knowledge of' fossil insects, extending over more than thirty pages, is given by Charles Maurice in the 'Annales of the Société géologique du Nord., vol. ix. — The Amateur naturalist is the title of a miniature paper of four pages, published monthly at German- town, Philadelphia, entirely by boys. Its fifth and sixth numbers contain a brief abstract of a lecture on the cobblestone, given by Dr. H. Caryill Lewis before the Leidy association on Dec. 6. — Mr. J. H. Barth of Leipzig will issue an ‘* In- ternationale zeitschrift fiir allgemeine sprachwissen- schaft’’ in semi-annual parts, under the editorial care of F. Techmer. The staff includes such names as Lucien Adam, C. von der Gabelentz, A. S. Gat- schet, R. Lepsius, F. A. March, Frederick Miiller, ‘Max Miiller, G. Oppert, F. Pott, Leon de Rosny, A. H. Sayce, H. Steinthal, Jules Vinson, and William Dwight Whitney. The review is to be organ of no school, but will aim to foster real progress in every line of linguistic research. The subject will be pre- sented in three aspects,—the anthropological, the ‘psychological, and the historical. Under the first the whole range of ancillary sciences will be brought under contribution; such as the physiology and pathology of the vocal organs and the ear; the optical phenomena of writing, mimicry, gestures, and writing for the blind ; and the relationship existing between speech and its transcription. Upon the psychological side will fall all questions of the rela- SCIENCE. 3 375 tion of articulation, vocal sounds, roots, words, and syntax, to the science of mind. Finally, the history of philology will include both the phylogenetic devel- opment of language as a whole, and the ontological development of speech in each individual from in- fancy to maturity. If the weight of great names and a great undertaking will insure success, no doubt the Zeitschrift will become a permanent part of our linguistic literature. — At arecent meeting of the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences, Prof. H. C. Lewis showed a sup- posed stone implement recently dug up in that city. It is described as an oblong rectangle in shape, six- teen and a half inches long, nearly four inches wide, and in thickness varying from a half-inch at the edge to one and a half inches at the centre. It is ground to a smooth cutting-edge at the two extremities. It is rectangular in section, the sides forming right an- gles with the faces. The sides are parallel with each other; but the faces are undulating surfaces, on one of which is a prominent longitudinal ridge an inch and a half in width. Each end of the implement appears to have been smoothly ground to form a square, even cutting-edge, an equal amount of grind- ing haying been done on either side. The implement is as unusual in shape as it is in size. It is double the length of ordinary celts, and was possibly a lap- stone of some kind. The implement, if such it should prove, would be the first that has been found in the Philadelphia gravel, and would be of great interest in its bearing upon the antiquity of man on the Dela- ware. — Dr. D. W. Prentiss has been invited to deliver a course of lectures in connection with the department of materia medica of the National museum. The course will consist of eight lectures, and will be illus- trated by specimens and other material from the col- lections. —At a meeting of the Society of arts of the Massachusetts institute of technology, April 12, Mr. A, F. Hill presented a paper on the Crystallization of iron and steel, illustrated by specimens and photo- graphs. — At the meeting of the Biological society of Wash- ington, April 13, the following communications were made: Prof. L. F. Ward, Hybrid oaks of the District of Columbia; Mr. B. F. Johnson, Observa- tions on the climbing of snakes; Prof. C. V. Riley, Remarks on the bag-worm (Thyridopteryx ephemerae- formis); Mr. F. W. True, The tape-worm and other parasites in the eggs of the domestic fowl; Dr. Thomas Taylor, Living parasitic mites in the lungs, cavities, and tissue of domestic fowl; Mr. N. P. Scudder, The muskrat (Fiber zibethicus) in captivity. F — Prof. A. Hall, on taking the chair of the mathe- matical section of the Washington philosophical so- ciety, April 11, read a short address on the practical value of the higher mathematics. Mr. C. H. Kum- 3716 mell gave an investigation of ‘‘ Alignment curves on any surface, with special application to the ellipsoid.’’ —Mr. A. W. Cramer reports the capture of two specimens of Catocala unijuga Walk., last autumn, in mid-ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, on board a steamer bound for Europe. — Prof. G. F. Wright, in the Cleveland leader of April 9, gives an account of his successful search for the continuation of the great terminal moraine across the Ohio River in Kentucky. The marks of glacia- tion disappeared suddenly, ‘‘ almost exactly upon the line between Campbell and Pendleton counties.” — Prof. H. Caryill Lewis has reprinted his lecture before the Franklin institute on The great ice age in Pennsylvania, with a shaded map indicating the southern limit of the glaciated area from the Atlan- tic to the eastern border of Ohio. — At the recent yearly meeting of the Brookville (Ind.) society of natural history, the following offi- cers were elected: Rev. D. R. Moore, president; D. W. McKee, vice-president; Amos W. Butler, secre- » tary; Edgar R. Quick, corresponding secretary. — G. Pouchet of the Museum of natural history of Paris is soon to visit the Azores on a scientific excur- sion. The municipal council of Paris has voted eight thousand francs towards his expenses. —P. Sacconi has established his station at Harrar, Somali-land, and has despatched two caravans to the coast. The town is a miserable place, and hyenas prowl about its streets at night. Sacconi plans to go on to the unvisited district of the Ogadin Somali. — Consul O’Neill has received a grant from the Royal geographical society to aid his explorations from Mozambique toward the snowy mountains, re- ported on his last expedition. He will go up the Shire River, and return overland north-eastward to the coast. —The Bengal administration report for 1881-82 states that the Calcutta zodlogical gardens are in a very flourishing condition. Two new buildings have been constructed through the generosity of Messrs. Hzra and Gubhoy, citizens of Calcutta. The number of visitors for the year was 120,749, being an average of 331 daily. The gardens are open upon Sunday. —M. Fau intends soon to set out from Wargla, Algeria, for the Tuareg country, Hausa, and Tim- buctu, following the line of Flatters’s disastrous ex- pedition. — According to recent calculations by A. J. Skene, surveyor-general of Victoria, the area of Australia, as closely as it can now be determined, is 2,944,019 Omiles. This is nearly 30,000 less than the previous official estimates. The population -according to the census of 1881 was 2,144,550, —an increase of 36.92 % in ten years. — The name of Buckland revives the days of child- hood and geology, as a chiming bell in a foreign land recalls to the traveller memories of home. The U.S. bureau of ethnology has received from Miss A. W. SCIENCE. —_— [Vou I., No. 13. Buckland a bound volume containing her collected essays upon various subjects relating to the natural history of man, embracing: The first metallurgists (1875); The origin and development of man (1875); Early phases of civilization (1876); Primitive agricul- ture (1877); Stimulants among savages and among the ancients (1879); Mythological birds (1879); Cor- nish and prehistoric Irish monuments (1879); Rhab- domaney and belomancy (1879); Surgery and super- stition in neolithic times (1881); Our anthropological museum (1877). Other essays are bound in the yol- ume, but they are not purely anthropological. — Dr. Koner’s list of publications of all kinds re- ferring to geography for the year ending November, 1882, fills one hundred and forty-four pages in the recent number of the Zeitschr. f. erdkunde of Berlin. Of these, the United States require only five; while Africa has eighteen, Asia twenty, and Europe thirty- five. — At a recent meeting of the Northumberland and Durham medical society, several forms of electric- light apparatus, devised by Mr. J. B. Payne for the illumination of internal cavities, were shown. A Swan lamp not larger than a bean is used. A battery of two or three Grove cells is sufficient to render the carbon filament incandescent. — Prof. H. W. Wiley, former occupant of the chair of chemistry in Purdue university, Lafayette, Ind., has just been appointed (April 9) to the position of chief chemist of the U. S. department of agriculture. Professor Wiley is a native of Indiana, and a graduate of Harvard. His standing asa chemist is high among scientific men; and his paper on the relation of science to the industries and arts, read last January at one of the conventions held in the department building, at- tracted much deserved attention. Mr. Collier, whom he supersedes, was also an excellent chemist; and his abrupt dismissal by the commissioner of agriculture, after five years of service, and without justifiable reason as far as we can learn, merits the severest condemnation. — The second biennial report of the director of the North-Carolina agricultural experiment station con- tains an outline of the work performed at the station _ during 1881 and 1882, a plan and description of the new apartments recently occupied by it in the build- ing of the department of agriculture at Raleigh, a statement of some changes in the law establishing the station, and some account of the growth and present extent of the fertilizer-trade in the state. The station has also published, in the form of bulletins, some analyses and investigations of horn, leather, and wool-waste, and the fertilizers contain- ing them; of finely-ground phosphates, or ‘floats;’ and of kainite; as well as a list of analyses and valua- tions of all fertilizers examined up to March 1, 1883, The finely-ground phosphates are the product of the Due mill, working chiefly on South Carolina phos- May 4, 1883.] 5 phates. The size of their particles was measured microscopically; and they were also treated with neutral ammonium-citrate solution, in the manner customary in fertilizer analyses. From fifteen to twenty-five per cent of the total phosphoric acid proved to be soluble in this reagent, but no very ‘marked increase of solubility was observed as the result of very fine grinding. The bulletin on kainite consists chiefly of a sum- mary of German and American experience in its use, going to show, that, with even moderate caution, it may be used with as much safety and advantage as the refined potash salts now so largely employed. — The last of the Washington free scientific lec- tures was delivered by Dr. Robert Fletcher on March 81. The weather being unusually bad, the audience was small. As a whole, the lectures haye been re- markably well attended; and the interest displayed will doubtless encourage the societies to undertake another course next year. It is a prevailing opinion, that groups of three or four lectures upon the same subject, delivered in the evening, would meet the needs of the people better than the schedules hitherto provided. — A new magnetic and meteorological observatory is soon to be established at Hong Kong: and Dr. W. Doberck goes from Col. Cooper’s observatory, Markru, Treland, as its director. — Among the good works performed by the Musée Guimet appears the Revue deVhistoire des religions, published under the-direction of M. Maurice Vernes, aided by distinguished collaborators in various coun- tries. The journal has reached its sixth volume, and shows no signs of decay. The last number received contains papers on the following subjects: Islamism as a universal religion, by A. Kuenen; Aeneas be- fore the time of Virgil, by J. A. Hild; The religions of non-civilized peoples, by A. Reville; The legend of Alexander among the Mussulmans, by M. Decour- demanche; and A course of instruction in the history of religion, by Paul Bert. —Henry Y. L. Brown of Sydney, Cape Breton, has been appointed director of the geological survey of South Australia. Mr. Brown has a long acquaint- ance with the geology of Australia, having already been government geologist of western Australia, and assistant on the geological survey of Victoria and New South Wales. Besides, he was assistant of Mr. Selwyn in the geological survey of Canada during the years 1874-75. _ —We regret to learn the death of George W. Stow, director of the geological survey of the Orange Free State, South Africa. Mr. Stow died at the end of last year, at a coal-mine near Heilbron, where he had discovered an important coal-basin. Heilbron is near Smithfield, Orange River. No one has done so much towards elucidating the geology of southern Africa as Mr. Stow. His ‘Geological notes upon SCIENCE. 377 Griqualand West,’ and his ‘Coal and iron in South Africa’ are both standard works. — The third German geographers’ congress, assem- bled at Frankfurt-a.-M. from March 29 to April 8, lis- tened to addresses by Wissmann, on his journey across Africa; Ratzel, on polar exploration; Buchner, on the ethnography of south-western Africa; Pechuél- Lésche, on the lower course of the Kongo; Ginther, on the latest studies of the earth’s form; Toula, on the geological exploration of the Balkan peninsula; and Penck, on the influence of climate on the form of the earth’s surface; besides several others, chiefly devoted to methods of geographic instruction. In connection with the meeting, there was a geographic exhibition, of which the catalogue contains 1,100 numbers, and fills 92 pages. Different styles of map- ping were very fully illustrated; and there was a good representation of atlases, globes, wall-charts, and geo- “graphic works. — Dr. B. A. Gould of Cordoba, Argentine Repub- lie, now on a visit to this country, exhibited to the Royal astronomical society, March 9, a number of photographs of star-clusters in the southern heavens. There were, beside these clusters, four stars suspected to have an appreciable annual parallax. Dr. Gould stated that the observations for his zone-catalogue (105,000 in number) were completed in 1875; but the subsequent reductions had given a great deal of trou- ble, as his staff was limited, and he had been obliged to enlist into the service everybody he could find who had had sufficient education to be of use. ‘‘I have had bakers, shoemakers, printers, carpenters, brick- layers, and school-masters, sailors and engine-drivers. Of course, the degree of accuracy was sometimes questionable, and I have been obliged to do every thing in duplicate.” Dr. Gould hopes that in a year’s time the zone-catalogue, in two volumes, with 74,600 stars, will be published. The zones extend only from the tropic to within ten degrees of the south pole. Dr. Gould is also engaged upon a gen- eral catalogue of about 34,000 stars, their positions being determined with the highest degree of accuracy. This catalogue includes every part of the southern hemisphere; and the work is so far advanced that eighteen months more will suffice to complete it. — An examination of the Waterville meteorite of 1826 shows, according to Dr. M. E. Wadsworth, that it is a slag that had long lain partly buried in sandy soil, and could not have been, as claimed, a freshly detached meteorite. — The philosophical society of Washington, at its meeting held April 21, was addressed by Capt. William H. Dall, on Glaciation in Alaska, and by Professor Franklin B. Hough, on the Cultivation of the Eucalyptus on the Roman campagna. — Weare glad to announce that the United States is at last represented in the international zoological station at Naples. Thanks to the liberality and 3718 wisdom of President Carter and the board of trustees, Williams College has secured from Dr. Anton Dohrn the right toa table in the Naples station. It is intend- ed to make this in reality an American table; it being open to any original worker from the United States who has received his appointment from the authori- ties of Williams College. The only agreement necessary in connection with an appointment is, that the appointee, on his return to America, deliver a brief course of lectures at Williams, by which the college may gain some of the advantages which have been afforded the appointee at Naples. The name of each naturalist who lectures at the college will appear in the catalogue as lecturer on the staff of instruction. Dr. Edmund B. Wilson, Fellow by courtesy of the Johns Hopkins University, is the first and present appointee to the position. —Mr. Common of Ealing, Eng., presented to the Royal astronomical society, at its meeting March 9, a Woodburytype enlargement of a photograph of the nebula of Orion, taken Jan. 30, 1883, with his great three-foot reflector, the exposure being thirty-seven minutes long. He considered that it showed a marked advance on previous photographs. Some of the finer details were lost in the enlargement, yet this showed several features not rendered in any drawing. . Mr. Common ealled attention to several differences between the photographs and the draw- ings of Lord Rosse. RECENT BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. Continuations and brief papers extracted from serial litera- ture without repagination are not included in this list. Haucep- tions are made for annual reports of American institutions, newly established periodicals, and memoirs of considerable extent. Babut du Mares. Le sewage, son utilisation et son ¢pura- tion. Bruxelles, Ofice de Publicité, 1883. 260 p.,1 pl. 8°. Balfour, fF. M. ‘Traité d@’embryologie et d’organogénie com- parées. Traduit par H. A. Robin. TT. I.: Histoire de Voeuf; embryologie des invertébrés, Paris, Batlliere, 1883. 23+567 p., illustr. 8°. Barratt, A. 1883. 8°. Bertillon, A. Ethnographie moderne. 8+312 p., illustr. 8°. Burnham, 8. M. History and uses of limestones and mar- bles; with 48 chromo-lithograph illustrations of antique and modern marbles. Boston, 8. 2. Cassino & Co., 1883. 410 p. 8°. Clark, John 8. Industrial education a necessary part of public education. (A paper‘read before the American institute of instruction, Saratoga, July 13, 1882.) Boston, Zhe Prang educational company, 1888. 47 p. 8°. Czyszkowski, 8. Exploration géologique ct industrielle des régions ferriféres de Vile Elbe. Alais, imp. Iartin, 1882. 87p. S°. Delboeuf, J. c ments de psychophysique générale spéciale. 1883. 256p. 12°. Detmer, W. 1888. 400 p. 8°. Dewar, D. We: Physical metempirie. London, Williams, Paris, Wasson, 1883. Questions de philosophie et de science. Tlé- Liége, Desoer, Lehrbuch der pflanzen-physiologie. Breslau, er forecasts, air and tidal currents, and dates of storms for 188) London, 1883. 8°. Engelmann, Th. W. The physiology of protoplasmic mo- tion. Translated by Charles 8. Dolley. MRochester, Davis & Leyden, n.d. 40p. 8°. SCIENCE. [Vou. L., No. 18. Ennis, Jacob. ‘Two great works to be done on our sidereal system. Washington, Judd & Detweiler, 1883. 12p. 8°. Gestro, R. Manuale del preparatore ed imbalsamatore. Milano, 1888. 118 p. 16°. Hauck, W. Ph. Die galvanischen batterien mit besonderer viicksicht auf ihre construction u. ihre mannigfaltigen anwen- dungen in der praxis. Wien, 1888. 256 p., illustr. 8°. Heidorn, D. Karte der im mittleren Europa mit blossen augen sichtbaren sterne, auf das mittl. aequ. 1870 berechnet. Gottingen, 1883. f. Hutton, F. W. Catalogue of the New Zealand Diptera, — Orthoptera, Hymenoptera; w. descriptions of the species. New Zealand, Wellington, 1881. 1352p. Kroman, K. Vor naturerkjendelse. Bidrag til en mathe- matikens og fysikens theori. Kjoebenhayn, 1853. 4516p. 8°. Leconte, J. L., and Horn, G. H. Classification of the Coleoptera of North America. Washington, Smithsonian in- stitution, 1883. (Smithsonian mise. coll.) 38+567 p. 8°. Ledger, E. The Sun; its planets and their satellites. York, 1883. 12°. _ Lefebvre, B. Les passages de Venus sur le disque solaire. Ktude historique suivie d'un appendice sur les observations du 6 decembre, 1582, et du récit des expéditions belges. Louvain, Peeters, 1883, T0p. 8°. Lelontre, G. Recherches expérimentales et analytiques sur les machines 4 vapeur. Détermination de l’eau entrainée par une méthode thermometrique. Naney, Berger-Levrault, 1883. 63 p. ° New Malapert, E. Notes sur le magnétisme et sur la compensa- tion des compos. Nancy, Berger-Levrault, 1883. 70 p. 8°. Mawley, E. The weather of 1882 as observed in the neigh- borhood of London, and compared in all respects with that of an average year. London, Stanford, 1888. 75p. 8°. Morgan, ©. L. Water: its teachings in chemistry, physics and physiography. London, Stanford, 1883. 12°. Perre de Roo, La, V. Monographie des pigeons domes- tiques. Paris, 1833. 394 p., illustr. 8°. Perrier, E. Eléments de zoologie pour la classe de cin- qui¢me. Paris, Hachette, 1883. 12+497 p., illustr. 12°. Peters, C. H. F. Celestial charts made at the Litchfield observatory of Hamilton college. Nos. 1-20. Clinton, 1888. Imp. f°. Renault, B: @histoire naturelle. 3 ann. pl. 8. Reuter, 0. M. MFinlands och den Skandinaviska halfons Hemiptera Heteroptera. Stockholm, 1882. 8°. ,»cheube, B. Die Ainos. Yokohama, 1888. 32 p., illustr. Cours de botanique fossile fait au Muséum Paris, Masson, 1853. 322 p., 36 f Schwackhofer, F. Technologie der wiirme u. des was- sers mit besonderer beriicksichtigung des dampfkesselbetriebes. Wien, 1888. Illustr. 8°. Sedgewick, W. Light the dominant force of the universe: showing by means of experiments, what light is, what electricity is, and what life is; also, how to reconcile religion and science. London, 1883. 298 p. 8°. Sicard, H. Eléments de zoologie. 16+842 p., illustr. 8°. Stoddard, John . beginners. Northampton, Gazelie printing-ofice, 1883. 16°. Thomas, -\lbert. Manuel de lValeoométrie. Tables et for- mules pour servir au calcul des mélanges d’eaux-de-vie & tous les degrés. Lille, Wichelet, 1882. 8°. United States coast and geodetic survey. A treatise on projections by Thomas Craig. Washington, Government, 1882. 14+247 p. 4°. t United States— Department of agriculture. Division of entomology. Bulletin. Nos. 1, 2. Washington, Government, 1883. 62, 86p. 8°. Urbanitzky, A. y. Ir angewendeten lampen, kohlen u. beleuchtungskérper. 18883. 240 p., illustr. 8°. Vambery, H. Der ursprung der Magyaren. Eine ethnolo- gische studie. Leipzig, 1882. 599p. 8°. Woodward, C. M. Manual education a feature in public education. (A paver, read before The national teachers’ associa- tion, Saratoga, July 18, 1882.) Boston, Zhe Prang educational company, 1888. 19p. 8°. Zaborowski, 8. Nouvelles et curiosités scientifiques. Paris, Marpon et Flammarion, 1883. 525 p. 18°. Zopf, W. 3reslau, 1883. Paris, Buillitre, 1883. An outline of qualitative analysis for 4+54 p. Das elektrische licht und die hierzu Wien, Die spaltpilze. 144 p., illustr. 8°. May 11, 1883.] FRIDAY, MAY 11, 1883. A STRANGE PERFORMANCE. - Wuom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. Mr. Hubert Howe Bancroft, hay- ing shown great capacity as an organizer of an encyclopaedia company, and having assumed not only to be an historian, but to dispense opinions oracularly, and to patronize and dis- credit distinguished writers, now throws the ethics of trade aside, and exalts himself to a place among self-praising martyrs. He gravely announces that purchasers of his earlier volumes must now subscribe to them over again in order to get the rest of the series, and sends out an extraordinary lithographed form of sub- scribing, in one corner of which is a list of the thirty-nine volumes, with the prices. ee _=_____ 18g , “To Hubert Howr BAncRort, San Francisco, Cal. “* Dear sir, -—In token of my high appreciation of the value to the Pacific coast and to the world, of your long and arduaus historical labors in a new field, and after a manner peculiar to yourself, I hereby . tender my subscription to a complete set of your literary works in thirty-nine volumes, payments to be made at the regular published price as the volumes are issued and delivered. ““After your signature, please designate style of binding.”’ We doubt if a more flagrant piece of folly was ever perpetrated by a book-maker. It is melancholy and significant, that while the few historical students, as tested in different centres, who are competent to pronounce on the value of Mr. Bancroft’s History, are agreed in a qualified, and in some respects a condem- natory, estimate of its methods and perform- ance, the general reviewers of the book have been simply dazed by its magnitude. Any departure from laudation strikes Mr. Bancroft as inquisitorial, and unkind to a man who never made any pretensions to being an historian. Such a spirit is commendable and disarming ; but when he becomes mad and militant, he arms his critics. Two protests against this universal flattery have struck him deeply. No. 14.— 1883. SCIENCE. 379 These offenders are the New- York independ- ent, which took up his claim of making a con- tribution in his notes to the bibliography of the subject, and which showed how preposter- ous such claim was; and the New-York post and Nation, which took him to task for his opinions on the early Mexican civilization, and for his churlish discourtesy to the late Lewis H. Morgan, — aman of pre-eminent reputation, whom Mr. Bancroft modestly accused of seek- ing to obtain a little cheap notoriety by attack- ing his (Mr. Bancroft’s) views. Mr. Bancroft has made answer to these reviews in a tract, of which he requests an opinion, which we give him. He does not print or quote in any com- prehensible way the articles which annoy him ; and so the reader is left, unless otherwise in- formed, to infer the nature of these questioners’ criticism from his own discourteous and. spe- cious language, which takes on a humorous sort of mongrel admiration in the juncture of such words as ‘ astute hair-splitter ’ and ‘ eru- dite dogmatist.’ Without citing proofs, he accuses them of ignorance and mud-throwing, and thus makes but the vaguest responses to clear exemplifications of his own ignorance, to citations of the inadequacy of his index- mongery, and to instances of perversions, which the reviewers adduced. The reviews in question were severe, and, from the nature of the case, cutting ; but they were not disfigured by foul language, and were explicit. His answer is vituperative and general. ‘This pamphlet is eked out with extracts of lau- datory comment growing out of the average conception of ‘a big thing’ from all sorts of sources, including a fresh commendation from certain California judges, who have no status, certainly, as students in this field, however reputable their legal qualifications and general intelligence. Some of Mr. Ban- croft’s gyrations are not more strange than the opinions which seem to have been wrung by him from various eminent people concern- ing this ‘ Macaulay of the west.’ More than one distinguished gentleman has discovered to his annoyance, that polite sentences, in notes of acknowledgment for presentation 380 copies, have been used to swell this chorus of admiration. He has another craze. He chooses to as- sert that there is a conspiracy among what he calls ‘ the Morgan men’ to depreciate and crush him, and that these two articles are part of the plan. We suspect archeology is too engrossing a study for such trivial by-play ; and we know, also, that the editors, whom he berates for lending themselves to such a plot, found students in the field too inclined to ignore his work, to bring themselves easily to the bestowal of any time upon criticising it. It is piteous to think how what might have been a useful labor is resulting in discredit and personal intrusiveness. A STUDY OF THE HUMAN TEMPORAL BONE.—I. Iv may be asked why the writer of the pres- ent article should publish a subject which has already been so thoroughly and repeatedly in- vestigated, is so familiar, and is treated with the utmost detail in many manuals of anatomy. In his experience as a teacher of anatomy, he has, of necessity, been obliged to observe many important points over and over again; and, as one of the results, he has been led to see some of them differently from the views commonly entertained. As no other bone is so complex as the temporal, and none more important in its relations, it occurred to him that his view of it might prove of interest to students. No discoveries are claimed, and it is probable that what is here written may be found in previous anatomical literature. In some points the de- tails are less complete than those given in the admirable, accurate, and exhaustive ‘ Hand- buch der anatomie’ of Professor Henle; but others are perhaps more definitely indicated. For brevity, some of the more obvious details, given in every manual, are excluded. For convenience of study, and reference, it is usual to consider the temporal bone as con- sisting of the squamous, mastoid, and petrous portions, though these do not accord with the natural divisions observed in its development. To ayoid circumlocution, the terms ‘squamosa,’ “mastoidea,’ and ‘petrosa,’ are substituted for the ordinary phrases ‘squamous portion,’ ete. The sqguamosa is the irregularly circular or oval plate, upright in position, at the fore-part of the bone. Its outer surface, nearly flat or SCIENCE. {Vou. I., No. 14, feebly convex, forms part of the temporal fossa. The inner surface is concave and pitted, as usual in the other bones of the cranium, and is marked by grooves for the great meningeal vessels. It is commonly defined by a fissure of variable extent, remaining as part of the petro- squamosal suture. Projecting from the lower part of the squa- mosa, externally, is the zygomatic process, which articulates with the malar bone to form the zygoma. The base of the process is broad and strong, and has its upper surface slanting forward. The upper sharp border of the pro- cess is continuous backward with a curved line, the temporal ridge, which defines the squamosa from the mastoidea. The squamosa underneath forms the articu- lav surface for the mandible, consisting of the glenoid fossa with the articular eminence in front; both extending outwardly below the root of the zygomatic process. The glenoid fossa is a deep, transversely oval concavity, defined behind by the glenoid fissure. The articular eminence is a transverse ridge of variable thickness, convex fore and aft, and more or less concaye to straight transversely. Variable prominences at the outer part of the articular surface are the anterior and posterior ' glenoid processes. The mastoidea is the outer back part of the bone, externally defined from the squamosa by the temporal ridge. It is prolonged below into the conspicuous nipple-shaped eminence, the mastoid process. Internally, to the base, of the process, is a large fore-and-aft groove, the digastric fossa; and internally to this again is a narrow groove for the occipital artery. The broad archway between the mastoid and post-glenoid processes is formed by the audi- tory plate’ (fig. 2, d), which extends inwardly as the roof of the external auditory meatus. It is partially defined from the temporal ridge by a variable, irregular crescentoid indentation. * The inner extremity defines the meatus from the tympanic cavity by an acute curved edge, from which a wide crescentoid plate, the tympanic scute,® slants upward, and forms the outer boundary of the upper portion of the tympanic cavity. The scute (fig. 1,0; fig. 2, ¢) can best be seen by sawing the temporal bone fore and aft through the tympanic cavity, and viewing the outer division of the bone from within. The scute is separated externally from the rest of the auditory plate by spongy substance, but occasionally is continuous through thick, com- pact substance. Its anterior border joins the 1 Lamina auditoria. 2 Post-auditory fossa. 3 Scutum tympanicum. May 11, 1883.] tympanic tegmen, and its posterior border is continuous with the spongy substance of the outer wall of the mastoid antrum. Fig. 1. — View from within of the outer portion of the left tem- poral bone, sawed through the tympanum, fore and aft, parallel with its inclination. a, tympanic margin of the ex- ternal auditory meatus, formed below and at the sides by the grooved margin of the tympanic plate, and above by the margin of the auditory plate; 6, scute, forming the outer boundary of the attic; c, tegmen; @, mastoid antrum; e, prominence of the inner posterior boundary of the attic; 7, canal for the accommodation of the long process of the mallet; g, petro-squamosal fissure. Below e are seen the pyramid, and the aperture of the tympanic cord. The inner surface of the mastoidea forms part of the posterior cranial fossa. Contigu- ous to the petrosa, it is impressed by the large eurved channel for the lateral sinus. The upper border is defined from the squamosa by a notch, which receives the posterior inferior angle of the parietal bone. Usually a short canal? pierces the posterior border, from the outer surface to the groove for the lateral sinus, for the transmission of a vein. The petrosa is a prostrate three-sided pyra- mid, with its base applied outwardly against the squamosa and mastoidea, and with its apex directed obliquely forward in the base of the eranium, between the occipital and sphenoid bones. The posterior surface of the petrosa is the smallest, and forms an uneyen slope at the fore- part of the posterior cranial fossa, defined out- wardly by the groove for the lateral sinus. Internally, to its middle, is the internal audi- tory meatus, a short, wide canal for the passage of the auditory and facial nerves. Outward from the meatus is an oblique cleft of variable ‘extent, sometimes large and conspicuous, and sometimes nearly obsolete. It communicates with a fine canal,” extending to the vestibule, for the passage of a vein. 1 Mastoid foramen. 2 Aqueduct of the vestibule. SCIENCE. 381 The upper border of the petrosa is an acute ridge, which continues outwardly to the upper border of the mastoidea, and gives attachment to the tentorium. It is usually marked along part of its course by a groove for the superior petrosal sinus, and its inner extremity is im- pressed by the trifacial nerve. The posterior border of the petrosa is sharp and irregular, and joins the occipital bone. Its middle skirts the fore-part of the jugular foramen, and commonly exhibits two notches, separated by an angular process, which gives attachment to a partition of the dura dividing the foramen. At the apex it is usually marked by a groove for the inferior petrosal sinus. The anterior border of the petrosa is the shortest; and it forms, with the squamosa, a notch, which receives the angular process of the sphenoid bone. The anterior surface of the petrosa, broad and uneven, forms the posterior boundary of the middle cranial fossa. Above its centre, a conspicuous prominence, together with the contiguous depression internally, marks the po- sition within of the labyrinth. Another depres- sion in front of the apex accommodates the ganglion of the trifacial nerve, and the notch just below communicates with the carotid ca- nal. The portion of surface below the posi- tion occupied by the labyrinth is formed by a wide, triangular plate, the tegmen,' which covers the tympanum, the mastoid antrum, and the eustachian tube. It is commonly more or less defined by a fissure, remaining as part of the petro-squamosal suture, which at birth extends from the notch at the bottom of the squamosa to that at its upper border. Fre- quently, also, a vascular groove, and several foramina for the transmission of vessels, mark the line of separation. The inner extremity of the tegmen is further somewhat defined from the rest of the petrosa by a groove di- rected outwardly, and ending in a small aper- ture, the hiatus? of the facial canal, for the entrance of the great superficial petrosal nerve. From the extremity of the tegmen, a narrow bar dips into the glenoid fissure, and separates the tympanic plate from the squamosa. The under part of the tegmen is commonly formed by a layer of spongy substance of variable thickness. The inferior surface of the petrosa is very uneven. At its fore-part, outwardly, is situ- ated the tympanic plate, originally a distinct bone from the rest of the petrosa. It presents a broad, concave surface, directed towards the glenoid fossa, and defined from this by the gle- 1 T. tympani. H. Fallopii. 382 noid fissure. It is produced below into a sharp, irregular crest, the vaginal process, variably extended into several uneven points. The outer portion of the tympanic plate is produced into a cylindrical scroll, which forms the floor and sides of the external auditory meatus. The rough, crescentic border at the entrance of the latter is the auditory process, and gives attachment to the auricle. The scroll terminates at the inner extremity of the meatus with an abrupt tympanic margin (fig. 1, a), which is grooved along its course within for the insertion of the tympanic membrane. The inner extremity of the tympanie plate closes the lower part of the eustachian tube. Back of the vaginal process, and partially sheathed by a downward extension of the same, is the usually conspicuous styloid pro- cess. This is a narrow, tapering spine, of variable leneth, from half an inch to an inch or more, directed from the petrosa downward, forward, and inward. Before maturity it is commonly a distinct bone," joined by cartilage to a short cylindrical base,? which occupies a pit or groove embraced by the vaginal process. Prior to puberty it is, for the most part, car- tilaginous, and is usually lost in prepared spe- cimens of the temporal bone. . Between the styloid and mastoid processes is the stylo-mastoid foramen, which is the exit of the facial canal. Behind it is a broad, mostly quadrate, articular facet, which joins the jugular process of the occipital bone. Adja- cent, inwardly, is the jugular fossa, a concave recess of variable capacity, and commonly dif- fering proportionately from that of the oppo- site bone of the same skull. It accommodates the commencement of the jugular vein, and forms the fore-part of the outer division of the jugular foramen. ‘To its inner side is a pyram- idal pit, which communicates at bottom with a fine canal,® extending to the cochlea, for the passage of a vein. The mouth of the pit ex- tends downward in a groove, which forms the fore-part of the inner division of the jugular foramen. Inwardly from the lower extremity of the jugular fossa, and behind the inner extremity of the vaginal process, is the entrance of the carotid canal. This ascends vertically, and then curves abruptly inward, and proceeds to the apex of the petrosa. It is sometimes in- complete at its inner fore-part, when, in the recent state, it is closed by fibrous membrane. It gives passage to the internal carotid artery and sympathetic nerve. 1 Stylo-hyal. 2 Tympano-hyal. * Aqueduct of the cochlea, SCIENCE. {[Vou. I., No. 14. The uneven surface beneath the apex of the petrosa, at the fore-part, gives origin to the elevator of the palate, and, just behind, gives attachment to the pharynx. Back of this, the irregularly grooved part joins the occipital bone, having the interval occupied by fibro- cartilage. The external auditory meatus, or outer pas- sage of the ear, in the prepared bone, communi- cates at bottom with the tympanic cavity. It is a curved canal, with the convexity upward, and is about two-thirds of an inch in length. It is directed from without inward, and a little forward and downward. Its cross-section is oval, with the longer diameter inclined forward. The roof, formed by the auditory plate, is ex- tended to the greatest degree outwardly ; while the floor and sides, formed by the tympanic plate, are extended most inwardly. The en- trance is formed above by the narrowing of the broad arch of the auditory plate, and below by the auditory process curving up at the sides to the roof of the meatus. The tympanic orifice' (fig. 1, a), or communication with the tym- panic cavity, is oval, or nearly cireular, and very oblique, with its plane inclined outward and downward to an angle of about 50°. It is formed above by the sharp, curved tympanic margin of the auditory plate, and below by the horseshoe-like tympanic margin of the tym- panic plate, grooved within for the insertion of the tympanic membrane. The glenoid fissure? defines the tympanic plate from the fore-part of the squamosa, behind the glenoid fossa, and remains as a portion of the petro-squamosal suture. Its outer part is closed by anchylosis of the tympanic plate with the post-glenoid process. Its inner part receives a bar, dipping into it from the tezmen of the petrosa, and separating the tympanic plate from the squamosa. At its middle is a foramen, —the exit of a short, oblique canal? from the tympanum, for the accommodation of the long process of the mallet and the tympanic cord. The eustachian tube is a short, oblique canal, communicating outwardly with the tympanum, and opening inwardly in front of the apex of the petrosa, at the notch between this and the squamosa. It is formed in front and be- neath by the inner extremity of the tympanic plate, above by the tegmen, and behind by the anterior wall of the carotid canal. Its inner extremity is roughened for the attachment of the cartilaginous portion of the tube. ' Apertura tympanica. 2 Wissure of Glaser; Glaserian fissure. 8 Canal of Huguier. s May 11, 1883.] At the upper part of the tube, extending into the tympanum, is the receptacle of the tympanic tensor muscle. This is formed by a thin, cylindrical scroll, commonly open along its fore-part, but closed in the recent condition by fibrous membrane. The upper extremity of the scroll tapers, curves outwardly, and projects as a short conical process! into the tympanum. Sometimes the receptacle forms a complete osseous tube, open only at the ends. The internal auditory meatus is a cylindri- cal canal, about a third of an inch long, ex- b) tending directly outward from near the middle of the posterior surface of the petrosa. The bottom of the meatus is directed forward and outward, and is applied to the base of the coch- lea and to the vestibule. It is divided into two fossae by a transverse ridge, which expands, at the extremities, into the front and back walls of the meatus. In the upper fossa, internally, is the aperture of the facial canal,” by which the facial nerve leaves the meatus. The facial canal adyances a short distance, and commu- nicates, through the hiatus,* with the anterior surface of the petrosa. Turning abruptly out- ward and backward in the upper part of the inner wall of the tympanum, it then curves downward in the posterior wall, and ends under the name of the stylo-mastoid foramen. It is sometimes open along its course at the upper part of the tympanum, but is then closed in the recent state by fibrous membrane. Outward from the entrance of the facial canal is a con- cave recess, with a circular or oval group of minute foramina, which communicate with the superior cribriform macula of the vestibule. On the outer extremity of the transverse ridge of the bottom of the meatus there is a variable number of little pits, or foramina, usually two or three, which likewise communicate with the macula just mentioned. The lower fossa of the meatus is impressed with a band-like spiral tract,* which is pierced along its course with numerous minute foram- ina. These sometimes exhibit a slight ten- dency to arrangement in little groups in longitudinal series ; though I have never seen a specimen exhibiting even a well-marked ap- proximation to the regularity represented in fig. 725 of Sappey’s Traité d’anatomie, sec- ond edition. The foramina communicate with eanals of the modiolus, and transmit the fila- ments of the cochlear nerve. Centrally, at the termination of the spiral tract, there is usually a conspicuously larger 1 Processus cochleariformis. 2 Aqueduct of Fallopius. * H. Fallopii. 4 Tractus spiralis foraminosus. SCIENCE. 383 foramen, which gives passage to the central artery of the modiolus. Above the commencement of the spiral tract, and just below the transverse ridge, is a recess, variably distinct, sometimes scarcely marked from the spiral tract, sometimes forming a conspicuous depression or pit, with a little cir- cular group of minute foramina, which commu- nicate with the middle cribriform macula of the vestibule. In the outer wall of the meatus, near the recess just indicated, is the aperture of a nar- row canal, which is directed outwardly, and terminates in a group of minute foramina, which communicate with the inferior cribriform mac- ula of the ampulla of the posterior semicir- cular canal. The three groups of foramina, communicating with the cribriform maculae, transmit the filaments of the three divisions of the vestibular nerve. The tympanic cavity occupies a position at the fore-part of the petrosa, beneath the teg- men, and closed in front by the tympanic plate. It communicates outward with the external auditory meatus, outward and backward with the mastoid antrum, and inward and forward with the eustachian tube. Closed externally by the tympanic membrane, it forms the tym- panum, or ear-drum, — an air-chamber interme- diate to the external auditory meatus and the labyrinth. Within it are contained the ear- ossicles. The tympanic cavity is obliquely placed parallel with the long axis of the petrosa. It may be regarded as consisting of two portions, —the main chamber, which may be named the atrium, situated directly opposite the external _ auditory meatus; and a recess above this, which may be distinguished as the attic (fig. 1, db). The atrium? is discoid in shape, and is de- fined outwardly by the prominent edge of the tympanic orifice of the external auditory meatus. Its usual dimensions are about half an inch obliquely, fore and aft, and in height, and about two and a half lines from within outward. The inner wallis next the labyrinth, and in great part is visible through the exter- nal auditory meatus. It exhibits a conspicu- ous smooth eminence, the promontory, caused by the projection of the cochlea. The back part of this arches over a deep recess, looking backward and outward, and having at its inner side an aperture, the rownd window,’ which communicates with the cochlea, and, in the re- cent state, is closed by the cochleo-tympanic 1 Atrium tympanicum. 2 Fenestra rotunda; f. cochleae. 384 membrane.' Above the promontory, and over the position of the round window, is a concave recess, at the bottom of which is the oval window.” This is half oval or slightly reni- form, with its longer diameter nearly horizontal, and it is directed outwardly. It communicates with the vestibule, and, when complete, is closed by the insertion of the base of the stirrup. In advance of the oval window is the pro- jecting end of the scroll or tube, which serves as a receptacle for the tympanic tensor muscle. Below the promontory, curving fore and aft around it, is a concaye, rough, cellular recess, which extends outwardly, and is defined by the tympanic margin of the tympanic plate. The lower part of the recess is the floor of the tym- panum, situated above the jugular fossa; its back part forms the lower portion of the pos- terior wall of the tympanum ; and its fore part, the lower portion of the anterior wall, situ- ated just external to the ascending portion of the carotid canal. Above the recess, in front and inwardly, is the orifice of the eustachian tube. In front of this is the short, narrow, oblique canal, which opens into the glenoid fissure, and receives the long process of the mallet, together with the tympanic cord. Within the posterior wall of the tympanum is the descending portion of the facial canal ; and in advance of this is the receptacle for the stapedius muscle. The receptacle is a cylin- droid cavity, about a fourth of an inch long. Ascending in front of the facial canal, it then curves forward beneath this, and tapers to an aperture at the summit of a little conical process, the pyramid. It is separated from the facial canal by a thin partition ; but this is not unfrequently more or less imperfect, and is then, in the recent state, closed by fibrous membrane. The receptacle also communicates with the facial canal by one or two small canals for the passage of the vessels and nerve of the stapedius. The pyramid projects forward into the tympanic atrium, behind the position of the oval window. It is commonly connected with the contiguous wall by several little radiating bars, one of which joins the promontory. Between the pyramid and the recesses of the round and oval windows there are two yacant recesses. Close to the back margin of the tympanic orifice of the external auditory meatus, a little below the level of the pyramid, is the opening of a small canal from the facial canal, which admits the tympanic cord into the tympanum. ' Secondary membrane of the tympanum. 2 Fenestra ovalis; f. vestibuli. SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 14. The attic} of the tympanum is a pyramidal recess over the atrium, and above the tympani¢e orifice of the external auditory meatus. Its upper anterior boundary is the tegmen, which separates it from the cranial cavity, and is mostly provided with a layer of spongy sub- stance of variable thickness. :Its inner boun- dary is a convex prominence (fig. 1, e; fig. 2, 6) produced by the contiguous portions of the external semicircular and facial canals. Its outer boundary is the wide crescentie tym- panic scute (fig. 1, 0; fig. 2, ¢) of the audi- tory plate. It opens above the prominence of its inner boundary, outward and backward, by a large aperture * into the mastoid antrum. Beneath, it opens into the atrium by an ellip- tical aperture, formed internally by the ridge of the facial canal, and -externally by the tympanic margin of the auditory plate. The attic is partially occupied by the mallet and anvil, which thence, by the handle of the former, and the long process of the latter, extend into the atrium. The mastoid antrum (fig. 1, d; fig. 2, f) is a prolongation of the attic backward and Fia. 2. — Section of the left temporal bone, through the squamosa, immediately in advance of the external auditory meatus. a, atrium of the tympanum; 0, prominence on the inner back part of the attic; c, scute at the outer part of the attic; d, auditory plate; e, tegmen; 7, mastoid antrum; g, anterior passage of the same; /, canal for the long process of the mal- let; z, hiatus of the facial canal; j, eustachian tube. outward in the spongy substance of the mas- toidea. It is of variable size, ordinarily -ranging from that of the attic to double the dimensions of this. It sometimes ends in a blunt, flask-like recess, but is oftener more or less extended downward among the cellules of the mastoid process. Frequently it gives off a smaller fork or passage (fig. 2, g), which is directed outward and upward among the 1 Atticus tympanicus, upper chamber of the tympanum of Huxley. 2 Petro-mastoid canal of Sappey. May 11, 1883.] cellules above the external auditory meatus ; and rarely a third branch is directed more anteriorly. While the atrium of the tympanum varies but little in size, the attic and mastoid antrum vary greatly. The mastoid cellules! consist of air-cavities of yariable number, size, and extent, in the midst of the spongy substance of the mas- toidea. ‘They are commonly more or less pro- portioned in number and size with age. With the advance of years, they increase in both respects from the conversion of the ordinary marrow-filled, spongy substance into vacant spaces. Later they increase in capacity by expansion and coalescence, and _ proportion- ately decrease in number; and often in old age some of them even exceed in size the antrum. The cellules communicate with one another, and, through the sides and extremity, with the mastoid antrum. Some small but important foramina and canals of the temporal bone, besides those mentioned, are worthy of notice. In the ridge separating the jugular fossa from the entrance of the carotid canal, there is a fine canal which ascends to the tympanum. It communicates with the atrium at the inner part of the floor, beneath the promontory, and is thence continuous with a groove ascending and dividing into several branches upon the latter. The canal gives passage to the tym- panic nerve, which is distributed>upon the promontory. Among the nutritious foramina of the carotid canal, chiefly on its outer wall, there are several larger ones, which communicate with the tympanum, and transmit one or two minute arteries and connecting branches of the tym- panic nerve with the sympathetic nerve. Likewise, in the jugular fossa, there are several foramina communicating with the tym- panum for the passage of minute veins. An- other foramen in the fossa extends in a fine canal outwardly, and opens into the fissure between the mastoid and auditory processes. The canal transmits the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, and, in its course, communi- cates with the facial canal. On the inner extremity of the tegmen, a cleft or groove ends in a fine canal, which proceeds outwardly to the inner side of the receptacle of the tympanic tensor, and com- municates with the tympanum. The canal transmits the small superficial petrosal nerve. Another small groove on the tegmen, close to that for the large superficial petrosal nerve, 1 Mastoid sinuses. SCIENCE. 385 likewise ends in a fine canal, communicating with the facial canal, for the transmission of the least superficial petrosal nerve. THE WEATHER IN MARCH, 1888. Tue floods reported last month haye nearly subsided, though their eyil effects will con- tinue to be felt for many months. The Mis- sissippi remained above the danger-line at Cairo till the 12th; at Memphis, till the 15th. It was two feet above danger-line at Vicks- burg, and ten inches below the same at New Orleans, on the 31st. The heaviest losses were on the west bank in Arkansas, and here they were more serious than in 1882. It is stated, that on the llth, to the south of Helena for a distance of two hundred miles, nearly the entire country for about thirty miles from the river was flooded, and a great number of cattle were lost. On the St. Fran- cis River there was more devastation than in 1882; in the vicinity of Oldtown, near Hele- na, the flood was the worst ever experienced. The situation is more fayorable at Memphis than last year. There will be no interference in planting the crops between Cairo and Vicks- burg. And while, in 1882, at least 20,000 destitute people were supported more than a month by the goyernment, the losses this year are confined mostly to the drowning of stock. The heayy rains of the 20th and 21st caused damaging freshets in the maritime provinces of Canada. : The chart on p. 386 exhibits mean isobars, isotherms, and wind-directions, for this month. A comparison with the similar chart for Feb- ruary, published in Scrence, April 13, shows that the winter area of permanent high press- ure, which in February was very extensive, and nearly divided in two by the Rocky Moun- tain range, had moyed to the east of that range, and was central in northern Montana. This area, in connection with the prevailing north-west winds, accounts for the low tempera- tures of the east. These present a marked de- ficiency in all sections east of the 97th meridian, the mean being 3.2° below the normal. The lowest temperature reported was — 34°, on Mount Washington, the 5th. Eleven storms haye been traced whose tracks lay either in the United States or a little to the north of the boundary. ‘The fol- lowing table exhibits the number and mean velocity of storms in each March since 1877, so far as they were sufficiently marked to en- able a velocity to be determined. i bi i WwW. B.HAZEN, 23? Observnuon for the Signal Sernce Washington tin UDLISHED BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR, and Byt.Mnj, Genl, U.S Army, Chief Signal Officer, oretatren at7ASL3PMBIED TE ke : = Bri; i. a L 4 ian MONTHLY MEAN ISOBARS, ISOTHERMS, AND WIND-DIRECTIONS, MARCH, 1888. REPRINTED IN REDUCED FORM BY PERMISSION OF THE CHIEF; SIGNAL-OFFICER. 3 ~ ward. of the accompanying map, which ‘ rd May 11, 1883.] SCIENCE. 387 March storms. Total movement of air in miles. i T3S= aT SS === =2=>3 = ——— 3 == =— YEAR | Numer. sg EUESIEE 5 STATION. 1881. 182. | 1983. ea PE | 1877 : | 1 34.5 Eastport... .. . 11,499 | 9,794 11,069 1878 10 | 24.3 Portland, Me... . . 7,985 | 7,626 7,579 1879 13 | 35.2 BORLOUMMECEIO Shatter 9,826 | 9,425 9,259 1880) 14 | 35.8 NewiWork’ 3)! 2) 25: 9,848 | 8,176 6,820 1881 9 ae ay 882 10 34.9 ae? 11 38.0 IMie@anies secret iy 9,789 | 8,755 8,682 Mean | 11.1 32.8 : ; iss Taeaees hey I miles during the month, across Mount Wash- at te) >) Storm-tracks have also been drawn for the Atlantic: these show a much less stormy month than usual. During the first half, the movement of storm-centres was checked by an area of high pressure over the ocean, and extending from Europe west- ward to the 45th meridian. In con- sequence of this high area, easterly and south-easterly winds prevailed, thus favoring yessels bound west- The lowest pressure reported was 29.1 inches, to the south of Newfoundland, on the 27th. Icebergs and field-ice were most numerous in the parts of the ocean indicated by the shaded portion shows the southern and eastern limits of icebergs in the North Atlantic, based on the reports of shipmasters, New York herald weather-service, and data pub- lished by the Mew York maritime register. The precipitation was markedly less than in previous years ; all sec- tions east of the 97th meridian ex- hibiting a deficiency, except the South Atlantic States, +.4; Flori- da peninsula, +1.4; and the west- ern Gulf States, +.6. The mean deficiency for this whole region was .76 inch. The threatened drought in the Pacific States, as noted in February, was brok- en by rains in the latter part of this month. These were sufficient to assure the success of the wheat-crop. Five feet of snow in the streets of Montreal were reported on the 7th. The table in the next column gives the total movement of the air in March at several stations. These figures show, with only a single ex- ception, less movement during the present month than for three years. The air moved _ at the rate of 1,123 miles per day, or 34,800. 1 | ington; and velocities above 100 miles per hour were reported on the 6th, 7th, 10th, 14th, pANP gnee™ 18th, and 25th. In the latter case the wind reached 150 miles in an hour. Cautionary signals to the number of 117 were displayed; and of these, 115, or 98 %, were justified. Auroras were seen on nearly every day of the month, but none very brilliant. The most extensive occurred on the Ist, 2d, and 3d. Professor Todd of Amherst reported sunspots, least in number on the 3d; and most, about the 24th. Harthquake-shocks were reported from Waterloo, Canada, between 10 and 11 A.M., of the 11th, and at 6.57 p.m., of the 388 same date, at Fallstown, Ind. On the 30th a wide-spread shock was felt in California. L’HIRONDELLE.* Tuis name we find given to a carriage which is the result of one of the recent attempts to gain for the ordinary road-vehicle the ease of traction which a rail gives. It might be better to say that the actual result is the use of a SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 14. screen is furnished behind, to give protection from the mud and dust, which, carried up by the outer ring, would be dropped on the hap- less occupant. To give the whole stability, there are two outriding wheels connected with the main part by springs, flexible enough to allow of the main weight being borne by the central wheel, and yet sufficiently stiff to pre- vent any overturning. The most of the parts are made of wrought iron or steel. It has been found that the carriage is not liable to L’HIRONDELLE. much larger wheel than any that can be used in the ordinary way, and so the advantage which a large wheel gives in passing over ob- stacles on a rough road. The form shown in the cut is said to have been used in Poland and Russia with considerable success, and carriages of this type to have made their ap- pearance in Paris. ‘The driver’s seat is con- nected rigidly with the shafts and with the three small grooved wheels which are made to fit the inner surface of the large steel ring, or wheel proper, which rolls on the ground. A 1 This article, and the cut accompanying it, are taken from Za Nature of April 14. accident, and, with ordinary care, may be kept in running-order. i THE GREAT COMET OF 1882.1 Tur accompanying sketches are intended to give an idea of the appearance of the nucleus of the great 1882 comet, in the 26-inch Wash- ington equatorial, on the evenings of Feb. 1, Feb. 23, and Feb. 27, 1883. A magnifying 1 Communicated by permispion of Vice-Admiral Rowan, superintendent U. 8. naval observatory. May 11, 1883.] power of about 200 diameters was used on each occasion for making the sketches. Fig. 1 shows the comet on Feb. 1, 1883, at about the time of meridian transit, or 9h., Fra. 1. Feb. 1, 34, 1883 Washington mean time. The nucleus which I first saw in any degree ‘separated,’ on the morning of Oct. 7, 1882 (its entire length at that time being about 25”), has now stretched out into a fine straight line of light, with three quite bright and stellar-like points of conden- sation. No micrometer measures were made; but, from a rough estimate, the distance be- tween the two preceding points was about 35”, and the distance from the middle to the follow- ing point about 42”, the total length of the nucleus proper being about 80.” The middle point was the brightest. ‘The head shows no very definite outline, but on the south side it is somewhat brighter and more sharply de- fined than on the north. Fig. 2 shows the comet on Feb. 23, 1883, just after meridian passage, or about 8h., Washington mean time. I can see but little change in the appearance of the nucleus since the first of the month, or, indeed, since the first part of December, except a gradual dimi- nution in brightness. Three bright points are still visible. The middle one is brightest, and . ~ eo Fie. 2. Feb. 23, 34, 1883. about equal to a star of the twelfth magnitude ; the point preceding is a little fainter than this ; SCIENCE. 389 and the point following is the faintest. The light seems to be more concentrated near the preceding end. The position angle of the fol- lowing point from the preceding was 76.5° ; but the poor seeing and the increasing moon- light rendered it impossible to make any ac- curate measurements of the distance between these points. Fig. 3 gives the appearance of the comet on Feb. 27, 1883, at about 8h. 30m., Washington mean time. The seeing was remarkably good, and the nucleus was examined with magnify- ing powers of 200 and 383 diameters. “Four bright points were seen distinctly, and a fifth (following) suspected. Numbering these points of condensation in their order from the pre- ceding end of the nucleus, 3 is decidedly the brightest, 2 next, 4 next, and 1 the faint- est. Professor Hall made a number of measure- ments of the distances of these points, and he has kindly furnished me with the following re- sults of his observations : — 2 to 3 = 34.5” Zito —— 4 Bales 3 to 4 = 22.3” Fie. 3. Feb. 27, 36, 1883. Position angle of the line joining 1 and 4 = 78°. This gives for the distance between the extreme points 1’ 44.9”. Using a value [0.45885] for the logarithm of the distance from the earth, interpolated from Professor Frisby’s ephemeris, the apparent distance be- tween our extreme points of condensation is 135,000 miles. If, however, these points lie on a line pointing from the sun, as this line makes quite a small angle with the line of sight at the time of observation, the real distance of our two points is about three times this value, or, roughly, 400,000 miles. The comet was last observed on the 3d of March, but it is hoped that further obser- vations can be obtained after the moon has passed. W. C. Wintocs. 390 THE ERUPTION OF MOUNT ETNA. Tue last eruption of Mount Etna, although slight, has some interest, in that it was at a point farther down the mountain than any other in recent times, and the only one which has occurred on the southern side in this century. The first warnings of the threatening erup- tion came from a series of earthquake shocks on the morning of March 20. Low under- ground sounds were heard, the reports suc- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 14. foot of the mountain, announced the appear- ance of lava. Eleven cracks formed during the night ; and from them were thrown scoriae, which formed three heaps forty to fifty feet high. One jet of scoriae was thrown out with such violence that the shock caused the bells in the villages of Nicolosi and Pedara to ring. The consternation of the people was the greater, as the locality was the same as that of the great eruption of 1669. This point com- mands a sloping plain which is highly culti- Eruption oF Mount ETNA, MARCH 22, 1883. 1. The point of eruption; 2. Monti Rossi; 3. Village of Nicolosi. ceeding one another at intervals of a few minutes. It was not until evening that it became evident where the eruption was to take place. At that time flames broke forth on the lower part of the southern side, about on the edge of the cultivated zone, and four kilometres north of the village of Nicolosi. Large clouds of vapor and gases escaped from eracks in the earth, and enveloped the moun- tain in a dense fog. By night-time a very red and bright light, which, viewed from Catania, appeared to play in large waves around the “sl Reproduced, with some modifications, from Za Nature of April 14, together with the illustration. VIEW TAKEN FROM CATANIA. vated, and on which are living, within a short distance of the centre of the eruption, a popu- lation of twenty thousand. The second day the character of the erup- tion became decidedly alarming. Some new fissures opened near Nicolosi, and the lava spread out in large waves over the neighboring country. This made the outlook very threat- ening; but, to the great surprise of all versed in the history of volcanic action, the eruptive movement began to abate, and during the night stopped entirely. This was fortunate, as the overflow of lava was from a point which might have caused great injury. May 11, 1883.] The fact cannot be concealed, however, that the eruptive apparatus of this last upheaval has been left in a state which furnishes a con- stant menace to the neighboring villages. On account of the sudden cessation of action, the secondary phenomena have not taken place, by which nature usually brings about a perma- nent end to these parasitic craters. It is, then, among the possibilities of the near future, that another eruption may take place on the same spot where the late one has proved abortive. _MAGNETO-MOTIVE FORCE. “Far aday compared a magnet to a voltaic battery immersed in water;! and he established by experi- ment the principal analogies on which this comparison is founded.”? Mr. R. ie M. Bosanquet, from whom the above is quoted,” thinks that too little has been made of this analogy, which seems to him to furnish the only sound yiew of magnetism. He would Speak of a permanent magnet as possessing a certain ‘mag- neto-motive force,’ which, acting through a cirenit made up of the magnet and the bodies or medium sur- rounding the magnet, produces throughout this cir- cuit a total magnetic induction, equal to the quotient of the magneto-motive force by the ‘ magnetic resist- ance.’ So-called magnetic substances are those in which the magnetic conductivity is great; and bodies of this sort, when brought near a magnet, become parts of the magnetic circuit, whose resistance they lessen, just as masses of metal placed in the water forming part of an electric circuit would lessen the total electrical resistance of such a circuit. Moreover, a new distribution of the lines of mag- netic induction is brought about by the entrance of the magnetic body into the field; this body receiv- ing and transmitting a larger proportion of the lines of magnetic induction than the space it now occupies received and transmitted when filled by air. The body is now said, in ordinary terms, to be magnetized. At the same time, the lines of magnetic induction, being deflected from their most direct course, and bunched together where they approach the magnetic body to enterit, encounter in that region an increased air-resistance. A like condition of things exists in the air-region where they are departing from the magnetic body; and the effect of these increased air- resistances is to make the number of lines of mag- netic induction through the body less than it would otherwise be. This air-resistance near the surface has for its equivalent in the ordinary theory the ‘demagnetizing’ action which the induced magne- tism of a body exerts upon the interior particles of the body itself. In the case of a very thin disk, magnetized by induction in a direction normal to its surface, the ordinary theory says that the demagne- tizing action of the free magnetism of the surfaces almost neutralizes within the disk the effect of the external magnetizing forces, so that the magnetic induction in the disk is scarcely more intense than that in the air about it. The other theory explains the fact by saying that the superior magnetic. con- ductivity of the disk is not able, acting for so short a distance, to seriously affect the course of the lines of induction in its neighborhood by making it advan- 1 Exp. res., iii. § 3276. 8 Waraday, Exp. res., old edition. » Phil. mag., March, 1883. » tii, § 3289; Maxwell, arts. 426 and 438, SCIENCE, 391 tageous for these lines to bend from their normal course in order to pass through the disk. Mr. Bosanquet’s article is an attempt to prepare Faraday’s theory for use in numerical calculations by furnishing it with exact quantitative definitions, and to show by the results of experiment that the theory is fitted for such work. In doing this he thinks it necessary to make essential changes in well-known and widely received formulas. Mr. Bosanquet states the ordinary theory thus: “Now, the fundamental hypothesis at the base of the ordinary mathematical theory of magnetism is, that there are magnetizing forces §) which are of the dimensions of the magnetic induction 8 which they produce, and that the magnetizing force permeates every medium, and produces in magnetic media mag- netic induction proportional to the force and to a co-efficient of permeability u, quite independently of the existence of any magnetic cireuit.’’? To'this Mr. Bosanquet objects; one of his objections being, that “‘we have to suppose that the magnetizing force within a magnetic body has the power of remaining separate and distinct from the magnetic induction as a whole, though the two are quantities of the same nature.’? In his theory ‘‘the quantity becomes merely the magnetic induction in vacant space, and ¥ that in magnetic matter. replaces ‘, and is not supposed to include it as before.” Instead of remaining B= S409 S$, or #=1+ 4741 “our fundamental equation becomes w#=Azrk, or S= 479.” The formula B= H+47r4, or p= 1+ 4a4, adopted by Maxwell and others, might, according to Mr. Bosanquet, lead to serious errors. Thus in a sphere of infinite magnetic permeability, magnetized by induction, Stefan, he says, has shown that ‘‘ the ratio of the number of lines of force through its equatorial section to the number through the same section in air’’ is 3. Practically the same result is obtained from one of Thomson’s papers, and Mr. Bosanquet confirms these results by a calculation in accordance with the views he is advocating. He attempts now to show that Maxwell, using the formulas above, would make this ratio 4 instead of 3. A similar error would, he thinks, occur in calculat- ing, according to Maxwell. the corresponding ratio for the case of a disk of infinite conductivity. However interesting and suggestive certain parts of Mr. Bosanquet’s paper may be, there is little doubt that he has here met the usual fate of those who at- tempt to convict Maxwell of errorin reasoning. It is easy to show that Maxwell’s formulas are in complete accord with the result above obtained from Stefan and Thomson. Thus (p. 66, vol. ii., old edition ) Maxwell says that ‘‘in the case of a sphere the ratio of the magnetization to the magnetizing force is. . ., and if « were infinite the ratio would be as 1 to 4.19,” ete. This result Mr. Bosanquet quotes, but from that point he goes wrong. On the next page of Maxwell, where he is discussing the demagnetizing forces which the poles of a magnetized body exert upon the ‘interior particles’ of the body itself, we read, ‘“‘If the magnet were a sphere the demagnetiz- ing force would be $7I.’? The symbol I here, like 3 in the formula above, means the intensity of magnetization. Now, according to Maxwell, ? is not merely the original magnetizing force, which we will call %. It is this minus the demagnetizing force, which in this case is $71. We have, therefore, from Maxwell, 1 Maxwell, art. 428. 2 Maxwell, arts. 398 and 426. 392 B= +403, =F — 473, and 9 = 7, whence §= 4193 —479=0, B=inS=4nx = 35, and which is the result reached by Stefan and Thomson. A: precisely similar line of reasoning applies in case of the disk; the fact that 5 in both the sphere and the disk becomes 0 explaining how it happens that 3[= «] remains finite, though « is supposed infinite. The fact seems to be, that Mr. Bosanquet does not understand the full meaning of Maxvwell’s 5. He apparently supposes that it is the magnetizing force arising from external sources,! just what has been denoted above by %. Having, therefore, found that his own formula, 8 = 47%, gives, in the case of the sphere of infinite conductivity, 8 = 3%, he naturally concludes that Maxwell would obtain S=Ft3h =4F. The two above-mentioned cases, then, are of inter- est, not as showing the inaccuracy of the ordinary formulas, but as instances in which Mr. Bosanquet’s formulas hold good. In any medium possessing finite magnetic conductivity only, i.e., in any known me- dium, Mr. Bosanquet’s formulas will evidently lead to results different from those given by Maxwell’s; and it remains to be shown, I think, that Maxwell is in error. Indeed, it is by no means evident that Maxwell’s formulas need be essentially changed in order to be in accordance with the requirements of the theory Mr. Bosanquet is advocating; for, though Maxwell preferred to speak of magnetization as an induction phenomenon, he was, of course, perfectly well aware of its analogy to conduction, as might be shown by numerous quotations from his treatise, of which only one need be given. “Tn many parts of physical science, equations of the same form are found applicable to phenomena which are certainly of quite different natures, as, for instance, electric induction through dielectrics, con- duction through conductors, and magnetic induction. In all these cases the relation between the force and the effect produced is expressed by a set of equations of the same kind, so that when a problem in one of these subjects is solved, the problem and its solution may be translated into the language of the other subjects and the results in their new form will still be true.’ 2 E. H. HA. Cambridge, Mass., April 19, 1883. THE SMALL PLANETS. Tue following statement of the condition of the prize question of the Royal Danish society of sciences appears in Copernicus for March, 1883: — The number of small planets between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter has by degrees become so large, that it is not to be expected that it will in future be possible to compute, in advance, the motion of every single one, And it will even be less possible to com- pute their influence singly on the motions of the large planets or of comets. Fortunately, however, the masses of the small planets are so trifling that the perturbation caused by any one separately may be left out of consideration; but it is very doubtful 1 Maxwell does, in art. 437, use § in this sense; but he does not use it thus in his formulas. 2 Art, 62, new edition. SCIENCE. [Vou. L., No. 14. e whether their collective influence might not be traced in the motion of the nearer planets or comets. In order that researches on this point should give a reliable result, it is necessary first to know the form and position of the ring formed by all the small planets, and the distribution of the masses in this ring. No degree of accuracy can be attempted in the sta- tistical description of the ring; and, with very few exceptions, the systems of elements already deduced for each planet may be adopted; the more so, as it (will be of no importance whereabouts in its orbit a planetisat anytime. As to the single masses, it is, of course, necessary to draw conclusions from the appar- ent’ brightness; but the number is so considerable that a fairly reliable result may be hoped for. In the statistical researches hitherto made, the separate ele- ments only have been discussed, apart from their connection with the other elements; but this cannot be considered satisfactory. Thus the fact that the planets, arranged according to their mean distances, are divided into a number of distinct groups, does not, by any means, prove that the ring formed by them around the sun is dissolved into a number of fairly concentric rings. The Royal Danish society of sciences, therefore, offers its gold medal (value 320 crowns, equal to nearly ninety dollars) for a statistical investigation of the orbits of the small planets considered as parts of a ring around the sun. The form, position, and relative distribution of mass, should, if possible, be stated with at least so much accuracy as is judged necessary for computing its perturbing influence on planets and comets. The memoirs should be written either in Latin, French, English, German, Swedish, or Danish, and must be sent before the end of October, 1884, to the secretary of the society, Dr. H. G. Zeuthen, Copen- hagen. They should not bear the author’s name, but only a motto, while the name should be enclosed in a sealed envelope. RESEARCHES ON THE DICYEMIDAE. Dr. C. O. WHITMAN has published an article! on these puzzling and imperfectly known parasites of the cephalopods. The number of genera is reduced to two, — Dicyema, with eight cells around the ante- rior end of the body; and Dicyemennea, with nine. The number of species is increased to ten, all of which are carefully described. Three are new. As these animals have been taken by Ed. van Beneden as the type of a new division of the animal kingdom, and as they have been the subject of much discussion, we reproduce Whitman’s summary. The dicyemids may be divided, according to the share they take in the work of reproduction, into mono- genic and diphygenic individuals. The first produce only vermiform, the latter, first infusoriform, and then vermiform embryos. It is doubtful whether the two kinds of individuals are heterogeneous forms; for they are alike in origin, development, and adult form and structure; but their germ-cells, for un- known reasons, pursue different courses of deyelop- ment. There is a relation, the meaning of which is unknown, between the age of the host and the condition of the parasites; the nematogens predomi- nating in the young, the rhombogens in the adult cephalopods. The rhombogens alone have a pluri- nucleate axial cell, which then contains, first, its own large nucleus; second, bodies, probably correspond- 1 Mittheil. zool. stat. Neapel, iv. 1. May 11, 1883.] ing to polar globules, thrown off from the germ-cells before they develop into embryos; third, the ‘residual nuclei’ of the germogens set free, as the final event in the history of infusorigens. The infusorigen is a group of cells, consisting, at one period, of a periph- eral layer of cells partially enveloping a large central cell. Its development from a single cell by a process of cleavage, and the epibolic growth of its periph- eral layer, give ground for believing that it passes ' through a gastrula stage. In diphygenic individuals the germ-cells are different for the two kinds of em- bryos. The first to appear, one or two at a time, are the large germ-cells of the infusoriform embryos. After these embryos escape, there remain in the parent-body small cells, which multiply until they fill the greater portion of the axial cell, and eventu- ally give rise to vermiform embryos. The difference between developmental division (cleavage) and multi- plieative division of cells is here brought in striking contrast. No definite evidence of fecundation has been obtained, but it perhaps occurs with one form of embryo. In the development of the vermiform embryo, karyokinesis splits the germ-cell into two unequal parts. Then follows a three, and next a four celled stage, in which three cells form a cap over the fourth. This leads to a gastrula, in which a single entoderm-cell is enveloped by a small number of ectoderm-cells. The blastopore closes, and the multiplication of cells at this pole soon leads to the pyriform embryo, of which the pointed end is the blastoporal region; while the rounded end corre- sponds to the future cephalic pole. In this stage the first germ-cell appears at the hind end of the ento- derm; the second germ-cell, at the anterior end; and from these two arise the other germ-cells. There is, therefore, a triploblastic stage, if we regard the two germ-cells as representing the mesoderm. It may be added, that important errors of van Bene- den have been corrected by Whitman, whose article is one of unusual interest and merit. As to the relationship of the dicyemids, Whitman says, ‘‘I see no good reason for doubting the general opinion that they are plathelminths, degraded by parasitism. Whether they, and their allies the Orthonectidae, have descended from ancestors represented now by such forms as Dinophilus, or from the Trematoda, is a question which further investigations must de- cide.”’ C. S. Minot. TEMPERATURE AND ICE OF THE BAVA- RIAN LAKES. ATER an account of temperature observations on Swiss lakes by earlier observers, as Brunner and Fischer, Simony and Forel, A. Geistbeck (Ausland, 1882, 961, 1006) gives a detailed tabulated statement of his observations during 1881 on sixteen Bavarian lakes, showing the following results. As to varia- tion with depth, the first six metres are almost con- Stant; between six and eighteen metres there is a rapid cooling; then, to fifty metres, a slow decrease; and, below this, an almost constant temperature of a little less than 5° C. Daily variation is distinct to six metres, but ends at eighteen. Annual varia- tion is reduced to from 0.2° to 0.9° at the bottom of the deeper lakes. Two groups are noted. The warm lakes, with an average temperature of 7.3° to 17°, are less than one hundred metres deep, their bottom temperature is below 5°, and they have a decided annual variation through their entire depth. The cold lakes, Konigs, Starnberger, Walchen, and Achen, are from 115 to 196 met. deep, and, below SCIENCE. 393: fifty metres, are always cooler than 5°, with an aver- age temperature of 5.2° to 5.6°: these have, there- fore, a great volume of cold water even in midsum- mer, and a slow and small annual temperature range. The cause of this difference is seen partly in the depth of the lakes, and further in the relation of lake- surface to drainage-area, which, in the cold lakes, averages 1 to 10, and, in the warm, 1 to 30. Ex- ceptions, here and elsewhere, to the rule of depth, are Barm (31.5 met. deep), Gosau (63), and Toplitz (105), which belong under the cold group; for, in spite of their moderate depth, they are well protected by steep shores from warming by sun and wind. On the other hand, Geneva (334) and Gmundener (190) ap- proach the warm group, presumably on account of their large drainage-area. Certain small mountain- lakes, fed mostly by springs, show a relatively low summer and high winter temperature. Form of the bottom, and nearness to entering-streams, have strong control over the water’s warmth. The lacustrine flora and fauna are determined chiefly by tempera- ture and light. Reeds and algae are common along shallow shores, but all rooted plants end at a depth of twelve metres. The littoral molluscan and crustacean fauna disappears at twenty metres. In deeper water there is a special ‘pelagic’ fauna. (In this connec- tion, see Forel, La faune pélagique des lacs d’eau douce, — Arch. sc. phys. nat., viii. 1882, 230.) The lake temperatures fall quickly in the autumn by circulation, but rise slowly in the spring by con- duction and wave action. In winter a temperature lower than that of maximum density penetrates to a considerable depth: less than 3° has been found at forty metres. Ice forms first on the shallows along the shore, and spreads outward. The high lakes freeze every year, sometimes as early as October or Septem- ber; the larger lower lakes, at later dates and more seldom. Walchen has frozen over only three times in this century; Constance, seven times since 1277; Gmundener, five times in the last four hundred years. In the severe winter of 1879-SO Tegern closed on Dee. 21; Zurich, in the middle of January; Walchen, on Feb. 3; and Constance and Gmundener, on the 6th. Changes of temperature produce long cracks in the ice, so characteristic as to have local names — lehnen, schiibe, wunen, fragelm—on the different lakes. Further description is given of the thickness and color of the ice, and certain peculiarities in the freez- ing of some of the lakes. W. M. DAvIs. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Correspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The writer's name is in all cases required as proof of good faith. Zoological ‘regions,’ My attention has been drawn, by a notice in one of the last numbers of SCIENCE, to what seems to me to be sources of error. I refer to the determination of zoological regions by percentage calculations, and the idea that regions should have a certain amount of numerical equivalence. This seems to be an artifi- cial and hence fallacious method of dealing with the subject, engendered by the lack of a proper concep- tion of the matter under consideration. No defini- tion or description of a ‘region,’ or synonymous word, can be found in any of the leading works on zooge- ography; but, if we put two and two together, an idea can be formed which will, I hope, help solye some mooted questions. Regions are known to differ in the kinds of animals occupying them, as well asin location. All, or all but one, are geographically very distinct, and all are well 394 Separated in regard to animal distribution. This latter point goes far toward being the sole cause of regions. Any large mass of land separated from the rest of the world will, in the course of time, become inhabited by a peculiar set of animals, and obtain a comparative balance or stability of life. Thus a number of species are evolved which forms a sort of compound whole, —the life of a region. Soa region may be defined as the area occupied by a peculiar grouping of animals which are isolated from the life of the rest of the world; the word ‘peculiar’ refer- ring to the animals as a whole, and the isolation as of a limited and not absolute degree. Accepting the above definition, the world can be conceived of as divided into regions, which, if the land and sea remained at rest, would be permanent, but constantly growing more and more distinct. But the land is not permanent. While the main mass is a fixture, minor changes occur, which join and sepa- rate the continents. As soon as two lands are joined, unless some other very powerful barrier exists, the life of the two at once begins to blend. The more potent kinds.survive, while the weaker die out. The first, together with the life modified by the new con- ditions (new species evolved), in the course of time form a single region. On the other hand, if a land become divided into two, the reverse takes place, and two regions are formed. To me the palearctic and nearctic regions seem to offer illustrations of both these processes; the connection for life having been made and broken between the old and new worlds, probably by means of Asia, more than once. At present it is broken; and the nearctic and pale- arctic regions are formed or forming from a previous circumpolar region. With the tentative definition given here, the two are regions, since they do not form a group, and are separated. No lack of percent- age differences can make the life of the two regions closely related: a change in one does not necessitate a change in the other. This also answers the cireum- polar question: the resemblance in zones is due, first, to the imperfect obliteration of the old cireumpolar region; and, secondly, to the fact that some of the forms which inhabited it have been driven down into the southward-pointing peninsulas, where the condi- tions of their lite are easier. According to this defini- tion, Madagascar should be regarded as the remains of a fading region, rather than a part of the Ethio- pian. The resemblance between Africa and India is due to a southward migration which occurred not so long ago, very likely on account of the ice age, from a northern central point. The above crude suggestions would seem sufficient to show that regions are more than numerical rela- tions, and have an eyolution of their own. J. AMORY JEFFRIES. Panther Creek coal-basin. I have just read your review of the Panther Creek atlas, in Science, No. 11, and my attention has been directed to what I consider a very just and proper criticism of two special features of the atlas sheets: 1°. The discordant seales of the mine (800’=1”) and topo- graphical (1600’ = 1”) sheets. 2°. The use of the mag- netic instead of the true meridian. As a geological critic, I should be disposed to boldly condemn what you have referred to as merely misfortunes. After an association of nine years with Professor Lesley on the Pennsylvania state survey, I am convinced, that, in the successful conduct of such a survey, it is quite impracticable to attempt to attain a purely technical and systematic standard of work. All that can be ‘lone is to approach as near as possible to such a SCIENCE. q [Vou. I., No. 14. standard, while meeting the practical demands for geological results, to aid in the economical exploitation of our mineral resources. This latter is what has popularized the work of the Pennsylvania survey, and accounts for its uninterrupted continuance with liberal appropriations for a state survey, since 1874. The published results of the survey so far relate mostly to topographical, geotectonic, and stratigraph- ical geology in their economical bearings, with the exception of two volumes on paleobotany. Had any other plan than that of Professor Lesley’s, which he has so efficiently carried out, been instituted, the survey would never have been so liberally sup- ported by our state legislature, and probably would have been discontinued several years ago. The im- portant thing in a state survey is to do the best we ean. If we attempt too much, we fail in all. In regard to the discordant scales and magnetic meridian, I would say: 1°. That the publication com- mittee of the board of commissioners has never before authorized the printing of general maps on a scale larger than 1600’°=1”. This scale was found quite too small for the anthracite-mine sheets, and it was only after the most careful consideration on the part of the committee that a scale of 800’=1” was adopted for the mine sheets. Thesmaller scale was unfortunately adhered to for the topographical sheets, on account of the cost of publication. 2°. In the Panther Creek basin, the magnetic meridian of 1869 is always used in all surveys; and the block-lines referred to this meridian on the atlas sheets have been similarly placed on all the large working mine maps. In this form the sheets are of much greater practical value for ready reference. Had the publication of this atlas been delayed until the completion of the astro- nomical determinations of the survey in this locality, we should probably not have obtained an additional appropriation to continue the survey, which we now feel assured of receiving. CuHaARLes A. ASHBURNER, Geologist in charge. Philadelphia, April 21, 1883. Crayfish. In August, 1882, while in Fairmount Park, Phila- delphia, I found a crayfish in a brook emptying into the Wissahickon Creek. It had its under parts coy- ered with young crayfish about one-eighth of an inch long. Professor Huxley says that the English species, As- tacus fluviatilis, lays eggs in May and June, and the young leave the female in a few days; but the young staid ten days with the female after I found them. There seems to be a difference in their habits in this respect. Last Friday, April 6, I found a female cray- fish with young ones clinging to it, which I caught; and a friend now has it in a tank. Do crayfish lay eggs both early in the spring and late in the summer? Ricuarp M. ABBOTT. Trenton, N.J. [The writer of the above is eleven years of age. — Ep. Marking geodetic stations. The writer of the article in ScimncrE of April 13, 1883, p. 269, in referring to the method of marking the geodetic stations in the N. Y. state survey, makes the statement that the U.S. coast survey stations are indicated ‘by no surface-mark whatever,’ trusting entirely to the underground-mark for the preserva- tion of the station. The writer has, doubtless, been misled by visiting a station from which the surface- marks have been removed by curious or malicious persons. In the coast survey the greatest stress is P May Il, 1883.] 395 SCIENCE. laid upon the importance of carefully marking sta- tions; and the detailed instructions in regard to the subject occupy two quarto pages in the manual ‘On the field-work of triangulation,’ issued by the survey. The most common method used is the one which has been copied by the N.Y. state survey. Other methods, however, are used in special cases. For recovering a station, the main dependence is upon the surface-marks, and the underground-marks are used only for protection in case of the destruction of the others by accident or design. H. W. BLAIR, Assistant Coast and geodetic survey. Washington, D.C., April 22, 1885. Freezing of liquids in living vegetable tissue. The conclusions of Mr. Meehan in relation to the above topic (SCIENCE, p. 229) seem to me scarcely warranted by the best authenticated facts in vegeta- ble physiology. Experimental investigations and re- searches, undertaken many years ago, led me to the following deductions :1— 1. That the sap of many living plants can be frozen by the application of a degree of cold not much below that required to freeze it when removed from the plant; and that in very cold climates the sap of all perennial plants must be frozen in all parts during the winter months. 2. That the congelation of the juices of living vege- tables does not, as many phytologists have imagined, necessarily and inevitably result in the death of the whole plant, or of the part in which it takes place, but, on the contrary, that frequently no injurious consequences follow. Consequently it is unwarranta- ble to assume that a plant which is not killed by severe cold never was frozen; and therefore it is un- necessary to invoke the aid of a ‘vital power’ to enable plants to survive the influence of cold suf- ficiently intense to freeze their juices when removed from the living plant. 3. That the bursting of the trunks-of trees in high latitudes is not due to the expansion which the sap undergoes in process of congelation, but to the un- equal contraction which takes place in the trunk (usually after the complete congelation of its juices) in consequence of a sudden depression of tempera- fure. In short, that the rupture of the trunk in such cases is due to the same cause as the rents in the frozen ground, and the cracks in large sheets of thick ice, which occur in high latitudes when there is sudden accession of cold. This view is fortified by the fact that the coefficient of contraction (or expansion) of ice is greater than that of any'other solid body hith- erto examined, with the exception of hardened caout- choue, or ebonite. Joun LECONTE. Berkeley, Cal., April 17, 1883. Sun’s radiation and geological climate. In his review of Whitney’s climatic. changes, Mr. Gilbert says, ‘‘His [Whitney’s] hypothesis that the intensity of solar radiation is gradually lessening, by reason of the dissipation of solar energy, . . . will be admitted by most students.’”? Mr. Whitney and his reviewer fall into the very natural error, that a loss of heat, and, of course, of energy, is necessarily ac- companied by a fall in temperature. Paradoxical as it may appear, a loss of both heat and energy may 1 For the exposition of the basis of these deductions, the reader is referred to the memoir of the writer, entitled ‘‘ Observations on the freezing of vegetables, and on the causes which enable some plants to endure the action of extreme cold.”’— (Proc. Amer. assoc. adv. sc., vi. 338-359; Amer. journ. sc. [2], xiii. 84— 92, 195-206.) produce a rise in the temperature of the body that loses'them. If it be true that the sun is, as is now thought by many eminent scientists, a globe of gas- eous matter, then, under the long process of giving off heat, it has actually been growing hotter, and the intensity of its heat on the earth’s surface to-day is greater than it was in the early geological epochs. The world is indebted for this curious fact to Mr. J. Homer Lane.! I quote from Neweomb’s As- tronomy, p. 508: “The principle in question may be readily shown in the following way: if a globular, gaseous mass is condensed to one-half its primitive diameter, the central attraction upon any part of its mass will be increased fourfold, while the surface upon which this attraction is exercised will be re- duced to one-fourth. Hence the pressure per unit of surface will be increased sixteen times, while the density will be increased only eight times. Hence, if the elastic and gravitating forces were in equi- librium in the primitive condition of the mass, its temperature must be doubled in order that they may still be in equilibrium after the diameter is reduced one-half.”’ Li Admitting, then, the gaseous condition of the sun, as, under our present knowledge, we seem compelled to do, we must also admit that the intensity of the sun’s radiation of heat has been slowly increasing through the ages, and to-day is greater than at any previous time. The increase may have been small; but, so far as there has been any change, it has been in the direction of an increase, and hence cannot explain the undoubted decrease in the general tem- perature of the earth’s atmosphere indicated by the paleontological record. C. B. WARRING. Distribution of public documents. Few outside of the ranks of professional politi- cians will disagree with the report of the committee of Congress on the printing and distribution of pub- lic documents, or with the tenor of the editorial re- marks on the subject in No. 9 of ScrmncE. But it is to be feared that it will be as difficult to induce the average congressman to dispense with these lubri- cants of the political machine as with the senseless distribution, through the department of agriculture, of seeds that can as well be bought at any country store. If any means can be devised by which the ‘costly and beautifully illustrated volumes’ shall reach those for whose information they were written, instead of serving to adorn the nurseries of influen- tial ward strikers and campaign committee men, it will redound greatly to the benefit of scientific knowl. edge and progress; for at present it is mainly through the medium of second-hand book-stands that those interested can occasionally get the professional works of which their political insignificance did not render them worthy recipients. There is one notable exception, however, to this extravagance and misdirection of precious docu- ments, the result of one of those spasms of virtue mentioned in the editorial. I refer to the law con- cerning the distribution of the publications of the geological survey, to which director Powell has called attention in a circular issued some time ago. Accord- ing to the terms of this law, these documents, except- ing the general report, can be obtained only by pur- chase or exchange; that is, the scientific workers of the country may at first get what may be deemed the equivalent of their own publications, or, possibly, of rare works in their possession. But when this re- source is exhausted, the only method open to them, for obtaining what in many cases is the sequel of 1 See Amer. jowrn. sc., July, 1870. 396 their own work in the states, is to purchase the memoirs out of their abundant professorial incomes. What that means when it comes to the illustrated memoirs and atlases, most needed by the actual worker, is too obviotis to need discussion. They will simply have to be done without by those not within reach of a large public library. Heretofore, a certain number of copies of such publications, outside of those placed at the disposal of congressmen, were distributed gratuitously to those known to be actively interested in the subject, by the authors, or heads of surveys, who knew exact- ly whom to reach among their scientific co-workers; and the stimulus thus given to research and scien- tific intercourse was very great. All this is now effectually embargoed: the very men whom these documents should reach are cut off from them by this penny-wise and pound-foolish legislation. If it be true that the United States cannot afford to continue the expenditure involved in the gratuitous distribution of such costly publications, even for the encouragement of scientific research, it would be far better that their cost should be reduced from the Magnificent quartos and royal folio atlases to such material and dimensions as can be afforded consis- tently with a judicious gratuitous distribution, in- trusted, for example, to the judgment and discretion of the director, the Smithsonian institution, and the National academy, severally or jointly. The scien- tific publications would then be quite sure not to be wasted, and yet would with equal certainty reach those whose active interest in the progress of science should entitle them to their possession. This is the more needful, since the extension of the national survey into the states will, for the time being, un- doubtedly render state surveys less numerous, and more scantily endowed for scientific work; so that the publications of the national survey will be the chief source of information hereafter. It does seem that what the states could afford to do gratuitously for their own citizens could be afforded by the national government, now that this kind of work has practically passed into its hands. EK. W. HILGarRp. Berkeley, Cal., April 19, 1883, THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT- STATION OF CONNECTICUT. Annual report of the Connecticut agricultural experi- ment-station for 1882. New Haven, Slate, 1883. 114 p. 8°. Tue major portion of this report is, as usual, occupied with analyses and valuations of commercial fertilizers, and divers other fer- tilizing materials, and though valuable in its way, and in accordance with the design of the station, contains little of general scientific in- terest. The review of the fertilizer-market for the past year, on pp. 56-60, must prove of considerable aid in the valuation of fertil- izers, and will doubtless attract the attention of both manufacturers and consumers. Among the fodder analyses are two of dupli- cate samples of field-corn and of fodder-corn, selected with especial care, and also of ensilage from the same material. These analyses dis- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 14. closed the interesting fact, that the duplicate samples of the same material differed more in some cases than did the ensilage and the fresh substance. These results illustrate the great difficulties that stand in the way of preparing a fair sample of such a bulky plant as maize, and throw considerable doubt on the accuracy of some of the recently published results re- garding the changes which maize undergoes in the silo. : The most generally interesting portion of the report is the paper on , Milk,’ by Dr. E. H. Jenkins, which includes the results of sey- eral analyses of the milk of single Guernsey cows, and of over two hundred partial analyses of the mixed milk of herds. These results afford valuable data in regard to the variations which may occur in commercial milk, and the possibility of establishing by law a standard of purity for milk. In regard to the variations in the milk-solids, ‘‘an inspection of all the results : . . leads to the conclusion, that, in pure herd-milk, the solids may in some cases, and at certain seasons, sink as low as 10 or 10.5 per cent, and the fat to 2.6 per cent; and that very frequently (in 28 per cent of the samples examined at this station) the solids are less than 12 per cent.’’ In one case the total solids amounted to only 9.79 per cent, though it was not certain that the milk was unadulterated, and, in six cases out of two hundred and seven, to less than 10.5 per cent. Dr. Jenkins comes to the following conclusions regarding the standard of purity for milk : — “« As evidence of watering, simply, specific gravity furnishes by far the most satisfactory test; and, if 1.029 is adopted as a minimum, no pure milk will be condemned. In some cases moderately watered milk may escape detection. ‘““Tf we will establish a minimum limit for the percentage of solids and fat which shall in no ease condemn pure milk in any locality, we shall have to make it absurdly low, and thus offer a premium on watering milk of good. quality.” While evidently doubting the practicability of establishing a general standard of purity for milk, Dr. Jenkins thinks it possible to es- tablish by mutual consent local standards for limited districts, where the pasturage and other conditions are tolerably uniform. Where this is done he would not have the question of the purity of the milk raised at all, but would sim- ply condemn all which falls below the standard as too poor to use. Both suggestions seem worthy of general consideration. Ts May 11, 1883.] FOSSIL BOTANY. Cours de botanique fossile fait au Muséum d’ histoire naturelle. Par M. B. ReNAuLT. 2eme année. Paris, Masson, 1881. 194p.,24pl. 8°. In the first volume of this remarkable worl, which was reviewed in this country a year since (Proc. Amer. phil. soc.), the author has exclusively considered the Diploxyleae, and given the history of each of the families of that class, — the Cycadeae, Zamiae, Cycadox- yleae, Cordaiteae, Paroxyleae, and Sigillariae. As the question of the relation of the Parox- yleae and Sigillariae is of the greatest impor- tance for the history of the evolution of plants, it has been considered again in this year’s course, though, in the preceding, the structure of the Sigillariae had been already examined. The author therefore proposes to study the most highly organized vascular cryptogams, and to search by studying the anatomy of the stems, the branches, and the roots, if, as has been as- serted, any of them, at a certain point of their existence, take on the phenogamic character so distinctly that a separation of these two great divisions becomes impossible. The essential characters of the vascular cryp- togams to be examined are presented in a table. They are divisible into two prominent groups: 1°. The Lycopodiaceae and the Rhizo- ‘carpeae, which are heterospores, though some Lycopodiaceae are both heterospores and iso- spores; 2°. The Ophioglosseae, the Equise- taceae, and the ferns, which are isospores. The first group of the Lycopodiaceae is that of the Lepidodendreae, beginning in the first chapter with the genera Psilophiton and Lepi- dodendron. Chapter 2 examines in detail the anatomical structure of three types of Lepi- dodendron; viz., L. Rhodumnense, L. Har- courti, and L. Justieri. Chapter 3 relates to the anatomy of the fructification of Lepido- dendron or to the Lepidostrobi. Chapter 4 gives a brief examination of the characters of the other genera referred to the Lycopodiaceae. Chapter 5 compares the distinctive characters of Sigillaria and Lepidodendron, the differ- ences, after discussion, being set forth in a comparative table ; the Sigillariae being recog- nized as related to the phenogamous plants, and the Lepidodendreae to the Lycopodiaceae. To the Rhizocarpeae belong, at the present epoch, the genera Pilularia, Marsilia, Salvinia, and Azolla. Of these, no remains have been found in the carboniferous ; but species of the genera Sagenaria and Sphenophyllum seem to be related to this family. The history of the genus Sphenophyllum, as heretofore known, SCIENCE. 397 and the description of the species, are given in chapter 6. The anatomical structure of Sphenophyllum is discussed in chapter 7; the woody axis is always full, not hollow, and inflated at the articulations only when a branch is formed; the stems, the leaves, the bark, the roots, the fructification, are treated. With chapter 8 begins the treatment of the cryptogamous isospores, which may be sum- marized as follows: Equisetaceae. — The liv- ing plants of this family have only one kind of spores; examination of the stems and other organs. Asterophyllites. — Tiges, branches, and principal species described ; two forms of fructification described (Wolkmannia and Ma- erostachya). Chapter 9. Annulariae. — De- scription of the different organs; stems, branches, and fructification; and of the spe- cies. Chapter 10. Fructification of Annu- laria, considered with species of uncertain relation (Bruckmannia and Cingularia). This chapter ends with a comparative table expos- ing the characters of the Asterophylliteae and the Annulariae. Chapter 11 contains descrip- tions of the genera Schizoneura, Phyllotheca, and Equisetum. Nine species of Schizoneura and twenty of Equisetum are described, none from the paleozoic formations. The genus Calamites and its different organs are described in chapter 12. The concluding chapter contains a table showing the different formations where the plants described in the volume have been ob- tained. The true Equisetaceae do not appear lower than the trias. The range of Astero- phyllites, Annularia, Calamites, and the Lyco- podiaceae, is from the upper Permian to the culm or subcarboniferous measures; that of Psilophitum is in the Devonian and upper Si- lurian. The volume ends with considerations on the distribution of the plants, on the climate as indicated by their nature, and on certain organs which may be useful in classifi- cations. It would be useless to eulogize this excellent work, which is illustrated with twenty- three splendid plates. The above summary sufficiently shows its importance. A NEW CALCULATION OF THE ATOMIC WEIGHTS. Die atomgewichte der elemente, aus den originalzahlen neu berechnet. Von Dr. LorHar MryER und Dr. Kart Sruspert. Leipzig, 1883, Breitkopf & Hartel. 246 p. 8°. Tur great importance to chemistry of an exact knowledge of the atomic weights is well illustrated by the recent activity of chemists in 398 that line of investigation. About two years ago, Prof. G. F. Becker published his ‘ Di- ’ gest’; a year later my own ‘ Recalculation ’ appeared ; and now comes a third volume on _ the subject by Professor Lothar Meyer and Dr. Karl Seubert of Tiibingen. A comparison of this new work with the other two shows, that, in general terms, it is Intermediate between them in its character. Becker collected the data relative to atomic weights, and brought them into systematic shape, but attempted no thorough recaleula- tion. Meyer and Seubert classify and recal- culate the published weighings, and make many valuable reductions of apparent weights to absolute or vacuum standards; but, with a few exceptions, they do not attempt to combine the work of different investigators, and they reject the method of least squares as inapplica- ble to the data at hand. My own effort was to reduce determinations as far as possible to common standards, to combine all similar data into general means, and to compute from all the evidence the most probable values for the atomic weights of the different elements. In so doing, I applied the method of least squares, and I see as yet no reason for discrediting that manner of discussion. Each of the three volumes fills a definite place ; and, in any future revision of the field, each will be found a use- ful supplement to the others. In general, the results obtained by Meyer and Seubert differ but slightly from mine. In comparing the atomic weights of sixty-six ele- ments, the difference between the two recalcu- lations falls within a tenth of a unit in thirty- Seven cases, and is greater than a tenth in twenty-nine; but among the latter are found most of the rarer and less perfectly known metals. In many instances the differences are due to a trifling fundamental difference in the value assigned to oxygen. The Meyer- Seubert valueisO=15.96 ; mineisO=15.9633 : and this slight variation in the third and fourth decimal places sometimes is multiplied among the higher atomic weights to an appreciable amount. Where the two recalculations agree, they serve to confirm each other: where they differ, they indicate the important fields for further investigation. Most of the differences, however, are mainly due to differences in the manner of computation. In some respects the new recalculation is open to criticism. Inasmuch as Meyer and Seubert rarely attempt to combine the available data, they are, perforce, compelled, in dealing with each element, to select more or less arbi- trarily the results of one investigation, and give SCIENCE, [Vou. I., No. 14. it preference over all the others. This they do without assigning reasons for their choice ; and such a lack of critical statement is much to be regretted. Again: the arrangement of the material is inconvenient, notwithstanding the fact that there is a well-classified index, both for elements and for authors. For example: aluminum, instead of being discussed in a division by itself, is treated in separate ratios on pp. 22, 23, 83, 139, 151, and 193; and a comparison of the results of different in- vestigations is thus rendered a very trouble- some matter. Some omissions are noteworthy, and seem difficult to explain. Such, for example, are Cleve’s determination of the atomic weight of scandium, Julius Thomsen’s synthesis of water, and Russell’s hydrogen series for cobalt and nickel. Russell’s work on the oxides of these metals is given, and his results receive final acceptance; but wherein they are preferable to those of Lee is not stated. Another curious set of omissions occurs under antimony. Here are cited Professor Cooke’s latest bromide series, and his set of results comparing the trisulphide with the chloride. But his synthe- ses of sulphide from the metal, and his valu- able iodide series, are altogether ignored, while his earlier bromide series barely receives men- tion. Finally, nothing is said concerning Dumas’ investigations upon the occlusion of oxygen by silver, although no recalculation of the atomic weights can safely ignore so im- portant a factor. F. W. Crarge. WILDER AND GAGE’S INTRODUCTION TO ANATOMY. Anatomical technology as applied to the domestic cat: an introduction to human, veterinary, and compara- tive anatomy. By Burt G. WiLprER, B.S., M.D., and Simon H. Gaeu, B.S. New York and Chicago, A. S. Barnes § Co., 1882. 25+575 p. I, 82, Tuis book the authors state to have grown out of their needs as instructors of students preparing for practical work in human, veteri- nary, or comparative anatomy. To students - of the first and second of the above classes there is no doubt it will prove extremely use- ful. It is probably correct to say, that, al- though containing a good deal of irrelevant matter, and blemished by the unnecessarily extensive employment of a novel terminology, it contains by far the best set of directions for the dissection of a mammal below man in the scale, ever published for the use of that large class who prefer or are compelled to enter May 11, 1888.] on professional study without any thorough preliminary training. _The bodies of horses or oxen are large and costly for elementary work, and, owing chiefly to defective legisla- tion, in many states anatomical material is apt to be scarce in medical schools. Hence, for many years, good directions for the anatomical study of some easily obtainable mammal of convenient size have been a desideratum. The lad who has properly dissected a cat knows already a good deal of human or equine anatomy. He has not to learn, in his so often disgracefully brief medical course, how to use his scalpel; he knows. what a humerus and a cerebral hemisphere are; iliac artery and median nerve are not strange and unmeaning names to him. In consequence, he can from the first profitably confine himself mainly to those special points in human, equine, of bovine anatomy, which have direct bearing on the future practice of his profession. For those who intend to study comparative anatomy, or who have a year or two to devote to preparatory scientific studies before entering a medical school, we cannot agree with the authors that the cat is a good animal to begin with. By those students who desire some sci- entific anatomical knowledge, and have time and opportunity to acquire it, so high a type as the mammalian ought only to be taken up after thorough study of several lower and sim- pler forms. It is in connection with this fact that we think it unfortunate that the authors have made such unsparing use of new names. To the scientific student a simple and uniform terminology, applicable to all vertebrates with- out confusion, is worth the trouble of learning. But the great majority of those who will find this book useful will be lads desiring to ac- quire some knowledge of anatomical technique and phraseology as an aid to future profession- al, specialized, non-scientific study of the body of man or of certain domestic animals. It would surely be better for this purpose that (to take an example) students should learn to know, read, and speak of the cavities in the encephalon as the ventricles of the brain, the name under which they will find them in their professional text-books, rather than be taught to call them procoelia, diacoelia, epicoelia, and so forth. So far as the employment in the _laboratory of the book itself is concerned, we must add, however, that the nomenclature and terminology employed have proved much smaller obstacles to its usefulness than we ex- pected. When we first got hold of it, and read such directions as ‘ dorsiduct the, tail,’ and such statements as‘the cranium is the SCIENCE. 399 caudal part of the skull,’ we feared that the class on whom we proposed to try it would have a bad time. The men did grumble a little at first, but very quickly got to interpret easily all the new adjectives used in the text, and even to like them as facilitating brevity of description. This experimental evidence of the value of the nomenclature adopted may outweigh the apparent disadvantage of teach- ing students to call things by names which. they will rarely if ever afterwards hear applied to them. The first eighty-six pages of the book are occupied with introductory remarks on anatom- ical technology, and things in general. Many of them will be of great value to students who have to work without the supervision of a teacher ; and also make the book a good one to put in the hands of a laboratory servant. It is very convenient to have directions for pre- paring injections and preservative liquids, for keeping the animals in good health, for an- aesthetizing or killing them, and for clean- ing and sharpening instruments, collected and printed as we here find them. There is, how- ever, in these useful introductory pages, a considerable amount of superfluous matter. It may be necessary, though we doubt it, to inform the reader what is a fair price for a good scalpel or from what firms in the United States he may buy a suitable pair of scales ; but an account of the metric system and metric bureau, and of good methods of exciting inter- est in metric measurements, is out of place in a dissector’s handbook: a table of comparison of the ordinary and the metric weights and measures is quite enough. A discussion of the rules of simple arithmetic would have been as suitable, as an appendix to the formulae for interconverting the Centigrade and Fahrenheit thermometrie scales, as is the account given of the metric system. Similarly, most of the ‘ Rules and aphorisms of general application ’ are about as much in place in an anatomical text-book as would be the sermon on the mount: they are admirable of their kind, but one is puzzled to know what they are doing in this gallery. The book, however, is, in spite of some oddities, an honest piece of work, and will have permanent value: it is a real contribu- tion to our knowledge of cat anatomy. Though many of its novelties in nomenclature are we believe unnecessary, and subjects are dis- cussed which have no pertinence to the matter in hand, yet it will most undoubtedly prove of great use to a large class of students, and, we will add, to all teachers of vertebrate anat- 400 omy. We only wish the publisher had done as well as the authors. The illustrations are numerous, and probably sufficient to fulfil the end of helping the student in his work; but, from an artistic point of view, they are, with rare exceptions, simply atrocious. MINOR BOOK NOTICES. Guesses at purpose in nature, with especial reference to plants. By W. Powre.it JAmEs, M.A. Lon- don, 1883. 192 p. 12°. Tus is a little book of ten chapters, which has just reached us, and which we would notice with a word or two in addition to an announce- ment of its title. The author, we fancy, is a clergyman and merely an amateur naturalist. However that may be, his guesses are shrewd, and the way of putting them is taking. Con- sidering the great number and variety of the facts he has collected, —the greater part from books, —he has fallen into few mistakes; so that the volume has more scientific value than is usual in such treatises. An outline of qualitative analysis for beginners. By Joun T. Stopparp, Px.D , professor of chem- istry in Smith college. Northampton, Gazette printing company, 1888. 4+54p. 16°. The general plan of this work will doubtless SCIENCE. be recognized as one which gives the best re- sults in teaching qualitative analysis. certain extent it is faulty in detail, both as regards convenience of arrangement and the selection of methods. Although this criticism applies more especially to the course of basic analysis, if advantage were taken of differences in solubility of certain barium, calcium, and silver salts of the acids, it would save the student much time and labor in general analy- sis. An appended list of the names and sym- bols of the more common reagents will be found useful. A short course on quantitative analysis. By JOHN Howarp Appieton, A.M., Brown university. Philadelphia, Cowperthwait § Co., 1881. 183 p., cuts. 12°. The course of analysis presented in this work consists, with few exceptions, of a judi- cious selection of methods and determinations. The descriptions of processes and apparatus will undoubtedly be of much service in the laboratory, although considerable descriptive chemistry is introduced with which the student is supposed to be familiar before undertaking quantitative analysis. An exception will proba- bly be taken to the completeness of the notes and explanations, which leave little opportunity for thought or study on the part of the student. WEEKLY SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. MATHEMATICS. Alignment curves on the ellipsoid. — Mr. C. H. Kummell describes several curves that represent the straight line, all of which, on the sphere, reduce to the great circle. The vertical section is traced by the surveyor at one end, who fixes points in range with the other end. The prodrthode (mp6, 6p06¢, 606¢) results, if the alignment at each point is determined at a point previously fixed, the distance between the two being infinitesimal. It is followed in chaining, or more roughly by the pedestrian in moving toward an object. In these two curves no back-sight is taken: they are differently related to the two ends, and do not return upon themselves. The diorthode (6a) is the locus of all points at which the vertical plane through one terininal point also includes the other. It is used in laying out primary base-lines, the points of which are determined by making fore-sights and back-sights differ always by 180°. This curve has been confounded with the preceding by Dr. Bremiker (Studien tiber hdhere geoddsie, 1869) and others; but the proérthode is everywhere tangent to the vertical plane passing through one terminal point, while the diorthode, except at the ends, is not. The curve of shortest distance between two points, often called the ‘ geodetic line,’ would more properly be called the brachisthode (Bpaxioroc). These names were sug- gested by Mr. W. R. Galt of Norfolk, Va. Mr. Kummell shows the diorthode to be the inter- section of the ellipsoid with a hyperboloid of one sheet. In the case of an ellipsoid of revolution, this is the parabolic hyperboloid. Taking the three prin- cipal axes, a, b, c, as axes of @, 7, and z, he represents the points where the chord connecting the two ter- mini of the proposed alignment pierces the planes LY, LZ, YZ, by («z, Yz; 0), (y, 0, 2y)s and (0, Yay 2x), respectively, and introduces quantities, — oo a o— a Git i — TP ChE 0) and so, by cyclic permutation of letters, B.? and Bz”, Ya? and y,2; where the ratio of each of his first set of auxiliary quantities to one of his last gives one of the co-ordinates of position of those generatrices of the hyperboloid which are perpendicular to the co-ordi- nate planes. The equation of the hyperboloid is, — Ye ee G z Oe © - 2) os =8 ay t= Ya" ea Yo" =) (- 3). ay? Bo and it passes though the centre of the ellipsoid. The diorthode cannot be traced practically, be- cause of the curvature of the earth. Mr. Kummell has investigated the locus of all points through which one tangent line meets the normals drawn at the two extremities, and finds its intersecting surface to be of [Vou. I., No. 14. — 4 7 To a May 11, 1883.] the fourth degree. —(Phil. soc. Wash., math. sect. ; meeting April 26.) [811 PHYSICS. Electricity. Testing insulation of electric-light wires. — Mr. C. J. H. Woodbury described a compact piece of apparatus, consisting of a magneto-electric machine and a pair of electric bells. The machine will pro- duce a current strong enough to ring the bells through a resistance of seven thousand ohms. By connecting one pole with the electric-light system, and the other with the ground, the insulation of the system may be shown to be more or less than about seven thou- sand ohms, according as the bells ring or not. The method has been found useful in the inspections now made in the interest of fire-insurance companies. — (Frankl. inst., meeting April 18.) [81 Electrical transmission of power.— Dr. C. W. Siemens, in the course of an address at the Institu- tion of civil engineers on March 15, after describing the well-known experimental electrical railways of the Berlin and Paris exhibitions, stated that an elec- trical railway six miles in length had just been com- pleted in the north of Ireland. In this instance the two rails, three feet apart, were not insulated from the ground, but were joined electrically by means of copper staples, and formed the return circuit, the current being conveyed to the car through a T iron, placed upon short standards, and insulated by means of insulite caps. For the present the power was pro- duced by a steam-engine at Portrush, giving motion to a shunt-wound dynamo of 15,000 Watts, or 20-horse power. The working-speed of this line was restricted by the board of trade to ten miles an hour, which was readily obtained, although the gradients of the line were decidedly unfavorable, including an incline of two miles in length at a gradient of 1in 38. It was intended to extend the line six miles farther, in order to join another railway system. The electric system of propulsion was, in the lecturer’s opinion, suffi- ciently advanced to assure practical success under suitable circumstances; such as for suburban tram- ways, elevated lines, and, above all, lines through tun- nels. The lecturer, however, did not advocate its prospective application in competition with the loco- motive engine for main lines of railway. — (Nature, March 29.) =E. H. H. [813 ENGINEERING. Stadia reductions. —Mr. Arthur Winslow pre- sented, and described the derivation of, tables for stadia reductions, which furnish expressions for hori- zontal distances and differences of elevation, cor- responding to 100-foot stadia readings for 2” up to 30°, on the supposition that the rod be held verti- cally, and the stadia wires be equidistant from the centre wire. They are not mere reductions of in- clined distances to their horizontal and vertical com- ponents, but embody certain corrections necessary from the facts, 1°, that with horizontal sights the length cut off by the stadia wires on the rod is not directly proportional to its distance from the centre of the instrument, but from a point at a distance in front of the object-glass equal to its principal focal length; and, 2°, that with inclined sights a correc- tion has to be made for the oblique view of the rod. Both the distances and elevations in these tables are given in feet. They are adapted to use with a tele- scope whose object-glass has any focal length, and with a rod which is so graduated that the spaces cut off on it by the stadia wires are directly proportional to its distance from a point at a distance in front of SCIENCE. 401 the object-glass equal to its principal focal length, differing in these respects from the tables issued by the engineer department, U.S.A. —(Eng. club Phil- ad.; meeting April 7.) [814 CHEMISTRY. ( Organic.) Constitution of atropine.— A. Ladenburg. proved that tropine is a tertiary base, since it would not unite with more than one molecule of ethyl iodide, and it was not affected by nitrous acid. By the action of chlorhydropasic acid upon it, a tropasate of tropine was formed; and, when treated with dilute hydro- chloric acid, the latter substance was converted into atropine, which separated in beautiful, crystals on evaporating the solution. This product proved to be identical, in its chemical as wellas in its physiological characters, with natural atropine prepared from belladonna, A series of de- rivatives, called by the author tropeines, results from the action of various organic acids with hydrochloric acid upon tropine. To establish the constitution of tropasic acid, it was prepared by the action of potassic cyanide in alcoholic solution upon chloracetophenon, and treating the product with baric hydrate. The resulting atrolactinic (or tropasic) acid was also made from hydropasic, and if was converted into atropasic acid. Since, furthermore, atropasic was converted into tropasic acid, the formula of the latter must be CoH,CHG Oo y- When distilled with soda-lime, tropine is decomposed, giving methylamine and tro- pilidine (C;H,;); and, when treated with fuming hy- drochloric acid, a volatile base, tropidine (C;H,,;N), is formed. By the action of hydriodie acid and red phosphorus, hydrotropine iodide (C,;H,,N I) results. Tropine is thus shown to contain an hydroxyl group; and the above-mentioned synthesis of atropine, and the formation of the tropeines, are explained: — C,H,,NOH CgHyyNO(C)H,02) C,H, ,NO(C,H702) ‘Tropine. Atropine. Homatropine. The tropeines are therefore ethers of tropine, which is a nitrogen-containing alcohol. When heated with bromine, tropidine is decomposed, with the formation of ethylen bromide and dibrompyridine (C,H;Br.N). The author is at present engaged upon the synthesis of tropine from pyridine. —(Ann. chem., ecxvii. 74.) Cc. F. M. {815 Protocattannic acid and anhydrides of the aromatic oxy-acids. — Hugo Schiff states, that, when protocatechuic acid in aqueous solution is boiled with arsenic acid, a substance is formed, with the formula of diprotocatechuic, or protocattannic acid (2 C;H,;O,—H.,O=C,,H;,0;). The solution pos- sesses the general reactions characteristic of tannin; and mineral acids reprecipitate protocatechuic acid. When protocatechuic acid in etherial solution is acted upon by phosphorous oxychloride, tetraprotocatechuic acid is formed (4 C;,H,O,—3 H,O = C2,H),0}3). The solution fluoresces, and its reactions in general are characteristic of tannin. If an intimate mixture of protocatechuic acid and dry arsenic acid is heated to 160°, a catelagic acid corresponding to elagic is pro- duced (2 C,H,O,—(H,O+H,)=C,,H,,07).—(Gaz. chim. ital., 1883, 90; Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xy. 2588.) C, F. M. [816 Action of cyanogen chloride on pyrrol-potas- sium.— By the action of dry gaseous cyanogen chlo- ride on pyrrol-potassium, Ciamician and Dennstedt find that the cyanogen molecule is introduced, forming eyanpyrrol or tetroleyanamide. This substance poly- merizes at the point of fusion, with the formation, probably, of tetroleyanuramide or tetrolmelamine, 402 3(C,H,N.). The latter substance is not attacked by hydrochloric or nitric acid, nor by aqueous potassic hydrate. Sulphuric acid produces a brown color, which changes to black when the substance dissolves. Boiling alcoholic potassic hydrate gives pyrrol and an acid, probably cyanuric. Tetroleyanuramide is analo- gous in structure to diphenyleyanamide, — CN — N = 6,0, CN — N = (GH,)> Tetroleyanamide. Diphenyleyanamide. — (Gaz. chim. ital., xxii. 102.) c. F. M. METALLURGY. Delta metal.— An alloy has been perfected by Mr. Alexander Dick of London, which is composed of copper, zine, and iron. If ordinary wrought-iron is introduced into molten zine, it will be taken up by the zinc to about five per cent of the quantity of zine. This product is then added to copper, or to copper and zine, in the desired proportions. The resulting alloy is said to be as much superior to brass as phos- phor-bronze is to gun-metal. It has great strength and toughness. When cast in sand, its tensile strength is 21 to 22 tons per square inch. When drawn into wire of 22 W. G., its tensile strength is 62 tons to the square inch. — (Iron, Feb. 23.) BR. H. R. [818 Metallurgy of the Incas.— At the meeting of the French academy on Feb. 6, M. Boussingault ex- hibited a bronze chisel harder than copper, but not so hard as iron, which was composed of 95 per cent copper, 4.5 per cent of tin, with traces of Jead and silver. This tool is of a period previous to the con- quest of the Incas by Spain. —(Zron, March 16.) R. H. R. [819 Soaking-pits. — At the meeting of the Society of engineers, Feb. 5, Mr. Church, in his inaugural ad- dress, referred to the device of Mr. John Gjers, which consists in placing ingots of steel directly in so-called soaking-pits. The ingot being thus surrounded by hot walls, the surface-heat is increased, and it is rolled by its own initial heat. This not only saves fuel, but avoids all danger of burning in reheating.— (Tron, Feb. 9.) RB. H. R. [820 Equalizers. — The Pittsburg steel-casting com- pany places the ingots in square-shaped pits of fire- brick, six feet deep, three feet six inches square at the top, three feet at the bottom. On each side of the row of holes is a pair of Siemens regenerators for gas and air. The holes are heated to 2,000° F., and are filled with gas as a non-oxidizing atmosphere ; and four ingots, weighing about a ton, are placed in each pit. The ingots being dark red or medium red outside and fluid inside, it is but a few minutes before they are equalized to a soft yellow, and are then in the best condition to roll to small billets, or to flanged rails. — (Tron, March 2.) R. H. R. [821 AGRICULTURE. Materials for manuring moors.—A paper by Fleischer describes the utilization of the sewage and garbage of the cities of Groningen and part of Bremen, for the reclamation and manuring of the surrounding moors. The materials are made into a compost, said to be comparatively inoffensive, and shown by analysis to have considerable value as manure, and sold, to be transported by water to the place of use. The paper is specially interesting in its bearings on the question of the utilization of city sewage. — (Landw. jahrb., xii. 208.) H.P. A. [822 Sewage irrigation.— Gersen discusses at con- siderable length the various systems of sewage irriga- tion, and the reasons of their failures, and proposes a new method, in which the sewage is distributed [817 SCIENCE. a ri 4 [Vou, I., No. 14. over the surface to be irrigated in underground iron pipes under pressure, from which it is distributed by means of portable pipes. The ground may be flowed, or the sewage may be sprinkled upon it in regulated quantities. No levelling, and but little preparation of the surface, is required, and all open ditches or settling-basins are avoided. —(Landw. jahrb., xii. 227.) H. P. A. [823 Determination of available phosphoric acid. — Ollech and Tollens have continued the experiments by Grupe and Tollens on the use of citric acid as a reagent for the determination of available phosphoric acid. They recommend the use of a 14-per-cent solution of citric acid, 5 grams of phosphate, and 500 ce. water, and show that the phosphoric acid in the resulting solution can be precipitated directly with molybdic solution. — (Journ. landw., xxx. 519.) H. P. A. [824 ‘Reversion’ of superphosphates. — According to Post, the process of reversion takes place as fol- lows: the free phosphoric acid acts first on un- dissolved tricalcic phosphate, forming monocalcic phosphate, and on iron and alumina, forming phos- phates soluble in ammonium citrate. Later a double phosphate of iron and calcium or aluminum and calcium is formed, which is insoluble in ammo- nium-citrate solution. — (Journ. landw., xxx. 578.) H. P. A. [825 GEOLOGY. Cape Hatteras. — Professor W. C. Kerr’s studies in North Carolina have led to some interesting conclu- sions in regard to the geologic history of Cape Hat- teras. The modern cape is a tract of low land which is, on one hand, losing altitude by subsidence, and, on the other, gaining it by accretion. The accretion is three-fold: first, sediment from local rivers; second, vegetable accumulation in a system.of peat-forming swamps which occupy the divides between the streams; third, shore-drift, brought by the waves and currents of the Atlantic from the north and south. The shore-drift is derived from the sediment of the Susquehanna and other rivers, and is deposited ina continuous bank of sand, constituting the sea-front of the cape. The wind throws it up in dunes, which slowly travel landward, and eventually help to fill the lagoon, or sound, caused by the subsidence. The history of the coast has not always been char- acterized by subsidence; for at various levels there are lines of shore-dunes and other coast features, which could have attained their present position only by an elevatory movement. One of the best preserved coast-lines has an altitude of less than 20 feet, and another, referred to the glacial epoch, lies at 500 feet. When the ocean stood at the 20-foot level, the angle of the continental coast was at Cape Lookout, and before that it was at Cape Fear; but, though these great changes in the outline of the coast have occurred in very recent geologic times, the cape itself, considered as a salient of the continental margin, is not a modern phenomenon. It is at least as old as the eretaceous; and since it is an accretionary growth, dependent now on a certain combination of prevail- ing winds and currents, it affords presumptive evi- dence that a similar combination has characterized this part of the Atlantic for several geologic periods. —(Phil. soc. Wash., meeting April 7.) [826 Lithology. The Lizard schists and serpentines. — Consid- erable study has been given to the Lizard district of Cornwall, during recent years, by Prof. T. G. Bon- ney, who seems now to be the best English petrogra- May 11, 1883.] pher. In the present paper he divides the schistose rocks into micaceous, hornblendic, and granulitic; and the microscopic characters of each group are _ given in detail. He endeavors to show the relation of the schistose rocks to the’ adjacent argillites, with which they have been supposed to be continuous. In the argillite he found a few fragments of the horn- blendic rock, together with some felspathic fragments, which, he says, came from a metamorphic series. At another locality he found a fault (2?) between the hornblendie rock and the argillite, at which the latter had been greatly broken. He states that the horn- blendic rock here resembles a greenstone, but thinks he found in it signs of foliation and bedding. From this evidence he draws the conclusions that the argil- lites are younger than the metamorphic rocks ‘by an enormous interval of time,’ and that, while the former are deyonian or older, the latter are azoic (archean). Without objecting at all to his conclusions, one may point out the requirements to prove them, which he has failed to give. He has not proved the schis- tose series to be sedimentary, but admits that part may be eruptive, and that some of the series, at least, may be formed from yolcanic ash. Until the series is proved to be sedimentary, the finding of sup- posed fragments of it in the argillites is no proof of difference in age; for eruptive materials are always apt to be embedded in the rocks forming at the local- ity at the time of the eruption. Bonney has further taken foliation as bedding, with which it may or may not correspond, and assumes that a metamorphic is synonymous with a sedimentary rock, when in real- ity eruptive, especially basic, rocks are more easily metamorphosed than most sedimentary ones; and the former make a large part of the so-called ‘meta- morphic rocks’ in many regions of crystalline schists. Until Bonney gives evidence to prove that his series is sedimentary, his conclusions cannot be regarded as established merely because he considers the rocks sedimentary. The serpentine rocks of the Lizard district had been discussed in a previous paper, but additional material is given here. Bonney holds that the serpentine is formed from the alteration of an eruptive peridotite. That serpentine is formed by the direct conversion of olivine rocks has been conclusively shown by the work of numerous lithologists; and, in this particular ease, Bonney’s microscopic observations bear out the general conclusion. That the Lizard peridotite was eruptive was shown by its forming dikes in the ad- jacent rocks, by its distorting and displacing them, and by its enclosing fragments of them. — (Quart. Journ. geol. soc., 1883, 1.) M. E. Ww. [827 METEOROLOGY. Thermometer -shelters. — There have recently been worked up and published the results of experi- ments, on a large scale, which were undertaken in 1869, by the Royal society of London, for the purpose of testing various thermometer-shelters, The ex- -periments were made in a large open field at Strath- field Turgiss. Ten varieties of shelters were tried, eight of these being open, and two (Stevenson’s and the Kew pattern) closed. It was found that all the open stands were subject to serious objections, as they gave varying results in different weathers. On the whole, the closed shelters were regarded as the better; and Stevenson’s was preferred to the Kew, as the smaller and more easily handled. It is still thought, that, in dull weather, and for hygrometrical observations, this screen has not sufficient ventila- tion for the most accurate results. All the screens gave nearly uniform results for the mean tempera- SCIENCE. 403 ture. Experiments are now in progress for compar- ing wooden with Wild’s metallic shelters. — (English quart. weath. rep., 1879.) H. A. H. [828 Terrestrial radiation. — Professor Tyndall placed a thermometer upon cotton-wool which lay on the ground, and suspended another four feet above it. On Noy. 11, 1882, at 6 p.m, the readings were: wool, 26° F.; air, 36°. There was nearly a dead calm, —sky clear, and stars shining. The observations were re- peated on Dec. 10, when, at 8.20 A.m., wool read 12°, and air 27°, with a clear sky, and very light wind. In both instances snow covered the ground, On many other days readings were made, and several of these with the sky perfectly clear, and with no visi- ble impediment to terrestrial radiation; yet not one- fourth of the difference was observed that occurred on Dee. 10. Prof. Tyndall seeks to explain these results by the hypothesis, long since advanced by him, that the invisible aqueous vapor of the atmos- phere in the latter cases interposes an effectual bar- rier to radiation, and hence the difference. It would seerh as though a few observations of the amount of vapor would have assisted in establishing or over- throwing this supposition. In a later number Prof. Woeikof discusses these ob- servations, and suggests that the snow had a marked effect in reducing the temperature of the air just above it. He thinks that aqueous vapor has only a slight effect in checking radiation; not, however, in its gaseous state, but when condensed in small ice-crys- tals or water-droplets, even if, which is sometimes the case, it is invisible to the eye. He also suggests, that, in order to determine the real effect of aqueous vapor in terrestrial radiation, observations should be conducted in a climate, where; with a relatively great tension of vapor, the relative humidity is so small that there is no dew on clear nights, or, at least, it appears very late. Three thermometers, on cotton- wool, should be placed, one on the ground, and the others at heights from ten to a hundred feet above. If Prof. Tyndall’s views be correct, the highest ther- mometer should show the lowest reading, as the aque- ous vapor would impede radiation least from that one. He thinks there would be very little difference be- tween the three thermometers. The matter is cer- tainly worthy of careful experiment. — (Nature, Feb. 15, March 15.) HH. A. H. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. Effects of deforesting in the Alps.—P. De- montzey describes, in a very well illustrated article, the injurious results following the cutting down of forests in the French Alps; these being chiefly the washing of great quantities of detritus down from the slopes, the rapid formation of gulleys and ravines, especially in the softer formations, and the inunda- tion of good valley-land with sand and gravel. The extension of the torrential cone of the Rioubourdoux (Basses Alpes), where the mountain stream enters a broad valley, and several deep ravines, formed since 1830, on the branches of the Bourget, are excellently shown. The remedy adopted against further growth of the gulleys is to build numerous small dams across the side streams, and thus force the waters to drop their sediments, and build up their channels, instead of deepening them. Planting trees is to go on with this as fast as possible, to prevent the wearing of the bare hillsides. —(Za Nature, 1882, 151, 183, 215.) W. M. D. [830 Glacial erosion and lakes. — Rey. A. Irving has recently read two papers before the London geologi- cal society, — On the mechanies of glaciers, with spe- cial reference to their supposed power of excavation, 404 and On the origin of valley lakes, with especial refer- ence to the lakes of the northern Alps, —coming to the conclusion that glaciers have not, and can not, cut out deep lake basins, although they may effect considerable general surface-erosion. Differential motions within the ice are regarded as consuming nearly all the gravitative and other force applied to the mass; so that an effective erosive motion of ice on bed-rock is small, and especially so in hollows where the motion is much retarded. The ice rather than the rock will yield when a stone is held between the two. Much rock-flour, washed away by the sub- glacial streams, may come from material carried down from surface-moraines. ‘The author denies the force of Ramsay’s argunent that certain lakes cannot be explained save by ice-action, and thinks that cer- tain possible causes were not sutticiently considered. Many alpine lakes are not at all where they should be, if formed by glaciers; and among the causes that may aid their formation are subsidence from under- ground solution, which recalls Playfair’s old sugges- tion to account for Lake Geneva. This may be further aided by the simple weight of the ancient ice aiding to break down such undermined districts. Disloca- tions and folds, moraines, land-slides, and diluvial barriers, are also considered. Several special cases are referred to with some detail.— (Quart. jowrn. geol. soc., 1883, 62, 73.) W. M. D. [831 Changes in the Mediterranean climate.— Dr. Th. Fischer, already known for his original studies in this direction, presents a brief statement of further work as supplementary to Tchihatcheff’s entertaining lecture before the British association last August (Vv. Proc. roy. geogr. soc., 1882). His argument is based on the decline of population, shown by the numerous ruins in now desert regions of the northern Sahara, as well as in Asia Minor and farther east; on the barrenness of districts formerly cultivated, as is shown by the remains of irrigation-dams stretching across dry river-channels (wadis); on the occurrence in the Algerian desert of flint chippings covered by a thin gypsum layer, evidently the deposit of a spring, though the region is now wholly dry; and on the fre- quent occurrence of lightning-tubes in the dry sands, implying former frequent thunder-storms. In Alge- ria, the recorded annual rainfall from 1838 to 1849 averaged S00 mm. ; from 1850 to 1862, 770 mm. ; from 1863 to 1876, only 689 mm. The deforesting of the country is regarded as having aided this decrease. Furthermore, the absence of camels from old monu- ments in Egypt, the former occurrence of elephants in the northern Sahara, and use of horses and oxen in crossing the now desert region, — all bear witness to the same general decrease of rainfall. —(Peterm. mitth., 1883, 1.) Ww. M. D. [832 GEOGRAPHY. (Arctic.) Aboriginal population of northern America. — A’ recently issued report on the Indians of the Do- minion of Canada, together with the information collected by the tenth census of the United States relating to Alaska, affords the means of approximat- ing to the aboriginal population of that part of North America, north of the boundary-line of the United States, as it existed in 1860. The Indian population of British Columbia, Manitoba (including the North- west Territory), Athabaska, and Rupert’s Land, being the regions where governmental supervision is non- existent or comparatively recent, is put at 78,264. Athabaska and Rupert’s Land contain about 6,000, the remainder being nearly equally divided between the other two districts. In the older provinces, SCIENCE. \ [Vou. L., No. 14, where the whites and aborigines have long been in contact, there are 32,241 Indians, Ontario has 17,126; Quebec, 11,089; Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward’s Island divide the remainder. There is an increase, in the total number, of 2,783 over that of last year. There are, of the total Indian popula- tion, 81,634 reported as living on reservations or under supervision. In south-eastern Alaska, 6,725 Indians are re- ported; Cook’s Inlet, Kadiak, and Prince William Sound are estimated to contain 1,028. The Kuskok- wim valley is alloted 147; and the Yukon basin, 2,226. These latter figures are probably under-estimates; but the total arrived at is 10,126. Of the Orarian or Eskimo population of the shores of arctic British America no enumeration is yet possible. From Labrador to the Mackenzie mouth, probably not less than 6,000 are scattered in various localities. Im Alaska there are 2,214 Aleuts. Of Innuit, properly so-called, there are estimated to be 17,488, which is likely to proye excessive, and thus in the total to correct the supposed under-estimate of the Indian population. Of these, about 3,000 are assigned to the Aretie coast; about 2,000 to Cook’s Inlet and Kadiak; 7,500 to Bristol Bay and the Kuskokwim delta; and 3,300 to the Yukon delta. Taken together, this would give 25,702 Orarians, and 120,631 Indians; or 146,333 aborigines for the whole area. As esti- mation enters into the figures in several places, it may be said in round numbers, that the region prob- ably contains about 150,000 aboriginal inhabitants, or 1 to 65 GO kilometres. — W. H. D. {833 (Asia.) Eastern Turkestan.—K. Himly’s translation of the Si yii shui tao ki (Notes on the water-courses of the western district), a Chinese work written in 1824, is continued, but not yet concluded, The present number gives statistical description of the course and length of the Kyzyl, Yarkand, and other rivers, and numerous general and etymological notes. — (Zeitschr. f. erdk. Berlin, xvii. 401.) Ww. M. D. [834 BOTANY. (Physiological.) Holdfasts in Podostemaceae.— It is well known that the river-weeds possess organs by which they cling to loose stones much as Fucido. Warming calls attention to the presence of root-hairs on these and many other kinds of holdfasts, and he proposes to bring the various sorts under a single designation, namely, Haptera. While the term may prove useful, it must be remembered that under it are comprised at least {wo unlike plant-members. As they fulfil the same office, namely, clinging, they are physiologically similar, although morphologically unlike. — (Botan. zeit., March 22.) G. L. G. [835 Chemical constitution of certain protoplas- mic bodies. — Zacharias, who has shown the curious chemical relations between the nucleus in plants and animals, and has pointed out the presence of phos- phorus in the nuclei, has just given an interesting account of his studies in regard to the various con- tents of the cell in plants. Albumen, nuclein, and plastin are found in very different proportions in the different albuminoidal bodies in the cell. — (Botan. zeit., March 30.) G. lL. G. [836 ( Systematic.) Chapman's Flora.— The re-issue of Dr. Chap- man’s Flora of the southern United States, which has long been out of print, is accompanied by a sup- plement of seventy-four pages, giving all the addi- a tele Se _ May 11, 1883.] tional species that have been detected since 1860, the date of original publication. These additions com- prise 64 genera and 383 species, besides 46 species and 19 genera that are certainly introduced plants. Rather more than half of these species are from Florida. No changes of any kind are made in the _ original text, a revision of which must probably await the completion of the Flora of North America. — S. W. [837 Fern distribution in the United States.— The ferns of the United States now number 164 species (representing 32 genera), an increase of 39 in the last eight years. It is probable that the number is still by no means complete, and that others may be expected especially from the mountains bordering the Mexican boundary, and from the peninsula of Florida, Mr. Davenport gives a list of the known species, and their distribution among the states and territories. From his tables it appears that New York takes the lead in the number of species (52) that are credited to it, followed by California (48, with 4 others in doubt), Arizona (47, and 3 in doubt), Florida (47, and 2 doubtful), Michigan (47), Vermont (45), Pennsylvania (42, and 2 doubtful), Massachu- setts (42), Kentucky (41, and 2 doubtful), Arkansas and Connecticut (41), ete. Six of the genera and twenty-four species are found only in Florida; one genus (Schizaea) is represented within the United States only in New Jersey; and, on the other hand, Pteris aquilina occurs in at least thirty-nine, and Asplenium Trichomanes and Adiantum pedatum in thirty-five out of the forty-eight states and territories. —(Journ. Amer. phil. soc., Feb., 1883.) s.w. [838 Araceae. — Dr. Engler continues his contributions supplementary to his monograph of the Araceae in De Candolle’s Monographia, proposing two new monotypic genera, —Synandrospadix, from the Ar- gentine Republic; and Oligogynium, from tropical Africa. He approves of Baillon’s adoption of Rich- ardia as the older name of the Rubiaceous genus now generally known as Richardsonia, and follows him in the consequent restoration of Sprengel’s name, Zan- tedeschia, for the ‘Calla lily’ (Richardia Aethiopica) and its congeners. —(Engler's bot. iahrb., March, 1883.) s. w. [839 (Fossil plants.) Relations of Lepidodendron, Sigillaria, and Stigmaria.— A new memoir by M. Renault answers the critical remarks of Prof. Williamson and Dr. Hartog of Manchester, against the conclusions reached in his Cours de botanique fossile (see p. 397). The English anatomists find no marked difference in the composition of the wood of Sigillaria and Lepidoden- dron, which is, in both, of a single centripetal zone of tissue. Both are, therefore, true lycopodiaceous or eryptogamous plants. M. Renault considers the wood of Sigillaria as composed of two distinct zones; —an internal, of centripetal growth; an external, centrifu- gal, with distinct agglomeration of tracheae of the woody cords of the leaves, — centripetal in traversing the inner zone of the wood, centrifugal in passing through the secondary, which covers the trachean mass. This double woody zone relates Sigillaria to the Cycadeae or to the dicotyledonous gymnosperms. This last opinion has been already sustained by Brongniart. — (Consid. rapp. Lepid. Sigill. et Stiqm., Paris, Masson, 1883.) L. L. [840 Tertiary flora of Australia.— From observations made at Dalton, New South Wales (eocene horizon), and in the Travertine of Hobart Town, Tasmania (miocene), Baron von Ettingshausen finds that the tertiary flora of Australia is far more nearly allied to SCIENCE. 405. the tertiary floras of the other continents than to the living flora of Australia. It appears not improbable, therefore, that the numerous forms which character- ize the latter have been developed out of pliocene or post-tertiary forms of plants, thus far unknown to geologists. The existence at the present time of char- acteristic non-Australian genera in the flora of the continent is traced back to the tertiary period, in whose deposits remains of such forms as Fagus, Tabernaemontana, and Elaeocarpus, haye been dis- covered. — (Geol. mag., April, 1883.) A. H. [841 ZOOLOGY. Protozoa. Development of Volvox.— Miss S. G. Foulke presented a communication upon the development of Volvox globator and its separated gonidia or repro- ductive spores. It was stated that in one case some of the gonidia freed themselves from the protoplasmic envelope, breaking the connecting filaments, and swam away. In some instances these free gonidia passed into an encysted state; in others, attached themselves by the remains of the filament to other substances, thus using it as a footstalk, and presented the appearance of Vorticella. Many of the free go- nidia re®ained in afree swimming state. Others re- mained in the Volvox, developed in Amoebae, and emerged, after enveloping and digesting some of the neighboring gonidia. These Amoebae afterwards took the form of Amoeba radiosa, and then returned to their former state, seeming to have the power of using either shape at pleasure. As the parent Vol- yox belongs to the microscopic Algae, or water-plants, the change of its spores to a form in all respects apparently identical with an animaleule furnishes another interesting illustration of the approximation of the lowest animal and vegetable organisms. — (Acad. nat. sc. Philad.; meeting Feb. 20.) {842 Dimorphism in fossil Foraminifera. — MM. Schlumberger and Munier-Chalmas find that ce: tain foraminiferal forms — otherwise undistinguishable from each other, except in the matter of size, and therefore specifically identical, as far as external characters alone would indicate — exhibit in the dis- position of the central chambers some well-marked differences of structure, hitherto recognized as being of specific or even subgeneric value, but which appear to be entirely dependent upon the ages of the individ- uals concerned. In young individuals, as indicated by tests of small size, a relatively very large central initial chamber is distinctly visible; whereas, in the older or larger specimens, this chamber can only be determined by means of a powerful magnifier. This so-called dimorphism was found to obtain in both the perforate and imperforate groups, —in Numinulina, Assilina, Biloculina, Dillina, Fabularia, Lacazina, Tri- loculina, Trillina, Quinqueloculina, Pantallina, Het- erillina. — (Rev. scient., March 31.) A. H. [843 Worms. Anatomy of Terebellides.— The anatomy and histology of T. Stroemii M. Sars has been investi- gated by Steen at Kiel. The drawings on the three plates are too schematic in character to inspire abso- lute confidence. The published article takes the form of a complete monograph, but consists substantially of a detailed description of the external form and appendages, and of the internal anatomy and his- tology. The yarious organs are taken up in succes- sion, and excellently treated; but the details are hardly adapted for a brief abstract, although they will be valuable in compiling a comparative histology. — (Jena. zeitschr. naturw., xvi. 201.) c. s. M. [844 406 Multiplication of worms by division. — Dr. C. Biilow has investigated the processes of transverse division in Lumbriculus variegatus, and the regen- eration of parts to complete a new individual out of the pieces of the parent body. His article is prefaced by a valuable réswmé of previous investigations. In Lumbriculus, besides the sexual there is a natural asexual propagation, by simple transverse division, oc- curring spontaneously. Head and tail, both or either, can be re-formed. There is no budding zone formed before division: the process is therefore different from that in Nais and the Syllidae. In both head and tail the segments are apparently newly developed from before backwards (contra Bonnet). The head and tail buds are formed within 48 hours after divis- ion; and, in a few days, defecation through the new tail-end may be observed. The re-development may be produced by artificial division. One individual was cut into fourteen pieces, of which thirteen grew up to complete individuals. (The paper would have been improved by much shortening and more careful arrangement.) — (Arch. fiir. naturgesch., 1883, 1.) c. 8. M. [845 Anatomy of Prorhynchus. — J. von Kennel pub- lishes an article on Prorhynechus, one of those doubt- ful genera of worms whose systematic positien could not hitherto be satisfactorily determined. Kennel shows definitely that it is a rhabdocoelus turbellarian. It has a simple straight intestine, and muscular phar- ynx. The structure of the integument and paren- chyma of the body is like that in other Rhabdocoela, and not like that of nemerteans. The same may be said of the nervous system. The penis lies well for- ward, and, before its structure and relations were correctly understood, was compared to the proboscis of nemerteans, with which it has no relation. It is armed with a spine, and has a muscular bulb at its base, which is-connected by a somewhat tortuous duct with the vesicula, in which the products of the male glands are directly received. It lies ventrally from the pharynx. The stylet is exserted through the mouth. It isa very complicated apparatus, which the author fully describes. There are no separate yolk glands; but these are united (unlike other plathel- minths) in one mass with the ovary. This is the most important difference found between Prorhyn- chus and other Rhabdocoela. —(Semper’s arbeiten, vi. 69.) co. Ss. M. [846 VERTEBRATES. Equilibration functions of the semicircular canals.— From observations on dogs with one or both auditory nerves divided, Bechterew concludes: 1°. Unilateral section is followed by forced move- ments of rotation around the long axis of the body, with deviation of the eyes, nystagmus, etc. 2°. The movements, at first constant, occur later in parox- ysms separated by periods of rest. During the latter, the animal assumes a constrained position, lying on the opposite side to that of the section. Finally, the rolling movements altogether cease; but the animal has a tendency to exhibit cireus movements towards the injured side, and has a deficient power of main- taining its balance on its feet. 3°. All the above symptoms are reflex, since they are still exhibited after removal of the cerebral hemispheres, or in nar- cosis. They are, however, more marked when the hemispheres are present. 4°. Section of both audi- tory nerves is accompanied by marked deficiency of the power of maintaining equilibrium. The animal can neither stand nor walk. 5°. When only one nerve is cut, the foreed movements are due to a dis- harmony resulting from the absence on one side of SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 14. — the normal semicircular-canal sensations, and their — presence on the other. Hence the cerebellar equili- bration-centtes act abnormally; also, when the cere- brum is present, the uninjured side sends stimuli to the centres of consciousness, which, being unbalanced ~ by the usual associated stimuli from the other side, lead to vertigo. 6°. The well-known action of audi- tory impressions in influencing movements (as in dancing and marching) occurs, in all probability, through the semicircular canals. —(Pfliig. archiv, xxx. 312.) H.N.M. [847 Influence of the spleen on pancreatic diges- tion.— Twenty years ago Schiff published researches which led him to believe, that, after removal of the spleen, the pancreatic secretion lost its power of di-’ gesting proteids. His final conclusion was that, the spleen did not itself make the proteolytic ferment, but furnished to the blood something essential for its formation in the pancreas. Schiff’s statement at- tracted but few adherents; and Haidenhain, in 1878, proved that a substance (zymogen) capable of yield- ing proteolytic ferment, accumulated in the pancreas quite independently of the presence or absence of the spleen. This seemed, at first sight, to completely overthrow Schiff’s theory of the splenic function in digestion. Herzen now, brings forward experiments which reconcile the apparently opposite conclusions. He claims that his researches on dogs prove that after removal of the spleen, the pancreas may still - heap up zymogen (trypsogen), but that this is not under such circumstances transformed into a pro- teolytic ferment (trypsin), as it is normally when the spleen is present and in physiological activity. Hence, after splenotomy, or in cases of serious splen- ic disease, the digestion of albuminous substances is greatly impaired. —(Pfliig. archiv, xxx. 295.) H. N. M. [848 Mammals. Harly stages of the guinea-pig ovum. — Spee has published the results of his observations on this subject. Up to the beginning or middle of the fourth day, the ova remain in the oviduct, whence they must be carefully extracted. Eggs of two days have four segmentation-spheres, around and between which a coagulated mass soon appears post mortem. On the third day the limits of the cells are unrecog- nizable; but they may be more or less isolated by bursting the ovum. After the fifth day, the coagu- lum no longer appears around the segmentation- spheres. In all the early stages post-mortem changes are very great and rapid. While still free, after the fourth day, the ova lie in the tip of the uterus, whence they may be driven by forcing with a syringe a current of warm 0.5% salt solution into the vagina, and out of the tip of the uterus (after cutting off the oviduct). By employing this method, Spee has ob- tained germ-vesicles (keimblasen) agreeing essen- tially with corresponding stages as found in other mammalia, the principal difference being that the cells are relatively larger, segmentation not having progressed so far. There is an outer wall close against the zona pellucida, and composed of a single layer of cells, spindle shaped when seen in section, polygonal when viewed from the surface. At one pole is an_ accumulation of cells, the ‘keimhiigel,’ while at. the opposite pole the cells at the outer layer are thick- ened. In a later stage the cells of the latter pole are found to have thrown out branching processes which penetrate the zona pellucida. Apparently these processes increase in size; and it is probable that they make a hole through the zona by which the egg makes its exit. Spee has actually found, in one case, May 11, 1883.] an empty ruptured zona, This is an important and interesting observation, because the fate of the zona pellucida has not been hitherto determined. Spee adds the suggestion that possibly the same protoplas- mic processes which serve to free the egg, also act to fasten it to the wall of the uterus. As a continuation of Spee’s paper, Hensen de- scribes an ovum, soon after attachment to the uterine wall, found six days and twenty-three hours after copulation. The egg (0.13 0.08. mm. in diam.) lay in an open pit of the mucosa. It consists of a vesicle, with a mass of cells on one side, therefore agreeing in structure with the latest stage of the free ovum seen by Spee. Formerly Hensen considered the mass of cells to represent the ovum, and the wall of the yesicle to be an outgrowth of the epithelium of the uterus; but he now withdraws that interpretation, and accepts Schiifer’s view that the whole is ovic. ‘The vesicle is therefore the single-layered primary chorion, which is derived from the ectoderm, and is separated very early from the embryo proper. In other mam- mals this separation does not occur until after the formation of the amnion.’’ The ectodermal cells of the germ-mass of the embryo come to form a hollow, and this hollow Heisen homologizes with the amniotic cavity of other mammals. Of course, therefore, it is bounded by the ectoderm, and, beyond that, by the entoderm. The apparent reversal ot the layers is therefore due to the early development and peculiar position of the amniotic cavity, inside the ovum. In conclusion, Hensen insists upon the importance of showing that the histological value of the germ- layers is really preserved, even in so unusual a form of development as that of the guinea-pig. — (arch. anat. physiol., anat. abth., 1885, 44, 61.) ©. s. M. [849 Germ-layers and gastrula of the mouse.— In some rodents the germ-layers have apparently a posi- tion the reverse of that in other animals. This fact has led Selenka to investigate the early stages of white mice in the search for the explanation of the reversal. He has published a preliminary notice of his results. There is a special envelope of covering cells within which the cells of the embryo proper undergo their development. (This is perhaps the stage described by Spee — see 849 — in the guinea-pig, as a vesicle with a clump of cells at one end.) The embryo-cells lie at one end, separate into the two primitive layers, and become united with a support formed by a knob of cells attached to the uterine wall. This knob is not used in the construction of the embryo. The mass of ectoderm-cells becomes hol- low, and the cavity increases in size. In the ectoder- mal cells limiting it, the ectodermal organs of the embryo are developed according to the typical pro- cesses in other mammalia. A more detailed report of this interesting research will be given when the full -memoir is. published. — (Biol. centralbl., ii. 550.) Cc. 5. M. [850 Embryology of mice.— The observations of Selenka and Kupffer on the development of mice have been critically reviewed by Hensen. He does not accept their views as to the gastrulation, or that the formation of the cavity bounded by the ectoderm is the gastrula development. Selenka attributes the reversal of the germ-layers to the proliferation of the ectoderm-cells; but Hensen maintains it to be due to the invagination of the mass of cells forming the embryo-germ. The ectodermal cavity in Arvicula does not correspond, as would seem natural, to the amniotic cavity of the guinea-pig; for an amnion is subsequently developed in its interior. (Does not this rather indicate that Hensen’s homologizing the SCIENCE. 407 ectodermal cavity in the guinea-pig with the amniotic cavity is erroneous, and that it is really the same as. the ectodermal cavity described by Selenka and Kupf- fer®) Finally Hensen discusses briefly the position of the germinal disk in guinea-pigs, and compares it with that of rabbits. — (Arch. anat. physiol., anat. abth., 1883, 71.) c. Ss. M. {851 ANTHROPOLOGY. The Onondaga Indians.—In 1882 the legisla- ture of New York appointed three commissioner's to inquire concerning the condition of the Onondaga Indians; and their report has been published. With the feud between the the christian and the pagan par- ties, we have nothing here to do; but much interest- ing ethnologic matter appears throughout the pam- phlet. On the reservation in Onondaga County are 319 souls, who, with others of their tribe scattered through the state, amounting in all to 500, constitute a nation, recognized as such in treaties and by the courts, holding their lands in perpetuity, not to be sold or in any manner disposed of, and regulating them entirely after their own fashion. The origination of the union of the Six Nations is detailed in Morgan’s League of the Iroquois, and a brief sketch of their history is given in the pamphlet now under review. The Onondagas hold their land in common; but certain portions are held by individuals, and these possessions are bought and sold and leased to one another. Some of them are thrifty farmers, owning cattle, oxen, and horses, and they frequently monop- olize the best lands. The old custom of frequent divorees has been partly broken up by the new con- slitution of the tribe; and the law now conforms to that of New York respecting the Indians, — that those who contract marriage shall be considered as lawful husband and wife, and their children shall be legiti- mate. In practice, however, there is just ground of complaint. The evidence before the commission shows that old practices are kept up in some of the Indian dances that are incompatible with civilization. To the report of the commission are appended the new constitution, and the complaints and charges of the two factions in the tribe. —J. w. P. [852 Philologic science.— Dr. Frederick Miller, of Vienna, published, during the past year, parts 1 and 2 of vol. ii. of his Grundriss der sprachwissenschaft, devoted to the languages of the smooth-haired races. Part 1 is devoted to the Australians, the Hyperbo- reans, and the Americans; part 2, to the Malays and the northern Asiatic (Mongolian) races. Of the sub- divisions of the Australian race, it is impossible here to speak. The Hyperboreans are made to embrace the Yenisei-Ostjaks, Yukagirs, Chukchis, Ainos, Aleuts, and Innuits. The American languages dis- cussed are the Athapaskan, Algonkin, Iroquois, Da- kotan, Cherokee, Chahta, Kolosh, Selish, Sahaptin, Chinuk, Mutsun, Nahuatl, Sonoran, Otomi, Taras- kan, Tototen, Matlatsinka, Mixtek, Zapotek, Maya, Mosquito, Bribri, Arowak, and Carib, in North America; and the Moxos, Muisca, Paeses, Yaruros, Chimn, Inca, Guarani, Kiriri, Chiquitos, Lules, Abi- pones, Moluches, and Tehuelche, in South America. Under the high Asian languages in part 2, Prof, Miiller includes the Samoyede, Ural-Allaic, Japan- ese, Corean, Tibetan, Burman, Siamese, Khasian, Anamese, and Chinese. In no ease does the list of languages claim to be ex- haustive; and especially is this true of North America. The plan with each tongue is to commence with the sound system, and, proceeding from a discussion of root-forms, to progress through the differentiation 408 of parts of speech and accidence, so far as this has taken place. [853 Womenclature of stature. — Dr. R. Flétcher read a note on Zoja’s scheme for nomenclature, relative to human stature, of which the following table presents the main features: — Centi- \ metres. ( Hypergigantosoma.| Phenomenal. .|251—supra. Gigantosoma | } Gigantosoma. Giants . . | 226-250 (isianeatsamiosona .| Gigantic . » | 201-225 ( Hypermegasoma .| Near gigantic .| 191-200 -Megasoma Megasomi | Very tall) . . | 181-190 l Hypomegasoma .| Tall. - | 171-180 ; Hypermesosoma .| Above ordinary. | 166-170 Mesosoma Mesosoma. -| Medium -| 165 Hypomesosoma. Below ordinary. | 164-160 ( Hypermicrosoma .| Low - | 159-150 Microsoma Microsoma . .| Very low. - | 149-140 ! Hypomicrosoma Lowest normals.} 139-125 ( Hypernanosoma Dwarfish . . .| 124-100 Nanosoma Nanosoma .| Absolute dwarf.) 99-75 l Hyponanosoma. .| Phenomenal. .| 74 et infra. SCIENCE. The observation was made, that the figures given are for Italians,.and would have to be modified for each race of men, —(Anthrop. soc. Wash.; meeting April17.) sg. w. P. [854 Through Siberia. — This is the title of a work by Henry Lansdell, first appearing in 1881, and issuing in a third edition, in 1882, by Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., Boston. The author’s journey was overland through Tobolsk, Tomsk, and the southern part of Siberia, across the head waters of the great north- flowing river-systems of Asiatic Russia, to the mouth of the Amoor River. The chief motive of the trip was a study of prison-life in the countries visited; but works of this kind frequently reveal delicate flow- ers of aboriginal life and facts that are as welcome to the reader as their great value is unappreciated by the writer. The author gives a list of the stocks mentioned in the Russian map of this territory, as follows: Slavs, Zeryani, Voguls, Votyaks, Tatars, Kirghees, Karakalpaks, Sarto, Usbeks, Turks, Kal- muks, Teleuti, Ostjaks, Samoyedes, Yurakis, Yakuts, Tunguses, Goldi, Gilyaks, Yukagirs, Chukchis, Ko- riaks, Kamchadales, Ainos, Buriats, Manchus, and Chinese. The manner in which the ethnological in- formation is scattered through the work renders it difficult to refer to that concerning any one tribe. Especial interest will be taken in the mention, on p. 26, ‘of the Tatars, descendants of the followers of Genghis Khan. The ethnography of the Ob-Irtish valley, including Tatars, Russians, Voguls, Ostjaks, and Samoyedes, will be found on pp. 98-106, 124-126; that of the Yenisei, on pp. 205-210; that of the Yakutsk province, on pp. 296-308, with a short vocabulary on p. 305. In chapter xxviii. will be found an account of personal adventures with the Mongolian frontier races; and in chapter xxx., a description of the Bur- jats. Coming to the Amoor River, the Oronchons, or reindeer Tunguses, and the Manyargs, or horse Tun- guses, meet the traveller (see pp. 507-511). Chapter xliii. introduces us to Manchuria and its inhabitants; and chapter xlvi., to the Gilyaks and Goldi at the mouth of the Amoor; and the closing portion, to east- ern Siberia, the Kamehatkals, and Sauhalins. The volume closes with a bibliography and a copious in- dex, — J. W. P. [855 EGYPTOLOGY. Art in Egypt.— The influence of the earlier art of Chaldea and Assyria on art in Egypt, is the subject of a work by L. von Sybel, Kritik des aegyptischen - almost all Italy, was soon subject to Rome. [Von. I., No. 14. ornaments (Marburg, 1883), in which he takes the posi- tion, that, after the eighteenth and nineteenth dynas- ties, the art of Egypt was largely modified by the influence of Chaldean and Assyrian art. asserts, is shown not only in decoration, but also in statuary of the human form. Perrot, though differing in some respects from the author, bears witness to his extended researches and his excellent taste. — (Rev. archéol., Dec., 1882.) Hw. 0. [856 Color in Egypt. — “‘ Egyptian color must be seen in Egyptian sunlight, which almost blots it out, or in the dim interior of an Egyptian temple, and then the strong contrasts of bright hues are very much sweeter and more musical than they seem to us. There is a gentle harmony in them. . . . It is impossible, without seeing a very fine Epyptian monument under the conditions of light in which the builders meant it to be seen, for us to apprehend their coloring, which certainly, when represented in pictures, or seen in our own generally diffused light, has an aspect of harshness, though the harmony of color is maintained in the use the Egyptians make of it. Take ivory and ebony, gold, lapis lazuli, green and red jasper, and let a great master make a mosaic in Egyptian style, and you would see how really grand it is, and how it bal ‘ 3 P é This, he © has in it that large simplicity which connects it with — the expression of durability. I think if you will study Hgyptian decoration you will find this to be true,’’ — (R. S. Poole, in ‘ Lect. on art,’ 1883.) HH. 0. [857 EARLY INSTITUTIONS. Institutions of early Rome.— M. Alfred Maury sums up the conclusions of Gen. Favé in his Ancienne Rom (Paris, 1880, 8°). The city presents itself at first, as an aristocracy of free men (ingenwi) governed by the heads of families (patres). It was an aris- toeracy of landlords and warriors. Below this aris-— tocracy were the plebeians, who were clients of the © patricians; at any rate, subject to them, and governed by them. Most of the land was in the hands of the patricians. The plebeians appear to have had only movable property, and not much of that. feudal time, during the middle ages, war was regarded As in the © as the school of virtue; but it was a school for every 4 class of free men (which was not the case in feudal times). The freemen went to war at their own cost, each man spending his own money init. The burden of military service was very heavy for the poorer classes of freemen, and it was a principal cause of the pauperism and indebtedness of the plebeians, of which we readsomuch. The people were continually called out to war, and had no time left them in which to provide themselves with the necessary means of support. The writer describes the institution of paid forces and standing armies. This gave to Rome a great advantage over the other states of Italy, where the people were still called to war at their individual cost. The result was, that not only Latium, but Colonies of Roman citizens were then planted in various parts of Italy, and, what was unprecedented, garrisons of soldiers were established to protect them. The other states of Italy did not protect the colonies which went out from them. The colonies were frequently quite severed from the mother-state. case with the colonies of Rome. posts of a military system. fence were constantly cultivated by the Romans. This was not the case in the other states of Italy, and they were easily conquered. Gen. Favé considers the early history of Rome from the military point of view. — (Jowrn. des sav., Jan., 1883.) D. Ww. R. [858 They were the out- s This was not the — The arts of war and de- — May 11, 1883.] SCIENCE. 409 INTELLIGHNCH FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. Department of agriculture. Facts of interest in economic entomology. — Bulle- tin 2 of the entomological division contains the fol- lowing facts of interest: — The Chrysomelid Graptodera carinata injured fuch- sias by eating the leaves in September at German- town, Penn. = During 1882 the army-worm was re- ported from Saratoga County, N.Y., at the north, to the Red-river valley in Louisiana, at the south. — The larva of Agrotis inermis is mentioned as cutting down smilax in an extensive flower-garden at Ger- mantown, Penn. — The clover-leaf weevil (Phytono- mus punctatus) was as destructive in Yates County, N.Y., in 1882 as in 1881; and its spread into adjoining counties was noticed. — Ephestia zeae was received from New-York City, with accounts of damage done by the larva to lozenges. —The description of the eurious work of a mite allied to Tetranychus tella- rius, found at Melrose Highlands, Mass.,isgiven. A lar: ee ash-tree was almost entirely covered by a filmy web spun by this mite. — The little homopterous En- tilia sinuata Fabr. was sent from Franklin Falls, N.H., as destroying the Canada thistle. — Isosoma tritici was received from Columbia County, Wash. Ter.— The fungus, Scorias spongiosa, upon the honey- dew of Schizoneura imbriecator, was sent from John- son County, Tenn. — Twigs of Wistaria were received from Hudson, O., which were bored by the larva of Elaphidion villosum., —A letter from Mr. H. G. Hubbard, on the aid of spiders in the spread of scale- insects, is given in full.— The seventeen-year cicada appeared in 1882 in parts of Yates, Ontario, Living- ston, and Wyoming Counties, N.Y. ’_A mill at Lan- sing, Mich., was overrun (Nov ember, 1882) by the two beetles Palorus depressus and Laemophlaeus alter- nans. — The natives of Upper Birmah use, as a remedy for cotton insects, conjee-water; i.e., fermented rice- water, with a little salt and ‘the rind of a fresh squeezed lemon thrown in. — Mr. William Plumer of Lexington, Mass., advises the addition of a small quantity of gum-arabie or glue and bichromate of potash to insecticide solutions, in order to render them * water-proof,’ or less readily washed off by rains from plants or trees to which they have been applied. — The effect of frost upon scale-insects is considered in a letter from Mr. Joseph Voyle, of Gainesville, Fla., who concludes, that, by unusually cold weather, Jarvae killed, but not enough to be of service to the hatching and development are retarded, and a few tree. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. Astronomical observatory of Harvard college, Cambridge, Mass. The work at the observatory. — There has heen great progress in the reduction and publication of past ob- servations. The catalogue giving the results of pho- tometric measurements on four thousand stars is now in the hands of the printer. Photometric observations of a hundred and eighty- five eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites have been made. The search for objects with singular spectra has been continued and carried on with more system than formerly. At the last opposition of Mars, the satel- lites were seen, and photometric measurements were obtained which agreed with those made in 1877. The results of the photometric measurements of various points on the moon haye been published in the Sele- nographical journal, v.57. Mr. Chandler has made a careful study of Sawyer’s variable star, and has found the period to be about twenty hours. The variation of the light is about three-fourths of a magnitude. Professor Rogers has found it necessary to take a prolonged rest from night-work, but will resume soon. The results of his work in the last twelve years will occupy three volumes of the Annals, and are being prepared for publication. The measurement of the light of the stars visible to the unaided eye was completed lastsummer. Over ninety thousand measures were made on about four thousand stars. The effect of atmospheric absorption has been found, for any altitude exceeding 15°, to equal in stellar magnitudes one-fourth of the secant of the zenith distance. This agrees with the result of Seidel, the average deviation of the two determi- nations not exceeding one-thirtieth of a magnitude. An extended comparison of the scale of magnitudes employed by previous observers has been made. A reduction of the observations of Sir William Herschel has been effected, and has led to important results, Their neglect hitherto has been partly owing to the want of a suitable system of magnitudes by which they might be reduced. This want has been supplied by the photometric measures at this observatory. We have thus an accurate measure of the brightness of a large part of the lucid stars of a hundred years ago. NOTES AND NEWS. The fifth session of the congress of Americanists will be held in Copenhagen, Aug. 21-24, under the patronage of Christian IX., king of Denmark. Dr. J. J. A. Worsaae, director of the museum of ethnog- raphy, will be the president, and W. A. Carstensen, general secretary. A prospectus of the meeting has been published, and may be had from the president or the secretary. Any one remitting twelve francs to M. Tietgen, directeur de la Banque privée de Copen- ~hague, will be entitled to a ticket of membership and a copy of the report. are as follows: — History and geology. — Discovery of America; The Northmen in Greenland; Mexican calpullis; Central American nationalities; Mexican and Peruvian mili- — tary systems; The Popol Vuh; Comparison of the kingdoms of Cuzco, Trujillo, and Peru; Peruvian divinities, Viracocha, etc.; Migrations of the Caribs; Traditions of the deluge in America. Archeology. — Kjékkenm6ddings of Greenland and elsewhere; Sacred signs; Religious and emblematic - significance of idols, etc.; Architecture of Peru. Anthropology and ethnology. — Tribal synonymy and cartography; Kingdoms of Cibola, Quivira, and Tegnayo; Ethnology of New Granada and the Isth- mus; North America and Central Asia compared. Linguistics and paleography. —Grammar of the Eskimo compared with that of other American languages; Mexican languages and others compared ; Decipherment of Maya inscriptions, and of quippos; Peruvian languages, and others compared. The subjects to be discussed 410 — At the annual meeting of the Boston society of natural history, May 2, the following officers were chosen: president, Samuel H. Scudder; vice-presi- dents, John Cummings, F. W. Putnam; curator, Al- pheus Hyatt; honorary secretary, S. L. Abbot, M.D. ; secretary and librarian, Edward Burgess; treasurer, Charles W. Scudder. The report of the curator, Prof. A. Hyatt, gave a full account of the minera- logical collection, the re-arrangement of which has just been completed, and to which we shall soon refer more particularly. It was shown that it would be impossible to complete the arrangement of the other collections in similar manner, without addi- tional income ai the society’s disposal. Considerable work was done in the geological collection, but its final arrangement will need at least a year’s more work. : The trustee of the Lowell lecture fund has gener- ously continued to support the Teachers’ school of science, in which ten lessons had been given by Prof. W. H. Niles, on physical geography, and five by Dr. H. P. Bowditch, on physiology. Both courses were attended by large numbers of teachers. Laboratory instruction was also given to one class from the Mas- sachusetts institute of technology, and one from the Boston university, besides two private classes; and during the summer, instruction was given to four- teen students in the curator’s laboratory at Annis- quam, Mass. In one dredging-trip specimens of Octopus and other interesting forms were brought up from about forty fathoms. The secretary reported the additions to the library to amount to 2,065 volumes and pamphlets. Three parts of the proceedings and three of the memoirs had been printed, together with anew list of members. Seven essays were offered in competition for the Walker prize of the year, —‘ The life-history of any animal.’ The committee awarded the first prize to Howard Ayers of Cambridge, for his essay on the development of the tree-cricket (Oecanthus niveus) and one of its parasites (Teleas). The committee requested further time for the consideration of the award of the second prize. The successful essay fills a hundred and twenty-seven manuscript pages, and is beautifully illustrated with thirty plates carefully drawn and colored. The author has attempted to establish or discuss the following points: for Oecan- thus; the origin of the ovum ina germarium, the pro- cess of yolk-formation by cell-degeneration instead of secretion, a primitive segmentation of the embryo before the appearance of the permanent segments, the existence of a pair of appendages on each of the seventeen segments, the formation of the dorsal vessel as originally a paired organ (as in some worms), the existence of embryonic gills, the lack of any sharp distinction between a cell and its nucleus and between the latter and the nucleolus, the origin and significance of the embryonic membranes, and SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 14. — the dorsal organ among insects; in Teleas; the absence of embryonic membranes, and the occurrence of an intermediate larval form between the blasto- phere and the cyclops-larva of Ganin. — At the close of its last session, Congress made provision for the co-operation of the United States in the researches proposed by the electrical congress at Paris in 1882. The secretary of state has designated as commissioners, on the part of this government, Professors Barker of the university of Pennsylvania, Trowbridge of Harvard university, and Rowland of Johns Hopkins university. The sum of $12,500 was appropriated for experiments. — The newly organized Royal society of Canada will hold a session in the parliament buildings at Ottawa, commencing May 22. Delegates from sey- eral scientific bodies in the United States are ex- pected to be present. —Ata meeting of the Washington anthropologi- cal society, April 17, Dr. W. J. Hoffman made a com- parison of Eskimo and Californian pictographs by means of charts, by which he showed the relation between these figures and the sign-language of the North-American tribes. A wonderful familiarity with the gesture-speech enables Dr. Hoffman to read many of the pictographs with perfect readiness. Mr. J. Curtin, who has spent much time in diplomatic ser- vice in Russia and Hungary, and has brought home a rich treasure of the folk-lore of the regions in which he has travelled, read a paper on Scandinavian and Magyar folk-lore. Dr. Fletcher explained Zoja’s scheme for the nomenclature of stature, given else- where in this issue. — By the system of railway time recently recom- mended by the railway time convention in St. Louis, the time of the different long railways of the coun- try would only differ by whole hours. It is proposed that each road shall reckon its time from one or more of a set of meridians fifteen degrees, or one hour, apart, so that the time of each meridian may reach seven and one-half degrees, or thirty minutes, on each side. The meridians suggested for the United States are the 75th, 90th, 105th, and 120th, west of Greenwich. The confusion of time now so ; common in many of our large cities would in this way be avoided, the minutes and seconds, at least, agreeing on the different roads. — The treasurer of the Balfour fund acknowledges the following additional subseriptions: Prof. J. Play- fair MeMurrich, Ontario, $5; T. Mackenzie, Univer- — sity college, Toronto, $1; George Acheson, Collegiate institute, Toronto, $2; H. Pillsbury, High school, Springfield, Mass., $1; Prof. J. H. Comstock, Cornell university, $5; Prof. J. A. Holmes, University of North Carolina, $5; Prof. H. C. Coon, Alford uni- versity, $1. Previously acknowledged, 5466.25. — In SCIENCE, p. 338, in the article on Formation of the tails of comets, read, ‘ Mr. Ranyard suggests.’ * "i f ~ May 18, 1883.] FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1883. THE SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. Ty answer to a call dated March 31, a num- ber of working naturalists met at Springfield, Mass., “April 10, to consider the advisability of organizing a society for the discussion of methods of natural history work. In the dis- * cussion which followed the election of Professor Hyatt to the chair, it.was shown that every one present had often felt the need of opportu- nities to meet other workers in his own special field with whom to discuss such topics as methods of laboratory work ; laboratory tech- nique ; new and valuable processes of staining, mounting, cutting, and preserving sections; different systems of instruction in various de- partments of natural science; methods with small elective classes, or with large college classes ; the position which the sciences of ob- servation should hold in the college curriculum ; the amount of natural science which should appear in college entrance examinations ; the amount and character of such instruction essential in preparatory schools; museum in- terests; mutual aid or co-operation between different museums ; methods of museum work ; methods of exhibition; and similar topics. While there are many opportunities for the publication of the results of scientific work and investigation throughout the country, and for keeping up with current results, there has existed heretofore no association where such subjects as those above named could bé made the chief topics of discussion. The need of an association devoted to such technical pur- poses is certainly as great at the present time, when science is beginning to take its proper place in the curriculum of all educational in- stitutions, and laboratories and museums are springing up all over the country, as was the need in earlier days for founding the American as- sociation for the advancement of science. Pub- lished essays can be read at home; but for the right understanding of difficult manipulation in the laboratory, of methods of instruction either in the laboratory or class-room, or for any No. 15, —1883. SCIENCE. 411 efficient co-operation, it is essential to meet and talk with the originator of the method, or with one who is well versed in its application. The worker in natural science knows that in every laboratory new points are being con- stantly developed, which, though of value for saving time or labor, are frequently never published. At the meetings of this society there will be special opportunities for getting such informa- tion from a number of laboratories where work is constantly going forward. Again: the meet- ings will furnish chances for those at home to meet and question the many American natural- ists, who, on their return from visiting or work- ing in the best laboratories in England and Europe, bring with them the latest methods in vogue on the other side of the Atlantic, — a number which may increase, now that an American table at Dohrn’s zodlogical station, Naples, is held by Williams college. The work of organization occupied nearly all the time at the Springfield meeting ; but, in the brief informal discussions which followed, the opinion was very generally expressed, that one of the most. important questions with which we haye to deal, and one which needs immediate attention, is the preparation neces- sary for the study of natural science in col- leges. The great difficulty in making a success of college instruction in the sciences of obser- vation lies in the fact that not one young man in twenty knows either how to observe, or how to think about facts of observation. His edu- cation in that line is very deficient, or else en- tirely wanting; he is utterly helpless without his books, and seems quite unable to see or to correlate facts for himself. No other branch of the curriculum is so inefficiently treated by the preparatory schools and academies. It is the reverse of right, that the college professor, with a class of from forty to eighty men, should have to make the vain attempt to teach the lowest step in the observational sciences. Methods which can alone guarantee success in imparting to the eye and the mind the rudi- ments of science cannot be employed under such conditions. Moreover, itis a matter for 412 the deepest regret, that young men who are soon to be in places in the world where they have no books, and where the keenest exercise of the powers of observation, and the judg- ment of facts are demanded, should in so many cases have no opportunity, or next to none, either in school or college, for the acqui- sition of a training upon which the success of their life-work, in the larger number of pro- fessions and occupations, is dependent. It is to be hoped that one needs only to mention such objects as these, to bespeak for this new association the sympathy and sup- port of all naturalists and earnest workers in science. At the concluding session of the meeting just held, the society elected the following officers: president, Professor Alpheus Hyatt, curator of the Boston society natural history ; vice-presidents, Prof. H. Newell Martin, Johns Hopkins university, Prof. A. S. Packard, jun., Brown university ; treasurer, Prof. Wil- liam B. Scott, Princeton college; secretary, Prof. Samuel F. Clarke, Williams college. At the same session, a constitution, which had been drawn up by a committee of three, was read and adopted. In it the object of this society is stated to be ‘‘ the association of work- ing naturalists, for the discussion of methods of investigation and instruction, laboratory technique and museum administration, and other topics of interest to investigators and teachers of natural history, and for the adop- tion of such measures as shall tend to the ad- vancement and diffusion of the knowledge of natural history in the community.’’ Membership in the society is limited to instructors in natural history, officers of museums and other scientific institutions, physicians, and other persons professionally engaged in some branch of natural history. Any member may present to the executive committee names of candidates for member- ship, but only those candidates who are ap- proved by the executive committee may be elected to membership by a majority of the members present at any meeting of the society. The annual fee for membership is two dollars. SCIENCE. [Vou. Ls No. 15. The officers are elected by ballot ‘at the an- nual meeting of the society, their official term commencing at the close of the meeting. The five officers of the society constitute the executive committee, who are to. recommend to the society, from time to time, such measures as they may deem expedient for the purposes of the society. The proposed meetings of the association are to be held only in the New England and Atlantic states north of Virginia. They are not fixed to one locality, but are peripatetic ; and it is intended to have them held in differ- ent college and university towns, to facilitate means of illustration. ; The annual meeting is to be held on the second Wednesday of March in each year, unless otherwise ordered by the executive committee ; and special meetings may be ap- pointed at any time by a vote of the society or of the executive committee. The second meeting, for instance, is to be held in New York during the next Christmas holidays. It is also declared to be the policy of the society, by correspondence and otherwise, to encourage the formation, and co-operate in the work, of societies of similar name and object in other parts of the country. We are in- formed, indeed, that a request for the forma- tion of such an organization in the west has already been received, and favorably reported on. We understand that some objections have been raised to the formation of a society dis- tinct from the American association; but it will be evident from this sketch of its plan, that at present it is neither general enough in — its object, nor broad enough in its geographi- cal field, to permit of* working in connection with the larger organization. THE MATHEMATICAL TRIPOS IN THE UNIVESRITY OF CAMBRIDGE. In January of this year the list of success- ful candidates for mathematical honors at the University of Cambridge was published under new rules, which provide, among other things, that the names shall be finally arranged alpha- May 18, 1883.] betically, and not, as heretofore, in the order of merit. Under the old system, the tripos examina- tion began generally on the first Monday in January. Two papers were set on each of the first four days of that week; then followed an interval of ten days, during which the work of the candidates was examined, and a list of those who had ‘‘ acquitted themselves so as to deserve mathematical honors’’ published ; finally, all such persons, but no others, were admitted to the rest of the examination, which consisted of a five-days’ further test in the more difficult parts of mathematics and natural philosophy. The names of all the candidates previously declared to be deserving of honors were then arranged in the order of merit, determined by the work of all the nine days, ‘‘into three classes of wranglers, senior optimes, and junior optimes ;’’ and this list, which, of late years, generally contained about a hundred names, was then published in the Senate House. The regulations * for the mathematical tripos examination directed that in no book-work paper of the first six days should be contained more questions than well-prepared students might be expected to answer within the time allowed for the paper; but they sanctioned the introduction, in all the subjects, of ‘‘ examples and questions, by way of illustration or ex- planation, arising directly out of the proposi- tions themselves.’’ This last rule enabled the moderators and examiners to attach a rider to almost every question, and thus to increase the length of the papers far beyond what even the ablest man could write out properly in the time allowed. An examination of the papers of the last ten years shows, that, in the fifteen papers devoted each year exclusively to book-work, most of the questions were such as a very well read man might have met with in the course of his studies; but that a very large proportion of the riders must have been new to all the candidates, and of such a nature as to test very effectually the power to do new work which the men had gained. The great honor which has been always at- tached to the senior wranglership has given rise to the sharpest rivalry for first place; and this rivalry has extended to the tutors as well as to the candidates themselves. With the names of the six or eight men who stand high- est in the list of wranglers, some of the daily papers have been in the habit of printing short 1 Cambridge university calendar for the year 1879, pp. 25-28. SCIENCE. 413 accounts of their lives, and of giving the names of the teachers who prepared the men for the examination. As a result of this, the most famous tutors were said to refuse all students who did not give promise of getting a good place in the list of honors; and those young men who were so fortunate as to secure the services of one of the celebrated ‘senior-wrangler manu- facturers ’ were more carefully looked after and trained than are the race-horses for the Derby. There has been a continual struggle between the examiners and the tutors. The former have attached, each year, difficult and ingenious riders to comparatively easy book-work ques- tions; so that in many cases the connection between the two is by no means obyious. The latter have tried to send up candidates so well read, and so well trained in the solution under pressure of new problems, that the amount accomplished should depend only upon the rapidity with which the student could write. Let a person who has not had the benefit of this coaching attempt to write out one of the easier tripos' papers in a time equal to that originally allowed for it, and, whatever he may think of the wisdom of requiring a student to be prepared for examination in so many sub- jects at one time, he must get a profound re- spect for the ability, the attainments, and the physical endurance, of those who get places in the tripos. As far as one can judge from such accounts of the lives of higher wranglers as appear in the newspapers, the more ambitious students have, of late years, come up to the university with a good knowledge of analytic geometry, differential calculus, and mechanics. They have then spent nearly three years — studying in vacation as well as in term-time —in a special preparation for the examination for honors, and finally have been subjected to the terrible strain of writing the nine-days’ papers. One cannot wonder that many stu- dents broke down in the course of prepa- ration, and that many others succeeded in getting high rank at the price of lasting ill heaith. Mr. Todhunter, in his ‘Conflict of studies,’ was one of the first to raise his voice against the system; but he was soon joined by others, who argued that the test of the students’ pow- ers would be quite as effective, and the evil results of the preparation fewer, if there were an interval of several months between the . examinations in the more elementary subjects 1 The tripos papers for each year make a quarto pamphlet, which may be had of Messrs. George Bell & Sons, Cambridge warehouse, 17 Paternoster Row, London. Price two shillings. 414 and in those of the last few days. Finally, after a good deal of agitation, a new system of regulations for the mathematical tripos ex- aminations, to go into effect after January, 1882, was made and published in 1879. By these new rules, the whole examination is made to consist of three parts of three days each. The examination in part I., which is to begin on the Monday before the first Sunday in June, will be confined to Euclid, arithmetic, ordinary algebra, and the first three sections of New- ton’s Principia, with the elementary parts of trigonometry, geometrical conics, statics, dy- namics, hydrostatics, optics, and astronomy. As Mr. Besant remarks in the ‘Students’ ouide to the University of Cambridge,’ however, ‘the word ‘elementary’ simply implies that the subjects in question are to be developed, as far as they can be, without the aid of the elaborate machinery supplied by modern anal- ysis. In other words, the methods of pure geometry and ordinary algebra and trigonome- try are to be the only instruments employed ; and the effect of this restriction is, in many eases, to make the treatment of mathematical ideas more difficult, and to call out a more direct and powerful application of intellectual energy.’ From the results of this examina- tion, the moderators and examiners are to publish a list of persons who have acquitted themselves so as to deserve mathematical hon- ors ; and these persons only are to be admitted to the examination in part II., which is to begin on the Monday after the second Sunday in June, and to cover algebra, trigonometry (plane and spherical), theory of equations, easier parts of analytic geometry (plane and solid, including curvature of curves and sur- faces), differential and integral calculus, easier parts of differential equations, statics (includ- ing elementary propositions on attractions and potentials), hydrostatics, dynamics of a parti- cle, easier parts of rigid dynamies, easier parts of optics, and spherical astronomy. The moderators and examiners are then to publish a list of the candidates, taking into account parts I. and IJ., and arranging the men, in the order of merit, into three classes of wranglers, senior optimes, and junior op- times. The wranglers only are to be admitted to the examination in part III., which is to begin on the first Monday of the next January, and to cover the advanced parts of the follow- ing subjects : — Group A.— Differential equations ; calculus of variations ; higher algebra; theory of equa- tions; plane and solid analytical geometry ; finite differences ; higher definite integrals ; el- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 15. liptic functions ; theory of chances, including combination of observations. Group B.— Laplace’s and allied functions ; attractions ; higher dynamics ; Newton’s Prin- cipia, bk. I., sects. ix., xi.; lunar and plane- tary theories ; figure of the earth ; precession and nutation. Group C.— Hydrodynamics, including wayes and tides; sound; physical optics; vibrations of strings and bars; elastic solids. { Group D. — Expression of functions by se- ries or integrals, involving sines and cosines ; thermodynamics; conduction of heat; elec- tricity ; magnetism. Taking into account the examination in part III. only, the moderators and examiners are to publish in three divisions, each division ar- ranged alphabetically, a list of those examined and approved ; but they may place in the first division any candidate who has shown eminent proficiency in any one of the groups given above. It will be seen that this arrangement limits the sharpest rivalry to the work in the more elementary subjects, and taxes the strength of the students far less than the old system did. The first examination under the new rules was held last June. On the work of the first six days, twenty-nine men were placed upon the list of wranglers. Of these, sixteen offered themselves for examination in part III. in January of this year. Fourteen of these were approved, and the names published in the three: divisions provided for. Jn the first division were placed those who, in last June’s list of wranglers, were Ist, 2d, 3d, 6th, and 22d. In the second division the 17th wrangler stood alone. In the third division were the 4th, 7th, two bracketed as 8th, 9th, 16th, 18th, and 19th in the wrangler’s list. It will be seen that the last examination changed the order of the names very materially. The following list of names, made out from an examination of the honor-lists since 1747, will show that a large number of well-known men have taken high rank in the tripos. An asterisk means, that, in the additional exami- nation for the Smith’s prize, the person tool first place ; a dagger is attached to the names of those who took second place. Name. esas Year. Maskelyne) anime ence ster 7 1754 Erasmus Darwin. .,. . 21 1754 Archdeacon Paley ... . 1 1763 “MAY 18, 1883.] SCIENCE. 415 They have a dialect of their own. They are Ayame! eeank 38 Weae probably the aborigines of the Philippines, if ieee not Papuans who went there from the southern = = Sane groups of New Guinea at a very early period. Lord Ellenborough . .. . 3 W71 They are short in eiiclaston Re ey fc Rot ondts it ee stature, about five LU RUS MEME Tees civiva tat tens ; : F ie *Sir J. Herschel | | : 1 1813 ee ee ipheacock 26°.) 2 1813 QUENGES ENF, iY ae +Whewell. ... 2 1816 they wear as a bushy 38 G. B. Airy Reet Mews 1 1823 mop, uncombed be- nels Ons UC OW Rea ear u 1825 cause uncombable. TIS rem ihe lass distc cisrdeia (s 9 1826 WeyMorzaniy. ole ag te 4 1827 They have not the ILL: Ge GLa ao 4 1828 very flat nose, ugly Snowball . O Wicis scien)! © SOURED 7 1828 features, thick lips, pavondish( Duke of Deyonshire), 3 aes and intensely black ur Bie Lse) el Gre \elweial wie) f.8 = . Pee ee 1 1831 skin of the African ; een ord F ee 1832 but their color is rehdeacon Pratt 1833 ar io oi “ait vONS i Ralland ce ‘ ead ae ae ‘ in the NEGRITO OF LUZO {+ Bishop Colenso .. . 2 1836 CONCISE TM (Oke FSR A ge) Waltons). O30.) s 1836 less forests, the nose flattened, eyes large Sylvester. . . . . . = . 2 1837 and restless, with the sclerotic yellowish. eooree Gren... .. . : eee When young, the form is graceful; but the O'Btien, rake eR Mee ETA 3 1838 extremes of hunger and repletion, with their *Frost . . . 0. i oy) 1839 almost exclusive vegetable food, give to the (esibop Goodwin... 7: 2 1840 adults a protuberant abdomen and lank limbs. Riches igre Seon OTP i a The old women look like hags. They haye + aun: Tatiana aber 1 rT 1843 no fixed habitations, but wander in bands of Goodevers) sn Ras 9 1843 iPpankinsom Weg y lt 1 1845 * Sir William Thomson 2 1845 AUModinumM ter eta) ve) eh kel sy 1 1848 WESECOUG ie: Mets wets Ker Vale cleite 25 1848 2? IBOSEANU Vepenoy aicCea DCR CmaRD 1 1850 7 Watson eaten 2 1850 Wolstenholme . 3 1850 *Ferrers . il 1851 “SAME eee 1 1852 +Steele. . : 2 1852 Grocliteny 9 4 a 6 06 0 6 3 1852 pecan Seiraittony isthe , youve tcamees 1 1854 J.C. Maxwell. . Suhs 2 1854 TREOEHIE. 6 Yoh ioe Gao td oN 7 1856 eSINGUE) Gao a6 ae OO i 1861 IMGONBiN GS se pode de ooo 5 1861 * Strutt (Lord Rayleigh). . . 1 1865 Vio IDS ING BNO! Gb. 6 3 1866 SABE ic Gan Goenomes® solr cd 4 1866 INN (CoH) G6 5 95 4 o 5 1 1867 RC littord )/) 3) Siu tat tke 2 1867 7G. H. Darwin . Cnn Malley 2 1868 eee BONO 1 1870 Greenhill.) Wek ees 2 1870 J. W. L. Glaisher. . .. . 2 1871 if bean) eo Wey Gi 5” 6h 5 2 1872 Garnett . eee bay tor a 5 1873 PBUINSICG. 9. + 6 5 : 2 1875 e@urystalepn.c ey Mice wales 3 1875 Glazebrookayyj.e Jy lee cieciate 5 1876 NEGRITA OF LUZON. THE NEGRITOS OF LUZON. Tue Ajetas, or Negritos, number over thirteen fifty to a hundred wherever the supply of thousand, inhabiting chiefly the wooded moun- food is the richest. Their voices are shrill, | tains of northern, southern, and western Luzon. and their gestures and agility monkey-like. 416 They are skilful hunters and fishers. Their arms consist of a bamboo spear, bow and arrows, with a lance-shaped head, often smeared with a resinous poisonous compound. They go nearly naked, the only covering be- ing a narrow band of bark around the loins. Though savage in the interior, and occasion- ally of necessity cannibal, when brought into contact with the civilized Indians and the priests, they become harmless and confiding. They mix with the igorrotes and other wild tribes to such an extent that it would be difficult to find one of pure blood out of their na- tive fastnesses. There are a few, probably hy- brids, as ser- vants in Manila, docile and trust- worthy, whom it would be hard, without careful examination, to distinguish from a negro. They seem to have no religious ceremo- nies, or ideas of worship; but they respect old age, and vener- ate the dead. There is great difference of Opinion among ethnologists who haye seen these Negritos, as to the race to which they belong. Semper (1869) and Dayis (1870: Jowrn. anthrop. soc. Lond.), and authors generally, class them among the Papuans. Professor Rudolph Virchow, from the exami- nation of the few skulls brought home by Jagor and others, and in the museums of Germany, denies their affinity to the Papuans, finding the head more monkey-like in form, the glabella extraordinarily developed, the frontal prominences slight, and traces of a frontal median crest; the temporal region elevated beyond the parietal protuberances, NEGRITOS SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 15. and not quite one-third of an inch behind the coronal suture; width at lower part of nose very great. The bones are weak and delicate, the tibiae laterally flattened, the hu- merus often perforated at the elbow, with a twist different from that of the European. They have undoubtedly been crossed by in- vasions of other tribes, both dolicocephalic (like the Malays) and brachycephalic (like the Mongolians). It is, therefore, extremely difficult to trace any pure race characters, as is evident from the conflicting state- ments of ethnol- ogists. It seems to me that this people, the Negrillo of Dr. Charles Pickering (1848), and by him, and, after him, by Semper and Mul- ler, classed as Papuans, — or, as Wallace main- tains, of Asiatic origin, like the Andaman-island- ers, — must be regarded as es- sentially Papu- ans, — Asiatic Papuans, if you please; that is, a mixture of this race with the Polynesians, like the Fijians and most of the Pa- cific-islanders, as distinguished from the present inhabitants of New Guinea. And this, I think, is warranted, whether we judge by the shape of the skull, the color of the skin, or the character of the hair. If originally Papuans, they have by persecu- tion retrograded, until now the evolutionist may find in them the nearest approach to Darwin’s ‘missing link.’ The Negrito, in his village, is not far above such an ape as might have been the ancestor of man, with the cerebral convolutions of the orang, the skull of the chimpanzee, the limbs of the gorilla, and OF LUZON. igh ae j "May 18, 1883.] SCIENCE. 417 the chest of the gibbon —except that he can make a fire, and cook his food. ‘There is the skeleton of a female in the Paris ‘ Jardin des plantes.’ SAMUEL KNEELAND. THE AMERICAN EXAIBIT AT THE LON- DON FISHERIES EXHIBITION. Tue opening of the great international fish- eries exhibition in London brings into view some of the numerous advances which have been made by our own commission in the in- vestigation of the fisheries of the United States. In 1880, at Berlin, the extent of its researches and the importance of its achieve- ments, indicated by the collections which were there displayed, were deeply impressed upon the representatives of other nations, and won for it the highest meed of honor. During the three years which have since elapsed, the activity of the commission has suffered no de- cline; and the display now made in London is undoubtedly superior in most respects to that made at the previous exhibition. It is impos- sible in this place to call attention to more than a few of the salient features of the Amer- ican section of the exhibition. The preliminary catalogue opens with a clas- sified list of the aquatic anintials and plants of North America, beneficial or injurious to man. Among the mammals, we note the group of fur-seals, procured some years ago through the efforts of the Alaska commercial company, and mounted with great care, and much fidelity to nature. The group is accompanied by a series of sketches by Mr. Henry W. Elliott, illustrat- ing the fishery. A stuffed specimen of the rare ribbon-seal (Histriophoca equestris) from “Alaska, and a skull of the Rhytina, are also included here. A remarkable pair of walrus- tusks, each 41 inches long and weighing about 124 pounds, loaned by the Alaska commer- cial company, are exhibited in this connection. The cetacean fauna of North America is well represented by casts and skulls. The aquatic fish-eating birds, including those used by the fishermen for bait, are represented by groups of mounted specimens. The staining of the feet and bills in natural colors, a feature not hitherto introduced into the taxidermy of the national collections, gives a decidedly life-like air to these groups. Most interesting among the reptiles and batrachians, perhaps, are a large leather-back turtle (Dermatochelys cori- -acea) and a collection of twenty-four species of. tailed batrachians (Siren, Necturus, Sire- don, etc.). The exhibit of fishes is, as may be expected, very comprehensive. The alco- holie collection, selected with great care by Dr. Bean, includes over four hundred species. More than one hundred especially characteris- tic American fishes are represented by painted casts of a very high grade of workmanship. A series of photographs from fresh specimens, and another of engravings, both made under the direct supervision of the ichthyologists of the commission, are of especial interest to the zoologist. During the exhibition, shipments of fresh fish will be sent to London daily by Mr. E. G. Blackford of New York. In the collection of mollusks the American oyster occupies a prominent place. By means of engravings, diagrams, and shells, the result of the latest researches upon its development, growth, and geographical distribution, are fully shown. The models of a giant squid (Ar- chiteuthis princeps) and of a giant octopus (Octopus punctatus) prepared under the direc- tion of Mr. J. H. Emerton, have already been described in an earlier number of Science. A large series of other invertebrates — crus- taceans, worms, echinoderms, and sponges — has been prepared by Mr. Richard Rathbun. Among the most interesting are a complete collection of the species of fresh-water cray- fishes found in the United States, and a series of sponges illustrating artificial propa- gation by cuttings. The Algae of the United States are represented by a collection of marine forms by Professor Farlow, and a series of proofs of the plates of Wood’s Fresh- water Algae. The second section of the catalogue treats of the fishing-grounds, and the distribution of aquatic animals. The models- and maps here included are the fruit of a vast amount of toil, and are of high scientific value. Each is worthy of detailed examination. The relief- models of the Atlantic coast and of the off- shore fishing-banks have been alluded to in a previous number of Science. Among the most interesting maps may be mentioned those showing the location and extent of the present and of abandoned whaling-grounds, by Mr. A. Howard Clark; the distribution of the pinnipeds, by Mr. J. A. Allen; the dis- tribution of the seals and other fur-bearing animals of Alaska, by Capt. William H. Dall ; the distribution of certain American fishes, by Mr. G. Brown Goode; and the location and extent of the oyster-beds of the United States, by Lieut. F. Winslow. The third and fourth sections, which are devoted to fishery apparatus, would be almost solely interesting from a technological point of view, were it not for the numerous speci- 418 mens of Indian and Eskimo fishery implements which they include. The latter collection, which attracted much attention among the German anthropologists in 1880, has received many important additions through the explorations of Messrs. Dall, Bean, and Nelson, in Alaska. Section E, which relates to the fishermen themselves, contains at least one collection interesting to the ethnologist. It illustrates the culiws of the American fisherman. Here are shown the games he plays, the books he reads, the products of the arts he affects, and the musical instruments upon which he performs. In another place is shown a series of large photographs from life, of fishermen of different nationalities employed in the fisheries of the United States. : The collection of biological works in the section devoted to literature forms an epitome of the development of the study of aquatic life in America. The writings of the ear- lier biologists — the elder Agassiz, Holbrook, Storer, Girard, Stimpson, and many others — are displayed; and in the list of special con- tributors are the names of Agassiz, Goode, Faxon, Dall, Jordan, Farlow, Ryder, Bean, Verrill, Lockington, and of many other promi- nent American biologists of the present day. It is much to be hoped that these volumes of papers, which have been gotten together with much labor both by the authors and the com- mission, may find their way, at the close of the exhibit, to the library of the commission or of the national museum. Apparatus for scientific investigation of the waters is displayed not only by the fish com- mission, but by the coast-survey and signal- bureau as well. The latest improvements in sounding and dredging apparatus are repre- sented, and the newest devices in barometers, thermometers, and other similar instruments. Among these are Professor Hilgard’s recently invented densimeter and salinometer, Lieut. Tanner’s deep-sea sounding-machine, Mr. Benedict’s rake-dredge for annelids, and nu- merous others, many of which form part of the equipment of the fish-commission steamer Albatross. In the manifold forms of apparatus for hatch- ing fishes, the far-seeing zodlogist will see something more than machines for increasing the supply of food-fishes. Important though they be in that connection, they will appear in a new light as delicate instruments for embry- ological and physiological research, when a greater number of our ichthyologists shall have turned their attention from the taxonomy to the natural history of fishes. SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 15. — We have not space to dwell upon the col- lections representing the various products of the fisheries ; but there is much in the elaborate display of fish and fertilizers, of glues and oils, of leathers and furs and sponges, and the innumerable commodities which form the harvest of the seas, to attract the attention, and busy the thought, of the political econo- mist and business-man. It is too soon to say what rank the Ameri- can division may attain in the exhibition; but one may be safe in remarking that there is no country in the world in which any of the great explorative industries have been subjected to a more thorough investigation from both a scientific and economic point of view than the fisheries of the United States are now under- going at the hands of the national fishery commission. NOTE RELATING TO A PECULIARITY DISTINGUISHING ANNEALED FROM UNANNEALED IRON. Tur writer has had occasion recently to study the effect of prolonged stress upon the various materials in common use in the arts, and, among others, upon the finer qualities of iron. The well-known experiment of Vicat, made a half-century ago, had never, so far as the writer was aware, been repeated. The extreme importance of the results obtained by him had apparently not been realized by either physicists or engineers; and it seemed advisable that the experiment be repeated, and, should the results obtained by Vicat be again reached, that the attention of both scien- tific and practical men should be again called to the subject. The repetition of Vicat’s ex- periment has not only confirmed his conclu- sion, but has led to the discovery of a new and important, as well as peculiarly interesting, difference in the effect of prolonged stress upon annealed and unannealed iron. In the autumn of the year 1881, the writer procured two lots of the best Swedish iron wire from Mr. William Hewitt, the vice-presi- dent of the Trenton iron and steel works, who very kindly had the wire drawn for the pur- pose. This wire was divided into two parts, one being carefully annealed, the other being left hard-drawn as it came from the blocks. These were tested in the usual way, and it was found that the hard wire had about double the strength of the soft. Nine pieces were taken from each reel for test, under prolonged static stress, and were suspended from hooks, in the study of the writer, attached to springs, "May 18, 1883.] in order that the effect of jar should not enter into the experiment. They were then loaded with, respectively, in each set, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, per cent of the average ul- timate strength, as already determined. This was done in November, 1881. Since that date, a number have broken, as follows : — Effect of prolonged stress. — Swedish iron wire. TIME UNDER STRESS. Per cent max. static load. Hard wire (unannealed). | Soft (annealed). 95 80 days. 3 minutes. 90 35 days. 5 minutes. 85 17 months, unbroken. 1 day. 80 91 days. 266 days 75 | Unbroken. aati faat IUD 70 | MW 455 65 | a | 455. ‘ 60 ip Unbroken. 55 “ « Thus, wire loaded with but 65 per cent of the breaking-load, as usually determined, broke after being subjected to stress for a period of fifteen months, when annealed; while hard wire carrying 85 per cent of the maximum temporary load remains unbroken after seyen- teen months. It is seen that these results are the same in kind as those obtained by Vicat, and confirm the conclusion that heavily loaded iron, as well as other métals and the woods, are likely to yield ultimately under loads that are sustained for short periods of time with- out apparent injury. This fact has been amply proven by earlier investigators, as well as by the writer; but the difference above observed, between hard and soft iron, has, so far as the writer has been able to learn, never, until now, been discovered. Although the experiments of which this is the first are not yet concluded, this discovery, if such it prove, has seemed to be of sufficient importance to justify this note. R. H. THurstron. Hoboken, N.J., April 22, 1883. ELEPHANTIASIS, OR FILARIA DISEASE. Dr. A. F. A. Kine, dean of the faculty of the National medical college, has recently cited a number of curious coincidences be- tween the habits ot the mosquito and the ob- served phenomena respecting malaria. There are, however, fatal objections to any theory that would connect the two; the coincidences rather indicating that the germs of both develop in similar places. The connection of the mos- quito as an intermediary host in the full life-development of the haematozoén, Filaria SCIENCE. 419 sanguinis-hominis, however, has been very fully and conclusively made out by Dr. Pat- rick Manson, of Amoy, China, in the Cus- toms medical reports, published in Shanghai by the order of the inspector-general of cus- toms. Dr. Manson discovered the parent Filaria in the mosquito in 1878, and has since published several admirable articles, giving the results of his experiments ; which, in the main, FILARIA BANCROFTI. a, female (nat. size); b, head and neck (x 55 diam.); ¢, tail; d, free embryo (x 400 diam.); e, egg containing an embryo; /, egg, with mulberry cleavage of the yolk (x 360 diam.) — After Cobbold.) have been independently confirmed by Dr. Mackenzie of the London pathological society, Mr. T. R. Lewis in India, Dr. W. W. Myers, Drs. T. S. Cobbold, Wucherer, Bancroft, Araujo, and others. The facts have an ento- mological bearing, and are of great scientific interest and practical importance. They may be briefly stated as follows : — In 1872 Dr. T. R. Lewis first announced the discovery of the immature or larval hae- matozo6n, to which he gaye the above trinomial 420 term, in the blood and urine of persons afflict- ed with chyluria. The mature form was first described by Cobbold as Filaria Bancrofti, in 1877 (London lancet, Oct. 6, 1877). As found in the lymph, the parent Filaria emits her young in the lymph-stream. The young Filaria is an elongate, transparent, very active creature, measuring a,” X37”. It makes its way from the lymph to the blood, where, how- ever, it seems to undergo no growth or de- velopment. In this its new-born state it is enclosed in a delicate, transparent, and rather loose tunic or cyst, and is found in the blood of patients affected ‘with elephantiasis, but only during the night. This disease is mani- fest in a thick, livid, tuberculate, and insensi- ble condition of the skin, akin to leprosy. It is endemic over the more thickly populated and tropical portions of the globe, and, in its various forms, is very painful, resulting in de- formity, and not infrequently in death. The best authorities now believe that various dis- eases of the lymphatic vessels and glands — as varicose groin glands, lymph scrotum, ele- phantiasis, and chyluria—are pathologically one and the same, and are due to the presence of this Filaria, which has, in fact, been record- ed from South Europe, Asia, Australia, and Brazil; Dr. Araujo haying verified at Bahia its occurrence in the mosquito, and otherwise confirmed the observations of Manson and others in different parts of the world. Before the young Filariae can undergo their full development, they must first enter the body of the female mosquito (Culex mosquito) , ‘which sucks them up in her nocturnal attacks. Within the mosquito they develop in from five to six days, and upon the death of their host, or before, pass into water frequented by the mosquito for purposes of oviposition, and are thus returned, by drinking, to the human stomach, from which they make their way into some lymphatic vessel, where, the sexes meet- ing, the female remains, perhaps, for years, giving birth to active young. In the Customs medical report for the half- year ending March 31, 1882, lately published, and but recently received in this country, Dr. Manson gives the results of some later obser- vations which are full of interest. It seems that the periodicity in the Filaria disease has no connection either with temperature, atmos- pheric pressure, or light, but must be looked upon as an adaptation of the habits of the parasite to those of the mosquito. ‘The con- ditions for the ingress of the Filariae into the circulation appear to_ be developed. ordinarily during the last few hours of the waking state, SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 15. and the parasites are eliminated during the last few hours of sleep. Under ordinary con- ditions of sleeping or waking, the embryos enter the circulation every evening, increase until midnight, and diminish as morning ap-. proaches, until they entirely disappear, and are not found from nine A.m. to six p.m. This periodicity of the parasite is independent of parturition in the parent, as reproduction is continued during the twenty-four hours. The importance of thus tracing to their true source diseases whose origin has long been involved in mystery cannot be overestimated ; and these facts would seem to give additional reasons for the filtering of drinking-water, and the use of mosquito-bars, in all tropical coun- tries. Dr. Manson suggests that the facts ascertained in this connection may lead to a possible future explanation of the diurnal in- termission and remission of fevers of the ague class. The most interesting conclusions that have been forced upon Dr. Manson are, that the presence of the parasite in the human body does not always or necessarily produce disease ; and that, when disease is produced, it is by exceptional oviparous reproduction instead of the ordinary viviparous mode. We give his conclusions in his own words: — “‘TIn the instances in which the parent worm has been discovered, she was found in lymphatic vessels on the distal side of the glands. This has been shown to be in many if not in all cases her normal habitat. Her progeny, therefore, must trayel along the affer- ent vessels, through the glands, and so on to the thoracic duct, and thence into the blood. The long, sinuous, and powerful body of the embryo is well adapted to perform this journey. But suppose, instead of this mature embryo, an ovum is launched into the lymph-stream prematurely, and before the contained embryo has sufficiently extended its chorion, then this passive ovum must certainly be arrested at the first lymphatic gland to which it is carried by the advancing lymph-current. It measures 745”Xs)0, whereas the outstretched embryo is only about 3q00~ in diameter. It is much too large to pass the glands; and the embryo, rolled up in its chorional envelope, cannot aid itself. It becomes, in fact, an embolus. Now, Filariae are prodigiously prolific. Myriads of young are expelled in a very short time. I have watched the process of parturition in the minute Filaria corvi torquati. Every few seconds a peristaltic contraction, beginning low down in the uterine horns, and extending to the vagina, expels some twenty or. thirty embryos. If this process of parturition occurs prematurely, or peristalsis is too vigorous, and ex- tends to a point high up in the uterine horns, where the embryo has not yet completely stretched its cho- rional envelope, then ova are expelled. These, as they reach the glands, where the afferent lymphatic breaks up into fine capillary vessels, act as emboli, and plug up the lymph-channels, one after another, until the fluid that carries them can no longer pass. In this way the gland or glands directly connected with the lymphatic in which the aborting female is lodged are thoroughly obstructed. Anastomoses for May 18, 1883.] a time will aid the passage of lymph; but the anasto- mosing vessels will carry the embolic ova as well as the lymph. The corresponding glands will then, in their turn, be invaded; and so on, until the entire lymphatic system, connected directly or indirectly with the vessel in which the parent worm is lodged, becomes obstructed. ““This, I believe, is the true pathology of the ele- phantoid diseases: 1°. Parent Filaria in a distal lym- phatic; 2°. Premature expulsion of ova; 3°. Embol- ism of lymphatic glands by ova; 4°. Stasis of lymph; 5°. Regurgitation of lymph, and partial compensation by anastomoses; 6°. Renewed or continued prema- ture expulsion of ova; further embolism of glands. This process, according to the part of the lymphatic system it occurs in, the frequency of its recurrence, and its completeness, explains every variety of ele- phantoid diseases.” GC. V. Ricey. INTERNAL MOLECULAR ENERGY OF ATOMIC VIBRATION. THE object of this paper is to examine at length the relative amount of energy which a molecule may possess with respect to any small degree of freedom of motion which its atoms may have as to each other. The theorem of the virial is applied to this motion of the atoms; and it is found, that in a molecule of a perfect gas consisting of but two atoms, which are at a mean distance, 7, from each other, and which suffer asmall displacement whose mean maximum ampli- tude is dr under the action of elastic forces, the energy of atomic vibration will be to that of translation par- allel to any assumed direction in space as dr to r. It is further shown that this result is of such a character as not to be restricted to molecules of two atoms merely, nor to atoms which are attracted toward their mean position by forces varying simply as the first power of the displacement; so that the result arrived at is of a general nature which may be stated thus : the energy of interatomic vibration depends upon the atomic displacement within the molecule, and in such a way, that, when this displacement is a vanish- ing quantity compared with the dimensions of the molecule, then this energy of internal vibration is a vanishing quantity compared with the energy of motion of the molecule as a whole. This result is in confirmation of the results ob- tained by the author in his previous paper upon ‘ An extension of the theorem of the virial,’? ete., in which he expressed the opinion that the results there obtained led to the conclusion, that ‘‘ in case partial constraints not amounting to the loss of entire de- grees of freedom are introduced, the energy will no longer be equally distributed among the co-ordinates, but will be influenced by their constraints.” This being in direct contradiction to the conclusions which have been deduced by Boltzmann and by Wat- son from the discussion of the distribution of energy by the method of generalized co-ordinates, an exami- nation is made of the point in this hitherto accepted theory from which the contradiction arises, and an error is pointed out in the method of employing the fundamental expression for the distribution of veloci- ties. The error is of this nature: the law expressing the most probable distribution of velocities with respect to any single co-ordinate is the same as that of the most probable distribution of errors of obser- 1 Abstract of a paper upon a further extension of the theorem of the virial to the internal molecular energy of atomic vibration. By H. Tt. Eppy, Ph.D., Cincinnati. Read before the Section in physics and chemistry of the Ohio mech. inst. April 26, 1883. * Sc. proc. Ohio mech. inst., March, 1883; SCIENCE, p. 65. SCIENCE. 421 vation, and contains a single arbitrary constant, to be determined by the observations themselves. It has been assumed that this constant is the same for each co-ordinate, which is, in effect, assuming the very point to be proved. Itis here pointed out, that doing this commits an error of the same nature as is done in assigning equal weights to unlike observations without first showing that their weights are equal. The computations made by means of the virial show conclusively that the mean energy (i.e., the weight) is not at all the same for one degree of free- dom as for another; and, in order to find how one is related to another, it will be necessary to take ac- count of the forces acting, as has been done in this paper and in the previous one. This extension of the theory leads to numerical re- sults in close accordance with observed values of the specific heats of gases, and their ratio, without pre- vious knowledge of these quantities for any gas; thus computing these quantities for the first time solely from the general equations of mechanics. ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHLORO- PHYLL AND COLOR GRANULES. THE view has been generally entertained, based largely on the admirable investigations of Arthur Gris, that chlorophyll-granules are produced by direct differentiation of the protoplasm of assimilating cells. Led by his study of certain protoplasmic bodies in the cells where nutritive matters are stored for future use, and following out a suggestion made by Schmitz in his recent work relative to the assimilating bodies in certain Algae, A. F. W. Schimper (Botan. zeit., Feb, and March, 1883) has made a detailed examina- tion of the origin of chlorophyll-granules, which in- dicates that the views of Gris are erroneous. At the points of growth examined by him, Schimper uni- formly found that well-formed granules already exist, and that, from subsequent division of these, all the chlorophyll-granules are produced. From these, and not, as heretofore believed, from the differentiation of the protoplasmic mass in the cell, arise the gran- ules which later, under the influence of light, take on their characteristic color. One of the most in- teresting cases reported by him is that of Azolla. The point of growth at the root contains bright green chlorophyll-granules about as large as those in the older parts, and in these granules the process of division is to be distinctly traced. In those points of growth where the tissues are as yet free from color, he has been also able to follow the division, step by step, up to the production of complete green granules. ‘The bodies from which the granules are produced are present, likewise, in all points of growth of seedlings. Just here is found the most interesting feature of this investiga- tion. From these bodies, which he well terms ‘ plas- tides,’ come three classes of protoplasmic bodies, somewhat resembling one another in shape: namely, 1, the chlorophyll-granules, or chloroplastides; 2, the starch-formers, which, with the allied white or colorless bodies, he calls lewcoplastides ; and 3, the bodies which possess colors other than green (for instance, the granules in petals and the like), to which he gives the name chromoplastides. To illustrate this from a single case, we will allude to Impatiens parviflora. The very transparent cells at the point of growth contain plainly visible leucoplastides. In cells of the same age they are of the same size, often constricted, always sharply defined. These can be traced by plain transitions into chloroplastides on the young stem and the zone of forming leaves, 422 while, at the point of growth in the root, only leuco- plastides are to be seen. Moreover, in following the plastides farther back, he found them present in the seed itself; and this he conjoins with the well-known fact, that chlorophyll-granules are to be found ready formed in certain seeds. The destiny of the plastide depends upon the tissue which is to be developed from the meristem. Some of them remain colorless, that is, as leucoplastides, and serve to produce starch-grains at the expense of assimilated matters; others become chloroplastides to produce assimilated matter; while still others are to furnish colors to flowers and fruits. This simplest of all organs is therefore capable of wide metamorpho- sis, by which it becomes fitted for its diverse functions, Nor is this all. The same plastide can become at different stages of its life a leuco-, a chloro-, and a chromo-plastide. But which of these is the primal form? To this the author answers unequivocally, the chloroplastide; and he believes that the others have all been derived therefrom. Reserving some of the other features of this suggestive paper for another notice, it may be said that the terms pro- posed by Schimper are quite equivalent to those given by Van Tieghem in his Botany, now in course of publication, as leucites and chloroleucites, and, in part, to his wantho-leucites ; but, so far as their de- velopment is concerned, the latter author follows the accepted view of Gris. G. L. GoopALE. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Molluscan rock-boring. Iv giving lectures upon building-stones my atten- tion has been often called to the action upon them of boring mollusks, echini, annelids, sponges, etc., when used in submarine constructions. In Albany Hancock’s paper on the above subject (Ann. mag. nat. hist., (2), ii. 225, pl. viii.), are figured numerous siliceous graius, found about the foot and mantel, which he regarded as secreted by the mollusk, and employed in excavating the burrow. While Han- cock’s conclusions are generally denied, I have not seen any explanation of the observed particles. The forms figured by him, especially in fig. 6, resemble the grains (principally quartz) observed in the micro- scopic study of mud and other earthy deposits. Such grains would naturally be the result and not the cause of the rock excavation; and it is difficult to see how the animal could be in the position in which it is found, without their presence about it. Perhaps some zoélogist can state if this explana- tion has been given before, and whether it be correct or not. M. E. WADswortn. Cambridge, Mass., April 30, 1883. The Lake Superior rocks. Prof. N. H. Winchell is evidently right in saying, in SCIENCE, No. 12, that, in my letter in No. 5, I mis- represented his position on the unconformity in the St. Croix valley. I had said that he had strenuously denied this unconformity, because my recollection of a conversation on the subject, held with him in 1880, was to that effect. But, on turning to the reference he gives in his First annual report of the geological Survey of Minnesota, I see that he had announced such an unconformity as long ago as 1872, which, of course, I should have known before; so that I must have misunderstood him. As to the other matter, —viz., the relation of the “St. Croix’ or Potsdam sandstone of the Mississippi valley to the ‘eastern sandstone’ of Lake Superior, — I certainly have understood from his various reports, SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 15. that he regarded them as distinct. But I am very glad to be set right on these points, though regretting very much having misunderstood Professor Winchell; for it narrows down the question at issue between us very materially. R. D. Irvine. . Track of meteor. In your first number, Feb. 9, 1883, I saw an ac- count of a meteor witnessed by Capt. Belknap of the U.S. 8. Alaska, Dec. 15, 1882, and reference to a similar phenomenon seen at Lake Winnipeg June 29, 1860. Onthe evening of June 17, 1873, in early twilight, and be- fore any stars were visible, upon coming out of my hotel in Vi- enna, I found a crowd of persons watching a similar phenomenon, which appeared to be just north of the Kah- lenberg. Upon in- quiry, I learned that a meteor had been seen to fall a few mo- ments before, but without noise; and a subsequent. watch of the daily papers gave no account of any meteorite, which could hardly have es- caped observation in this settled section of Austria. It would ap- pear, therefore, that this meteor must have been entirely dissipated in vapor before reaching the earth. When. first saw the luminous track, I at once sup- posed it, from appearance and color, to be the flame from a distant zinc-furnace; but it was gradually changed from its straight course to a curved line closely resembling fig. 3 in Scrmncn, No. 1, p. 5, and appeared to be borne to and fro by the gentle cur- rents of air. It extended fully 30° trom the horizon, and was distinctly visible for half an hour after my attention was first called to it. From a letter sent by me the next day to a friend in this country, the above facts are taken, in which letter I roughly sketched the appearance of the luminous cloud, after a few minutes from the fall of the meteor, as shown by the accompanying cut. PRrER COLLIER. AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. Memoir of Augustus de Morgan; with selections from has letters. By his wife, Sopura Exrza- BETH DE MorG@an. London, Longmans, Green, & Co., 1882. 10, 422 p., portr. &°. Ir the degree of interest which attaches to the life of a hard-working mathematician is, from the nature of the case, less than strong ; if the biography of De Morgan is in this re- spect in marked contrast to that of a man whose life is a picture of his time, and who has had himself a distinct effect upon his time, — to the life, say, of Harriet Martineau, which was included within nearly the same years as the life before us, —it is none the less true j May 18, 1883.] that the record of an eminent scientific man, his nature and his nurture, and his way of regarding the important questions of his day, is material which one would not willingly have lost. The present memoir disclaims being written from a scientific point of view ; and it does not, in fact, furnish ground for modifying the very just esti- mate of De Morgan which is given by Mr. Jeyons in the Encyclopaedia britannica. Nor is it, on the other hand, a very personal me- moir. The letters are nearly all addressed to scientific friends, and are on questions of general interest. His correspondence with his wife and children, from whom he was seldom separated, was fragmentary, and not suited for publication; and, with respect to domestic details, his biographer has done what she knew her husband himself would have wished. He was always averse to making known what nearly concerned his family. De Morgan was born in the year 1806, at Madura, in the Madras presidency. His fa- ther, Col. John De Morgan, was in the service of the East India Company; and both his erandfather and his great-grandfather had served under Warren Hastings. His mathe- matical powers, as well as his taste for music, he derived from his mother, who was the grand- daughter of James Dodson, author of the anti- logarithmic canon, a friend of De Moivre, and an early fellow of the Royal society. Soon after De Morgan’s birth, the family returned to England, and settled first at Worcester. The young Augustus was indoctrinated in various branches of ‘general knowledge’ in many different private schools, after having learned reading and numeration from his father at the -ageoffour years. His estimate of the character of the instruction which he received appears, from his belief in after years, that, of exceptional children, those who are least taught have the best chance of a healthy development. One element of his early teaching — the formal ob- servances and the rigid religious doctrines in which he was trained —strongly tinged his character in after life. He was made to learn by heart long passages of Scripture, which, from frequent repetition, had become meaning- less to him; he was taken to church twice in the week and three times on Sundays, and required to give an abstract of every sermon he heard, until church became a place of penance to him, and Sunday the one wretched day of the week. In after years he was unable to listen for any length of time to speaking or preaching: to get rid of memories of dreary sermons, he had’ to think of something different from what was being said. SCIENCE. 423 Until after the age of fourteen, he had shown rather less than the usual aptitude for mathe- matics. He said one day to an old gentleman, a friend of the family, who saw him making with great care a figure with ruler and compasses, that he was ‘ drawing mathematics.’ From him the future mathematician learned, greatly to his surprise, that he had hitherto missed the aim of Euclid, and that geometry does not con- sist in drawing accurate figures; and he was soon intent upon the first demonstration of which he ever understood the meaning. From that time his progress was rapid. At the age of sixteen he entered Trinity college, Cam- ,bridge ; and in his second year his tutor writes, ‘¢ He is not only in our first class, but far, very far, the first in it.’? Airy, Peacock, and Whewell were among the teachers whose in- struction he particularly prized, and with whom he kept up a life-long friendship and corre- spondence. In 1827 he took the degree of fourth wrangler only, his wide mathematical reading having led him too often far away from the courses prescribed for examination ; and to the bitter disappointment of his mother, who had hoped to see her oldest surviving son in the church, he came up to London soon afterwards, and entered at Lincoln’s Inn. In London he made the acquaintance of William Frend, whom he describes as a man of singular directness and:clearness of mind, a clergyman of the church of England, and a member of the old Mathematical society, who rejected negative quantities and the doctrine of the Trinity. In his house he became a frequent guest ; and his children were surprised to find that this bril- liant young man, of whom great things were expected in science, rivalled them in love of fun and fairy-tales and ghost-stories, and that he could eyen show them a new figure in cat’s- cradle. It does not appear why so auspicious a beginning did not result in his marriage to Sophia Elizabeth Frend until ten years later. The two great universities were closed to De Morgan on account of his strong repugnance to sectarian restraints on freedom of opinion ; and hence he welcomed the opening of Univer- sity college (called at first the London uni- versity ), not only as meeting a great want of the time, but as offering to himself a prospect of leaving the study of law for a more congenial occupation. Out of thirty-two candidates, he was unanimously elected to the chair of mathe- matics, in spite of his being only twenty-one years of age. Three years later he handed in his resignation. The professor of anatomy had been removed on account of some complaints preferred against him by his class; and De 424 Morgan immediately addressed a letter to the council, saying that he considered it discredit- able to hold a professorship one moment longer in a college in which a professor might be re- moved and disgraced without any fault on his part. His resignation was accepted; but, after five years of private teaching and volumi- nous writing, he returned to his university. The sudden death of his suecessor at the end of a summer vacation induced him to offer to fill the vacancy until Christmas ; and his belief, that, owing to changes in the management, his former objections to holding office would not recur, led him to accede to the request of the council that he should permanently resume ° his chair. De Morgan’s life is chiefly a record of his labors and his publications. He gave regularly _ twelve lectures every week, besides occasional extra courses; and for half an hour after each lecture he remained in his place to give personal assistance to those students who needed it. This, with an hour for correcting exercises, made four hours of solid work for each day in the week, without counting the time required for preparation. As a lecturer, he showed un- rivalled skill. Mr. Sedley Taylor writes, ‘‘ His exposition combined excellences of the most varied kinds. It was clear, vivid, and suc- cinct ; rich, too, with abundance of illustration, always at the command of enormously wide reading and an astonishingly retentive memory. A voice of sonorous sweetness, a grand fore- . head, and a profile of classic beauty, intensified the impression of power . which he made upon his auditors.’’ He had a great hatred of cram, and no confidence in the power of an examination to determine the true value of a student’s knowledge. ‘‘ The claims which col- lege examinations might be supposed to have on the studies of his pupils were never allowed to influence his programme in the slightest de- gree.’’ He wrote the following in illustration of a Cambridge examination : — Q. — What is knowledge? A. — A thing to be examined in. Q.— What must those do who would show knowledge ? A. — Get up subjects, and write them out. Q. — What is getting up a subject? A. — Learning to write it out. Q. — What is writing out a subject? A. — Showing that you have got it up. The list of De Morgan’s publications is a very long one. Much of his writing was of a kind which it is extremely useful to have done at the time and to have well done, but which is not destined to be preserved, and which it is SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 15. more economical to extract from a man of less than De Morgan’s ability. He wrote one- sixth of the Penny cyclopaedia, and he made voluminous contributions to the Journal of education, the British almanac and companion, the Dublin review, Notes and queries, the Athenaeum, the insurance journals, and to the memoirs and obituary notices of the Astronomi- cal society, in whose affairs he took an active part for thirty years. His most important con- tributions to science are his papers on the Foundations of algebra and on the Syllogism, his text-books on Formal logic and on the Cal- culus, and his treatises in the Encyclopaedia metropolitana on the Calculus of functions and the Theory of probabilities. Such an amount of labor left very little time for pleasure or relaxation; and, in fact, De Morgan writes near the end of his life, ‘‘ I have never been hard working, but I have been very continuously at work. I have never sought relaxation. And why? Because it would have killed me. Amusement is real hard work to me.’’ He had, however, an in- teresting circle of friends, who came frequently to his house, and in whose society he found great pleasure. Libri (the author of the His- tory of mathematics), Arthur Hugh Clough, Miss Muloch, and Mrs. Follen the abolition- ist, were among them. Throughout his life, also, he was an inveterate reader of novels, good and bad. Puzzles, and even puns, were interesting to him. He made a collection of over eight hundred anagrams on his own name; and his fondness for paradox was so well known that the circle-squarers all sent him their most curious investigations. He was a thorough believer in the phenomena called spiritual. After describing some strik- ing occurrences in spirit-rapping, he writes, ‘“T was perfectly satisfied that some thing, or some body, or some spirit, was reading my thoughts ;*’ and in regard to mesmerism, ‘‘ Of the curative powers of this agent I have no more doubt than one has of things which he has constantly seen for years.’’ His feelings on the subject of slavery were very intense, and he sat up the greater part of one night to finish Uncle Tom’s cabin. De Morgan presents another instance of the fact that a man’s views of women in general are seldom dissociated from the result of his observations upon the few women who stand nearest to him. His clever wife had the effect of dispelling the prejudices with which his rather narrow-minded mother had inspired him. She writes, ‘‘I must not conceal the fact, that, in the earlier part of his life, he held man- g May 18, 1883.] like and masterful views of women’s powers and privileges. Women, he thought, ought to have every thing provided for them, and every trouble taken off their hands: so the less they meddled with business in any form, the better. But these very young notions gave way, as he saw more of life, to wiser and more practical ones. He found that women were not utterly helpless; and his love of justice, combined with his better opinion of their pow- ers, made him quite willing to concede to them as much as he would have desired for himself ; namely, full scope and opportunity for the ex- ercise of all their faculties. This was shown by his giving lectures gratuitously in the Ladies’ college for the first year after its foundation, and by the interest he felt in the success of those braye women who first attempted the study of medicine.”’ De Morgan’s letters are of a kind which it is very interesting to receive at the natural inter- vals at which they are written. When taken en masse, the logico-mathematical language in which they are couched, amusing in small doses, and their wit, excellent but monoto- nous, become wearisome. It is too much like sitting down to a continuous reading of the Budget of paradoxes. In regard to his ideas on religion, De Mor- gan was always extremely reticent; but in spite of the disastrous effect of his early train- ing, and in spite of his strong aversion to un- founded beliefs, he preserved a deeply religious tone of mind, and a firm faith in the Christian religion. At the same time, nothing could be more frank and uncompromising than the way in which he meets the renewed insistance of his mother, upon the occasion of the death of a sister to whom he was much attached, that he should renounce his freedom of opinion. His letter, if somewhat severe and untender, is still a splendid example of that strong rec- titude of mind which was characteristic of him, and which did not permit him to gain any thing, even family harmony, at the cost of concealment. The last years of De Morgan’s life were years of disappointment and grief. The uni- versity in which he had labored with untiring energy until the age of sixty became once more impossible to him. The reiterated pledges of its founders and subsequent directors, that the essence of its being should be absolute and complete religious equality in every portion _ of its organization, were broken ; and De Mor- gan could not lend his countenance to a less liberal or a more worldly line of policy. Upon the refusal of the council to appoint to the SCIENCE. 425 chair of mental philosophy and logic the Rey. James Martineau, who had been recommended by the senate on account of his wide reputa- tion as a preacher of an unpopular sect, De Morgan once more handed in his resignation. A year later occurred the death of his second son, George, a young man of great mathe- matical promise, and one of the two first pro- jectors of the present Mathematical society. From this time De Morgan’s health and vigor were not what they had been; and after an attack of congestion of the brain, from which his recovery was slow, he died in 1871 of ner- yous prostration. WHITE’S FOSSIL MOLLUSKS OF NORTH AMERICA. A review of thé non-marine fossil Mollusca of North America. By C. A Wuitr. Washington, Gov- ernment printing-office, 1883. 1, 144, 3 p., 32 pl. sm. f°. [Annual report U.S. geological survey, 1881-82, separately paged. | No work is more useful to the biologist, whether his studies relate to recent or to fossil forms, than the collection and careful illustra- tion of scattered material. In the book under consideration, Dr. White has produced for the student of mollusks, in either their recent or their paleontological relations, a much-needed and permanently valuable work of reference. Owing to their wide range, fecundity and ac- cessibility, the class of mollusks included under his title are, all over the world, better known, more thoroughly studied, and more easily col- lected, than those of the sea. Hence it is to be expected that the material for learning what lessons they have to teach will be available for students much sooner with the land and fresh- water mollusks than with the marine species considered as a class. Publications such as this, perhaps more than any other single means, will serve to shorten the time which must elapse before such a condition of the science is reached. Stratigraphical paleontology will not be so much the gainer as biology in a wider sense, since the uniformity of lacustrine and fluviatile con- ditions interferes with that differentiation which makes of some groups of marine mollusks valu- able indices of geological time. Dr. White has brought together excellent figures of nearly all the species of the groups under consideration belonging to North Ameri- can paleontology, from the oldest strata in which they are known, to and including the miocene tertiary. One doubtfully pliocene spe- cies is mentioned; but the fossils of the later marls, and such deposits as that of the Colorado 426 desert, are not considered. Most of these are known as recent shells also; but we think it would have been auseful addition to the collec- tion if such extinct forms as Tryonia had been included. To the catalogue in tabular form and the ex- planation of the plates are prefixed a statement of the object and method of the work, a ré- sume of the subject by zodlogical families, and some general considerations. In these last the author, we think, is the first to enunciate certain propositions, which, though simple, constitute an important advance over previous statements of the general topic. In brief, he points out the high probability that lacustrine, at first brackish-water forms, were derived from ma- rine species by imprisonment due to rising seashores, forming, first estuaries, then lakes ; afterward differentiated so as to become inured, to water without salt, or, in other cases, exter- minated by water too fresh, or in lakes without an outlet, by concentration of saline matters. This view is not wholly novel; but the author goes on to supplement it by pointing out how, from the gradual conversion of lakes into rivers, and the persistence of the latter through epochs of geological change, the remarkable persisten- ey of fluviatile types is accounted for, and prob- lems of present geographical distribution may be solved. SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 15. Too much space would be required for an analysis of the work in detail: a few points have been noted for mention. It seems a little startling to have oysters, Anomiae, and mussels presented as non-marine, until we learn that they were of the peculiar brackish-water beds in the Laramie group, and were doubtless accustomed to almost lacustrine conditions. The oldest forms treated of are Naiadites and certain supposed Anodontae from the Devonian (the latter much suggesting in appearance Lithodomus and its allies) ; butif these were not, as is supposed, true fresh-water follx, then the earliest of the latter date from the trias. Six families of Conchifera, in all, and sixteen of Gastropoda, are represented in the catalogue. It might be suggested that an analogue of Unio belliplicatus may, perhaps, be found living in Nicaragua, and that Cerithidea lives rather abundantly on the Californian coast. The proof-reading of this volume is not up to the usual standard of the Government print- ing-office, and the index is disappointingly meagre. The arrangement of the numbers to figures on the plates is confused and puzzling : it can hardly fail to cause a serious loss of time to those who consult them. On the other hand, the paper and press-work are above the ayer- age, and the execution of the figures unusually good. WEEKLY SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. GEODESY. Geodetic night-signals.— Mr. C. O. Boutelle, of the U.S. coast-survey, finds that the magnesium light as used by the survey may be used for distances as great as forty-five to seventy miles, and that the ordi- nary student-lamp with a parabolic reflector may be seen as far as forty miles. A report on night-sig- nals was published by the coast-survey last year. The advantages stated in the report, as derived from greater steadiness of the atmosphere, and comparative freedom from lateral refraction upon long lines of sight during night observations, have been signally verified during the seasons of 1881 and 1882. — (Rep. U.S. coast geod. surv., 1880.) [859 MATHEMATICS. A definite integral. — In a brief note, M. Kor- kines gives a simple proof of a theorem due to M. Tchébychef. The theorem relates to the integral 1 Sole) w(x) dx, where and y must satisfy one of the two conditions: 1°, they simultaneously increase or simultaneously decrease for all values of « lying between zero and unity; 2°, or one of them must increase and the other decrease for the same values of x. In the first case, M. Tchébychef’s theorem is foe) W(v) dx > few) dx foe) de} in the second case, S00) Ya) de < ole) de [U(e) ae. M. Korkine makes these theorems the immediate consequence of a simple identity. — (Comptes rendus, Jan. 29.) T. Cc. [860 Linear differential equations. — In a previous communication to the academy, M. Goursat has solved, for a special class of equations, the problem to find the entire number of substitutions to which a system of fundamental integrals of a given equa- tion may be subjected, corresponding to all the ditter- ent closed paths which the variable may describe. The general integral in that case was shown to be expressed by hypergeometric series of higher orders, In the present paper, M. Goursat develops more fully — his method, and applies it to the equation of the third order, remarking that the method followed is iden- tically the same for equations of any order. — (Comptes rendus, Jan. 29.) T. Cc. [861 Functions of two independent variables.— M. Picard has given a series of notes upon this sub- ject, determining the functions of two independent variables, wand v, which remain invariable when we effect upon u and v any of the infinite number of substitutions of a linear discontinuous group. In the present paper M. Picard considers, in a general May 18, 1883.] manner, a discontinuous group for all points (u, v) of the region D, defined by W252 Ase Hae OF < il where w= U t+ UY, v= vo + The author shows that every substitution of the group transforms each point of the limit of D into another point of the same limit. He also shows that there exist functions, F, of w and v, only defined in the region D, and which leave invariable all of the substitutions of the group. The only groups con- sidered are those possessing this property; viz., we can always find in the region Da region R, having no point common with the limit of D, and such that, in the interior of R, there is one, and only one, point which corresponds to any point (u, v) by means of the substitutions of the group. — (Comptes rendus, Jan. 29.) 1. c. 8 Differential equations. — M. Steen treats cer- tain differential equations of the second order, an account of which has already appeared in another place. The differential equations are of the form y” — (a cote — b tang x) y’ + cy = 0, » + (a cot x — btang x) v + cv = 0; a being the independent variable, and the accents denoting differential co-efficients. These equations are treated for special values of the constants a, b, c, and the integrals exhibited in the form of series of trigonometric functions, and also in the form of definite integrals of certain trigonometric functions. —(Vidensk. selsk. skr., (6), naturv. math. afd., i. 6.) Tis Gr [863 PHYSICS. Mechanics, Radius of gyration of a rifled projectile. — Lieut. C. A. Stone deduces a formula for the deter- mination of this value. Applied to the 700-lb. Butler shell, he obtains K = 4.1224”; while the bureau of ordnance, U.S.A., found by experiment for this shell, K = 4.1005358”. Lieut. Stone discusses, also, the ratio of the forces necessary to give translation and rotation to a rifled projectile, and the ratio of the ranges of a projectile measured on the horizontal and on an inclined plane in a non-resisting medium. — (Proce. U. S. nav. inst., viii. no. 4.) c. E.M. [864 Acoustics, Hydrogen-whistles.— Mr. Francis Galton has continued his researches upon the production of notes of excessively high pitch, and their audibility to different animals, wishing to test the powers of insects in this respect. The idea has occurred to him of blowing his high-pitched whistle with hydrogen- gas, and so increasing its shrillness. Preliminary experiments with coal-gas have given good results; and Mr. Galton thinks that he can produce a sound due to 624,000 vibrations per second. — (Nature, March 22.) c. B.C. |865 Intensity of sound.— Vierordt has studied the subject of the estimation of the intensity of sound by the process of dropping a body upon a sonorous plate. The intensity of the sound produced is pro- portional to h¢, where e is a co-efficient to be deter- mined experimentally. A formula given by Oberbeck is, To P je — SERED log Be h if his the height fallen through by the heavier weight P, and H the greater height fallen through by a SCIENCE. 427 lighter weight p, when the intensity of the sound produced by striking the plate is the same. A large number of measurements are recorded, from which the author concludes that there is a general measure of the strength of sound. With spheres of the same material, and plates of definite material and weight, the value of e varies but slightly with increasing weight of the sphere, or with variation in the height of fall. —(Ann. phys. chem., No. 3, 1883.) C. R. Cc. [866 Optics. (Photography.) Astronomical photography.— At the Meudon (France) observatory they are studying moyements of photospheric matter with the aid of series of images obtained with the ‘photographie revolver.’ They are also working at photographic photometry, the principle being, that the intensities of two light- sources are in the inverse ratio of the time they take for the same photographic work; e.g., producing the same tint on two quite similar plates. The method will be applied to data of the comet of 1881, the full moon, ete. —(Natwre, March 15.) Ww. H. P. [867 Astronomical photography. — At the March meeting of the Royal astronomical society, Dr. Gould gaye an account of his work at Cordova. He consid- ered that he had been successful in photographing stars down to the tenth and a half or twelfth magni- tude. Mr. Common showed a photograph he had taken of the great nebula in Orion, the appearance of which, in many parts, gave rise to an interesting discussion; the majority of those taking part inclin- ing to the belief that the photograph represented cer- tain unknown dark objects in space. — (Brit. journ. phot., March 23.) [No such appearance has been noted here in the excellent photographs of this object taken by the late Dr. Henry Draper.|—w. H. P. [86s Positive prints from a positive.— MM. Cros and Vergeraud have sent to the French photographic society a communication on the above subject. suitable paper is covered with a solution of ammo- nium bichromate, 2 grams; glucose, 15 grams; water, 100 grams. This is dried, and exposed to the light under a positive. When the uncovered portions of the paper, which were at first of a decided yellow, have become gray, the exposure is discontinued, and arapid immersion made in a silver bath, composed as follows: silver nitrate, 1 gram; acetic acid, 10 grams; water, 100 grams. The image appears im- mediately of a blood-red color, formed by the bichro- mate of silver. In all parts where the light has acted, the bichromate has been reduced by the glucose; and, where the variable opacities of the image have pro- tected in different degrees the sensitive film, the bi- chromate of silver remains insoluble in the water of the subsequent washing. If dried by fire, the image remains red; if dried in the open air and in the light, especially in the sun, it becomes dark brown. To obtain a black image, it suffices to expose the dry prints to sulphurous-acid gas. A bath of sulphite of copper and potash in solution gives a more intense black. —(Philad. phot., April.) Ww. H. P. [869 Electricity. Electro-optical properties of quartz.—W. C. Rontgen confirms and extends results obtained in a former paper (Ann. phys. chem., no. 3). The speci- mens used were a thick circular plate, cut perpendic- ular to the principal axis of the crystal, and a sphere. The apparatus for investigating the quartz-sphere was an old microscope. The quartz was laid on the 428 object-stand, and the weighted microscope-tube let down uponit. There are three planes through the principal axis, making angles of 120° with each other, such that all pressures in these planes, or parallel to them, produce minimum electricity at the points of pressure. Pressure exerted perpendicular to these minimum planes produces maximum electricity. Hach of the six fields into which the minimum planes divide the sphere possesses the property that all points of pressure within it are electrified to the same sign: these signs are opposite in adjacent fields. Pressure in the direction of the principal axis gives each of the six fields its peculiar sign: pressure in any other direction divides the sphere into two oppo- sitely electrified halves, the plane of division passing through the principal axis. No direction of pressure produces electricity at the ends of the principal axis. Tf the direction of pressure is a maximum axis, the plane of division is the minimum plane perpendicular to it (the signs of the halves correspond to the signs of the fields in which the maximum axis lies); but, if the pressure is in this minimum plane, the electrifi- cation is exactly reversed. ‘The experiments seem to show, that, if the direction of pressure rotates about the principal axis with an angular velocity o, the plane of division rotates in the opposite direction with a velocity 2. The author then shows that the optical properties of quartz in an electric field can be accounted for by the expansions and contractions which quartz undergoes under electrical strain, ac- cording to the principle of reversibility of piezoelec- tric effects pointed out by Lippmann. This result has also been reached independently by Kundt in Ann. phys. chem., no. 3.—(Ann. phys. chem., no. 4.) J.T. [870 Corrosion of steel.— Two chisels in the channel- way of the U.S.S. Triana were badly corroded. Prof. Munroe, U.S. N.A. finds this due to ele¢tro-chemical action between tempered and untempered steel in presence of salt water. The untempered steel suffered. — (Proc. U.S. nav. inst., viii. no. 3.) ¢c. &. M. [871 ENGINEERING. Tensions in guns.— Considering the longitudinal and hoop tensions in a thick hollow cylinder, Lieut. Stone, U.S.N., finds that the longitudinal tension is greatest on the outside, and the hoop tension is greatest on the inside, where an assumed distance of a point from the axis of the cylinder coincides with the internal radius. He shows the presence of a neutral surface, within which there is a longitudinal compression, and without, a longitudinal tension. The formula deduced, giving the value of the maxi- mum hoop tension, differs considerably from that heretofore used. The existence of a neutral surface of longitudinal stress is of great interest in the con- struction of built-up guns. That a longitudinal con- traction may accompany a circumferential expansion is a familiar result of experiment. These formulas may be used in caleulating the tensions in built-up wire guns, — (Proc. U. S. nav. inst., viii. no. 3.) Cc. E. M. [872 Lighting buoys and railroad-cars.— The U.S. lighthouse board has placed a Pintsch lighted buoy at the entrance of New-York harbor at the request of the pilot commissioners. The Erie and the West Shore railroads have adopted this method of lighting ears in imitation of German railways. Gas made from coal-oil is stored by compression in reservoirs, and burned in peculiar burners, a regulator being used to preserve the desired pressure. — (Marine reg.; R. R. gaz., April.) RB. H. 7. [873 SCIENCE. [Vou. I, No. 15. Heavy steel guns.— The chief of ordnance has called for information from the steel-makers of the United States, relative to the feasibility of making steel for ordnance, giving analyses of desired qualities, The act of 1883 provides for arming fortifications with steel guns. — (Bull. iron steel assoc., April, 1883.) R. H. T. [874 Standard gauge system.— G. M. Bond, M.E., has described to the American society of mechanical engineers the system of standardizing gauges devised by Prof. Rogers of Harvard, and himself, for the Pratt & Whitney company of Hartford, and the comparator built for that company under their direc- tion for establishing standard gauge measures. A pair of standard inch-measures, worked down inde- pendently, were found to be exactly alike, the differ- ence, if any exists, being less than ys-oo59 inch. Bond reports ready for inspection by the committee of the society, a set of end-measures varying by six- teenths of an inch, and a complete plant of tools and fixtures for producing standards, duplicating originals by machined work. — (Journ. Frankl. inst., May.) 8. 4H. T. [875 CHEMISTRY. (Analytical.) Estimation of sulphur in organic bodies. — P. Claésson has perfected a method for the deter- mination of sulphur in organic substances, which seems, from his results, to be capable of remedying the various defects that detract to a greater or less extent from the accuracy of the methods hitherto in use. It consists in burning the substance in a cur- rent of nitric dioxide and oxygen, and absorbing the sulphuric acid in a receiver containing water. The sulphurie acid may be determined by titration, or by precipitation as baric sulphate. The substance is placed in an ordinary combustion-tube, and behind it a roll of platinized asbestos. In front of the sub- stance are placed several platinized asbestos rolls, and a small tube containing fuming nitric acid. The combustion is conducted in the usual way, and finally the sulphuric as well as the nitric acid is expelled into the receiver. The author adduces results to show that a dilute solution of sulphuric acid may be evaporated to dryness on the water-bath without ap- preciable loss of the acid. —(Zettschr. anal. chem., Xxii. 182.) c. F. M. [876 Determination of lactic acid. — R. Palm states that lactic acid is completely precipitated when it is added in aqueous solution to an alcoholic ammonia- cal solution of basic plumbic acetate. The plumbic lactate is washed with alcohol, since it is somewhat soluble in water. — (Zeitschr. anal. chem., xxii. 223.) Cc. F. M. [877 Flow of liquids on the surface of a burette. — In measuring liquids from a burette, Prof. R. B. Warder finds that an error may be introduced by the gradual rise of the meniscus, if the reading is taken too soon after the flow of the liquid is stopped. After a discharge of 60 cc. of a one-eighth normal solution of sodic hydrate, the meniscus continued to rise for ten minutes. — (Proc. Ohio mech. inst., ii. 46.) CARs Me (878 A new method for the determination of ar- senic. — Mr. Richard Pearce, of the Boston and Colo- rado smelting company, described a method for the quantitative estimation of arsenic, as suggested by himself, and developed by Albert H. Low, chemist of the company. It consists in first fusing the mineral, ore, or furnace-product supposed to contain arsenic, with sodium carbonate and potassium nitrate, ex- May 18, 1883.] tracting the soluble arseniate with water, acidulating the solution with nitric acid, boiling to expel carbon dioxide, neutralizing carefully with ammonia (the reaction should be faintly alkaline rather than acid), and precipitating the arsenic in the cold with argen- tic nitrate as the brick-red salt Ag,;AsO,. The latter is thrown on a filter, washed well, dissolved in nitric acid, and the silver determined by titra- tion with ammonium or potassium sulpho-cyanate, whence the arsenic can readily be caleulated. The results communicated showed very remarkable con- cordance, and apparently a high degree of accuracy. The exact degree of accuracy does not appear; since the percentage of arsenic in some of the substances tested was not determined gravimetrically, but assumed to be that required by theory. By this method, 0.1 gr. of enargite yielded 19.03 and 19.09 % arsenic in successive trials. 0.05 gr. pure pronstite gave 15.08% arsenic, while 15.15% is theoretically required. An ore mixture gave respectively, 3.26, 3.30, 3.19, and 3.25% arsenic in different trials. A copper matte yielded 0.47 and 0.46% arsenic in successive determinations. Antimony, the pres- ence of which in solution would vitiate the results of analysis, is almost entirely excluded by the use of sodium carbonate in the fusion. In a mixture of the enargite above tested with stibnite, 19.13% arsenic was found. No experiments were made to test the solvent action of the ammonium nitrate in the solution on the argentic arseniate. The advantages claimed for the method are the great ease and rapidity with which a determination can be made, and the high degree of accuracy attainable, fully sufficient, at least, for technical purposes. — (Col. sc. Soc. ; meeting Feb. 5.) , [879 AGRICULTURE. Action of peat on insoluble phosphates. — In an extensive series of experiments carried out at the Moor experiment-station in Bremen, Fleischer finds that certain peats exert a very considerable sol- vent action on phosphates. The first experiments were made in the laboratory by intimately mixing finely ground peat and phosphate, adding water, and allowing the mixture to stand, usually for three days. Peat from the lowland moors showed no solvent ac- tion ; but that from highland moors (sphagnum peat) ~ acted upon the phosphates in every case but two, dissolving from three or four to over fifty per cent of the phosphoric acid present, according to the nature of the phosphatic material. The materials used may be arranged in about the following order, the more soluble first: pure dicalcic phosphate, pre- cipitated tricalcic phosphate, fine raw bone, steamed bone, commercial precipitated phosphates, bone-ash, crude Mejillones guano, Lahn phosphate. The action appears to be due to the presence of free humic acid, which decomposes the phosphates. In several cases the action went so far as to produce free phosphoric acid. Addition of potash-salts was found to increase the solvent action. These results are entirely in harmony with those that haye been obtained in field- experiments on these soils. \ Almost invariably, in- soluble phosphates have given better results than soluble ones, the reason evidently being, that, owing to the small absorptive power of peat, the soluble phosphates are soon washed out of the soil, while the insoluble phosphates yield up their phosphoric acid so slowly that the plants can utilize most or all of it. Experiments were also made in composting phos- phates and peat. Here, also, phosphoric acid was dissolved, but not to so great an extent as in the laboratory experiments, where a much more intimate SCIENCE. 4.29 mixture of the materials was possible. From 0.6 to 9.2 per cent of the total phosphoric acid was dissolved.’ Potash salts increased the solubility of the phos- phates. A large proportion of the phosphoric acid was rendered soluble in ammonium citrate; that is, brought into a condition similar to that of the so- called reverted phosphoric acid. In connection with these experiments, Kissling has studied the effect of the presence of various salts on the action of peat upon phosphates. Potassium sulphate increased the action decidedly, potassium chloride to a less de- gree, and sodium nitrate and kainit hardly at all. Gypsum and calcium chloride decreased the solvent action, and potassium carbonate destroyed it al- together, presumably by neutralizing the humic acid of the peat. The effect of the potassium sulphate was found to be almost exactly in proportion to the quantity used. Although the solvent action of peat, and of peat and potash salts, appears to be com- paratively slight on the large scale, it is not with- out importance ; since, in the soil, it may continue for a long time, and the products of the reaction may be continually removed by the movements of water in the soil and the action of vegetation. Fleischer found, that, after his mixtures of peat and phosphates were washed out, the action appeared to begin afresh ; and something very like this must occur in the soil. — (Landw. jahrb., xii. 129, 193.) uw. P. A. [880 GHOLOGY. The Bow and Belly River districts, North- West territory. — The rocks of the foot-hills and east of the mountains, according to G. M. Dawson, are entirely of cretaceous and Laramie age, overlain by bowlder clay and other beds referable to the glacial epoch. The geology of the region is complicated by the fact, that, in the immediate vicinity of the moun- tains the beds change considerably in lithological character, the change being such as would be ex- pected to oceur on the approach to a shore-line. So far, no reason has been found to suppose that any beds newer than the Laramie (including under this general name the Judith River and Fort Union series) have been found in this district, or, indeed, in any part of the Canadian North-West territory. The general arrangement of the rocks is given in the fol- lowing table: — I. Laramie (including Judith River series).—1. Beds of the Porcupine Hills : massive sandstones, with sbales, etc. 2. Willow Creek beds: reddish and purplish clays, with gray and yellow- ish sandstones. 38. St. Mary River series: sandstone shales and clays of general grayish or grayish-green colors. 4. Yellowish sandstones and shaly beds, with a mingling of fresh-water and brackish or marine mollusks. II. Fore Hills.—1. Yellowish sandstones, with some shales, apparently irregular in thickness and character; mollusks all , marine. Ii. Pierre group.—1. Blackish and lead-colored shales, with occasional sandstone intercalations, especially toward the moun- tains. TV. Niobrara? — Belly River series: sandstones, shales, and sandy clays. Upper part generally grayish; lower, yellowish, and often banded by rapidly alternating beds. JF resh and brack- ish water mollusks. Near its base, the Laramie of this region is a per- sistent lignite or coal-bearing formation. In the Pierre group, the most persistent coal-bearing horizon is at its base, although there is a coal-seam at its sum- mit on Bow River. Mr. Dawson considers the coal- bearing horizon at the base of the Pierre to be nearly equivalent to that at the base of the Chico group, which yields the coals of Vancouver Island at Na- naimo and Comox. (In this conmrection it is well to remember that the identity of the so-called Chico of Vancouver Island with the group of that name in 430 California is not by any means ‘established.) The following approximate estimates of the quantity of coal underlying one square mile of country in several localities have been made: — Main seam, in vicinity of Coal Banks, Belly River, 5,500,000 tons. Grassy Island, Bow River (continuation of Belly River, main seam), 5,000,000 tons. Horse-shoe Bend, Bow River, 4,900,000 tons. Blackfoot Crossing, workable coal in seam as ex- posed on Bow River, 9,000,000 tons. — (Geol. surv. Can.) J. B. M. {881 Triassic traps and sandstones. — Mr. W. M. Davis last summer visited a number of localities in Massachusetts, Connecticul, and New Jersey, for the purpose of studying the relation of the trap masses to the triassic sandstones and shales. Some of these are dikes traversing the strata at high angles, and about such there has been comparatively little con- flict of opinion. But the greater number exist as sheets conforming to the bedding; and these have been regarded by some writers as contemporaneous, by others as intrusive. Mr. Davis finds distinct evidence that some of the sheets were extravasated during the deposition of the strata, being afterward buried as the sedimentation progressed; and he finds equally distinct evidence that other sheets were injected between sedimentary layers already formed, and cooled under pressure. To the first class belong the principal masses of the Connecticut valley, includ- ing Deerfield Mountain, Mounts Tom and Holyoke, and the Hanging Hills near Meriden; to the second, belong the East and West Rocks near New Haven, and the Palisades of the Hudson. The principal intrusive masses occur in what are regarded as the lower portions of the formation, and may have been injected while the upper strata were still in process of formation. i \ A duplication of trap-ridges by faulting is demon- strated in some instances, and suspected in others; and it is pointed out that these faults may belong to a wide system, whose total effect is greatly to expand the outcrop of the formation by duplication. Each of the greater triassic districts presents a wide ex- panse of strata, with a prevailing dip at a consid- erable angle in one direction. To account for the phenomena by tilting alone, assumes an amount of deposition and subsequent erosion appalling even to the geologist; while the erosion demanded by the hypothesis of tilting and faulting combined is readily admissible. The observations are prefaced by a bibliography of the subject, and followed by a general discussion, which) includes an excellent digest of the opinions and observations of earlier writers. a pamphlet of sixty octavo pages, illustrated by three plates. — (Bull. mus. comp. Zo6l., geol. ser., i., no. ix.) G. K, G. [882 Ore-deposition by replacement. — As a result of his geological studies in Leadville, Col., Mr. S. F. Emmons has reached the conclusion that the ‘ car- bonate deposits’ of that locality were not formed by the filling of pre-existent cavities. They belong to a class of deposits for which he proposes the name metamorphic, and which are produced by a metaso- matic interchange between exotic matter and original rock material. In Leadville the original rock is a dolomitic limestone, 150 to 200 feet thick; and the re- placement has occurred either at or near its contact with an overlying sheet of porphyry. The introduced or vein material consists of silica and metallic miner- als. These were brought in solution by percolating waters, having been previously dissolved from the SCIENCE. The paper makes ~ 4 [Vou. I., No. 15. associated eruptive rocks. In places the whole bed of limestone has been replaced, but in general only a portion. The equivalent vein occupies less space than the limestone; but, allowing for this difference, the thickness of vein and the thickness of residual limestone are complementary. Mr. Emmons regards the class of metamorphic de- posits as an extensive one, including a large propor- tion of the so-called fissure-veins, both calcareous and siliceous, of the Rocky Mountain region. —(Phil. soc. Wash.; meeting April 7). {883 MINERALOGY. Products of the alteration of corundum.— The following are the results of observations made by F. A. Genth: — Alteration into spinel. — At the Charter mine, Madison County, N.C., corundum oceurs crystallized, and in cleavage masses of a grayish or white color. In the cracks of the same it can be noticed that a change has taken place; and in many cases this ex- tends through large masses, converting the corundum into a massive greenish-black spinel, rarely showing octahedral crystals. The same has a gravity of 3.751. Scales of prochlorite, into which the mineral finally passes, are often present. Analysis of the carefully selected material indicates that it has the composition of a spinel. Alteration into zoisite. — At Towns County, Ga., pink crystals of corundum are found, surrounded by greenish-white cleavable zoisite. Alteration into felspar and mica. — The author cites many occurrences in which cleavable masses of oligo- clase and albite surround a core of undecomposed corundum, also where the corundum is surrounded by flat, cleavable mica (muscovite) or a delicate fibrous mica (damourite). Sometimes the mica and felspar occur together; and the nucleus of unde- composed corundum appears on its exterior very rough, as if it had been eaten into. Numerous analy- ses are given to prove the identity of the decomposi- tion products. Alteration into margarite. — This occurs more sel- dom than the alteration into potash mica; and in some cases scales of the latter are interposed between the margarite, which usually is compact in its nature. Specimens showing this alteration are from Jackson and Iredell counties, N.C., and from Unionville and Aston township, Penn. Alteration into fibrolite. — Specimens from near Norwich, Conn., and Burke county, N.C., show radi- ated fibrolite surrounding crystals of unaltered corun- dum. It seems as if, in many cases, the fibrolite had undergone a subsequent change into mica. Alteration into cyanite. —At Iredell and Wilkes counties, N.C., bladed eyanite is found surrounding, and evidently resulting from, the alteration of corun- dum. From the latter locality the cyanite has par- tially undergone a change into micaceous minerals. — (Proc. Amer. phil. soc. Philad., xx. 381.) $8. L. P. (884 GEOGRAPHY. (Arctic.) Geographical notes from the north. — The record of the Hira expedition appears in the Monthly record of geography for April, giving an account of the voyage up to Aug. 21, 1881, when the vessel was pierced by the ice, and the subsequent proceedings of the party until their rescue during the following summer. Even during the arctic winter, warm south- erly gales occurred, which resulted in limited areas of open water. —— Prof. Nordenskidld’s expedition will May Is, 1883.] sail some time during May, and will attempt a journey eastward over the ice from Auleitsivik fiord, in lat. 68° 30’, near Egedesminde. Later an attempt “may be made to penetrate northward along the south-east- ern coast. —— No new information has been obtained from the remainder of the Jeannette survivors, re- cently examined by the Naval board. ——In a recent lecture, Mr. E. H. Hall stated that the population of Newfoundland and Labrador amounts to 190,000, about one-quarter of whom subsist by the fisheries, which are valued at four and a half millions of dol- lars annually. The copper-mines produce about 45,- 000 tons of metal annually. —— A hurricane in Brit- ish Columbia recently destroyed four vessels in Vic- toria harbor, and was attended with some loss of life. — The fur-seal fishery off Cape Flattery has been very productive this season, over 20,000 seals having been secured. —— The Newfoundland hair-seal fish- ery has also been remarkably successful, more than 200,000 hooded and harp seal being reported taken. On the other hand, the Dundee fleet, in the same waters, is said to have made a poor catch. ——En- Sign Stoney, U.S.N., will sail early in May in the revenue-cutter Corwin to distribute the presents from the government to the Chukchis, of St. Lawrence Bay, Bering Strait, who succored the crew of the U.S.5. Rodgers, which was burned in that bay while searching for the Jeannette party. The growing scarcity of salmon for canning, in the Columbia River and southward, las led those interested to push into the undepleted waters northward. Several new fish- eries have been established on the Skeena River, and others on the Chilkat River, and even in Cook’s Inlet, nearly to latitude 60° N.—Four steam-whalers, built on the Pacific coast, will join the Bering Strait fleet this season. They are fitted with all the latest improvements, including iron tanks for oil and blub- ber, and are appropriately named the Orea, Bowhead, Narwhal, and Balaena. ——It has been. a very open season in Alaska, and in the south-eastern portion the snow was reported nearly gone March 25. —— The aboriginal inhabitants of middle and northern Sibe- Tia, especially the Ostiaks and Samoyeds, are ap- parently either at a standstill, or even decreasing in numbers. According to recent investigations of Yadrintseff, their situation is precarious; and that they should gradually die out, as seems inevitable, is the more unfortunate, since many of them possess much intelligence and numerous good qualities. —— In Petermann’s mittheilungen for April, Dr. Rink describes the investigations of the Danes in Green- land during recent years, in mineralogy, geology, geography, botany, and archeology, and gives a geo- logical map of the west coast between Disco and Proven. — W. H. D. [885 (South America.) Chilian province Arauco.— A physical sketch _ of this province, by J. Sieveking, divides it into the . littoral slope, the coast or Nahuelbuta range, the cen- tral plain, and the great Cordillera. The Nahuelbuta range extends north-north-west to south-south-east, and reaches an elevation of 5,000 feet. Its rocks are granite and crystalline schists, broken by basalt erup- tions, and furnish gold to the streams. The aurifer- ous gravels gave a rich yield to the early Spaniards, who forced the Indians to work them; but the latter rebelled, and drove away their would-be masters. In late years gold-washing has been again attempted With moderate success. Between the mountains and the coast is a hilly country, some twenty miles wide, rising to 1,000 feet elevation. It consists of Jurassic and later conglomerates and sandstones, which en- close valuable coal-beds, three to nine feet thick, with \ SCIENCE. 431 a low percentage (two and a half) of ash. In Arauco little mining-work has yet been done: but, in the ad- joining province on the north, the output reaches 10,000 tons a month; and with the rapid increase of steam-navigation along the western coast, of railroads in the interior, and of smelting and saltpetre works in the north, where fuel is searce, this product must grow rapidly. The author believes the coal to be Jurassic, and not tertiary, as it has been described. All the coast range and littoral slope are heavily wooded, the climate rough and wet, especially in winter; the streams are short and not navigable, and, on nearing the coast, they cross a low plain of recent elevation. The harbors are open to the north- west, but closed on the south-west by the extension of sand-bars built up by the heavy waves and strong northward current. The central plain proves well adapted to agriculture and grazing at the few points where it has been settled; but the greater part is still unoccupied, except by the Araucanians, who main- tain possession of a considerable share of good land in the south. Little is known of the Cordillera (it has hardly been entered), as winter begins early there with heavy snow-storms. The stones brought down by its streams are nearly all porphyritic, and sedi- mentary rocks are quite absent. There are two vol- canoes on the range, — Antuco, which Péppig found active; and Villarica, near the lake of the same name. —(Peterm. mitth., 1883, 57.) w.M.p. [886 (Africa.) Lake Moeris. — Another of the stories of Herod- otus seems to be gaining ground. In 1871 Rousseau- Bey found, by levelling, that the present lake, Birket- el-Kerun, in the Fayum (cf. Schweinfurth, Zeitschr. f. erdk. Berlin, xv. 1880, 152, map). is at surface and ‘bottom 41 and 55 met. respectively below the Mediter- ranean, and that its former level was 10 met. above the same datum, giving an original depth of 65 met. and a greatly extended area. Comparing this with the description of the ‘Meridis lacus,’ given by Herodotus, Mr. F. C. Whitehouse was confirmed in his trust of the old geographer, and, after some pre- liminary excursions, set out from Cairo early in 1582, and succeeded in finding by aneroid measurement a considerable depression south of Birket-el-Kerun, with its lowest point 180 feet below the Mediter- ranean, separated from the northern basin by a low divide (gisr), that seemed decidedly below the level of the Nile in this latitude. The southern end of this depression was not visited; but, as now mapped, the entire basin, if flooded from the Nile, might approach the area, and reach the depth, given for it by Herod- otus, although his description has generally been discredited, along with his assertion that it is ‘ mani- festly artificial.’ But this, also, Mr. Whitehouse seems to accept, as he speaks of the basin as a ‘ vic- tory of mind over matter,’ and suggests that we should treat the Mississippi as the Egyptians did the Nile. This conclusion, and the severely critical animus shown towards earlier writers, are the less satisfactory parts of the paper, which, in its evidence of work, its review of the cartography of the Fayum, and its quotations concerning Lake Moeris from ancient authors, contains much of interest. — (bull. Amer. geogr. soc., 1882, 85, map.) W. M. D. [887 Southern Abyssinia.— P. Soleillet writes from Ankober, Noy. 10, 1882, that he had made good progress, and obtained from King Menelik valuable concessions for the commercial company that he represents. A vast agricultural territory was open to their occupation and cultivation. Olive-forests were found to be very extensive: their fruit might be 432 improved by grafting, and the company was conceded half of the yield for the next twenty-five years. Per- mission was given to lay a narrow-gauge railroad from Obok, at the head of the Gulf of Aden, past lake Aussa, to Shoa, following up the left bank of the *Ouache’ (Hawash), where the construction would be easy and cheap. —(Comptes rendus soc. geogr. Paris, 1883, 36.) (The road projected would be at least two hundred miles long, and partly in a very unproductive country; so that, in spite of the present activity of African development, this project can hardly expect an early completion.) —w. M. D. [888 (Atlantic Ocean.) The Faraday Hills.— Dr. O. Kriimmel has dis- cussed the Atlantic soundings published by the Siemens Brothers (see 439), and shows that the Faraday Hills (about lat. 50° N., long. 30° W.) are very probably formed by submarine volcanic erup- tion. The soundings are so numerous and exact, that a trustworthy profile across the hills is con- structed, exhibiting their surprisingly steep slopes (18 to 17° on one side, and 35 to 25° on the other), and revealing them asa mass about six miles broad at the base, rising from a bottom 1,300 to 1,700 fathoms deep to asummit about a mile broad in a minimum depth of 630 fathoms. Their form is therefore truly volcanic, and their altitude approaches six thousand feet. They are of rocky or stony surface, and have no ooze characteristic of deep-sea bottoms. The Flemish cape on the eastern slope of the Newfound- land banks is also stony, but this is regarded as a deposit of drift from melting icebergs. — (Ann. hydrog., 1883, 5, 146.) Ww. M. D. [889 The Triton in the North Atlantic.— A sound- ing expedition on the British steamer Triton, under direction of Mr. Murray, formerly geologist on the Challenger, spent about a month in August and September last in exploring the Atlantic from the Shetland to the Faroe Islands, where, according to previous explorations, a shallowing of the bottom, named the ‘ Wyville-Thomson ridge,’ separated the deep cold water on the north at 32°F. from the warmer bottom-water on the south at 47° F. In the northern part of the ridge, a depression was found with a depth a little over three hundred fathoms, through which some of the arctic water may pass southward. The shallower parts of the ridge, with a minimum depth of two hundred and sixty fathoms, is covered only with gravel and stones, and some of the latter showed distinct traces of glacial action. The fragments are of sandstone, diorite, mica-schist, gneiss, limestone, ete. Several new species were added to the faunae of the warm and cold areas first described in the results of the Lightning and Porecu- pine expeditions in 1868, 1869. —(Ann. hydrog., 1883, 194.), Ww. M. D. "890 BOTANY. (Physiological.) Extravasation of water from leaves. — This interesting phenomenon has been carefully examined by Volkens, who, while adding little that is really new, has shown the relations of the water-pores to the underlying tissues in a large number of families. It may be said, that, with three exceptions, the points of secretion were confined, in all cases examined, to the upper side of the leaf. The places are always distinguished by color, swelling, or some equally well-mar ked indication. The number of the pores is typical in many families and sections. — (Jahrb. bot. gart. Berlin, 1888, 167.) @. L. @. [891 SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 15. Continuity of tprotoplasm in contiguous cells. —Hillhouse’s method is a modification of Sachs’s, and consists in using dilute sulphuric acid on thin sec- tions, following this by concentrated acid for several hours, thoroughly washing with water, and finally staining with ammonia-carmine. By this means it is possible to break down cell-wall without disturbing the protoplasmic threads. A similar process was used by Gardiner in his study of Mimosa. — (Bot. cen- tralbl., xvi. 1883.) G. L. G. [892 Variable See — Though as a general rule the Indian corn (Zea) appears ‘to be imperfectly protandrous, — beginning to shed its pollen one or more days before the stigmas of the same plant are. developed, but continuing the process for several days afterward, —in no small number of instances the dichogamy is reversed, so that the plant is strongly protogynous, while it is sometimes synacmic, —stam- inate and pistillate flowers maturing at the same time. ‘This, with the similar behavior of the perfect flowers of certain species of Ribes, notably the golden currant, shows pretty clearly how either sort “of di- chogamy may have originated in what were at first synacmic species. —(Rural New-Yorker, abel 14.) W. T. [893 Self-impotence of red clover.— For six years Prof. Beal has been experimenting on the frnitful- ness of Trifolium pratense, when self-pollinated and when crossed by humble-bees. Though the results obtained in the several years differ greatly, —from absolute self-sterility to the production of two-thirds as many seeds as by crossing, — they agree in showing a marked increase of seed where bees have worked. A source of error which tends to diminish the appar- ent value of crossing is the impossibility of excluding species of Thrips and other small insects by means of the netting used to coyer the plants for the exclusion of bees, so that it is probable the degree of self- impotence is greater than appears from these experi- ments. The general results may be gathered from the pappended table of ratios: — Bees | Bees | excluded. admitted. Hirst year. . . . . 66.6 100 Second year. . = - ' 63.5 100 "Whi ae : | { First crop, 1.3 100 Third year -°- - =|} Second 0.0 100 (0:37). Fourth year. . .. Not counted ac-|curately (0:many). Dith year seen. 1.2 100 Sixthyear <- 2 . = 27.2 100 IEG 8 no 26.6 100 yarn iat Mich. agric. coll., Jan.) w. T. 1881-82 ; Amer. eee [894 (Soatarectited Flora of Madagascar. — The most important noy- elties among the Polypetalae of recent English col- lections in “Madagascar are described by Mr. J. G. Baker, including about 135 species. The woody char- acter of the vegetation is remarkable, as shown by this list, in which are 40 trees, and 64 shrubs and woody climbers, against 31 mainly herbaceous peren- nials and annuals. — (Journ. Linn. soc. Lond., March, 1883.) Ss. W. [895 Wew Bermuda plants.— The flora of the Ber- mudas, like that of the Azores, is remarkable for the almost complete absence of endemic species. With the exception, perhaps, of the palms, as yet imper- fectly known, the only peculiar plants are two that have been recently described by Mr. Hemsley, and May 18, 1883.] these may yet be found to occur in the West Indies, or on the mainland. One is Erigeron Darrellianus, with the habit and foliage of Conyza rivularis; the other, Statice Lefroyi, hitherto identified as S, Caro- liniana. — (Journ. bot., April, 1888.) s. w. [896 ZOOLOGY. Mollusks, The position of Rhodope. — The views of Graff (Morph. jahrb., viii. i.), referring Rhodope to the nudibranchiate mollusks, have received such wide publicity that it is well, even if a little late, that the views on this topic of the most eminent living student of the nudibranchs should haye a hearing. R. Bergh of Copenhagen has examined Rhodope with special reference to the views of Graff, and finds, notwithstanding the fact that it is separated by marked characters from the ordinary turbellarians, that the differences between it and the nudibranchi- ate gastropod mollusks are much greater. There are no nudibranchs destitute of a heart, or of an organ filling the office of a kidney. Few have the liver reduced to a single mass. The genital organs of Rhodope do not differ greatly from those of turbella- rians. The form and armature of the tail resemble those of many turbellarians, and nothing similar is known among the nudibranchs. Certain resem- blances assumed to exist between the nervous system in Rhodope and Tethys, on the basis of Ihering’s figure of the latter, have no force, since it appears that the figure is inaccurate. Lastly, a quietus is placed upon the theory by the fact that the larva of Rhodope has neither larval shell nor velum, which are universal in nudibranchs. It is therefore certain that Rhodope is no nudibranch, and eminently prob- able that it is nothing more than a peculiarly aber- rant turbellarian. — (Zool. anz., 123.) w.H.D. [897 Fischer's Manuel de conchyliologie. — Part fifth of this excellent work is at hand, comprising pp. 417-512, which carry it forward from the Asco- ceratidae, concluding the Cephalopods, through the Pteropods, and nearly through the order Pulmonata in the class of Gastropoda. The latter is divided as follows: — Class "GASTROPODA. Order Pulmonata. Opisthobranchiata. Heteropoda . Nucleobranchiata. Platypoda . . Prosobranchiata. ost oa Us . Polyplacophora. ( Androgyna } Dioica Subclass MULTIyYALYIA Subclass UNIVALYIA The author’s paleontological researches haye enabled him to preserve a satisfactory equilibrium as regards living and extinct forms. Numerous new and char- acteristic figures appear in the text, in addition to others not unfamiliar in the pages of Woodward; and with this fasciculus is added an atlas of twenty-four plates, which originally appeared in Woodward’s Manual, and are well known, but which have never been excelled in clearness and accuracy by any purely black and white conchological plates issued up to the present time. The most casual inspection of the text, however, will show that we are presented with some- thing quite different from a merely revised edition of Woodward, and that the volume when completed, though doubtless open to criticism in some of its details, will be by far the best text-book of the sub- ject available. — w. B. D. {898 Anatomy of Parmacella.—H. Simroth devotes a paper of forty-six pages, with an excellent plate, to the elucidation of the anatomy of P. Olivieri Cuvier. Its features are compared in detail with homologous organs in other pulmonates; and among his deduc- tions the author concludes that the slugs constitute Aas . SCIENCE. forh., 1882, Nos. 3 and 8.) 433 the highest evolution-product of the group of Pul- monata (a view in which he was long preceded by A. A. Gould and others), and that Parmacella, in particular, exhibits closer relations with the Patula- section of Helicidae than with the group including Vitrina, etc., with which some other slugs are most closely allied. —(Jahrb. deutsch. mal. gesellsch., i. 1883.) Ww. H. D. [899 Curious slug from Madagascar. — Heynemann describes under the name of Elisa bella a curious slug allied to Amalia, with a spatulate internal shell, dorsal keel, four retractile tentacles, a jaw resem- bling that of Limax, radula like Helix, and a termi- nal slime-gland accentuated by a short deep groove extending backward on each side from it. It is in the Senckenbergian collection. — (Jahrb. deutsch. mal. gesellsch., i. 1883.) Ww. H. D. [900 Crustaceans, Metamorphosis of Penaeus.— Walter Faxon calls attention to the fact that Fritz Miller did not keep the supposed Penaeus nauplius under observa- tion until it changed to a protozoea, as is stated by W. K. Brooks in his recent account of the metamor- phosis of Penaeus (Johns Hopk. univ. circ., Nov., 1882), and that, consequently, the rearing of the pro- tozoea to the young Penaeus by Brooks proves nothing new in regard to the relation of Miiller’s nauplius to Penaeus. Faxon, however, sees no good ground for refusing to accept Miuller’s reasons for believing his nauplius and zoea stages to be parts of one life- history. — (Amer. nat., May, 1883.) s.1.s. [901 Copepoda living in mollusks and ascidians. — C. W.S. Aurivillius has investigated the Copepoda inhabiting mollusks and ascidians on the Swedish coast, and published the results in two papers illus- trated with seven double plates. Only two species, both belonging to the Sapphirinidae, were found inhabiting mollusks, —a species of Lichomolgus on species of Doris, and a new genus and _ species (Modiolicola insignis) upon the branchiae of Modiola and Mytilus. Twenty-one species, representing seven genera and five families, were found in the bran- chial sacs of ascidians, two new species being added to those already described by Thorell and others. Nearly all the old species are redescribed, and a large part of them figured, and analytical tables of the genera and species given. —(O/ver's. vet. akad. 8. 1. 8. {902 Tnsects. Life-histories of American butterflies. — W. H. Edwards continues his careful and valuable de- scriptions of the early stages and habits of different American butterflies, giving us lately those of Grapta comma, G. interrogationis, and Pyrameis Atalanta. The descriptions of the caterpillars lose part of their value through lack of sufficiently explicit statement of the precise location of the dermal appendages.— (Can. ent., xiv. 189, 201, 229; xv. 14.) [903 Watural history of the fig-insects. — The very singular little group of fig-dwelling hymenoptera, referred by Westwood to the Chalcididae, is the sub- ject of a recent monograph by Dr. Paul Mayer. Fig- srowers have for ages taken advantage of the habits of Blastophaga grossorum for cross-fertilizing the tame fig with the wild caprificus. Mayer describes the anatomy of this species and some others, and discusses the geographical distribution of all known species, and their relations to the species of Ficus and its allies. The amount of adaptation induced by the peculiar habitat of the fig-insects varies in different 434 genera, the least abnormal forms being South Amer- ican. The two sexes often differ enormously; the male of some forms losing wings, mouth, and ocelli, and having eyes and antennae of small size. — (Mit- theil. zool. stat. Neapel, iii. 551, pl.) §£. B. [904 (Economic entomology.) The pine moth of Nantucket. —Detailed ac- counts of the different stages, except the egg, and of the habits of Retinia frustrana Scudd., are given by S. H. Scudder. The paper is illustrated by an excel- lent chromolithographic plate. The author is in- clined to believe the insect described under the same name by Comstock (Rep. U. S. dep. agric., 1879) is specifically distinct. — (Pub. Mass. soc. prom. agric., 18835.) J. H.C. [905 The spruce Tortrix.—The natural history of Tortrix fumiferana Clem. is given by C. H. Fernald. (Ann. rep. st. coll. agric. Maine, 1882.) 3. H.c. [906 Clothes-moths.— A careful revision of the three species of Tinea which infest clothing has been made by Fernald. The common case-making species should be known by the name of Tinea pellionella Linn; the species which makes a gallery of the sub- stance on which it occurs is Tinea tapetzella Linn; and the third species, which does not make a larval ease, but webs together portions of the substance upon which it feeds into a cocoon before changing to a pupa, is Tinea bisselliella Hum.—(Ann. rep. sé. coll. agric. Maine, 1882.) 3.H.c. ° 907 VERTEBRATES. (Physiology.) Development of the red blood-corpuscles. — Feuerstack has published a memoir on this subject. He gives first a brief mention of those authors who have sought to trace the development of the red cor- puscles from the white; second, an abstract of Hayem and Pouchet’s theory of the haemato blasten; third, of other views of less importance. The author then presents his own observations and conclusions. “We find in the circulation of animals with nu- cleated blood-corpuscles every possible transition be- tween colorless and colored blood-corpuseles. That they are transition stages from the white to the colored cells is shown by the course of development during artificially induced blood-formation.”’ The principal places of formation in the pigeon are the osseous medulla, the spleen, the portal system, and the feather-shafts; in the frog, the bony medulla and spleen; in Triton, the spleen, and the lymph sinus near the bladder; in the eel, the spleen and the venal lymph sinus. (The author has overlooked the view, which is the one most plausible to us, that the colored corpuscles are merely nuclei, and not com- plete cells. His observations seem far from haying settled the problem.) —(Zeitschr. wiss. zool., xxxviii. 136.) Cc. Ss. ™M. [908 Structural changes in the liver, accompany- ing functional activity.— This subject, which as yet has been little worked at in comparison with the numerous corresponding researches made on other glands of late years, is the subject of an interesting research by Afanassiew. His work leads him to the following conclusions: 1°. Both glycogeny and the formation of bile take place in all the cells of a liver-lobule. 2°. Agencies (section of the liver- nerves or feeding on albuminous diet) which increase the secretion of bile bring about a marked increase in the size of the hepatic cells, which are also seen to contain, in the interspaces of their protoplasmic network, numerous albuminous granules. The cell SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 15. limits are distinct, and the nuclei large and granular; the whole organ is firm and resistant. 3°. On feed- ing so as to get a liver exceptionally rich in glycogen, the cells are found to be enormously large, when com- pared with those of an unfed animal, their contours | sharp, and in the cell body so many amorphous gly- cogen particles deposited as to compress the proper cell-substance into a mere coarse network stretching from the nucleus towards the periphery. The blood- capillaries are considerably narrowed by compres- sion from the neighboring cells. The whole liver is soft and brittle. 4°. Toluyl-di-amine, which had been found by Schmiedeberg to produce jaundice, causes an increased biliary secretion. This it does by bringing about a great destruction of red blood-cor- puscles, whose decomposition products stimulate the liver, and provide material for increased gall-secre- tion. The experiments were made on dogs. — (Pfliiq. archiv, xxx. 385.) H. N. M. [909 ANTHROPOLOGY. Ethnography of the Caucasus. — In a summary of work by the Russian geographical society, Nature has the following language: ‘Several linguists con- sider the Armenian language as decidedly belonging to the Iranian group, while others classify it with the European group. Lagarde distinguishes it in three elements, — the Haikan, the Arkasid, and the Sassa- nid elements. The two latter are Iranian; but the Haikan elements belong to a family of languages the oldest of which is the Zend. Hiilschman concludes that it occupies an intermediate place between the Iranian languages and the Slavo-Lithuanian; and Fr. Miller, a partisan of its Iranian origin, admits that it has some kinship with the Slavo-Lithuanian languages. Prof. Patkanoff concludes that it occu- pies an intermediate place between these two, and is a representative of an extinct group of Indo-European languages, which formerly was spread, perhaps, in Asia Minor.’’? — (Nature, March 15.) 3. w.P. [910 Tribes of the Zambesi. — Pére Depelchin, leader of the catholic mission on the Zambesi, reports the following tribes along that river, near its confluence with the Chobe: the Ma-Nansa (or Ma-Kalaka), Ma- Laya, Ma-Shukulombwe, Ma-Shubia, Ma-Totala (identified with the Ba-Nyeti), Ba-Rotse (or Ma-Rotse), Ma-Ntchoia, Ma-Mbunda, Ba-Libale, Ma-Pingula, Ma- Hes. These tribes are subject to the empire of the Ba-Rotse. Pere Depelchin finds that in Holub’s lists the vernacular terms for professions had been en- tered as the names of separate tribes. The traveller also corrects some difficulties respecting the languages of the tribes. — (Precis hist., Feb.) J. w. P. (911 Iron in the Ohio mounds. — Mr. F. W. Putnam showed that the iron swords, and plate of cast iron, referred to in the writings of Dr. Hildreth and Mr. Atwater as found in mounds at Marietta and Cir- cleville, never existed. ‘The light shed by recent discoveries showed that the supposed sword-handle mentioned by Mr. Atwater, and the supposed orna- ments of a scabbard described by Dr. Hildreth, were common forms of implements and ornaments from the mounds; while ‘ the iron rust in the copper tube,’ or supposed ‘end of the scabbard,’ was red oxide of copper, and the tube itself was simply a copper bead of ordinary form. Mr. Putnam had studied the origi- nal specimens of Dr. Hildreth, which were in the cabinet of the Antiquarian society; and they will be illustrated in his paper, to be printed by the society. — (Amer. antiq. soc. ; meeting April 25.) [912 Voyages of Moncatch-Apé.—In reference to the recent notice of M. Le Page du Pratz (see 634), May 18, 1883.] and the bearded meni on the Pacific coast in the begin- ‘ning of the last century, Mr. A. M. F. Davis concedes the probability of the journey, but doubts the meeting with the bearded men. Although this region was not penetrated by explorers until Lewis and Clark crossed _ the continent in 1804, still the stories of the Indians bore uniform testimony to the river and the ocean; and there was more or less testimony tending to show the visitations of white men in ships. Such sources of information were open to Indian and Frenchman alike; and Mr. Davis attempts to show, that, upon the skeleton of the story of actual travel furnished by the Indian, Le Page du Pratz builds up the story, - which he publishes with its details, as to the bearded men. He finds two endings to the story, — one pub- lished in Dumont; the other, in Le Page’s own book, — both credited to Le Page. In the later publica- _ tion of the two, Mr. Davis fancies that he can trace in the changes evidence of knowledge derived from _the Bering’s expedition, and from publications of the period, which were given to the world about that time. In conclusion, he hopes that no opportunity will be lost to search oriental records, for upon them we must ultimately rely for the permanent disposal of such questions. — (Amer. antiq. soc. ; meeting April a) [913 -Indians on the Beni River.— The Beni River has been explored from time to time: for instance, by Palacios and by Bursa in 1846, by Lieut. Gibbon in 1852, by Prof. Orton and Ivon D. Heath in 1877, and by the Cura Serabia in 1879. Dr. Heath gives the following note on shirt-making: ‘“‘Some of the men took time, while stopping for breakfast, to make new shirts. A young Brazilnut-tree of the proper size being found, the bark is stripped off to a height of eight to ten feet. This is taken to the river, placed on a log or stone, and beaten with a stick. _ When free from outer bark, the fibres are opened, per and form a good cloth. This is then folded in the middle, a space left for the arms, the sides sewed down to near the bottom, and a slit cut for the head. When old, these shirts are as soft as old linen.’? In the journey down the Beni River, Mr. Heath en- countered the Tacanas, Cavinas, Pacavaras, Araunas, and Mobimas. The most interesting result of Dr. Heath’s anthropological researches is the account of a series of pictographs on the rocks at the falls and rapids of the rivers Madeira and Mamoré. Illustra- tions of these carvings are given. — (Bull. Amer. geogr. soc., 1882, no. 3.) J. w. P. [914 Womenclature of crime.— In a pamphlet by F. H. and W. B. Wines upon the nomenclature of crimes in the United States as an aid to the tabula- tion of the statistics of crime, the authors have en- deavored to collate all offences punishable in the United States under any statute enacted either by the national congress, or by the legislature of any one of the states. Without a knowledge of the laws under which commitments to prison are made in the several states, the statistics of imprisonment are valueless for all purposes of intelligent comparison. The offences enumerated are divided into five classes, as follows: — I. Offences against the government. 1. Against the existence of the government; 2. Against the operations of the government,—a. Currency, b. Election laws, c. Postal laws, d. Revenue; 3. Against international comity. II. Offences against society. 1. Against public health; 2. Against public justice; 3. Against public morals; 4. Against public peace; 5. Against pub- lic policy. III. Offences against the person. SCIENCE. 439 IV. Offences against property. VY. Offences on the high seas. The index to this pamphlet covers 59 pages, and is a necessary guide to the contents of the work. — J. W. P. [915 The archeology of the District of Columbia. — Dr. J. Meredith Toner, in 1874, founded a medal in Georgetown college, D.C., “‘to encourage among the students habits of inquiry, and the development of the faculty of close and accurate observation, not only of the rarer phenomena of nature, but of the commonest things met with in daily life.” At the commencement in 1882, the successful candidate was Louis A. Kengla, who prepared an essay, now printed under the title of ‘Contributions to the archeology of the District of Columbia.’ The young author enters minutely into localities and classes of implements, and has furnished a good map and five full-page plates of illustrations. The work does credit alike to the writer and to his generous patron. —J. W. P. [916 Natives of Borneo.— Some addition to our knowl- edge of the inhabitants of Borneo and the Sulu Islands is made by Mr. W. B. Preyer, the British North-Bor- neo company’s resident, at Klopura. The inhabitants of the Sulu Islands are divided into Sulus (Malays, with Arab and Chinese blood) and Bajaws, or sea- gypsies. These are described at length, both as to their physical and their moral characteristics. On the coast-line of Borneo is an extraordinary mixture of people, —Sun-Dyaks, Malays, Javanese, Sulus, Bajaws, Bugis, Chinese, Arabs, Klings, and many others; while of the Buludupies, the indigenous in- habitants of the district, there are hardly any of pure blood left. Allusions are made to slavery, religion, marriage, head-hunting, ‘summing-up,’ and disease. Mr. Preyer tells a very good story about marriage among the Datos. When a Dato of any consequence marries, he settles upon his bride a dowry of so many slaves, male and female, so many pieces of T. cloth, of silks, chintzes, and sarongs, ete. A house is built for her, and she is settled comfortably. At the end of a few months, the Dato goes off elsewhere, and repeats the process. The abandoned wife goes to work, with her capital and her slaves, to better her condition. Some fine day the Dato sails back to find in every port a house, a wife, and surroundings all comfortable and ready. — (Proc. roy. geogr. soc., Feb. 7.) de Ws. P- : [917 EGYPTOLOGY. Serbonis.—In ‘“‘The Hebrew migration from Egypt, an historical account of the Exodus, based on a critical examination of the Hebrew records and traditions,’’ by J. Baker Greene, second edition (Lon- don, Triibner & Co., 1883), on p. 69, we are told, ‘‘In ancient times, if we may trust the evidence of histo- rians, a sheet of water existed on the south side of Mount Casius, and separated by a well-defined but narrow strip of land from the Mediterranean Sea... . This was the Serbonian Lake. ... This lake no longer exists. It has been filled by the drifting sands of the adjoining desert.”’ Ina work that makes so much pretension to impartiality and search for truth, egregious errors like this ought to be shunned. The best map yet published of Egypt and the Isthmus of Suez (that in Napoleon’s Description de |’ Egypte, Paris, 1809-1828) gives the length of Serbonis as a hundred kilometres, and its usual width as eight to ten kilometres. Mr. Greville Chester, in the volume of Special papers issued by the Palestine exploration fund, 1881, has given a very full description of the 436 lake, with its bright, sparkling waters, free from ma- rine vegetation of any sort. Mr. Greene also says (p. 76), “‘ The evidence of tray- ellers does not, however, support the suggestion that the Red Sea is remarkable for an excessive supply of seaweed.”” From Ehrenberg, ‘Die korallenbiinke,’ 1832, to the last and best authority on the Red Sea (Klunziger, Upper Egypt, 1878, pp. 345-376), we are assured of the direct contrary of Mr. Greene’s asser- tion, ‘*A celebrated plant is the shora (Avicennia SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 15. officinalis), which forms large, dense groves in the sea, these being laid bare only at very low ebb. . . . The sea-grass meadows (yisua of the Arabs), which we have already often mentioned, and which are met with partly in depressions in the surface of the reef, partly on the bottom of the sea (especially in harbors), afford concealment to a special class of fishes, many of which are distinguished by possessing a green color.’? — (Klunziger, pp. 240, 37u.) mH. o. [918 INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. Boston society of natural history. The collection of minerals. —The society has just finished the arrangement of its collection of minerals with the express purpose of offering it as an illustra- tion of the mode of arrangement to be adopted throughout their museum. The curator’s report, shortly to be printed, has a detailed account of the col- lection, from which we give the following account: — The exhibition is divided into three parts: I. Com- parative mineralogy; II. Synopsis of classification; III. Systematic collection. I. Under the head of comparative mineralogy, the following topics are treated by means of series of specimens: 1°. Composition and chemical relations of minerals; 2°. Form and structure of minerals; crystallography; 3°. Physical properties of minerals. 1°. Under the first head, such subdivisions as the variation of minerals in composition are dealt with in the cases by the exhibition of several selected Series, — (a) variations due to original mixtures; (b) variations due to decomposition and alteration; (c) variations due to chemical substitution. The first (a) of these sub-topics, for example, is ex- hibited in a series of seven minerals. Three of these are varieties of amphibole, and display the distinct colors and aspect due to changes in the chemical composition of the varieties. The second (b) is shown by five minerals, among which are orthoclase and wernerite, — quite distinct substances, but which are undergoing reduction by decomposition to the Same mineral, kaolinite. In the third (c) only one substance, phyrrhotite, and its elements, sulphur and iron (which are placed together upon one tablet), is Set apart for the exposition of the differences which may exist between the elementary constituents of a mineral, and the compounds resulting from their union. The relations of water in the composition of min- erals is dealt with in a series running from a strictly anhydrous hematite to natron (hydr. carb. sodium), having 55 per cent of water. There are twelve specimens in this series, and behind each specimen a tube exhibits the relative proportion of water. 2°. Form and structure presented no very serious difficulties beyond the need of finding persons capa- ,ble of making the special models which were re- quired. This was satisfactorily accomplished after some delay. 3°. As examples of the methods pursued in illus- trating the physical properties of minerals, we can use the following: — (a) The density series, showing the range of min- erals in specific gravity. This series consists of twenty-seven minerals, including gold, which is twenty-one times heavier than water, and petroleum, which is lighter than that standard liquid. This gradation is made apparent to the eye by means of | glass tubes containing equal weights of each of the substances, reduced in the case of solids to a fine powder. Thus gold, with specific gravity 19.5, the heaviest substance, has necessarily the shortest, and petroleum, with specific gravity .75, the longest, tube; and the intermediate tubes show the gradations be- tween these. Thus a series is formed which exhibits clearly that the volume of minerals is inversely pro- portional to their specific gravity or weight. There are a number of series showing the relations of minerals to light, among which we may select, by way of illustration, that of the color test, or streak, of minerals. (b) Streak series: lustre metallic, and color mainly essential. This label stands at the head of nine specimens, each mounted upon the same block, with a piece of novaculite of uniform size, such as is used to try the streak of minerals, partly covered with a band of the powdered mineral. (c) Streak series: lustre non-metallic, and color non-essential except when white. This label is at the head of a precisely similar series, but consisting of eighteen minerals with their accompanying stones, exhibiting the great contrast between the color of minerals themselves and of their streaks upon the white surfaces of the novaculite. (d) There are also series of specimens showing the principal minerals which exhibit electrical properties either in their natural conditions, or only when acted upon by friction or heat. (e) Even the taste, touch, and odor of minerals are illustrated by similar series. ‘Though persons cannot imagine how a rare mineral tastes, feels, or smells simply from the sight of it, they all know some of the commoner minerals of the same series which are placed on exhibition. With the guidance of the col- lection, they can also more easily duplicate the speci- mens, and understand their relations. II. In the synoptical collection, the more important and abundant elements are here repeated, and each shelf is devoted to one of the grand divisions of the mineral compounds. Each division of minerals is represented by its most characteristic species ; and the subdivisions of the anhydrous and hydrous groups are indicated on the labels, wherever these occur. III. The systematie collection begins with the na- tive elements, which occupy one wall-case next to the synoptical collection, This is followed by the compounds. These fill the wall-cases on the remain- ing sides of the room; and here are exhibited the dif- ferent species of minerals arranged in their proper order as classified by Professor Dana, with some slight changes in the succession of the larger divis- 10ns, Models of the principal or most characteristic erys- g “May 18, 1883.] talline forms of each important species have been made out of plaster, and the surface hardened with parafiine in order to give a smooth finish. ‘These are mounted in the same manner as the substances whose structure they are used to illustrate. It was rightfully imagined, when the present gen- eral plan of arrangement for the museum was adopted, that the greatest obstacle in the path of any attempt to show that there was a gradation in the natural relations of the products of the earth would be the department of mineralogy. It has been found, how- ever, that the separation of minerals from the mother- rocks, on account of their purer composition and defi- nite forms, although purely artificial, has its logical uses. It enables one to explain with directness and precision the relations of all the elements and their strictly inorganic compounds, and to prepare the mind for the consideration of the more complicated aspects of the geological and biological collections. Mineralogy is therefore made the vehicle for the con- veyance of almost all the preparatory facts in physics and chemistry which are essential for the purpose of the museum. While such definite marks of gradation cannot be found in minerals as among animals and plants, there is in nearly every division of minerals, even With their present entirely artificial and probably unnatural classification, such distinctions as those of anhydrous and hydrous groups, the simple and double sulphides, the binary and ternary compounds. These have not yet been brought into correlation with the molecular structure, or with each other, in any natu- ral classification; and therefore we cannot say that the hydrous compounds are necessarily, on account of the addition of water to their chemical composi- tion, more complicated in their molecular structure than the anhydrous, or that the same is true of the double as compared with the simple sulphides, or yet of the ternary as compared with the binary com- pounds. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the facts are in every case facts of gradation. It makes no difference whether the gradation leads up or down, or mingles both of these tendencies. Whatever direction the true classification may eventually take is immaterial. The indications of what is already known show that gradation of some sort must be its marked character- istic; and this alone is sufficient to harmonize the whole provisionally with the other departments of the museum. : Important support, however, is derived from an opinion in which all chemists and mineralogists con- sulted seem disposed to agree. There are decided grounds for the belief that both the chemical and the molecular constitution of the elements may be con- sidered as less complicated than that of the purely inorganic and probably derivative compounds, and these, in turn, simpler than the hydro-carbons. The- oretically, also, one is safe in assuming that the latter, which are the products of organic bodies composed of their fossil remains, oils, gums, ete., more or less altered by the physical and chemical conditions to which they have been subjected, are of later deriva- tion in time than the strictly inorganic compounds, and that these, in turn, are probably more recent, as a rule, than the elements of which they are made up. i These fundamental facts are quite sufficient for the purposes of the collection, and permit a demonstra- tion of the fact that the same principles of classifica- tion apply in this department as in all others, _whether inorganic or organic. SCIENCE. 437 The curator is already in receipt of letters from eminent teachers and others, expressing their gratifi- cation at the results of the work in this department, and some of them strongly urge the immediate publi- cation of a proper catalogue. Harvard university, Cambridge, Mass. The Jefferson physical laboratory. — The plans of the new physical laboratory, presented to the univer- sity by Mr. T. Jefferson Coolidge, have now been so far discussed that we may give a general account of them. The building will be placed about in the cen- tre of Holmes Field, in the rear of the Scientific school, to avoid as much as possible all jars from passing vehicles. The nearest street (Oxford Street) will be about 300 feet from the east wing. The building consists of an eastern and a western section, each 60 X 60, connected by a central piece 80 X 40 ft. The eastern section will contain a large lecture-room, with a seating-capacity of between 275 and 300 students; above this, an immense laboratory, 60 < 60 ft., for the general use of undergraduates and less advanced students. The basement of this sec- tion will be occupied by a workshop, a battery-room, boilers, and coal-bins. The north side of the east section, flanking the lecture-room, is occupied by three stories of rooms for the physical cabinet. These also extend on the north side of the central piece, and are so arranged as to lead conveniently into the lecture-room, the general laboratory, the recitation- rooms, and also into the western section, where the rooms for special investigations are located. In the central piece, besides the space occupied by the cabinet, there are two recitation-rooms, a balance- room on the first floor, and, on the third floor, rooms for electric measurements, photometry, and a general library and balance room. Small entries and stair- ways at the east and west end of the centre piece give easy access to all parts of the building for the professors and special students. The undergraduates have access to the lecture-room and general labora- tory at the east end of the building by a stairway re- moved as far as practicable from the rooms devoted to special investigations. This arrangement, and the position of the engines and dynamos on the outside of the building across a deep insulating ditch, will prevent the jar of the machinery and the tramping of students from interfering with delicate observa- tions. The basement of the central piece is occupied by receiving-rooms, and storage for heavy pieces of ap- paratus. The western section is the one which the professors and instructors of physics have most carefully con- sidered. The lower floor contains rooms of moderate size, devoted to general use and special investigations, —rooms which will be fitted up with reference to electricity, heat, magnetism, and sound. In each room of the first floor there are independent piers, built up from the basement, insulated from the walls and floors upon which delicate instruments are to be placed. Similar rooms devoted to optics, electricity, and the Rumford laboratory, are lecated upon the second story. The third floor is as yet assigned to no definite use, and, with the exception of a room for photography, can be left to meet the wants of the future. ‘The basement of this section is occupied by a room for magnetism, one for heat, and one for weights and measures. A room for constant temper- ature is excavated below the basement floor in the centre of the building. To afford facilities for the study of atmospheric physics and experiments for which great height is 438 needed, a tower runs through the central part of the western section. The tower has a total height of 60 feet; it is built with double walls to isolate it from ne rest of the building, the outer walls carrying the oors. Above the roof, the sides of the tower are almost entirely of glass. There is free access to the four sides of the tower, as well as to the top, which is at a height of 72 feet from the basement-floor. Open- ings are left at every story to allow light to be sent to the central part of the tower. The piers of the first floor are also so arranged as to obtain lines of con- siderable length across the building. The doors are so placed that adjoining rooms are readily thrown open together. The laboratory, built to commemorate Ellen Wayles Coolidge, grand-daughter of Thomas Jeffer- son, has been named the ‘ Jefferson laboratory.’ It seems most appropriate that the name of one who was among the first to recognize the value of univer- sity education in this country should be connected with a building to be devoted to the investigation of some of the most interesting problems of nature. The cost of the building, with the necessary fix- tures, will be about $115,000. There is a fund of $75,000, the income of which is to be expended for the benefit of the physical laboratory, in addition to the appropriations and expenditures now incurred for physics by the college. NOTES AND NEWS. Zoologists the world over will regret to learn of the death of the genial and talented Wilhelm Karl Hartwig Peters, director of the zodlogical museum of Berlin, and younger brother of Dr. Peters of our own Clinton observatory. Dr. Peters was born at Colden- buttel, near Eiderstedt, in Schleswig, on April 22, 1815, and died in Berlin on the 20th of last month. Imme- diately after completing his studies in medicine and natural history at Copenhagen and Berlin, he under- took a journey to southern France and Italy to investigate the fauna of the Mediterranean. Return- ing to Berlin in 1840 as assistant in the anatomical institute of the university, he soon laid his plans for an independent investigation of the unexplored re- gions of Mozambique, in which he received the advice and support of his distinguished friends, Jo- hannes Miiller, Humboldt, Ritter, Ehrenberg, and Lichtenstein, and the powerful patronage of the king, Frederic William IV. He left for this journey — the great event of his life —in 1842, and was absent more than five years. Two years were spent in the inte- rior of Mozambique; but he also made journeys to the Comoro Islands, to Zanzibar, Madagascar, and the Cape, and, before his return, visited the coast of India. His Reise nach Mozambique, published between 1852 and 1868 in five quarto volumes, is the result of this exploration, and is a model for faunal work of this kind. Returning to Berlin in 1848, he was made pro- sector at the institute, afterwards professor extraor- dinary, and in 1857 succeeded Lichtenstein as full professor in the university, and director of the zod- logical museum. The museum, under his administra- SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 15. tion, early took the highest rank, which it has ever since held; and more than one American student has been cordially received within its walls. Peters’s studies were mainly given to the world in Miller’s Archiy, and the publications of the Berlin academy, to which he was elected in 1851. They covered nearly the entire field of zodlogy, but were specially devoted to mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, His geographical discoveries in Mozambique were published by Kiepert in 1849 in a map; and Bleelk’s Languages of Mozambique contains a portion of his linguistic studies. —The April number of the Harvard university bulletin, which has just appeared, contains fifty-six pages, of which thirty-one are devoted to the book- list. We notice recorded a copy (one of thirty) of the Maya manuscript in the Dresden library, reproduced in polychromatic photography. The appendices con- tain another instalment of Mr. Bliss’s classified index to the maps in Petermann’s Geographische mittheil- ungen (twelve pages), and of Mr. Winsor’s valuable bibliography of Ptolemy’s geography (seven pages). The University notes mention additions to the zo0- logical museum, the purpose of the observatory to collect astronomical photographs, and give an account, reprinted on p. 437, of the plans of the new Jefferson physical laboratory. Among the appointments ga- zetted, we notice that of Mr. J. Rayner Edmands and Mr. John Ritchie, jun., to the observatory, to be in charge of the time-service and the distribution of astronomical information respectively. — A general veterinary establishment for the treat- ment and care of lame, sick, or wounded horses, cat- tle, sheep, and dogs, is to be maintained in connection with the school of veterinary medicine, of Haryard university. The hospital will probably be ready for occupation June 15. The patients will be under the professional charge of Mr. Charles P. Lyman, fellow of the Royal college of veterinary surgeons, London, and professor of veterinary medicine in the univer- sity. The school will also have at its disposal com- modious buildings and pastures at the Bussey farm, where cattle can be received and cared for, and where horses not required for present use, or suffering from lamenesses or illnesses which require long seasons of rest, can receive all proper care and treatment, to- gether with the benefit of grass-paddocks in summer, and a warm straw-yard in winter. Any person hay- ing sick or lame animals to be cared for can procure for them the benefits of the establishment upon the payment of a fixed sum per day, covering board, treatment, and medicines. To each subscriber of ten dollars a year, a number of privileges will be given. On Tuesdays and Fridays a free clinic will be held. —The semi-annual meeting of the American antiquarian society was held in Boston on April 25 at eleven o’clock. About fifty members were present. The reports of the officers showed that the affairs of . May 18, 1883.] the society were in good condition, although the council felt the need of a special fund for the salary of a person to fill the place of the late Dr. S. F. Haven. Mr. Samuel S. Green of Worcester read a paper of local interest in relation to the First parish of that city; Mr. Andrew M. F. Davis of San Fran- cisco discussed the question of bearded men reported to have been seen by Moncatch-Apé on the Pacific coast of America before 1758; Mr. F. W. Putnam of Cambridge gave an account of the use of native metals by the mound-builders of the Ohio valley, and exhibited ornaments from the mounds made by hammering native copper, silver, gold, and meteoric iron; Mr. Putnam also read a paper on Iron in the Ohio mounds, a critical review of the misconceptions of two writers of sixty years ago; and Mr. H. W. Haynes of Boston presented by title a paper on Ancient soapstone-quarries. Two of these papers are noticed more fully in our Weekly summary. After adjournment the members were invited to lunch at the residence of Mr. James F. Hunnewell in Charles- town, after which a visit was made to Bunker Hill by invitation of the directors of the Monument association. —Mr. F. W. Putnam lectured on Recent discoy- eries in American archeology before the Harvard historical society, Cambridge, May 7, illustrating his discourse with stereopticon views. — The effort to raise money to pay off the debt of the Academy of sciences of Davenport, Iowa, has met with good success. Not only has enough been obtained for that purpose, but a start has been made with an endowment fund to place the institution on a firmer basis. The feeling of interest in the acade- my, which was created among the business-men at a meeting held April 24, continues to spread. There seems to be little doubt that the continued usefulness of the institution*is assured. —At the meeting of the American academy of arts and sciences, April 11, the papers read were by Professor William A. Rogers, Results of the com- parisons of three independent copies of the imperial yard, and of four independent copies of the metre of the archives; Dr. Otto Struve, Aberration; Mr. 8. C. Chandler, On the variable star, R. Aquarii; and by Prof. EH. C. Pickering, on the measurements made of the photographs of stellar spectra obtained by the late Dr. Henry Draper. — At a meeting of the section of mechanics and engineering of the Ohio mechanics’ institute, held April 24, Mr. Alfred R. Payne read a paper on Utili- zation of sewage from the hills, discussing the value of both the fertilizing material and the water-power. At the meeting of the section of chemistry and physics, April 26, papers were read by Prof. F. W. Clarke, on Tartrates of antimony; by Prof. H. T. Eddy, on the Kinetic theory of solids, fluids, and gases; and by Professor Robert B. Warder, on a SCIENCE. 439 Proposed systematic computation of data relating to the speed of chemical reactions. The section re- solved to undertake the computation (on some fixed system of units), with such co-operation as other chemists and physicists may kindly afford. — The summer course of instruction in botany in Harvard university will begin on July 6, and con- tinue six weeks, The principal part of the instruc- tion will be given by Professor William Trelease of the University of Wisconsin, but lectures will be given also by Professor Goodale. — Af the meeting of the Biological society of Wash- ington, April 27, the following communications were made: Prof. C. V. Riley, Another jumping-seed, Re- marks on bee-fly larvae and their singular habits, A burrowing butterfly larva; Mr. H. H. Birney, Remarks on Samia cynthia, the Ailantus moth; Pro- fessor Theodore Gill, The Stromateidae; Dr. Frank Baker, The origin of dextral preference in man. A field meeting of the society took place on Saturday, April 28, at Bladensburg. — At the meeting of the Society of arts of the Massachusetts institute of technology, April 26, Mr. A. E. Burton spoke on the Topographical methods of the U.S. coast-survey, and Mr. W. H. Pickering on the Sensitiveness of photographic plates. — On the 31st of March, the Weymouth and Chan- nel Islands steam-packet company’s steamer Aquila, on her way across the channel, was suddenly struck by mountainous seas, which sent her on her beam- ends, and washed the decks from stem to stern. As the decks became clear of water, the bulwarks were found to be broken in several places, one of the paddle-boxes was considerably damaged, the iron rail on the bridge was badly twisted, the pump was broken, the skylights broken, and the cabins flooded. Five minutes after the waves had struck the steamer, she came again into smooth water. —In 1882 there were built and registered in the United Kingdom, as British ships, 453 iron steamers having a gross tonnage of 676,338, and 64 steel steamers having a gross tonnage of 113,389. The percentage of steel gross tonnage is 14, while for 1881 it was but 11. There were 91 iron and steel sailing- ships built and registered during the same time, hay- ing a gross tonnage of 126,398. — The second number of Appalachia, vol. iii., has recently appeared. Prof. E. C. Pickering dis- cusses the value of mountain observations for astro- nomical work, and suggests the use in them of the horizontal telescope, lately devised by him, before which the observer may sit in a comfortable position and ina warm room. Mr. Scott, vice-president of the club, describes a trip to the Twin-Mountain range; and Mr. J. W. Chickering, a longer excursion to Roan Mountain, in North Carolina. Mr. E. G. Cham- berlain maps the Blue Hills near Boston, and gives a list of distant points seen from their summit. 440 Mr. W. O. Crosby presents the results of his studies on the mountain-reefs of eastern Cuba, of which an abstract will be printed in our geographic columns. Mr. J. Tatlock, jun., discusses the variation of baro- metric measurements with the season. Various re- ports and proceedings fill about half of the hundred pages. The club’s growth in popularity, as shown by its rapidly increasing membership of both sexes, has by no means diminished the scientific value of its publications. — The general catalogue of the American exhibit at the London fisheries exhibition, referred to ona previous page, and which is now in course of publi- cation, will be followed by a series of special cata- logues of the more important sections, which will contain much fresh information regarding the distri- bution, abundance, and relationships of the species exhibited. The handbooks of two sections — that of the birds, by Mr. Ridgway; and that of the inverte- brates, by Mr. Rathbun — are now in press. —It may not be generally known that Harvard college observatory took an important part in the early experiments made in astronomical photography. Under the direction of Prof. W. C. Bond, the first daguerrotype of a fixed star, and many early repre- sentations of other objects, were obtained there. After the invention of the collodion process, Prof. G. P. Bond returned to the subject, and obtained an interesting series of photographs of various celestial objects. While stars of the first magnitude only could be depicted by the daguerrotype, the new pro- cess rendered it possible to photograph stars of the fourth. Professor Bond paid special attention to the means afforded by photography for the accurate measurement of double stars. For this purpose he procured numerous photographs of the star Mizar (¢ Ursae Majoris), which he afterwards measured micrometrically. The accuracy of the results was re- markable; and the average discordance of the values obtained from the photographs taken on eight differ- ent evenings was only 0.5”. —The second part of vol. iii. of Anales of the Mexican national museum is devoted to the follow- ing papers: 1. Continuation of the study upon the Piedra del sol, by Alfredo Chavero; Glossary of Cas- tilian words derived from the Mexican, or Nahuatl, by Jesus Sanchez; Mexican antiquities, by Carlos Fernandez. In the list of Sr. Sanchez are more than two hundred words derived from the aboriginal Mexi- ean, a few of which are already in the vocabulary of the United States; and some of them have become reputable English words, such as, cacao (cacahuatl), cocoa (cocoa), copal (copalli), coyote (coyotl), Chile (Chilli), chocolate (pozolall?), mezcal (mexcalli), mez- quite (mizquitl), ocelote (ocelotl), pinole (pinolli), to- mato (tomatl), tule (tollin). — Professor Aeby has published a diagram of the course of the nerve-fibres in the human central ner- SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 15, i} q vous system, which is very warmly praised, and recommended to students and teachers alike. The publisher is Dalp in Bern; the price, 1 mark and 60 pfennigs. RECENT BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. Allieri, L. Equilibrio interno delle pile metalliche secondo le leggi della deformazione elastica. Roma, Loesche7, 1882. 119p., Ttables. 4°. Beilstein, F. Handbuch der organischen chemie. Voss, 1888. 2185p. 8°. Binzer, J. M. v. Vacuositiit und schwerkraft. Nachweis der gemeinsamen ursache der attractions- und grayitations-pha- nomene einschliesslich der magnetismus auf grund physikali- schen thatsachen. Salzburg, Dieter, 1883. 49p. 8°. Bottler, Max. Exkursions flora yon Unterfranken. Hin — taschenbuch zum leichten bestimmen der in Unterfranken, auf dem Steigerwalde und in der Rhon wildwachs. Phanerogamen. Kissingen, Hailmann, 1883. 6+208 p. 8°. Bowman, W.H. Lecture introducing his system of respi- ration for the development and treatment of the vital organs of the body. Boston, Judge, pr., 18838. 30p. 8°. Brunbauer, Paul. Der einfluss der temperatur auf das leben — der tagfalter. Inaug. diss. Miinchen, 1888. 115 p. 8°. Compte rendu des travaux du service du Phylloxera. Année 1882. Procts-verbaux de la session annuelle de la Com- mission supérieure du Phylloxera. Rapports et piéces annexes. Lois, décrets et arrétés relatifs au Phylloxera. Paris, Jmpr. nat., 1883. 603p. 8. Congres géologique international. Compte rendu de la 2d session, Bologne, 1881. Bologne, impr. Fara et Garagnani, 1882, 15+661p.,19 pl. 8°. Falb, Rud. Meteorologische betrachtungen mit besondere bezugnahme auf die periodischen ueberschwemmungen. Wien, Hartleben, 1882. 6+152p. 8°. Gilardini, G. Principio della scienza idraulica italiana. Milan, tip. Osserv. cattolico, 1882. 23p. 16°. International (Great) fisheries exhibition. London, 1883. United States of Ameri A. Preliminary catalogue and synop- sis of the collections exhibited by the United States fish com- mission and by special exhibiters; with a concordance to the official classification of the exhibition. Washington, Govern- ment, 1883. 106p. 8°. Kempe, H. R. Handbuch der elektrizitiitsmessungen. Aus — dem englisch iibertr. v. J. Baumann. Braunschweig, Vieweg, 1883. 8+308p. 8°. Konkoly, Nic. vy. Praktische anleitung zur anstellung as- tronomischer beobachtungen mit besonderer rucksicht auf die astrophysik. Braunschweig, Vieweg, 1883. 22+912 p., 345 cuts. 8°. Lassalle, C. Origin of the western nations and languages: showing the construction and aim of Punic recovery of the uni- versal language, reconstruction of Phoenician geography, Asiatic source of the dialects of Britain, principal emigrations from Asia, and description of Seythian society. With an appendix upon the connection of Assyrian with the language of western Europe, and Gaelic with the language of Scythia. London, Heywood, 1883. 420 p. 8°. Maine, Sir H. 8. Dissertations on early law and custom, chiefly collected from lectures delivered at Oxford. Lyndon, Murray, 1883. 402p. 8°. Moncel, Th. du, ect Geraldy, F. L’Electricité comme force motrice. Paris, achette, 1883. 308 p., 112 fig. 18°. Nebst, E. Moderne instrumentenkunde. Braunschweig, Vieweg, 1883. 22+912p., 345 cuts. 8°. New York— Department of public parks. New York meteorological observatory for the year 1882. City, 1883. (13\p.) #. North Carolina — Board of agriculture. of the agricultural experiment station for 1882. & Gatling, 1888. 8+150p. 8°. Rodriguez Mourelo, J. la radiafonia, estudio de una nueva propiedad de las vadiaciones. Madrid, impr. Mernandez, 1883. 15+286p., pl. 8°. Romanes, G. J. Scientific evidences of organic evolution. N.Y., Macmillan, 1883. (Nature series.) 6+88p. 12°, Taber, C. A. M. How the great prevailing winds and ocean currents are produced, and how they affect the temperature and dimensity of lands and seas. Boston, Wil/iams, 1882. 82p. 12°. Thurston, R. H. Conversion tables of metric and British or United States weights and measures. N.Y., Wéley, 1883. 12+83 p. 8°. Leipzig, Report of the INEZ, Annual report Raleigh, Ashe ae < ny May 25, 1883.] ._ FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1883. INTERNATIONAL BUREAU OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. In compliance with the requirements of the nineteenth article of the regulations, the inter- national committee of weights and measures has issued its report for the year 1882, and of the present condition in the progress of its im- portant work. It is the most satisfactory report so far made; and it shows every thing to be in such good order, and working so well, that the delivery of the international standards may be expected to be begun dur- ing next year. To the present time the prog- ress has necessarily been slow, as the impor- tant questions of means and methods had to be carefully considered before adoption. Now, however, we see the methods settled, the means at hand, and the contracts let for the delivery of the bars for the international metres, and the ingots for the kilograms. The report covers the operation of the cal- endar year 1882. During the year important advances were made in the instrumental outfit. The universal comparator, which was ordered in 1877, and was for four years in process of construction by Starke & Kammerer in Vienna, was received at Breteuil in November, and is now undergoing a thorough examination and testing of all its parts, previous to its use in determining the values of the new line metres. A contract has been entered into, between the bureau and the Société génevoise pour la construction Winstruments de physique et de mécanique, for the delivery, by the latter,-of a comparator for testing base bars, whether of line or end measure, .of lengths up to and in- cluding four metres ; the outfit of tlre compara- tor to include two four-metre line-standards, each subdivided into single metres by lines drawn on platinum-iridium plugs inserted at proper intervals. These standards are to be of wrought iron, T-shaped in cross-section. In addition to the subdivision into metres, one of these standards is to have two additional lines 0.051 metre within the four-metre lines (the "No. 16.— 1883. SCIENCE. 441 space so marked serving as a double-toise standard), and two lines 0.060 metre without the four-metre lines (this space serving as the standard for comparison of four-metre end- measures by the use of contact cylinders). The contract price for this apparatus, delivered and mounted, is 34,000 franes. It is to be deliv- ered at Breteuil before the end of July of this year. The balance for yacuum weighings was re- ceived, but certain defects in its construction required it to be returned to the maker for al- teration. Unhappily the condition of his health has delayed the necessary work ; and, as it did not seem probable that he would be able soon to give the matter his personal attention, the execution of the details of alteration has been intrusted to other hands, and it is expected that the balance will be in satisfactory working- order before the end of the present year. Un- der the care of M. Marek, the other balances have been placed in position; and every thing is in readiness for the weighings in air and for the hydrostatic weighings. The Fizeau expansion apparatus has been so modified as to admit of experiments in vacuum, and the tests of the modified apparatus have been most satisfactory. From the observations for the expansion of the platinum-iridium tripod of the apparatus, data were obtained for ascer- taining, more surely than ever heretofore, the index of refraction of air between 0° and 80° C. The air-thermometer apparatus has been perfected ; and it is hoped that the comparisons of thermometers, retarded by the illness of Dr. Pernet, will soon begin. ‘The contract for furnishing the bars for the metres, and the ingots for the kilograms, has béen given to Messrs. Johnson, Matthey, & Co., of London. ‘This house agrees to furnish thirty bars, x-shaped, and further specified as follows: the length to be 1.20 metres; the density, not less than 21.5; the alloy to be such, that, in 100 parts, there shall be not less than 89.75 nor more than 90.25 parts of plati- num, and not less than 9.75 nor more than 10.25 of iridium, with a tolerance of 0.1 iron, 0.1 ruthenium, 0.15 rhodium and palladium, 442 and 0.02 gold and silver. The bars are to be of homogeneous metal, entirely soluble in agua regia, and of uniform density. This density is to be ascertained from two specimens taken from the two ends of the bar. Before making the alloy, there shall be taken, from a mass of at least 20 kilograms, two specimens of each metal ; and the same shall be done withthe alloy before proceeding to make the bars or kilograms. These specimens will then be sent to a member of the international committee at Brussels, and to a member of the French section at Paris, respectively, for independent analysis ; and the work shall not proceed until these specimens are examined and approved. The bars shall present no defects which will not disappear in the finishing ; and this finishing shall not be undertaken until the rough bars have been sub- ° mitted, examined, and accepted, provisionally, by the French section. Messrs. Johnson, Mat- they, & Co., are left free to use their own judg- ment as to the best method of preparing the pure metal, of making the alloy, and of making the bars. If any bars are rejected, they shall be returned to the makers; and the French government shall not be held liable either for the labor expended or for the value of the metal. Messrs. Johnson, Matthey, & Co., further agree to furnish forty ingots of the same metal for the construction of the international kilo- grams. Hach piece is to weigh between 1.150 and 1.200 kilograms, and to be subject to the same conditions, regarding composition, alloy, and density, as the bars. For this work the makers are to receive 2,000 francs per kilogram for the alloy accepted, 2,500 franes for work on each bar, and 150 frances for work on each kilogram. In part- payment, they are to take all unused alloy at the rate of 900 franes per kilogram, and the sample specimens sent to Brussels and Paris at the rate of 2,000 frances per kilogram. Before undertaking the adjustment of the in- ternational standards, it was necessary to pre- pare authentic copies of the original prototypes. This delicate work was intrusted to two joint committees, composed of members of the inter- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 16. national committee and of the French section, one having charge of the comparisons of length, and the other of those of weight. The com- parisons were successfully made. ‘The copies of the méltre des archives and of the hkilo- gramme des archives are of platinum-iridium, fulfilling all the conditions aboye mentioned, as required for the new international standards. On the 26th of April, 1882, there was held a meeting, at which were present the minister of commerce, the director of the international bureau, and five members of the international committee and French section. After a state- ment of the comparisons made, and results obtained, the type-metre and type-kilogram were, in the presence of the above-mentioned parties, formally delivered into the hands of M. Broch, the director of the international bureau, who, from that moment, was charged with the care, custody, and preservation, of these im- portant articles. These types will serve as the standards for the international metres and kilograms ; and the limit of error allowable in the marking and adjustment of the latter is fixed at +8 microns for the metre, and +0.2 milli- gram for the kilogram. To hasten as much as possible the final ad- justment of the international standards, it is ordered that the French section transmit each metre and kilogram as it is ready, without waiting for the preparation of the entire num- ber. In this way the comparison and yerifica- tion will be in execution by the international committee, while the tracing of the metres, and adjustment of the kilograms, are being done by the French section. The construction and verification of the ther-| mometers which are to accompany the stand- ards will be the care of the international committee. During 1882 the personnel of the interna- tional committee remained unchanged. The committee will, however, soon suffer a loss in the departure of one of its most able members, — M. Marek, who leaves to accept a position in the Austrian bureau of weights and measures. The resignation of M. Marek was accepted, to take effect at the close of last year; but at “May 25, 1883.] the urgent request of the committee, and by permission of the Austrian government, he remains a few months to attend to the print- ing of important papers, which will appear in the next volume of the Travaux et mémoires of the bureau, and to superintend the adjust- ment of the new universal comparator. In the latter part of 1881 the kingdom of Roumania expressed a desire to subscribe to the regulations of the international commission, and is now numbered among the states repre- sented in that body. The metric system is now used in all official transactions in Roumania ; and on the ist of January, 1884, its use will become compulsory throughout the kingdom. RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN THE RE- GION OF THE GULF STREAM OFF THE EASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES BY THE U. 8S. FISH-COMMIS- SION.1 1. Introductory. AxLtTHouGH several extended surveys along the region of the Gulf Stream had been made by the officers of the U. S. coast-survey since 1844, no systematic dredging had been done along its course, north of Florida, until 1880. During the previous surveys, large numbers of bottom samples had been saved. Some of these were studied many years ago by Professor Bailey, and later by Mr. L. F. de Pourtalés.. “Many of the Foraminifera and other micro- scopic forms have been described by them. A few small shells from the same source were described by Dr. A. A. Gould in 1862. These investigations gave a general idea of the nature of the materials of the bottom and the depth, but many errors existed in the earlier surveys in the determinations of temperature, and in many cases the recorded depths were unre- liable. The extensive surveys made by the Blake, since 1880, have been conducted with much better apparatus and greater accuracy. The real character of the fauna inhabiting the bottom beneath the Gulf Stream, off our coast, was completely unknown until 1880, when numerous and successful dredgings were made, first, by Mr. Alexander Agassiz, on the coast-survey steamer Blake (J. R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding), and, later in the sea- son, by the U.S. fish-commission party, on the Fish Hawk. The Challenger, on her celebrated 1 This article is published by permission of the U. S. fish- commission. SCIENCE. 443 yoyage, made a line of dredgings from Ber- muda toward New York; but, on approach- ing our coast, she turned northward, and went to Halifax. Her station nearest to our coast was about 160 miles off New York, in 1,240 fathoms. This is much farther off the coast than any of the fish-commission dredgings, and outside the Gulf Stream slope. The few dredg- ings made by the Challenger off Halifax were partly on the shallow fishing-banks (Le Have bank), and partly in the deep water of the Atlantic basin. By mere chance, therefore, the Challenger missed the discovery of the exceed- ingly rich and varied deep-water fauna that is now known to occupy the Gulf Stream slope all along our coast. In 1872 one haul was made by Messrs. S. I. Smith and O. Harger, on the Bache, in 430 fathoms, south of George’s bank, on this slope; but it happened to be on a comparatively barren spot. In 1877 the U.S. fish-commission party dredged on the north- ward continuation of the slope, about 120 miles south of Halifax, in 90 and 190 fathoms ; but the bottom was of barren gravel, and the results meagre and unsatisfactory. In that region the cold currents are rapid, and the slope of the bottom is exceedingly steep, mak- ing the dredging very difficult. In 1880 Mr. A. Agassiz, while on the Blake, made several lines of dredgings off our eastern coast, cross- ing the Gulf Stream slope. The most south- ern of these were off the Carolina coasts, and the most northern stations were just south of George’s bank. These dredgings extended from shallow water to 1,632 fathoms. The Blake was furnished with excellent apparatus for sounding and dredging, temperature de- terminations, etc. The officers of the Blake secured by this exploration a large amount of reliable physical data; and Mr. Agassiz obtained very interesting collections, includ- ing large numbers of new forms of animal life, many of which have already been described in the bulletin of the Museum of comparative zoology. Later in the season of 1880, the U. S. fish- commission dredging-party, under the direction of the writer, made its first expedition to the Gulf Stream slope in the steamer Fish Hawk (Lieut. Z. L. Tanner commanding). The region visited was about 75 to 80 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, in 65 to 192 fathoms. On Sept. 4, when this ground was first visited by us, a long day was spent in dredging and trawling, and with marvellous results. The bottom was found to be occupied by an ex- ceedingly rich and abundant fauna, including ereat numbers of new and strange forms of 444 animals belonging to nearly all the marine or- ders. Many fishes never before taken on our coast were secured. Thousands of beautiful and undescribed star-fishes of niany species, with varied shapes and colors, encumbered our deck. Crabs and shrimps of strange kinds, some of them of large size, were taken by thousands. Numerous new and curious species 7 SCIENCE. though aided by the officers and sailors of th steamer, who shared more or less in our en- thusiasm, — from daylight in the morning fill late at night, to preserve what we had se- cured, notwithstanding we threw away many thousands of duplicates. Some idea of the) richness of this fauna, and of the abundance of life on the bottom in this region, may he SCE ei-via it Mar I. —Southern coast of New England to the Gulf Stream slope, showing lines of depth and the a tions of the principal dredging-stations of the U.S. fish-commission, 1871, 1874, 1875, 1880-82. The crosses’ (+) indicate dredging-stations, part of which are accompanied by their serial numbers corresponding to the records and published lists. in 1880. of shells, some of them very beautiful ; bushels of large and brilliantly colored sea-anemones, several of them over a foot across, and most of them previously unknown; with sea-pens and corals of elegant forms and colors, — were among the more conspicuous treasures secured on that ever memorable day. So successful were we, that it required the most diligent and devoted labor on the part of our entire party,— Those bearing numbers between 309 and 347 were occupied by the Blake i - gathered from the fact that it required about five barrels of alcohol to preserve the portion of the catch that we saved on this one day, and a similar amount was used by us on ya rious subsequent trips in a single day. On our first day eight hauls were made, mostly with a large beam-trawl. There was a very heavy swell, due to a violent cyclone that had prevailed farther south a few days before. & ws he care of the specimens were unusually tire- some: otherwise our enthusiasm would, per- _ Fig. 1.—The beam-trawl. The length of the beam, a, a, varies from 12 to 15 feet in those used by us. The height of the iron runners, 0, b, supporting the beam, varies from 24 to 30 inches; the length of the net, d, from 25 to 85 feetormore. The pockets, e, peihin the net, are to prevent the escape of fishes. : he drag-rope, ¢, c, is weighted with lead sinkers. haps, not have allowed us to retire, even at ‘midnight. But a touch of genuine seasickness will dampen the ardor even of the most enthu- siastic naturalists when hundreds of new and trange species are before them. This first trip having been so successful, two thers were made, later in the season, to other ‘parts of the slope, in depths ranging from 85 o© 500 fathoms. Each trip proved equally roductive, and added many species to the long list of discoveries. In 1880 the headquarters of the fish-com- ission were at Newport, R.I.; but in 1881 and 1882 they were at Wood’s Holl, Mass., here a laboratory had already been fitted up in 1875. In 1881 and 1882 the exploration of the Gulf Stream slope was continued, when- ver the weather was sufficiently favorable to ermit us to make a trip in the Fish Hawk without too much risk. The steamer Fish Hawk, with which we have explored this region during the past three seasons, was built particularly for use in the hatching of shad-eges in the mouths of shal- low rivers, and was therefore not adapted for ervice at sea, unless in fine weather. A much arger iron steamer —the Albatross, of 1,000 tons — has recently been built for the use of the fish-commission, and is now being fitted Ip expressly for deep-sea service, for which “she will be in every respect well adapted, and will have the best equipment possible for such ‘investigations at all depths. The examina- tion of the bottom beyond the depth of about a ‘ SCIENCE. 445 700 fathoms has, therefore, been deferred until the completion of the Albatross. In addition to the three trips made in 1880, seven trips were made by us in 1881 from Wood’s Holl, and in 1882 five trips. During these fifteen trips, on each of which a single entire day was usually employed in dredging, we occupied about 113 stations. At nearly all these stations we used a large beam-trawl of improved construction (fig. 1). In a few Fie. 2.— The rake-dredge rigged for use. The iron frame carrying the teeth, d, is about 3 feet wide; the teeth, about a foot long. The frame, a, carrying the net, b, is 4 feet long; c is a canvas bag to pro- tect the net. instances we used a large rake-dredge (fig. 2). On every trip fine surface-nets, or towing- 446 nets (fig. 3), were used to capture free- swimming animals, whenever the motion of the steamer was sufficiently slow to permit Fic. 3. — The towing-net, in the position that it takes while in use, half buried beneath the surface of the water. Those used by us are mostly 10 to 14 inches in diameter. this mode of collecting. In these towing-nets, and in long-handled dip-nets, we secured a great variety of pelagic creatures, such as jelly-fishes, Salpa, Sagitta, various small Crus- tacea, and especially large numbers of Ento- mostraca. Our dredgings in this region now cover a belt about 160 miles long, east and west, and about 10 to 25 miles wide. The most eastern stations are south-east of Cape Cod; the most western are south of Long Island. They are mostly between 80 and 110 miles from the coast-line of The southern New England (see map, p. 444). SCIENCE. [Vou. 1, No. 16. regular work of the party during the season, Capt. Tanner made a special trip to the Gulf Stream slope, off Chesapeake Bay, in 1880, and another off Delaware Bay in 1881. On both of these occasions valuable collections were made, and additional data in regard to the depth and temperature were obtained. He occupied seven stations, in 18 to 300 fath- oms, in 1580; and eight stations, in 104 to 435 fathoms, in 1881. These dredgings show the direct southward continuation of the in- shore cold belt, and the warm belt outside of it, as well as the cold deep-water belt, with but little changein the fauna of each. 2. Physical features of the region. The total number of species of animals al-— ready obtained by us from deep water in this” area is not less than 800. The number already identified or described, and entered on our lists of the fauna, is about 650. This number includes neither the Foraminifera nor the En- tomostraca, which are numerous, and but few of the sponges. Of this list, less than one-— half were known on our coast before 1880, and a large number were entirely unknown to science. Of fishes there are, perhaps, 70 species. Of the whole number, already deter-— mined, about 265 are Mollusca, including 14 l MAIN I | I Il iT Ml TTT it Mu ma HN nh I Ht Il Ht INT HA Il Init BN a iM HALL ALU it if Leg) MN i al = ee iy MYM ta nae a8 ZN ‘iF MN Zh 30841 << | DIAGRAM 1.—To illustrate the relative slope or profile of the bottom, from the shore to the Gulf Stream slope, and across portions of the slope in several lines. The vertical shading indicates the position of the compara- shows the actual slope along the line n-o. Vertical to horizontal scale, 1: 360. The line no" tively warm water, both of the surface and of the Gulf Stream; oblique shading to the right indicates the cold water of the shallow plateau; oblique to the left, the cold water of the greater depths. depths are mostly between 65 and 700 fathoms. Probably no other equally large part of the ocean basin, in similar depths, has been more fully examined than this. In addition to the Cephalopoda; 90 are Crustacea; 60, Echino- dermata; 35, Anthozoa; and 65, Annelida. The apparatus used on the Fish Hawk has — been better in many respects than most other May 25, 1883.] vessels engaged in such work have had. Hach year new improvements have been made. The of the “trawl-wings,’ first introduced by us in 1881, have been used with great success; for they have brought up numerous free-swimming ani- mals from close to the bottom, which would not otherwise have been taken. ‘The use of steel wire for sounding, and of wire rope for dredging, has enabled us to obtain a much ereater number of dredgings and temperature observations than would have been possible under the old system of using rope, employed even on the Challenger. The use of steel- wire rope for dredging, first invented by Mr. A. Agassiz, and very successfully employed by him on the Blake, has proved to be an improvement of very great value in deep water. By its use there is an immense saving of time, and consequently a great increase in the value of the results. As an illustration of the rapidity with which dredging has been done on the Fish Hawk by using the’wire rope reeled upon a large drum, I give here memo- randa of the time required to make a very successful haul. In 640 fathoms, at station No. 1124, the large trawl was put over at 4.29 P.M.; it was on the bottom at 4.44, with 830 fathoms of rope out; commenced heaving in at 5.17; it was on deck at 5.44 p.m.; total time for the haul, 1 hour and 15 minutes. The net contained several barrels of specimens, including a great number and large variety of fishes, as well as of all classes of invertebrata, — probably more than 150 species altogether, many of them new. At all the localities that we have examined, the temperature of the water, both at the bottom and surface, was taken, as well as that air. In many cases, series of tem- peratures at various depths were also taken. Many other physical observations have also been made and recorded. Lists of the animals from each haul haye been made with care, and arranged in tables, so far as the species have ‘100 miles from the mainland. been determined up to date. South of New England the bottom slopes very gradually from the shore to near the 100-fathom line, which is situated from 80 to This broad, shallow belt forms, therefore, a nearly level, submarine plateau, with a gentle slope sea- ward. Beyond the 100-fathom line the bottom descends rapidly to more than 1,200 fathoms into the great ocean-basin, thus forming a rapidly sloping bank, usually as steep as the slope of large mountains, and about as high as Mount Washington, New Hampshire. This is well shown by diagram 1, which illustrates the SCIENCE. 447 relative slope at several lines of dredging, and the actual slope n’—o’ along the line n—-o. We eall this the Gulf Stream slope, because it underlies the inner portion of the Gulf Stream all along our coast, from Cape Hat- teras to Nova Scotia. In our explorations a change of position of less than 10 miles, trans- verse to the slope, sometimes made a differ- ence of more than 3,500 feet in depth. [Zo be Continued.] THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES EXHIBITION. Iris just thirty-two years, nearly the third part of a century, since international exhibi- tions were inaugurated. The ‘Great exhibi- tion’ of 1851 marks an epoch in the history of England. It brought with it new aspirations for culture, and new methods of education in science pure and applied, in the arts aesthetic and industrial, arousing them to a new intel- lectual life. ‘‘ The Great exhibition of 1851,’’ remarks a popular novelist, a social philosopher as well, ‘‘did one great service for country people: it taught them how easy it is to get to London, and what a mine of wealth, espe- cially for after-memory and purposes of con- versation, exists in that big place.’’ It gave them the great treasure-houses of South Ken- sington, and the smaller kindred museums in all parts of the United Kingdom. The world at large has profited by the same experience, though perhaps to a less degree. Eyery nation, almost every great city, has had its ‘ world’s fairs,’ and, according to its capaci- ty, has profited by their lessons. It is doubtful whether we shall ever see another universal exhibition so extensive as those of Philadelphia (1876), of Vienna (1873), and of Paris (1867). The ideal has become too lofty ; and the exhi- bition of to-day, like the worker, must be de- voted to a specialty. The fisheries exhibition, soon to open at South Kensington, is as nearly as possible upon the site of the exhibition of 1851, and covers precisely the same area of ground ; namely, twenty-one acres. It would be instructive to estimate how large an extent of territory would be covered by an exhibition in which should be represented, with the mi- nuteness of to-day, all the divisions of the classification of 1851, — a classification, which, for minuteness, comprehensiveness, and philo- sophical system, has not since been equalled. An entire English shire would hardly suffice. Special exhibitions have probably entirely superseded those of general scope, and their number is yearly increasing. In one year, re- 448 cently, the government of Austria participated in fifteen. Amsterdam, Zurich, Lisbon, Ham- burg, Vienna, Madras, and Tokio, among oth- ers, have exhibitions of varying scope now in progress, or soon to open. The fisheries exhibition is an institution at the success of which even the most sanguine seem to be astonished. No one has yet pro- pounded a theory which explains satisfactorily the reason why these exhibitions succeed, yet succeed they do, perhaps more fully than special exhibitions of any other kind; and, moreover, they seem to enlist the interest of a larger number of scientific workers than do other exhibitions, though, of course, the elec- trical, geographical, and meteorological exhibi- tions are attractive in a higher degree to the students of those individual specialties. The Berlin fisheries exhibition of 1880 was largely under the control of specialists in science. Among its most active supporters were men like Virchow, Peters, Magnus, Hilgendorf, Dohrn, Mébius, Von Siebold, Nitsche, Oscar Schmidt,,H. A. Meyer, Witt- mack, and Jager, almost all of whom were on the board of direction; while, as commission- ers and jurors, Italy sent Targioni-Tozzetti, Giglioli, Ricchiardi, Pavesi, Vinciguerra, and Cavanni, in short, all her marine zodlogists ; Bohemia, Fritsch ; Denmark, Litken ; Russia, De Solsky and Grimm; Norway. Raasch and Collet ; and Sweden, Smitt, Thorel, and Malm. It is not difficult to understand why a states- man, diplomatist, and political economist like Professor Virchow should be willing to give up his days and nights for two months to com- mittee and jury meetings, when it is remem- bered how much stress Germany places upon all which relates to the food-supply and the economy of all natural resources ; but other in- terests must have influenced men like Von Siebold and Peters. : A similar array of names known to science appears in the prospectus of the London ex- hibition. Among the vice-presidents are the Duke of Argyll, Lord Walsingham, Sir John Lubbock, Professor Huxley, Dr. Gunther, and Mr. Spottiswoode, several of whom, together with Professor Flower, Mr. Robert H. Scott, Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen, and Mr. Sayille Kent, are members of the general committee. It seems a little remarkable, however, to see the name of the president of the Royal society standing at the very tail of the list of vice- presidents, followed only by ‘‘ The prime war- den, wardens, and court of assistants, of the fishmongers company.’’ At the other extreme is placed H. R. H. the Duke of Edinburgh. SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 16. James Russell Lowell, Esq., is also a vice- president, his name standing between those of the Duke of Westminster and the Marquess of Salisbury. Among the foreign commissioners are Prof. F. A. Smitt of Stockholm, R. Trybom of Lund, and Dr. Malm of Gothenburg, Professor De Solsky of St. Petersburg, Professor Hu- brecht and Baron Von Hert of Utrecht, Pro- fessor Giglioli of Florence, Professor Nitsche of Tharandt, and Dr. M. Lindeman of Bremen. Surgeon-Gen. Francis Day is acting as com- missioner for India. An examination of the classification of the exhibition discloses the nature of the tie which binds together the varied interests represented in the lists of names which have been quoted. The ethnologist and the mechanician, as well as the fisherman, are concerned in the ‘ fishing- gear and the fishing-craft of all nations ;’ the meteorologist and the pharologist, as well as the philanthropist, in the ‘ life-saving appara- tus of all kinds ;’ the physicist, as well as the navigator, in the ‘*‘ compasses, barometers, tele- scopes, lights, lamps; fog-horns, systems of signalling, electric lights, luminous paint and other equipments of fishing-vessels,’’? and in ‘*methods of communication from the shore to lightships and fishing-fleets by submarine cables, telephone, or other means of signal- ling ;’’ while the geographer and geologist find something to interest them in the charts and relief-models of the ocean and its bottom. ‘The - chemist, the sanitarian and physiologist, as well as the merchant, transporter, and manufac- turer, are touched by the section which illus- trates the preparation, preservation, and utiliza- tion of fish, and the food, apparel, and dwellings of the fishermen. The jurist, the statesman, and the historian may study the ‘‘ History and literature of fishing, fishery-laws, and fish-com- merce.’’ Biologists of every class must study classes IV. and V.; for the word ‘fish’ is broadly interpreted, and is held to signify any creature living in the waters: to wit, as enu- merated, a, Algae, to be arranged under gen- era and species, with localities appended; 6, sponges in their natural state ; ¢, corals in their natural state, polyps, jelly-fish, ete. ; d, ento- zoa and epizoa; e, mollusca of all kinds; f, star-fishes, sea-urchins, holothurians ; g, worms used for bait, or noxious ; leeches, ete. ; h, per- fect insects, and larvae of insects, which are destroyers of spawn, or serve as food for fish ; 7, crustacea of all kinds; 4, fish of all kinds ; J, reptiles, such as tortoises, turtles, terrapins, liz- ards, serpents, frogs, newts, etc.; m, aquatic and other birds hostile to fish or fishing; n, _ May 25, 1883.] SCIENCE. ROYAL ALBERT HALL CONSERVATORY ED BR HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY SCALE or FEET. 20 449 450 aquatic and amphibious mammalia (otters, seals, whales, ete.), and others detrimental to fish. As if this were not sufficiently catholic, division 40 is a trap to catch any interests not already retained. It is defined as follows, un- der the head ‘ scientific investigation: ’ physi- co-chemical investigation into those qualities of salt and fresh water which affect aquatic animals ; investigation of the bottom of the sea and of lakes, shown by samples ; aquatic plants in relation to fishing, etc. ; researches into the aquatic fauna (animals of the several classes preserved in alcohol, or prepared, ete.) ; appa- ratus and implements used in such researches. Ten of the twenty-three subjects announced for the essays are purely biological, and many of the others can be handled only by scientific investigators. The fisheries exhibitions of to-day are there- fore more than their names would seem to indicate. Perhaps they might more appropri- ately be called hydrological exhibitions. Their scope has increased as they have become more popular. The first, held-at Amsterdam in 1861, was much less ambitious. Others followed at Bergen, Norway (1865), Arcachon, France (1866), Bologne (1866), The Hague (1867), Aarhuus, Denmark (1867), Vienna (1867), Gothenburg, Sweden (1867), Havre (1868), Naples (1871), Berlin, London (1878) ; and in Berlin, in 1880, the climax was apparently reached in a display, which, for extent and completeness, no one supposed would ever be surpassed. Great Britain as since had exhi- bitions at Edinburgh, Norwich, and Tyne- mouth; and attention of the whole nation is now concentrated upon the exhibition which is to be opened by the Queen on the 12th. It is generally admitted that it is the most impor- tant exhibition held here since the Great ex- hibition of 1851. Twenty-five nations and colonies are represented. In the catalogues and in the announcements the place of honor is given to the United States; and the officers do not hesitate to admit that the success of the affair was largely assured by the prompt and liberal action of our government, — action which may be regarded as, in part, an ac- knowledgment of the yery generous manner in which England participated in our own ex- hibition in Philadelphia in 1876. G. Brown Goope. South Kensington, May 1. THE WEDGE-PHOTOMETER. Tuts instrument has been attracting con- siderable attention during the last year, and has been especially studied by Professor Pritch- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. ard of Oxford and Professor Pickering of Harvard, to each of whom we owe a form of the instrument. It depends for its efliciency on the accurate observation of the time of extinction of the light of a star; and as it is evident that the various sources of error in photometric work — moonlight, the state of the atmosphere, the condition of the eyes of the observer, the position of observation, whether that of comfort or constraint — would affect a faint point of light near extinguish- ment more than they would the brighter lights used in other photometric methods, any con- tribution to the question of the accuracy to be expected from the wedge-photometer may be of interest. The instrument employed by me is of the form suggested by Professor Pickering. It was made by Mr. J. Grunow of New York, and seems to be very good work. It consists of a wedge of London smoke glass an inch — square, and about a twentieth of an inch thick at its blunt edge, a large low-power positive eye-piece, and a special adapter, and is a very convenient photometer to use. The color of - the wedge is deep enough to give one magni- tude of the ordinary scale of the brighter stars for each five seconds in the time of extinction at the equator. For the study of the accuracy of obser- vation with this instrument, I selected the Durchmusterung star 22°.2164, of which Ar- gelander puts the magnitude at 5.3. In obser- vation I took alternate observations on this, and the star to be compared with it, until I had five for each star, which I called a set of observations. By this method I made the con- ditions of observation as nearly as possible the same for the two stars, and thus the differ- ence in their time of extinction nearly free from error. My comparisons were made chiefly with the star Durchmusterung 22°.2163 of the cata- logued magnitude 8.8. Between April 2 and April 29 I made twenty-eight sets of observa- tions on the two stars. The difference in their time of extinction varied from 19.1 seconds to 21.6 seconds ; approximating, however, pretty closely to the mean 20.6 seconds, of which the probable error was + 0.09 in seconds, equiv- alent to +0.015 in magnitudes. The mean error of a single set of observations is +£0.68 seconds, or £0.12 magnitudes. 98} 100} 100 100 | —2}/—2/—2 CUNY org ° 90 100 100 100 | —10 } —10 | —10 cs) oats 84} 100] 100 87 | —16 | —16 | — 3 ak) 6 80 73 73 94 ff 7) —14 “20 . * 84 83 82 100 1 2) —16 CORP AE ° 74 53 62 61 21 12 13 O22, 87 17 78 88 10 9/—1 “6. 23 76 60 72 89 16 4 | —13 OP Sa OWS 83 73 69 94 10 14 | —11 5) Se ee 78 79 100 | 100 | —1 | —22 | —22 CU) OA} he Ce a 80 60 73 68 20 7 12 CON DU Gee is 84 70 52 87 14 32 | —3 CU PAS Cy Bal te ad 81 79 68 | 100 2 13 | —19 Mean for Feb. . 83 81 80 91 2 3|/—8 Iowa Circle «© March . 64 12 68 85) | —7|— 4] —21 As an illustration of the varying results ob- tained by the common method of observing this hygrometer, I have given the preceding table, showing the relative humidity at four stations in Washington. 1. Kendall Green. This station is situated about'a mile and a half SCIENCE. 508 north-east of the capitol, and has an exposure of thermometers some fifty feet above ground. 2. Fort Myer, situated about three miles west, and has an exposure about forty feet above ground. 38. West Washington, situated about three miles west, with an exposure about thirty feet above ground. 4. Naval observa- tory, about two miles west, with an exposure four feet above ground. This table shows an extreme difference of 35% for a single observation. The very high per cent found at the observatory is due in part to the exposure being so near the ground. This suggests an interesting subject for inves- tigation. It has been determined by experi- ment in Europe, that, with proper precautions, the actual air-temperature is the same, whether measured at five or a hundred feet above ground. Now, if it be found that the lower exposure gives higher percentage of moisture, due to the settling of fog-banks or strata of damp air, it becomes a matter of the highest importance to ascertain the differences in moisture in different strata, and to settle upon some uniform height for all hygrometric obser- vations. During the past winter, I have made a large number of readings, hoping to remove some of the recognized difficulties in this class of ob- servations. The exposure of the hygrometers was from a north window forty feet above ground. Great care was taken to exclude all heated currents. The temperatures were from 10° to 50° F. As an example of these observations, I ap- pend a table exhibiting two sets of readings taken on Feb. 15, 1883. The air was perfectly still, and the pressure was 30.40”. The read- ings were made at intervals, as shown in the table, without disturbing the instrument. Readings of dry- and wet-bulb hygrometer on Feb. 13, 1883. FIRST SET. SECOND SET. Temperature. Temperature. Time. RMA ks ea a a Time. Dry. Wet. Dry. Wet. | 4.29 A.M. - Wetted. || 5.37 a.m. - Wetted. UB fe G3 31.8° 32.1° 5.47 * 31.5° 821° 4.50 ‘* 31.3 31.4 64 ‘% 31.8 32.0 0 ae 31.1 30.3 pilyy 30.9 ~ 30.9 5.14 ‘ 310 30.0 6.28p., 5 pl., illustr. 4°. : Galton, Francis. Inquiries into human faculty and its de- velopment. N.Y., Macmillan, 1883. 12+880p.,6pl. 8°. Griffin, La Roy F. Lecture notes in chemistry: a syllabus of chemistry, compiled principally from the manuals of Miller and of Roscoe and Schoelemmer. Philadelphia, Sower, Potts, & Co., [1883]. 6+99p. 12°. Houghton farm. Series Il. Experiment department. No: 1-2. N.Y., Dodge pr., 1883. 45p.,4pl. 8°. Iowa state academy of sciences. Constitution and by-laws [including summary of transactions]. Des Moines, Brewster pr., 1882. 24p. 12°. Joly, N. Man before metals. N.Y., Appleton, 1888. 8+365 p. 12°. Kayser, H. Lehrbuch der Springer, 1883. 11+358 p., illustr. Keller, C. Das thierleben in grossen meerestiefen. Schwabe, 1883. 8°. Kraepelin, Karl. thiere. Hine historisch-krit. studie. 48p.,3pl. 4°. Macloskie, G. Elementary botany, with student’s guide to the examination and description of plants. N.Y., Holt, 1883. 8+373 p., illustr. 12°. Muller, F. Max. India: what can it teach us? A course of lectures delivered before the University of Cambridge. London, Longmans, 1888. 11+402p. 8°. National academy of sciences. Constitution and member- ship, April 21, 1883. Washington, Academy, 1883. 24p. 8°. Ontario — Entomological society. Report for the year 1882. Toronto, Robinson pr., 1883. 83p. 8°. ‘ Page, T. Physical geography of mountains and rivers; to- gether with a general explanation of geographical terms. Lon- don, Moffatt, 1883. 80p. 12°. Palestine exploration fund. The survey of western Pales- tine. Memoirs of the topography, orography, hydrography, and archeology. Vol. 3. Sheets 17-26. London, Hund, 1883. 7+450 p. 4°. Palmer, A.S. Folk-etymology: a dictionary of verbal cor- ruptions or words perverted in form or meaning by false deriva- tion or mistaken analogy. N.Y., Holt, 1883. 22+664p. 8°. Perrot, G., and Chipiez, C. of the water over this plateau is decidedly lower; for cod- fish, even, are taken here in large numbers in winter. This plateau, especially over its shal- lower portions, has, therefore, a variable cold Stream is noticed near- er the coast than in winter ; but this, doubt- less, applies strictly or chiefly only to the sur- face water. But in summer, owing to the heat of the sun, there is often very little differ- ence between the tem- perature of the sur- face water at the Gulf Stream and on the in- shore plateau. Our in- vestigations show that the warm belt, in 65 to 125 fathoms, is inhab- ited by a peculiar south- ern fauna that could not exist there if the Gulf Stream did not flow along this area at the bottom, both in winter and summer. It is evi- dent that what many of these species require is not a very high, but a nearly uniform temperature all the year round. Such an equable temperature could not exist in this region, except under the direct and constant influence of the Gulf Stream. On the lower part of the slope, in 300 to 780 fathoms, we found numerous arctic forms of life, corresponding to the lower temperature, which, at 300 to 500 fathoms, is usually 41° to 40° F.; and, at 500 to 1,200 fathoms, 40° to 38° F. On the in-shore plateau, which is occupied by a branch of the cold arctic current, about 30 miles wide, we found that the temperature of the bottom water usually varied from 46° to 42° F. in August, at the depths of 30 to 60 fathoms. In some instances DragRam 4.— Temperature curves at the bottom and surface (0), and at the intermediate depths of 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100 fathoms. These obserya- tions were all made Sept. 14, 1881. This illustrates the rise in temperature between 30 and 50 fathoms from the surface. climate. But the deep water, below 300 fath- oms, has a uniformly cold climate. It is evident that the warm belt is here a comparatively narrow zone along the bottom, wedged in between the cold waters of the in-shore plateau and the still colder waters that cover the outer and deeper part of the Gulf Stream slope. The actual breadth of this warm belt varies, however, according to the steepness of the slope, and in consequence of variations in the currents. Just south of Martha’s Vineyard, as will be seen by map I, the slope appears to be less rapid than it is either to the east- ward or southward, and consequently there is here a broader area occupied by the warm belt, iS aes < 504 especially between the 65 and 150 fathom lines. Probably this warm belt finally narrows out and disappears from the bottom before reach- ing the coast of Nova Scotia. We have hitherto obtained no evidence of such a belt off that coast from temperature observations and the character of the fauna; therefore it is probable that the cold water of the greater depths there mingles directly with that of the in-shore plateau. Southward, the warm belt continues to the Straits of Florida, and beyond, the depth of the water characterized by iden- tical temperatures gradually increasing as we go south. At Cape Hatteras this belt be- comes very narrow, owing to the abrupt- ness of the slope, and approaches much nearer to the shore; but off the Carolina coasts it spreads out over a wide area, which is inhabited by a rich fauna, similar to that investigated by us off Martha’s Vineyard. : Many of the species are already known to be identical. In the following summary table are shown the usual range of variation, and the approxi- mate ayerage temperature at the bottom, in the more characteristic zones of depth, beyond 20 fathoms, in summer ; — Bottom temperatures. Fathoms. Usual range. eae) 20 to 25 45°-51° Fah. 49° Fah. 25 to 58 420-469 - ‘é AdOr ca 66 65 to 180 470-5389“ AAO 02 65 to 150 AGI= 539 49.5° << 65 to 190 43°— 53° 48,59 <° 150 to 200 43°-50° ATO) SS 200 to 300 419-469 “< AIBA) 0G 300 to 450 49°-429 “* 40.55 “* 450 to 600 40°-41° * 49° <é 600 to 800 89°- 40.59 ** Biyets) 46 800 to 1,400 889= 392° 7£ BOs00) ee [From this table, and from the diagrams (2 and 3), a few of the published temperature observations, which were abnormally high, have been excluded, because they were probably erroneous, owing to a displacement of the index, or some other accident. | A singular feature of the serial temperatures taken at many stations is illustrated by diagrams 3 and 4“ In twenty-nine localities out of thirty-six, where sufficiently full series of temperatures were taken, the temperature was lower at 20 to 30 fathoms than at 50 fath- oms. ‘Usually the temperature falls pretty regularly from 5 to 30 fathoms; it then rises often three or four degrees, and sometimes eight SCIENCE. to ten degrees, at 50 fathoms, falling again at 100 fathoms; but the temperature at 100 fathoms was often higher than at 30 fathoms. In some cases, as shown in diagram 4, the temperature was lower (45° F.) at 30 fathoms than even at the bottom in 200 to 250 fathoms. There is often, therefore, a stratum of colder water, 20 to 40 fathoms beneath the surface, overlying the warmer Gulf Stream water, situ- ated between 50 and 100 fathoms, below the surface in this region. This stratum of cold water may be a lateral extension of the cold water of the in-shore plateau, situated at simi- lar depths. Perhaps the greater density of the Gulf Stream water, due to evaporation, may so nearly balance the increase in density due to lower temperature as to make this a phenomenon of constant occurrence at these depths. 5‘ It happened not infrequently that the sur- face temperature, early in the morning, when we usually began dredging, was one or two degrees lower than that at 5 fathoms, but, dur- ing the middle of the day, the surface water was generally slightly warmer than that at 5 fathoms. These changes are illustrated by some of the lines on diagrams 3 and 4. [ Lo be continued] TRANSFERRED IMPRESSIONS AND VISUAL EXALTATION. TuereE has recently appeared in the fort- nightly review an article by Messrs. Edmund Gurney and F. W. M. Myers, regarding the subject of what is popularly known as clair- voyance. By these authors it is termed ‘transferred impression.” The gentlemen in question, working under the auspices of the Society for physical research, have, as they claim, collected an enormous amount of evi- dence, all tending to prove that the mind ean, under certain conditions, receive impressions through other agencies than the senses. The mental conditions under which this power is developed are generally abnormal, either as regards the Percipient or the person per- ceived, who is called the Agent. The cases are classified in accordance with this condition. I append here a specimen of the stories which these gentlemen attest as true. ‘« A mesmerist, well known to us, was re- quested by a lady to mesmerize her, in order to enable her to visit in spirit certain places of which he himself had no knowledge. He failed to produce this effect, but found that he could lead her to describe places unknown to her, but familiar to him. Thus, on one [Vou. J., No. 19. JUNE 15, 1883.] oceasion he enabled her to describe a particular room, which she had never entered, but which she described in perfect conformity with his recollection of it. It then occurred to him to imagine a large open umbrella as lying on a table in this room, whereupon the lady imme- diately exclaimed, ‘I see a large open um- brella on the table.’ ”’ Now, the facts which these gentlemen are trying to establish are entirely antagonistic to modern physiological views, as I have writ- ten elsewhere (New- York medical record). It is now believed that the senses were devel- oped in order to enable the animal to adjust itself better to its environment. They were evolved primarily 6y the environment rather than for it. And in the history of animal evolution there are absolutely no data to en- able us to account for the existence of super- or extra-sensory perceptive powers. If such powers do exist, we must seriously alter our views of eyolution as regards physiological functions. Their existence is therefore ante- cedently most improbable, and the evidence for the same demands the most rigid scrutiny. So far, it by no means carries conviction. Messrs. Gurney and Myers give us specimen stories which are, for a large part, told by women, or even by children. Some of them are legendary, the incidents dating back a cen- tury. The authors, perhaps, allow for uncon- scious exaggeration, but it does not appear so. They certainly do not, in their estimate, allow for the element of coincidence. Thou- sands of ‘impressions, dreams,’ ete., occur daily: we only hear of those which appear to be true. Finally, and it is this point which I espe- cially wish to bring out, the London quasi- scientists do not appear to be aware that there is most likely such a thing as an enormous ex- altation of the sense of yision. This possi- bility ought certainly to be taken into account in studying the class of phenomena under con- sideration. As evidence of this power of visual exal- tation, I beg to relate the following experi- ment : — In the summer of 1881, the late Dr. George M. Beard, Dr. William J. Morton, editor of the Journal of nervous and mental diseases, of this city, and myself, called by appointment upon a Mr. Carpenter, who was a professional mesmerizer, then stopping in this city. Our object was to test the alleged power of Mrs. Carpenter, his wife, to read and see objects when blind-folded. Mr. Carpenter was a man of much intelligence, and, I believe, honest, SCIENCE. 539 though necessarily using a little humbug to give more effect to his dramatic performances. He knew perfectly well that mesmerism was merely a morbid psychological condition, not involving any occult force. His wife was a lady of about thirty years of age, of very pleasing appearance, intelligent, refined in manner, and evidently of a highly sensitive organization. She was easily susceptible to her husband’s influence, and could be hynpo- tized by him. In the hypnotic condition, at certain times, her visual sense appeared to be enormously exalted. Dr. Beard had, on several occasions, under suitable tests, seen her read cards with eyes closed and bandaged. Sometimes, however, she had failed. On the present occasion we were ushered into the large back-room of a New-York boarding-house, Mrs. Carpenter and her hus- band being the only persons present besides ourselyes. It was broad daylight, and there was no attempt to darken the room. Mr. Carpenter hypnotized his wife so that, while perfectly conscious of every thing, she could not open her eyes. Her eyes were then ban- daged with four handkerchiefs. Two were folded, and laid as pads over each eye; the others were tied around the head. In addi- tion, a strap was tied around just below the nose. (I have bandaged my own eyes'in this fashion, and found that I could not distinguish light from darkness.) Mrs. Carpenter was placed in a chair at one end of the room. Mr. Carpenter’s eyes were then bandaged, and he was placed at the other end of the room, so as to prevent any possible collusion. A pack of cards which had been brought by Dr. Beard was shuffled, and placed, with faces down, upon a table beside Mrs. C. One of us then took a card, and handed it to her. She held it in one or both hands before her eyes, sometimes © pressing it upon her forehead. No questions were asked by any one. Her husband remained silent. She would first tell the color (red or black), then the kind (diamonds, spades, etc.) , then the number of spots. Sometimes she did it quickly, sometimes slowly : occasionally she failed. Sometimes she could only tell the denomination, and could not count the spots. Dr. Morton had brought in his pocket a pri- vate dinner-card with ‘B. No. 9’ printed upon it. No one but himself had ever seen it in his possession before. Mrs. C. took this in her hand, and read it. The picture-cards were sometimes distinguished also. ‘The let- ters and figures looked, she said, much magni- fied. It generally required several .seconds a ROS Lee De ee aS , ce a Bie es ise no A al ee 536 for the impression to be created. In some cases, after she had held the card for some- time and failed to read it, she laid it down, took up another, and called it by the name of the card laid down, showing that the impres- sion from it had just been received. Any en- tirely opaque object placed between her eyes and the card prevented her reading it. She could not see objects to one side of the range of her eyes; e.g., behind her head. All the phenomena seemed to point to the theory that she had an extraordinary exal- tation of vision rather than any extra-sensual power, and I am at present inclined to adopt this explanation. ' I have not been able to repeat this experi- ment. Mr. Carpenter refused to allow his wife to repeat it, as it injured her health. My friend, Dr. E. S. Bates of this city, has a lady acquaintance who has, he says, the same power. Dr. Beard told me a year ago that similar experiments had been tried by some friends of his in Boston. I believe that the above experiment was the first successful one in which this power of clairvoyance was so carefully tested in broad daylight, with every possible source of error excluded. We were none of us able to see how any trick could have been played; nor was there any object for trickery, as no money was paid, and the experiment was only allowed as a special favor. I venture, therefore, to submit the account which is here written out in full for the first time. It is quite possible that this power of exaltation of vision may explain many cases of so-called ‘ transferred impression ;’ at any rate, experimenters like Messrs. Gurney and Myers should be aware of its probable exis- tence. C. L. Dana, M.D. THE WEATHER IN APRIL, 1883. Tue most marked storm of the month ap- peared on the North Pacific coast on the 18th. Crossing the Rocky Mountains, it was central in Colorado on the 21st, and passed off the At- lantic coast on the 23d. On the 21st, pressures below twenty-nine inches (lower than before noted in this region in twelve years) were re- corded in and near Colorado. Attending this depression were exceedingly severe local storms and tornadoes, which form the main feature of the weather this month. These were specially severe in Towa, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. In the latter two states, from two hundred to three hundred people lost their lives. In Colorado a passenger-train was SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 19. thrown from the track near Como on the 21st ; at Pueblo the storm began at 2 p.m. of the same date, and was the worst ever known ~~ there : several houses were unroofed. Kansas reports a tornadoat Kingman on the night of the 20th: it struck Lun City at 2 a.m. of the 21st, destroying five houses, and killing two people; hailstones nine inches in circumference fell in Harper county; at New Bedford three houses were blown down, and one person was killed. Towa was visited by tornadoes during the nights of the 21st and 22d: these destroyed farmhouses, and some lives were lost. Mis- sissippi reports a tornado at 1.10 p.m. of the 22d, near Starkville: its width was three hun- dred yards, and within it every thing was levelled to the ground ; one life was lost. The most terrible disaster from this cause occurred in Wesson and Beauregard, about a hundred and forty miles south-south-west of Starkville. Wesson, a town of seventeen hundred inhabit- ants, was struck at 3.15 p.m. of the 22d. Twenty-seven houses were destroyed, sixty people injured, and thirteen were killed. At Beauregard, with six hundred inhabitants, the tornado, lasting fifteen minutes, destroyed every dwelling and store, seriously injured forty, and killed twenty-nine people. Clay county was visited by two tornadoes, —one at noon, and the other at 1 p.m. of the 22d; both were violent, causing loss of life and prop- erty. In Monroe and neighboring counties to the north, a number of persons were killed. In Jefferson county the tornado is reported at 11 a.m. of the 22d: it was two hundred yards wide, and swept every thing before it. There was some loss of life. Ten people were killed at Harrisville, seven near Morton, and two at Cal- edonia. ‘The storm passed east of Natchez at about 10.30 a.m., and east of Monticello (nearly destroyed by the tornado of April 21, 1882) at 11a.m.,22d. The track was about two hundred yards wide. There was some loss of life. In Alabama, at Talledega, a train was blown from the track. In Georgia the storm, accompanied by hail, began at Americus between 3 and 4 p.m., 22d. As far as known, the track was narrow. Buildings were blown down, and some persons killed. The next morning, between 6 and 7, a tornado passed through Emanuel county, about a hundred and twenty miles east- north-east from Americus: all houses in its track were swept away, two persons killed, and several injured. A like storm-wind was felt in Dodge county about the same time. In Dough- erty county the track was about a quarter of a mile wide. Eight persons were killed, and twenty injured. Loss of life and great damage sug ts) oc 99 IO tes sony Ss ‘0 Te 5 ‘fen Ag DoE "N3Z2VH'S'M 'HVYM AO AH YLAHOIS BHL.320' YSQ0uO AB GSHgI1E8Ng MONTHLY MEAN ISOBARS, ISOTHERMS, AND WIND-DIRECTIONS, APRIL, 1883, REPRINTED IN REDUCED FORM BY PERMISSION OF CHIEF SIGNAL-OFFICER. ; 538 to property are reported from Clark and Craw- ford counties. South Carolina reports a tor- nado at Bishopville about 8 a.m. of the 25d. The main track was about a hundred and fifty yards wide, and within it every thing was swept away. North Carolina reports a tornado at 7 a.m. of the 23d, with a path a hundred and fifty yards wide and about four miles long. In Tennessee, winds of great violence are reported at Chattanooga from 4.40 to 5.10 p.m. of the 92d. At Knoxville, 3.75 inches of rain fell on the 22d, which is the greatest fall in twenty-four hours for five years. Accompanying is the iceberg chart for April. The icebergs appear to have been most numer- ous between latitude 41.5° and 43.5°, and longi- tude 51° and 49° W. This region is less extensive than in April, 1882; and, while solid field-ice was reported as far as latitude 44° last year, none was seen this. The map, p. 537, shows, that, as usual in this month, the winter area of high pressure in the Rocky Mountain region is giving way to the sum- mer area of low pressure. ‘The mean pressure is generally below the normal, except in New England, where it is .07 inch above. The mean temperature east of the 100th meridian was 1.95° above the mean for the past ten Aprils, the Atlantic states and the lower lake region only, having temperature deficiencies. Deficiencies in rainfall of .05 inch and over SCIENCE. are found in New England, upper lakes, north- ern Rocky Mountain plateau, and the middle Pacific coast region. Above thirty inches of snow fell in Cisco and Summit, Cal., and on Mount Washington, New Hampshire. A total air motion of 23,900 miles is reported from Mount Washington, with a maximum velocity of 88 miles per hour on the 11th. At Cape Mendocino, California, on the 15th, the wind rose to 120 miles per hour, when the ane- mometer cups were blown away. 124 cau- tionary signals were displayed, of which 91% were justified by winds 25 or more miles per hour. : Severe freshets occurred in Canada and New England from melting snows as much as from rains. The Mississippi was above danger-line at Cairo, Vicksburg, and New Orleans, but no serious damage had resulted. On the 21st, Helena, Ark., experienced the heaviest rain in many years. Nashville, Tenn., on the night of the 21st, had five inches of rain, which raised the river sixteen feet in twenty-four hours, causing damage to bridges and rail- roads. Two prominent auroral displays may be noted. The less brilliant, on the 3d, was gen- erally observed in Canada and New England ; it was also noted in Washington Territory. On the 24th was observed the more brilliant and extensiveone. This was seen at Nashville, Tenn., at 7.50 a.m., as an are of whitish light extending to the height of 9° and over 40° of the northern horizon: it was seen as far west as Fort Benton, Montana. Less important displays were seen in the United States on nearly every night. Prof. D. P. Todd of Amherst reports sun- spots most prominent on the 15th, and least so on the 30th. : At 8.50 a.m. of the 2d, two light earthquake were felt in San Francisco, and at 2.36 a.m. of the 12th a heavy shock was felt at Cairo, Ill. The New York herald reports a severe shock in Catania, Sicily, on the 3d, and Nature re- ports a shock in Finland at 9 a.m of the 8th. NEW LABORATORY FOR PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY AT CORNELL UNIVER- SITY. Tux new laboratory of physics and chemis- try, of which the plans and perspective draw- ing are given, is now practically completed, and will be ready for occupancy at the beginning of the next autumn term. The general arrange- ment of the building will be readily under- [Vou. I., No. 1 4 7 June 15, 1883.] stood from the plans. The basement contains the laboratory of assaying, the large physical laboratory, and a number of rooms devoted to special purposes in the department of physics, three of which have floors of cement, affording at any point sufficiently firm foundation for galvanometers. Certain other rooms are pro- SCIENCE. 539 Power from a large turbine, situated in the gorge north of the building, serves for driv- ing dynamos, ventilating machinery, and air- pumps for vacuum and blast, as well as for the purposes of the workshop. The latter is fully equipped with tools and machinery, and is in the charge of a skilful mechanic from eee NEW LABORATORY FOR PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY, CORNELL UNIVERSITY. vided with solid masonry piers for apparatus requiring immovable support. The large physical lecture-room, with its adjoining apparatus-rooms, occupies one-half of the first floor. The remainder consists of laboratories and work-rooms designed for yari- ous purposes of instruction in physics, several of which are also provided with masonry piers. One room (without windows) is for photomet-— rie work. Géttingen, who devotes his whole time to the manufacture of apparatus. All the principal rooms of the building are supplied with water, steam, house-gas, oxygen, hydrogen, vacuum, and blast. The oxygen and hydrogen are generated by electricity from the dynamos, and stored in large gasom- eters, the apparatus employed producing hy- drogen at the rate of three cubic feet per hour. Tn all the rooms where time observations are to 540 SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 19. A. —Assying Room, L—Labortories. T—Dalnnes Room O.—Oil Room, fire-prook Br—Pattery Room. S—Shiops €—Cloek Room. V.—Veutilating Shafts ©, R—Constant Temporitare Ruom. . z § E 5K a E nations involving measurements of the greatest accuracy. On the second floor are the mineralogi- cal laboratory, furnished with blowpipe tables covered with white Minton tiles, the large chemical lecture-room, the mu- seum for the collections of mineralogy and industrial chemistry, storerooms, and sists of the laboratories for qualitative and quantitative analysis, the photo- graphic laboratory, rooms for special work in organic chemistry and gas anal- = ————_ss-_ »-~«=SSsysiS, balance-room, reading-room, and — storerooms. be made, there are clocks controlled, ac- aoe cording to Jones’s method, by a standard — %n-teterenom M—sfoxcum. clock provided with Professor Young’s gravity escapement. The room in which this beautiful instrument stands is, like- the constant temperature room in the basement of the tower, provided with double walls to prevent fluctuations of temperature. Among the instruments of precision included in the equipment of the laboratory, may be mentioned two cathe- tometers, a standard metre and yard by Professor Rogers of Cambridge, one com- parator, two fine chronographs, three sphe- A—Appinctus Room, treo stairs ©—Cloak Rooms, L—Liboratories. L._ R—Leeture-room, P—Photometer Room S—Spectrescopo Room. SS SUE AL. L:—Mincralogical Laboratories S—Store Room. The equipment of the building will be ; have been spared to secure the most per- i fect apparatus to be obtained at home or | abroad. Many important improvements in the fixtures and arrangement of the labora- rometers, a spectrometer with twelve-inch cirale reading to single seconds, two mag- netometers, several galvyanometers of high and low resistance, sets of resistance coils, and different forms of calorimetric appara- tus. Students entering the laboratory begin with simple illustrative experiments, and, as they acquire skill in manipulation, are assigned experiments requiring the use of instruments of precision. Some of the more advanced are now making determi- tories, work-tables, gas and water supply, have been introduced. The two departments have been rap- idly outgrowing their accommodations dur- ing the past few years, and the increased laboratory space the new building will af- ford will effect a marked inerease in the amount of special and original work. Spencer B. Newsury. BL—Balnen oom. O—Ofisk Rooms L—Lrisate anil SpecisETaloratorics. G. L—Gencral Laboratories. P—Phoatzray hi ing Room private laboratories. The third floor con-— : complete in every particular; and no pains — sig lage Rainn A tae Ra roe ass ie s D “ aL JuNE 15, 1883.] ST. DAVID’S ROCKS AND UNIVERSAL LA W. A DISCUSSION of the St. David’s rocks has been opened in the Geological society of London by Prof. A. Geikie, director of the Geological survey of Great Britain and Ireland, which possesses great interest to all persons engaged in the study of the older crystal- line rocks. The St. David’s rocks, according to Dr. Hicks, consist of three distinct pre-Cambrian forma- tions in ascending order: the Dimetian, composed of erystalline, gneissic, and granitoid rocks; the sup- posed unconformable Arvonian, formed of felsites, quartz porphyries, halleflintas, ete. ; and the Pebidian, supposed to be unconformable to both the preced- ing, and made up of tufas, voleanie breccias, and basic lavas. The Cambrian is said to overlie all these, and to have a basement conglomerate composed of their ruins. _ Dr. Geikie maintains that the Dimetian is an erup- tive granite, which has disrupted and altered the Cambrian strata, even above the horizon of the sup- posed basal conglomerate. Besides a pebbly quart- zite formed of fragments torn from the Cambrian conglomerate and greatly indurated, no rock, except diabase, is found, according to him, in the granite area; and this occurs throughout the entire district. The granite cuts through successive horizons of the Cambrian strata, and is younger than all of that for- mation in the district. The Arvonian consists of quartziferous porphyries, or elvans (associated with the granite), and of the metamorphosed strata ad- jacent. The Pebidian consists of a series of volcanic Hues and breccias, with interstratified and intrusive avas. Geikie holds that the Pebidian is an integral part of the Cambrian. It is cut by the Arvonian porphyry and Dimetian granite, and is therefore older than these. It is covered quite conformably by the Cam- brian conglomerate, and not unconformably, as Hicks claimed. Seams of tufa are interstratified at various horizons in the conglomerate and strata above. This Cambrian conglomerate, instead of being composed of fragments of the Dimetian, Arvonian, and Pe- bidian, consists almost entirely of quartz and quart- zite; ‘‘only four per cent of fragments having been found to have been derived from some of the project- ing lava-islands underneath it.’’ Professor Geikie then claims that the names Dimetian, Arvonian, and Pebidian ‘* had been founded on an error of observa- tion, and they ought to be dropped out of geological literature,’’ Prof. A. Renard also states that he had examined these rocks microscopically, in concert with Drs. Zirkel of Leipzig, and Wichmann of Utrecht; and their conclusions are, that the so-called Dimetian rock is unquestionably a true granite (eruptive). The quartz porphyries were like the contact specimens of granite, and believed to be such. The tufa found in and above the conglomerate is a true tufa, and not a mere superficial waste of older volcanic rocks. The observed foliation existed above the conglomer- ate as well as below. That the questions involved in Dr. Geikie’s posi- tion are deeply interesting, is manifest from the fact that some fourteen persons joined in the discussions which followed its statement. These questions are of equal interest to American geologists and petrog- raphers, since they are the same as those the present writer has raised regarding eastern Massachusetts, — a district similar to St. David’s, —also similar to those raised by Professor Dana against the Taconian, Montalban, and Huronian, in New England; by Dr. SCIENCE. 541 Selwyn, concerning the Norian, Montalban, and Taconian, in Canada; by Messrs.- Whitney, Selwyn, Winchell, and Wadsworth, with respect to the Lake Superior geology; and by Geikie and Wadsworth, re- garding the Fortieth parallel exploration. The writer has nowhere seen any general state- ment of the bearings of these questions; and it may be briefly indicated here what some of them seem to him to be. They seem to be involved in the dis- tinction between one universal law, moving in a uni- form, definite direction, and recurrent phenomena or special creations and conditions. Under the lat- ter view there seems to belong the belief that detri- tal or chemical sediments are returned to eruptive forms; that eruptive rocks are of chemical or sedi- mentary origin; that these were different in pre-ter- tiary time from what they were in the tertiary; that certain geological periods are marked by certain kinds of rock; that the azoic system has been subdivided upon natural principles; that there have been recur- rent periods of heatand cold. ‘This view includes the theory of the metamorphic origin of granite, the pres- ent geologico-mineralogical classification of rocks, and embraces uniformitarianism, catastrophism, plu- tonism, and neptunism. The other maintains the existence of a universal law, which should be the guide in all investigations, —a law, which, in its more special applications, Pro- fessor Whitney has endeavored to illustrate in his Climatic changes, and Sir William Thomson in his papers on the, age of the earth and sun,—a law which the present writer has tried to express in his petrographical work. It is regarded as the law which will one day be completely worked out, and in accord- ance with which our views in history, philosophy, science, — all branches of human knowledge, —will then be reconstructed. The expression of the law varies in different ages, but for the physical universe it seems best formulated at the present time by Sir William Thomson: The degradation and dissipation of energy, the passage from the unstable towards a more stable condition, the tendency to harmonize with the environment,—the Jaw under which the universe has moved from the beginning, and under which it will continue its course uniformly towards the end; it assumes that no turning-back can occur, and that no energy once lost can be restored, except by the same Almighty Power which gave it birth. M. E. WADSWORTH. THE HUMAN REMAINS OF THE BONE- CAVERNS OF BRAZIL. THE discovery by the late Dr. Lund of human re- mains associated with the extinct mammalian fauna of the caverns of Lagoa Santa in the province of Minas Geraes, Brazil, made famous by his researches, has, until recently, passed almost unnoticed among ethnologists. Dr. Lund’s statements in the communi- cations which accompanied the human bones, sent to the societies of Rio de Janeiro and Copenhagen, are, I believe (I write without the documents for reference), unqualified as to the direct association of the human with the extinct mammalian remains, and have been received as conclusive by prominent ethnologists. There can be no question of Dr. Lund’s perfect good faith in the matter; but it may be asked whether, forty years ago, such care as is now considered neces- sary in such investigations would have been exer- cised, even by so able and conscientious an observer as Lund is recognized to have been. So long a time has elapsed, that it is now difficult to verify the exact conditions under which the bones a Peet cee eg ee 2 + Ac. ’ re 542 werefound. Inarecent flying trip through the Lagoa Santa region, I made inquiries in regard to the matter, but failed to obtain any very definite information. According to the reports of the common people, many caverns were explored by Lund and his assistants in person for the express purpose of collecting fossils, while others were worked by the people of the vicinity for saltpetre, who, under instructions from Lund, and probably as far as possible under his supervision, saved the fossils disinterred in their operations. I could learn nothing as to the conditions under which the human skull now in the museum at Rio de Ja- neiro, and stated to have been found with remains of extinct mammals, was met with. More definite, and apparently reliable information was given in regard to a complete human skeleton which was one of a lot sent to Copenhagen. A workman in one of the saltpetre caves at some distance from Lagoa Santa found the skeleton in his work, and, to gain the reward offered, took it to Lund, who gave him the sum of forty milreis (about twenty dollars). This man is still alive; but, from lack of time, I was unable to see him. It is said, that, on his recent visit to Minas, the emperor had an interview with him on the subject. i Recently, while in New York, I had the good fortune to meet. Mr. Nicholas Brandt, son of the late Prof, P. A. Brandt, who was for many years the secretary and companion of Dr. Lund. Mr. Brandt, who had spent some time at Lagoa Santa in company with his father and Dr. Lund, kindly gave me the follow- ing note: ‘‘The remains of the prehistoric man, discovered by Dr. Lund in Minas before I came to Brazil, and about which the professor sent his memoirs to the Instituto historico e geographico of Rio de Janeiro in January, 1842, and April, 1844, were often the subjects of our conversation. The doctor’s opinion was positive that the skeletons be- longed to the same period as the fossil fauna with which he enriched the knowledge of natural history to such a large extent. The opinion of Cuvier and Humboldt, Dr. Lund’s friends, was fully justified in urging the doctor to go to Brazil, and use his energies in the service of this branch of science. The doctor was, of course, a pure follower of his friend Cuvier. Darwin and Darwinism were at that time hardly heard of, as his Blik paa Braseliens Dyreverden fully shows.”’ Mr. Brandt adds, that but for the loss of all his private papers, including his Brazilian journal, and many letters from his father and Dr. Lund, in the Atlantic disaster some years ago, he would have been able to give a much more definite and detailed ac- count of Lund’s life and work at Lagoa Santa. ORVILLE A. DERBY. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Solar constant. Tus term is becoming prominent, and its use has given rise to some confusion. I find some au- thorities, taking the value given by Forbes, give 28.2 calories, while others give 2.82 calories. Since a ca- lorie is the definite amount of heat required to raise a kilogram of water 1° C., it is evident that one of these is in error. ; Professor Young, in his ‘Sun,’ p. 263, defines the solar constant as the amount of heat received per minute by one square metre exposed perpendicularly to the sun’s rays at the upper surface of the atmos- phere. Nomention is made of the substance receiving the heat. In correspondence with Professor Young, Ihave received the following equation: the solar con- SCIENCE. w t stant = Ae m in which w= mass of water, s = surface, ¢ = quantity of heat, m = unit of time. On this basis we may define the solar constant as the amount of heat received in a unit of time, by a unit of mass, spread upon a unit of surface, exposed as above. In this equation, however, we may divide w by s, and obtain d = depth, and we shall have the Tints bs i.e., the solar constant equals the quantity of heat received from the sun at the limit of the earth’s atmosphere, by a unit of depth of water, in a unit of time. We may express this numerically as follows: take: a square metre and spread upon it a kilogram of water; it will lie 1 mm. deep. Since the kilogram is the unit used in defining the calorie, we may say, using Forbes’s value, that the solar constant, 28:2 ca- lories, is the amount of heat received by 1 mm. depth of water exposed as above. The use of the term ‘ca- lorie’ seems unfortunate; and we might adopt, as More satisfactory, a centimetre as the unit of depth, and degrees as expressing heat. We would then have the solar constant equal to 2.82 Centigrade-centimetre— minute degrees, or 2.82 cem°.; i.e., the sun’s heat falling upon a centimetre depth of water would raise. it 2.82° C. in one minute. This will be recognized as of the same form of ex- pression as adopted by Herschel, who describes the sun’s heat as sufficient to melt a coating of ice an inch thick in 2h. 13m. nearly. H. A. HAzEnN. solar constant = Spanish folk-lore. In the a¢eount of folklore in Europe, in Sc1mncE for May 25, I see no notice of Spanish efforts in that field. My acquaintance with the subject is but slight, yet it has extended to the important and interesting works of Antonio de Trueba, who, in 1873, spoke of himself as ‘‘almost the only writer of our country who has given himself with any diligence to this: task (the collection of popular stories), especially now that the illustrious Fernan Caballero rests from his. most glorious labors.”” The method of Trueba dif- fers from that of the brothers Grimm, for example, in that he adds the polish of his admirable style to the rough form of the stories as they fall from the mouth of the people; such a process being necessary, he maintains, in order to fit them for a place among the products of the literary art. I subjoin a list of his publications in this department: Cuentos de color de rosa, Cuentos campesinos, Cuentos populares, Cuen- tos de vivos y muertos, Cuentos de varios colores, and Narraciones populares. RoLuto OGDEN. Cleveland, O., May 28. Capture of the crested seal on the coast of Massachusetts. . At various times large seals have been seen or taken on the coast of Massachusetts, and, although in no Case positively identified, presumed to be exam- ples of the crested seal (Cystophora cristata), mainly because a specimen of, this species, described lone since by Dr. DeKay, was taken in 1824 in a small creek emptying into Long Island Sound at East Chester, about fifteen miles from New-York City. As two other large seals — the gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) and the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) — are almost as likely to oceur on the New-England coast as this one, it is some satisfaction to be able to record the capture of a well-identified example of the crested seal in Newburyport harbor, May 2, 1882. Mr. E. C. Greenwood of Ipswich, by whom the specimen was secured and mounted, informs me that [Vox. 1, No. 1% y SS / JUNE 15, 1883.] it was a fine adult male, eight feet in length, weigh- ing very nearly one thousand pounds. The speci- men was purchased by Dr. G. E. Manigault for the museum at Charleston, S.C., where it is now pre- ‘served. That this species is prone to wander far from its usual haunts—the icefields eastward of Newfound- land and northward —is attested by its capture, not only near New-York City, but also at Cambridge, Md., in an arm of Chesapeake Bay, as recorded some twenty years ago by Professor Cope. The present record, however, is the first of the capture of a posi- tively identified example of any seal on the New- England coast other than the common small harbor seal (Phocea vitulina). J. A. ALLEN. Flight of the flying-fish. On a recent trip from New York to Galveston, with the weather at the start cold and chilly, wind north-east, and ending in the Gulf with clear sunny days and summer breezes, there was every oppor- tunity afforded for watching the flight of flying-fish. The first fish were seen two days out of New York; and on every day thereafter, save on one when off the coast of Florida, numerous brown pelicans were observed. Probably the flying-fish found the atmos- phere a trifle heavy, flitting about with pelicans for interested spectators, and attended strictly to their domestic duties. The act of flying is somewhat startling, the fish emerging with much energy, and, from the very start, buzzing its wings like ahumming- bird; and in no instance did the buzzing cease until the fish disappeared in the sea at the end of its flight. The longest flight observed continued, without any contact with the water, for nine seconds; estimated distance, six hundred to eight hundred feet. In some cases the flight was nearly horizontal ; in most cases, however, it was arched vertically. Flying across the wind, it was noticed that contact with the water did not apparently retard the movement of the fishin the air. Some of them made four contacts before finishing the flight. The wind had some effect upon the direction and character of the flying; Dut fish were noticed going with the wind, and cross- ing it in every direction, and a few flying directly against it; A being the starting-points; B, the end, and the line of flight being shown as it appeared from a point in a vertical plane connecting A and B. GEORGE J. CARNEY. Lowell, Mass. Sun’s radiation and geologic climate. It seems to me that Mr. Warring, in his objection (ScruNCE, p. 395) to the assumption that the dissi- pation of solar energy from Joss of heat diminishes the supply of sun-heat received by the earth, has SCIENCE. 543 \ overlooked the very important factor of the variable aren of the contracting sun. To make this clear, et Q= Quantity of heat incident normally on a unit surface in a unit of time, at the earth’s dis- tance from the sun. R = Radiating or heat-emitting power of each physi- cal point of the sun. A = Area of projected surface emitting heat normally = Area of great circle of sun regarded as a sphere: Then evidently, at a given distance, we have, Q varies as RX A: hence, taking the example cited from New- comb (as A varies directly as the square of the sun’s diameter), if the temperature of the condensed gas- eous mass is doubled by contraction to one-half its primitive diameter, its area (or A) would be reduced to one-fourth its original area; so that, notwith- standing the assumed augmentation of temperature of the sun, the supply of heat received by the earth (or RX A) would not be increased, unless R aug- mented in a ratio greater than the square of the temperature. It is difficult to assign precisely what function R is of the temperature of the radiating body: some physicists (Rossetti) make it propor- tional to the square of the absolute temperature; while others (Stephan) make it as high as the fourth power of the absolute temperature. JouHN LECONTE. Sphere anemometer, I am rather amused to see in SCIENCE, p. 228, that Dr. Sprung of Hamburg has re-invented an ane- mometer well known (but not used) in this country; viz., Howlett’s. Dr. Sprung, and all who wish to help forwards our knowledge of wind-force, should begin by making themselves acquainted with what has already been done. In the Quarterly journal of the meteorological society, viii., p. 161, will be found an Historical sketch of anemometry and anemometers, by J. K. Laughton, M.A., F.R.G.S., president mete- orological society, and in it will be found notices of about two hundred patterns. The full description of Howlett’s is given in the Proceedings Brilish meteoro- logical society, iv., p. 161; but even Howlett was not the first to use the sphere; for in Mr. Laughton’s address he remarks, ‘‘ The sphere as a pressure-plate at the end of a swinging rod had been suggested, and possibly used, many years before Mr. Howlett’s time, asa rude anemoscope. It is mentioned vaguely by Hise (Allyemeine maschinen encyclopddie, under anemometer) in 1541, and is said by Mr. Bender (Proc. inst. civil enyineers, March 14, 1882) to have been used by Parrot; but this I have not been able to verify.” G. J. Symons, F.R.S. 62 Camden Square, London N.W., May 19, 1883. SCIENCE AND RELIGION. Studies in science and religion. By G. FREDERICK Wricut. Andover, Draper, 1852. 16+390 p. 16°. We hail the appearance of a book on this subject by one who is an earnest worker in both theology and science as a sign that the unnatural conflict between these two great departments of thought will speedily abate, and their differences be adjusted on a rational basis. The conflict is, in our opinion, the y is / 044 result of narrowness and dogmatism on both sides, and will never end, until, on the one hand, theologians not only acquaint them- selves with the facts, but deeply sympathize with the spirit of science, and, on the other, scientific men not merely retain in memory from childish days some extreme forms of religious dogmas, but enter deeply and loy- ingly into the profound truths which lie at the root of these dogmas. The author certainly deserves the thanks of all fair-minded men for the judicial spirit in which he treats the points in dispute. As indicated by the title, the book is not a systematic treatise, but rather a collection of essays written at different times, but following a continuous line of thought. Chapteri., as in- troductory to all the rest, treats of the ground of validity of induction. In this the author shows that both scientific and religious beliefs rest on induction. In both we attain, not demonstrative certainty, but probabilities of all degrees. In both we demand only the best working hypothesis. Having thus in his drst chapter laid a foundation, in his second and third he takes Darwinism as an example of scientific induction, and gives a discussion which is so fair that Darwin himself, we are sure, would be satisfied. In the fourth chapter he discusses the question of evidence of design in nature, and shows that Darwinism is not, as some suppose, destructive of the doctrine of design and final causes, but only elevates and ennobles our conceptions of the designer, or, to use his own words, that ‘‘ there is a divinity that shapes the ends of organic life, let natural selection rough-hew them how it will.’’ The impression received from reading these chapters is that the author, while not cham- pioning the cause of Darwinism, believes that some form of evolution—i.e., the origin of species by derivation with modification —is extremely probable. Yet he clearly sees (as every one ought to see) that the origin of species by derivation need trouble the theo- logian no more than the origin of any thing else by secondary processes. In the fifth chapter the author runs a re- markable parallel between Darwinism and Calvinism, showing how both insist on absolute continuity and reign of law, how in both indi- vidual ends are sacrificed to general ends, and how both, if carried to extreme, tend to fatal- ism. In both, also, we are brought face to face with the same irreconcilable antithesis ; for, if one strives in vain to reconcile the freedom of man with the absoluteness of God, the other SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 19. must strive in vain to show how the free will of man is consistent with the invariableness of law. Our own view on this subject is briefly this: there are two modes of viewing nature, which may be called the religious and the scientific. According to the one, God in nature operates nature, but according to regular laws, which we eall the laws of nature; according to the other, nature, for all practical purposes, may be regarded as operating itself. Both of these views are, we believe, legitimate. When we deal with nature, we practically must hold the latter; when we retire to the inner sanc- tuary of philosophic thought or religious emo- tion, we must hold the former. The one is the necessary work-clothes of our outdoor life, which we must put off when we return home to enjoy our inner life. For finite man this apparent inconsistency —this daily change of clothing — is the truest wisdom. But those who will be logically consistent in detail, even at the expense of one-half of all philosophy, run, on the one hand, into extreme Calvinism, or, on the other, into universal automatism, — the one a spiritualistic, the other a materialistic fatalism. ; Chapter vi. is a really admirable résumé of the question of prehistoric man, — his relation to the glacial epoch, and his probablejantiquity. This being the field of his own scientific work, the author is here at home; and geologists will read this chapter with especial interest as an authoritative statement of the latest and best views on the subject of the glacial epoch in America, and especially of the course and character of the ice-sheet moraine. In fact, itis to our author, in connection with Pro- fessors Chamberlin, Upham, and Lewis, that we are chiefly indebted for tracing the ice-sheet moraine through the United States, and thus generally settling the fact of the former exist- ence of such an ice-sheet. As to the antiquity of man: while his exist- ence during the latter portion of the quater- nary, and his coexistence with a now extinct mammalian fauna, is admitted, yet reasons are given for the belief that the time elapsed since the glacial epoch is much less than usually sup- posed by geologists. The author thinks that the flooded rivers and lakes which characterized the close of the glacial epoch, and which were undoubtedly seen by man, may not have been more than ten thousand years ago. For our own part, while we believe that some years ago there was too strong a tendency, on the part of many geologists of the uniformitarian school, to stretch the time beyond reasonable limits, yet recently in this country the ten- re seth hs NCD ae ie abe cocina a St IE ea June 15, 1883.] dency has been, perhaps, too much the other . way. Ten thousand years seems a short time for the completion of such great changes as we find in river-beds, in lake-margins, and in mammalian species. In the last chapter the author discusses the relation of the Bible to science. Perhaps the time is not yet fully ripe for final adjustment here. But one thing is meanwhile certain: all the harm which has come. or will ever come, of the discussion of this subject, comes only of a narrow, intolerant spirit on both sides. Nothing but good can come of the freest in- quiry, if only it is conducted in a simple, rey- erent, truth-loving spirit. | But as many will think that a reviewer is ‘nothing unless critical,’ we must find some faults, even if they be but errors of typography, or slips of the pen. Of the former, we find one on p. 329, where 70° instead of 20° from pole is given as the position of the antarctic continental ice-foot. Among the latter, we notice on p. 310 that the bluff-deposit of the Mississippi River is spoken of as the ‘ orange sand.’ The blufi-deposit is a very fine silt (loess) overlying the coarse orange sand. Again: the transition from paleozoic to meso- zoic can hardly be called ‘one from water- breathing to air-breathing animals,’ since air- breathing insects lived in the Devonian, and air-breathing insects and amphibians were abundant in the carboniferous. Finally, we should state that the book is illustrated by several plates, which greatly increase its value. THE TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF NEW JERSEY. A topographical map of a part of northern New Jersey, from surveys and levellings made, and local surveys. corrected. By Grorae W. Howe t, C.E., and C. C. Vermerute, C.E. Julius Bien, lith., 1882. 87.588 em. Att of our state geological surveys have been hampered by a lack of topographic maps on which to record and publish their results. The geological maps thus far completed have in nearly all cases been based on compilations of county and other surveys, executed at dif- ferent times, on different plans, and seldom with sufficient geodetic triangulation to insure accuracy. Representation of mountain form is in nearly all cases excessively incorrect. When careful topographic surveys have been made, they have unfortunately too often fol- lowed instead of preceded the geological ex- amination. As itis now too late to go back and perform the work in proper order, the SCIENCE. : 545 next best plan is at least to carry on topo- graphic surveys wherever possible, and secure, as soon as may be, the good results of a close knowledge of the form of the various states. Such work is going on in New York, and a careful triangulation has been carried across the state; but, with the appropriation at pres- ent grudgingly afforded this work, many years must pass before it is completed. New Hampshire has taken advantage of a trian- eulation executed for it by the U. S. coast- survey, and constructed a large six-sheet map on a seale of two and one-half miles to the inch (1: 158,400), with contour lines every hundred, and in parts every fifty, feet ; but these latter,are by no means of final accuracy. This map was issued with geological coloring in 1878 ; and that part including the White Moun- tains has been published apart in Appalachia, vol. i., uncolored, and also by the surveyor, Mr. H. F. Walling, with hypsometric coloring. Another notable contour-line map is that of ‘Morrison’s Cove,’ surveyed by Mr. R. H. Sanders, to illustrate Mr. Fr. Platt’s report ~ on Blair and Huntingdon Counties, Penn. (Second geol. surv. Penn., T., 1881). It is printed in fourteen large sheets, on a scale of sixteen hundred feet to an inch (1 :19,200), or about three and one-half inches to a mile, with contours every twenty feet, and is colored geologically. Being in a region of typical Appalachian form, it has an especial value in showing this remarkably interesting style of mountain surface. A photographic plate from a model constructed from this map by Mr. E. Hi. Harden has been published (Proc. Amer. phil. soc., xix. 1881), and gives a finer view of the intricacies of Pennsylvanian topography than any thing else that has yet appeared. It is to be hoped that the other models constructed for the Pennsylvania survey may be treated in the same way. A second example of fine topographic work on the same large scale is in the lately issued map of the Panther Creek basin by Mr. R. P. Rothwell (see Scrence, p- 310), which makes the first of a series of maps that will illustrate the survey of the anthracite district of Pennsylvania, in charge of Mr. Ashburner. The large number of ac- curate surveys of private property in this region, and the numerous railroads crossing it, will furnish a valuable basis for the final work of the state geologists, and its interesting form and unique structure will at last find adequate representation. The topographic map now in course of con- struction and publication by the Geological survey of New Jersey, under the direction 546 of Prof. G. H. Cook, bids fair to outrank those already mentioned, as it alone combines all the elements for successful completion. It has the advantage of thorough triangulation, including twenty-six primary stations fur- nished by the U. 8S. coast-survey,—a work still in progress, but approaching an end. This is illustrated by a very delicately pre- pared map in Professor Cook’s annual report for 1882. The process of local triangulation and levelling was begun in the northern part of the state, and field-observation is already done for most of the area lying north of a line from Belvidere to Sandy Hook. The area of which the sheets have been published contains 847 o miles of New-Jersey land, and laps eastward on New York. Its centre is near Orange, and it includes Paterson and Perth Amboy north and south, and Brooklyn and Boonton east and west. ‘The scale is one mile to an inch (1: 63,360), sufficiently detailed to show all the artificial topography even in the city portions of the map, and to ~ include many of those mythical rectangular streets laid out on town plans, and ‘ ac- cepted’ by the local authorities, although often entirely regardless of the lay of the land. The contours are drawn in faint red lines, showing differences of level of ten feet in plain country, and twenty feet in the hilly portions. Water-surfaces are colored blue, and depth- lines are drawn at intervals of ten feet. The chief topographic features thus shown are the strong, regular lines of the triassic trap-ridges, —the Palisades and the double Wachung Mountains, — with their bold eastern face and long slope, on the west; the more irregular ‘highland country of the azoic rocks, on the north-west ; the great area of salt-marsh lands, built up to tide level along the Hackensack River and Newark Bay; the extensive fresh marshes and flats on the upper course of the Passaic, within the curve of the Wachung range, the remains of an old lake held by drift-bar- riers, aS explained in the report for 1880 ; and, finally, the line of the terminal moraine, espe- cially as it crosses the flat sandstone country from Metuchen northward to Locust Grove, where it climbs the trap-range. Even in this short distance, over forty of its characteristic little ponds, that would be quite unnoted on ordinary maps, are shown upon its rolling back. The completion of this map for the entire state will be an immense gain for its people. The distinctly practical ends that mark the work of the New-Jersey survey justify the sub- ordination of natural to artificial topography ; the former being mostly indicated in the fainter SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 19. red, and the latter in the stronger black lines. It would be, however, of much practical as well as scientific interest to try a reversal of these colors on a special edition of the map, in order to show more distinctly the natural features of the state, and give a properly secondary place to the towns, railroads, and lettering. As now printed, the ridges of the Wachune Mountains are rivalled by the Central railroad with the parallel roads beside it; and the mountain form is obscured, except to a very close search, among the streets of Orange and Paterson. And, as where so much good work has been accomplished we naturally look for more, it seems not too much to hope that future years may see the entire map appear with geological colors, in which the detrital surface-deposits are shown, as well as the consolidated underlying formations, the latter being indicated only where they outerop, or are covered by an insignifi- cant soil. eb Wed SS SASS RUS CRUSTACEA OF THE BLAKE AND TRA- VAILLEUR EXPEDITIONS. Recueil de figures de crustaces nouveaux ou peu con- nus. Par M. A. Mrzne-Epwarps. lere li- vraison. [Paris], April, 1883. 3p +44 pl. 4°. Tue coast-survey dredgings, under the direc- tion of Pourtalés, in the Straits of Florida, first revealed the wonderful richness of the crus- tacean fauna beyond the shallow waters of our southern coast. The earlier collections of Pourtalés were unfortunately lost-in the great Chicago fire ; but Stimpson’s preliminary re- port on the Brachyura, published in 1870, gives some indication of their extent. The subsequent explorations, under the direction of Pourtalés, the elder Agassiz, and Stimpson, more than replaced the collections destroyed at Chicago; while the work of the Blake, under the direction of Alexander Agassiz, in 1877, 1878, 1879, has far excelled all earlier ex- plorations in bringing to light great numbers of new and remarkable forms. All the crus- tacea from these later explorations have been submitted to Alphonse Milne-Edwards of Paris, who has from time to time described and fig- ured a considerable number of the Brachyura in his great work on the erustacea of Central America and the Mexican region. The prog- ress of this work has ,been exceedingly slow, however, the Carcinoplacidae not yet being reached ; so that the groups containing the most remarkable forms were left untouched until the appearance of the preliminary report on the Blake crustacea in the bulletin of the Museum of comparative zodlogy. This short report, though extending only to the higher Macrura, JUNE 15, 1883.] - enumerates over two hundred species, and characterizes as new to science twenty-eight of the genera and more than a hundred of the species. As a continuation of this report, preliminary notices of more of the Macrura appeared in the Annales des sciences naturelles for 1881. The explorations of the Travail- leur on the other side of the Atlantic in 1880, 1881, 1882, have also brought to light numer- ous new forms, which have been briefly de- scribed or mentioned by Milne-Edwards in several reports upon the work of the Trayail- leur. These preliminary reports of Milne- Kdwards, though they revealed astonishing discoveries, gave very little idea of the strange new forms discovered ; and the accumulation of such a mass of imperfectly described genera and species was fast becoming a serious obstruction to the work of others in the same department. The work which is the subject of this notice begins to obviate this difficulty by the issuing of advance figures of the new forms referred to. This first fasciculus of the work consists of a titlepage and a two-page list of plates printed by some autographic process, and forty-four plates, of which thirteen are en- grayed, and the rest printed like the titlepage and list of plates. The engraved plates are all proofs before letter, and represent species from the Travailleur expedition only, while the autographic plates represent species from both Travyailleur and Blake expeditions, and a few from other sources. None of the plates are numbered in any way,—an unfortunate omission, which renders references to them dif- ficult ; but the names of the species are printed on them, and on the autographie plates the station and depth are usually added. . The whole number of species figured is sixty-one ; of which thirty-one are from the Travyailleur, twenty-six from the Blake, three from the U. S. fish-commission, and one from the Godeffroy museum. The autographic plates, though rough in appearance, are apparently quite as accurate as the highly finished engray- ings, and have the great advantage of showing the work of the draughtsman only. The most remarkable forms figured are from the Blake collection. Phoberus caecus, one of these, a Macruran as large as the lobster, resembles Palaemon in external form, but has rudimentary eyes not projecting beyond the earapax, and is said to have branchiae like the Astacidae. Xylopagurus rectus is a hermit- erab, which inhabits tubular stems of plants open at both ends, has a bilaterally symmetrical abdomen with the penultimate somite devel- oped into a calcarous operculum, which closes SCIENCE. 3 5A the posterior opening of the tube. Pylocheles Agassizii, another hermit-crab, lives in cavities in hard fragments of agglutinated sand, and has a well-developed, symmetrical abdomen like the typical Macrura. One of the most in- teresting types is Glyphocrangon, represented by three species, the figures of which well illustrate the utility of figures and the slight value of Milne-Edwards’s preliminary descrip- tions. The figures show Glyphocrangon to be the same as my Rhachocaris, figured and described in a report on the Blake crustacea of 1880 (Bull. mus. comp. zodl., x.). The genus was described by Milne-Edwards as haying the telson completely consolidated with the preceding somite; which is not the case, the telson having a movable, though peculiarly constructed articulation, which is like the articulations between the three preceding somites of the abdomen. The structure otf these articulations, which seem to have been wholly overlooked by Milne-Edwards, is so remarkable that I quote the following from my original description : — “Tn addition to the ordinary hinge at each of the articulations, there is a process arising from the an- terior somite just below the hinge, and curved back- ward and upward concentrically with the hinge; and this process fits accurately, and is slightly overlapped along its edges by a similarly curved groove in the posterior somite. When the abdomen is completely flexed, the ends of these curved processes project dorsally considerably beyond the grooves; but, when the abdomen is fully extended, the processes are withdrawn so as to expose the dorsal part of the groove; and in this position, in the contracted alco- holie specimens, the somites are firmly clamped, ap- parently by the pressure of the ends of the processes upon the concave posterior walls of the grooves, and held rigidly extended, so that it is very difficult to flex: the somites, unless the tip of the abdomen is pulled backward with considerable force, when the processes slide easily through the grooves, and the somites are readily flexed. It is probable that in life, while the extensor muscles of the abdomen are relaxed, the processes move easily through the grooves; but, when the extensor muscles are strongly contracted, the hinges are clamped, as in the alcoholic specimens, so that the animal can voluntarily bold the telson and the spiny terminal somites of the abdomen rigidly extended as a means of self-defence.” Another remarkable peculiarity of the genus, not noticed by Milne-Edwards, is the articula- tion of the coxae of the external maxillipeds with the edges of the carapax. Pontophilus Jacqueti, from the Travailleur expedition, is evidently not a Pontophilus, but a Ceraphi- lus, and is apparently identical with my C. Agassizii from this side of the Atlantic. Nearly half of the species figured apparently belong in or near Pandalinae and Ephyrinae, which seem to be the most abundant of the deep-water Macrura. S. I. Surra. 548 SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 19. WEEKLY SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. ASTRONOMY. Siemens on solar physics.—In a recent lecture at the Royal institution, Sir. W. Siemens discusses the subject of solar radiation. He gives reasons for fix- ing the temperature of the photosphere at about 2800° C., based, first, upon the behavior of a rod of carbon and a gas-flame in the focus of a reflector exposed to the sun; second, upon a comparison be- tween spectra of different luminous intensities; and, third, upon experiments for determining the relation between temperature and radiation made by means of an iridio-platinum wire a metre long, heated by an electric current. He finds the radiation to be expres- sible by the formula, Radiation = Mt? + ¢t, M being a coefficient due to the radiating substance. He dis- cusses also the effect of diminished pressure in lower- ing the dissociation temperature of compound gases, and restates and advocates anew his last year’s theory of the maintenance of the solar heat. — (Nature, May Ble Ch waa [L061 Scintillation of stars as affected by the aurora borealis.— M. Ch. Montigny, observing for many years at Brussels, has noticed, as previous observers have done, that the scintillation of stars is much in- ereased during the occurrence of an aurora. He has _ noticed, further, that every aurora ‘ produces imme- diately its effects upon the scintillation,’ that stars in the north are most affected, and that the influence of the phenomenon is most marked for the stars which are observed across the upper regions of the air. Magnetic disturbances also, even when accom- panied by no aurora visible at Brussels, increase the scintillation to a marked extent. On two occasions during July, 1881, the effect of magnetic disturbances was observed with no aurora visible in Brussels, or even, so far as can be learned, in any part of Den- mark. — (Comptes rendus, Feb. 26.) E. H.H. [1062 Deviation of axis of meridian-circle.— M. Loewy of the Paris observatory gives two new methods of determining the azimuth constant of a meridian-circle. The first method depends on the following principle : if we take two points in the path of a star so that the chord joining them is approxi- mately at right angles to the instrumental plane, and not greatly different in length from the polar distance, the inclination of the instrumental axis to the equa- tor can be determined by readings of the instrumen- tal declination and distances from the instrumental plane. Owing to the limited field, only those stars whose polar distances are about 1° 40’ or less can be used. About one hour and forty-six minutes before meridian-transit, simultaneous readings of the right ascension and declination micrometers are made, and also a reading of the circle. It is not necessary to record the time. After an interval of about three hours and a half, the series is repeated. The chord of the path described by the star during this interval will equal its polar distance. From these observa- tions, we can deduce the inclination of the instru- mental axis to the equator, and by means of this the azimuth constant, without using the right ascension of the star. The method gives thus an independent determination of the azimuth. The old method, that of upper and lower culminations of the same star, requires an interval of twelve hours, thus great- ly inereasing the uncertainty of the determination on account of instrumental changes ; besides, for a large part of the year it can be applied to only one star, @ Ursae Minoris. M. Loewy’s second method, which he does not consider as good as the first, depends on observations of the distance of the star from the instrumental plane, time of observation being accurately noted. When both right ascension and inclination of axis are sought, it is best to observe these polars at an hour angle of about three hours. When the interval between observations is twelve hours, the inclination of the axis can be determined independent of the right ascension. Loewy gives some results of determinations of inclination by his first method which show a very close agreement with the results given by that ordi- narily employed. He believes that the probable error of his method will not exceed 0°.02. — (Comptes ren- dus, April 16 and 23.) M. Mc N. [1063 MATHEMATICS. Spherical representation of surfaces.—In a series of previous communications, M. Darboux treated the particular case of spherical representa- tion when the spherical images of the lines of cur- vature form an orthogonal and isothermal system. In the present communication, he shows how the method previously employed conducts to the com- plete solution of the problem of spherical representa- tion whenever this solution can be obtained in finite terms. Employing certain propositions due to M. Montard, the author arrives at the conclusion that we can obtain all the cases in which the problem of spherical representation is susceptible of a solution in finite terms, and that, whenever the problem of spherical representation has been solved in any man- ner for a system of orthogonal curves, we can de- rive from the obtained solution an entire unlimited series of orthogonal spherical systems. — (Comptes rendus, Feb. 5.) TT. ©. [1064 Motion of a material point.— In concluding a paper on a certain peculiar case ‘of the motion of a material point, M. Gascheau considers the problem of finding the equations of. motion of a material point acted upon by a central attractive force, vary- ing inversely as the cube of the distance from the point to the centre of action. The trajectory is shown to be an hyperbolic spiral. The curve itself is discussed, and a formula is obtained for its rectifi- cation. Special phases of the motion of the point are also investigated. — (Bull. soc. math., x. no. 7.) it, @h [1065 Partial differential equations. — It is impossible to do more than eal] attention to this memoir by M. Lemonnier, which treats of the integration of partial differential equations of the first order in n independ- ent variables. The process followed is new, and decidedly simple and interesting ; but an abstract can scarcely be given here without introducing a good deal of algebraical work. — (Bull. soc. math., x. no. Te) aes Ge [L066 A differential equation. — Capt. MacMahon considers the differential equation, X ‘de + Y~ dy + Z~ %dz = 0, where X and Y are cubic functions of «and y re- spectively. The equation obtained from the above by dropping out the term in z has been investigated by Allegret (Comptes rendus, Ixvi. p. 1144), who has obtained the integral in an irrational form. If @ denote the constant of integration, Allegret’s result is symmetrical in #, y, and a. Capt. MacMahon puts a equal to z, and obtains a solution of the above equation in the form of a rational algebraical integral. JUNE 15, 1883.] Prof. Cayley adds an interesting note to this paper. — (Quart. journ. math., Feb.) T. Cc. [L067 PHYSICS. Optics. Reversal of hydrogen-lines. — Liveing and Dewar communicate to the Royal society an interest- ing note, showing, that, when the induction-spark is taken between electrodes of aluminium at a pressure of two or three atmospheres, the reversal of F is easily obtained; that of C, only with difficulty. By spirting fine drops of water with a pipette into the electric arc, the hydrogen-lines become brilliantly, /and, so to speak, ‘ explosively’ visible for an instant, but without any reversal. — (Nature, May 38.) c. A. Y. [1068 (Photography.) Iodide of silver in the emulsion. — Herr Schu- mann has been experimenting on emulsions sensi- tized by combinations of the iodide and bromide of silver.. Capt. Abney, Dr. Eder, and Dr. Vogel found that the introduction of iodide diminished rather than increased the sensitiveness of the emul- sion, while Herr Schumann obtained the opposite result. He now finds the cause of this discrepancy to be, that while the former authorities prepared their iodide and bromide emulsions separately, and then mixed them, in order to obtain accurate quan- titative results, he has been in the habit of precipi- tating the two together in one and the same solution, as would be done in the practical working of the process. As prepared by the former method, the emulsion is of a pale yellow color; while, by the latter, it is darker and of a citron-yellow tint. The sensitiveness of the mixed emulsions is at a maxi- mum in that portion of the spectrum lying between F’ and G. It has a lower maximum in the vicinity of the JI line, and is practically insensitive to the region half way between G and h. The spectrum of the combined emulsion differs from the above in having a distinct maximum between b and F, and in its much greater sensitiveness to the less refrangi- ble rays. —(Brit. journ. phot., April 27.) w. w. Pp. [1069 Photographing the vocal organs.— Messrs. H. T. Wood, Behnke, and Cadett have recently suc- ceeded in photographing the vocal organs in action. An electric light and laryngoscope were employed. It was necessary, in these experiments, to so arrange the light, that the singer should at the same time be enabled to see that the mirror was in the proper position, and also that the image was reflected di- rectly into the camera lens. The light was placed by the side of the camera, and a little in front of it ; and the rays were directed by means of a condenser upon a mirror placed immediately above the lens ; this mirror being set at an angle of 45° so as to di- rect the light upon the subject. The condenser was furnished on the side next the lamp with a water- jacket, through which a current of water was kept flowing to prevent injury to the lens from the heat of the lamp. ‘The rays from the first mirror were received upon the small laryngoscopic mirror placed at the back of the throat, and the image formed in this was reflected pon another small mirror fixed to the front of a drop-shutter ; the object of this ar- rangement being to enable the person whose organs were being photographed to see when the image was properly directed. When this was done, he gaye the signal to the operator, and the exposure was made. In some of the latter experiments, arrangements were adopted by which a pair of stereoscopic lenses SCIENCE. 549 could be used, one lens serving as a finder, and the other producing the picture. —(Brit. journ. phot.,. April 13.) Ww. H. P. [1070 Electricity, Resistance of the electric arc.— Ayrton and Perry, experimenting upon the electric are between carbon poles, employing at times a battery of Grove cells, and at others a Brush dynamo, find, like Schwendler, that the resistance of the arc, including under this head both the resistance proper and the opposing electromotive force at the carbon surfaces, is nearly inversely proportional to the current. The following is given as a sample of the results obtained from a number of tests with Grove cells: — | Difference of Work, No. of cells. Current, | potential in foot-pounds, in amperes. | between carbons,| per second | in volts. in are. 30 6.52 30.4 146.2 40 10.16 30.4 22.8) 50 en llig2 | 30.4 267.2 Other experiments showed, that, when a given current was trebled, the difference of potential be- tween the poles was slightly increased. The authors have also tested the relation between length of the are and the difference of potential between the poles, A large number of experiments were made for this pur- pose with a Brush machine, giving currents varying between 5.5 and 10.4 amperes, the distance between the carbon points varying between 0 and 1} inches, and the difference of potentials from 0 to 140 volts, the carbons being 0.24 inch thick. The results are plotted, giving a curve for which the approximate equation is, — E = 63 + 55a — 63 X 10-102, where 7 is the difference of potentials in volts; and a the distance between the points in inches. — (Phil. mag., May.) ©. H. H. [1071 ENGINEERING. The steamer City of Fall River. — The steamer City of Fall River, which has been recently added to the Fall River line between New York and Boston, exhibits some decided innovations. The engine, of 2,000-horse power, was designed and built by Messrs. A. & W. Fletcher of New-York City. Itis a com- pound beam engine, fitted with the Morgan feath- ering paddle-wheels, and supplied with steam by a Redfield boiler, all of which features are unusual. The steam-cylinders are 44 inches diameter by 8 feet stroke, and 68 inches by 12 feet stroke. The wheels are 25 feet 6 inches in diameter. The boilers are of Otis steel, and are tested to 150 pounds pressure per square inch. The boat is 260 feet long, 41 feet beam, 17 feet deep. Over the guards the breadth is 78 feet. The draught of water, loaded with 600 tons of freight, is 12 feet. This steamer has made the 181 miles from port to port in 104 hours, and has made 17 miles an hour. The coal consumption is small,—20 tons per round trip. — (Sc. Amer., May 5.) &. H. T. [1072 CHEMISTRY. ( Organic.) Oxidation of aromatic monamines and dia- mines.— When equal molecules of dimethylpara- phenylendiamine and dimethylaniline in an aqueous solution with zine chloride were treated with the 550 quantity of potassic bichromate required to furnish two atoms of oxygen, R. Bindschedler found that the following reaction took place: — CH, CoH. ® + CHN GH + Oo = OygHy Ny + 24.0. Dimethylphenylen green. Tetramethylphenylsafranine (C..H,,;N,) resulted when aniline was substituted for dimethylaniline. With two molecules of aniline, dimethylpara- phenylendiamine gave dimethylphenylensafranine (Co 9H,;N,). Phenylensafranine was formed in the reaction, — C,H,(NH.). + 2C,H,;NHs + O,= C,,H,N, + 4,0. —(Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 864.) Cc. F. M. [1073 A new synthesis of anthracene. — By means of the aluminum chloride reaction, using benzol and tetrabromethan, R. Anschutz and F. Eltsbacher ob- . tained anthracene, — C,H; + CHB HB (one ae H HB + By 6} ro = C,H, C,H, + 4HBr. (ent) Ip my 6 \ CH/ og r —Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 623.) C.F. M. [1074 Derivatives of meconic acid. — In Kolbe’s lab- oratory a series of compounds has been obtained by Ost, which he regards as derivatives of the hypo- thetical body pyridon (C;H;NO). Pyromekazonic acid (C;HsNOO Ht) was made by the action of hydri- odic acid upon oxypyromekazonic acid. It resembles the hydrochinones in that by careful oxidation pyro- mekazon(C,;H;NO. O.), a substance analogous to the chinones, is formed. When treated with ammonia, comenic acid was converted into comenaminic, (CH NOCGox)- Oxycomenic acid gave Oxy- comenaminic (CHO yas) , which, by further oxidation, was converted into azoncarboxylie acid (Cc; HENOGA yu) . All the oxygen in comenaminic acid was replaced by chlorine when the acid was heated to 100° with phosphoric pentachloride, with the formation of pentachlorpicoline (C;H2Cl,NCCl,) and hexachlorpicoline (C;HCl;NCCl;). Monochlor- picoline (C;H;CIN) was the chief product of the reduction of the acid by sodium amalgam. The de- composition products of comenic acid, when treated with phosphorie pentachloride, were perchlormeky- len (C;Cl,) and hexachlorethan (C2Cl,). — (Journ. prakt. chem., XXvii. 257.) C.F. M. {1075 Spontaneous decomposition of oxalic acid. —On allowing a dilute solution of oxalic acid con- taining .4 to .6 grm. to the litre to stand for several years in a closed vessel, G. Fleury found that the solution lost its acid reaction. Large clusters of a vegetable growth had developed, similar to that often. observed in tartaric acid. In a more concentrated solution (6.3 grms. to the litre) there was no appre- ciable change at the end of four years. — (Journ. pharm. chim., 1883, 888.) C. F. M. [1076 New bodies from coal-tar.—In fractioning a sample of coal-tar, H. Schwarz obtained a distillate between 320° and 330° which solidified. By fractional crystallization he separated three products which melted respectively at 95°, 104°, and 124°. Analysis showed the same percentage of carbon and hydrogen which corresponded to the formula C2,H»2;Op. Oxides of the composition C,,H,,O, were formed by oxidation; and by nitration they gave heptanitro- products. The three substances were therefore des- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 19. ignated as a-, B-, and y-pyrocresols. The name pyro- cresol was adopted provisionally, since further study is necessary to establish their constitution. The author thinks they may be forms of a ditolylditol- ylenoxide, — CH, CH; O01 Oe | \ NYY C,H, CH, NY — (Sttzungsberichte kais, akad. Wien, \xxxyvi. 835.) Gy ik, ayy [1077 METALLURGY. Lead-smelting at Altenau, Upper Hartz.— The low grade of the available lead ores, and the failure of the iron-rich copper slags from Oker, have necessitated a change in the process of smelting. The method now used is as follows: the ores are roasted in a single hearth reverberatory furnace until changed to oxide and silicate of lead, then smelted in a blast-furnace with the addition of 20% of raw ore to make a matte of all the copper. The ore must be crushed quite fine, namely, not over 2mm. in size, and should contain about 15% of silica to 60% of lead, to give the best results in roasting. The charge for the blast-furnace is planned for a lime-iron slag, The lime-slag, which was at first tried, failed on account of the amount of zine pres- ent. The cost of this process is not much less than the old method; but'the Oker residues are at present used elsewhere, and are consequently not available, and, besides this, the furnace smoke is avoided. The process yields 98.5% of the lead, and the yield of | silver is larger than the fire assay indicates. — (Zeitschr. berg-, hitt.- sai. wesen, xxxi.; Eng. min. jJourn., March 24.) Rk. H. R. [1078 GHOLOGY. The coal and mineral fields of Indo-China— EK. Fuchs, ingénieur en chef des mines, gives a long account, with maps and sketches, of his mission to Cochin-China, assisted by E. Saladin. The following formations are figured on the:general map: granitic rocks, porphyritic rocks, volcanic rocks, ancient rocks, carboniferous or Devonian limestone, coal- basins, variegated sandstones and clays. ‘The an- cient rocks referred to the Silurian are unfossilife- rous. The overlying schists and sandstones are referred to the Devonian ; they contain fragments of a large crinoid, and imperfect impressions of a bivalve, probably an Orthis; and they are fre- quently cut by veins of quartz, which are some- times auriferous. The carboniferous limestone plays an important part in the geology of Indo-China : it is five hundred or six hundred metres thick, and con- tains fragments of Zaphrentis ; it is a fine-grained, compact, crystalline limestone, and might be utilized asamarble. Resting in discordance of stratification on this, is the thick clay and sandstone formation, which at its base contains the coal-beds whose study has been the chief object of the investigation. The base of the system is characterized by the fel- spathic nature of ils sandstones, and their preyail- ing gray color. The principal coal-basins actually found are those of Tong-King, of Yun-Nan, of the province of Tinh-Hoa, of Nong-Sén (Annam), and of Laos; notably, that of Bassac, on the Mé Kong. Above the coal-beds come the series of variegated sandstones and cliys: their thickness is estimated at a thousand metres; they contain no fossils, but beds of salt-bearing clays, and sandstones impreg- nated with copper. The upper mesozoie and ter- tiary beds have not yet been found in Indo-China, JUNE 15, 1883.] The ancient and modern alluvial deposits are very extensive. The exploration failed to find the zinc and copper localities that were mentioned to them in Tourane, and did not extend so far as to reach the important tin-veins of Laos and Yun-Nan. Mr. Zeiller, in his study of the fossil flora of the coal-beds of Tong-King, from material brought back by Mr. Fuchs, and in part collected by Mr. Douzans, reports twenty-two species, of which two are new. Out of the twenty remaining, ten are identical with European species, confined exclusively to rhetic beds. Of the remaining species, five belong to the lower Gondwanas, and four to the upper Gond- Wanas, while one belongs to both. From this there would seem to be strong reason for considering the coals of Tong-King as of rhetic (upper triassic) age, haying analogies with the coals of India (Gond- wanas), of South Africa (Karoo series). The coal- basin of the Ternera in the desert of Atacama, be- tween Chili and Bolivia, also contained only rhetic species; and in our own country we have probably analogous beds in the Richmond and North Carolina trias (cf. 1086). —(Ann. des mines, (8), ii. livr. 5.) J.B. M. [1079 Glacial depression of Scotland.—R. Richard- son reviews all the localities at which arctic shells have been found associated with the drift in Scot- land, and shows that arctic species not now living in the British seas haye been discovered at various high levels throughout Scotland, ranging from 90 to 510 feet above tide at fourteen stations. At lower levels, such discoveries have been much more fre- quent. The shells are generally referred to inter- glacial deposits. A neatly drawn map illustrates the paper (Trans. Edinb. geol. soc., iv. 1882, 179). In the same volume, D. Milne-Home devotes part of his inaugural address to the evidence favoring the ice- berg theory, stating, that, when due regard is paid to the general south-easterly transport of bowlders at various parts of the United Kingdom, it is difficult to account for such an extensive operation, except by bergs floating in the sea over the submerged land (1b., 124). —w. M. D. [1080 Glaciation of Norway. — H. M. Cadell describes the plateau mountains of Norway as an_old surface of denudation, now lifted above its former base level of erosion, and greatly roughened by subsequent erosive action. He agrees with Penck in maintaining that there is a fundamental difference between Swiss and Norwegian glaciers ; the former originating in slop- ing fields of névé, while the latter are overflows of upland ice-sheets. Three glaciers descend from the ice of the Folgefond, and twenty-three from the great Justedal ice-plateau. These upper sheets are regarded as small examples of the present Greenland ice, and as remnants of what once ‘extended over the whole of northern Europe.’ The fiords are de- scribed as ‘most typical examples of true ice-formed rock-basins,’ and it is stated that there is no evi- dence of fracturing or faulting in the rocks about them (although Kjerulf has shown the contrary statement to be true). — (Trans. Edinb. geol. soc., iv. 1882, 227.) Ww. M. b. c [1081 GEOGRAPHY. (Alpina.) Hygiene of mountain climbing. — Dr. Brenner advocates exercise in the high, fine air of mountains as the best protection against the diseases contracted in city life. The characteristics of the mountain climate are the low temperature and air-pressure, the low relative humidity, the high per cent of SCIENCE, 551 ozone, the strong light and insolation, the freedom from dust and bacteria. All these act well on the bodily health. The lungs work with greater strength, the heart beats faster, the blood circulates more quickly, appetite is increased, perspiration becomes freer, the muscles become more energetic, and the whole body gains in strength and endurance. — (Mit- theil. deutsch. oest. Alpenv., 1882, 284.) Ww. M. D. [1082 Geographic nomenclature. — A chapter of defi- nitions of Alpine words used in Trient is contributed by Apollonio, with a valuable pictorial supplement of thirty-seven’ figures, showing as many types of moun- tain form. Six cuts illustrate passes, and sixteen are given to peaks, the latter being chiefly of the acute form characteristic of the dolomites. Unfortunately it is not specified whether the figures are taken from nature. The style of work may be commended to our own mountain clubs. — (Ann. soc. alp. trident., Vill. 1882,:329.) w. M. D. [1083 (Arctic.) Arctic notes.— Kumlein’s researches among the Eskimo of Cumberland Inlet during the Howgate ex- pedition are summarized and reviewed in the Deutsche geographische blitter, heft ii. 172-178. —— For the promotion of traffic with Siberia, it is proposed to construct a canal in about latitude 58°, connecting the Yenisei and the Ket branch of the Obi River. The distance is about twenty miles from water to water, but much improvement of the Ket, and a small branch of the Yenisei called the Kas, will be neces- sary before through navigation will be practicable. An investigation by official engineers is in progress; and, if the difficulties are no greater than anticipated, the work can be rapidly finished, and at a reasonable cost. At present, there are more than fifty steamers on the Obi, while in 1854 there were but two. —— The U.S. coast-survey has issued several new charts of the Alaskan coast. One covers part of the coal- fields of Cook’s Inlet, and several glaciers bordering on Kachekmak Bay; another includes the codfishing grounds of the Shumagins, the sea-otter region of the south shores of Aliaska peninsula, and the pe- ninsula itself from Coal Cape to Issannakh Strait. It is partly compiled from published data, but in- eludes much new and important information on both ‘sides of the peninsula. —— The position which should be taken by Germany, in regard to polar re- search, was discussed at the first day’s meeting of the German geographers at Frankfurt, in March. — Karl Pettersen has printed a scheme for inter- national polar expeditions, which includes stations at Bering Strait, North Spitzbergen, and the north- east coast of Novaia Zemlaia, which should be occupied during summer, for ten years, making ob- servations, watching the changing character of the seasons each year, making short expeditions north- ward, and annually visited by recruiting vessels, which should bring back the staff of observers at the end of the season. Something of this kind has been done by the more intelligent traders and whalers who annually visit these seas, but whose obserya- tions are rough, not comparable, and often lost entirely. Still more near to Pettersen’s idea is the plan adopted by the Dutch, whose little schooner, the Willem Barents, has just sailed on her sixth cruise in the arctic European seas, and has each season brought back carefully systematized and comparable observations. —— The fourth number of the Mittheilungen of the international polar com- mission contains a number of notes and letters from various stations. The Lena station, on Sagastir 552 ; SCIENCE. Island, is comfortably housed on the right bank of the Sagastir mouth of the river in latitude 73° 22” 30” north, and east longitude 126° 34 56”. Fire- wood and whitefish were abundant. November was very clear, with little snow, which interfered with reindeer-stalking. Dr. Bunge, the surgeon, had the tnisfortune of breaking a rib through a fall, but was doing well, and was visited by many Tungusi, who wished for medical advice. —— The last number of the Irkutsk bulletin contains four months’ observa- tions of the temperature of the air, by Ivan W. Pavloff, an exile, at the village of Marsha, the period covering August to November, 1882.—— A communi- cation from the Danish ministry to the Parliament gives an account of the condition of the colonies in West Greenland for the year 1882. —— It is stated that the plans of Dr. Boas for his studies of the Innuit of Cumberland Inlet and vicinity embrace a visit this fall to Iglulik, and a return to Cumberland Inlet vid the unknown west shores of Baffin Land, wintering at the station ; and, next year, an inyesti- gation of the little-known tribe of Eclipse Sound and Pond Inlet, returning by the most convenient whaleship. — Ww. H. D. [1084 (South America.) Bove’s Patagonian voyage.— Lieut. G. Bove gives a narrative of his unfortunate voyage south- ward from Montevideo, whence he sailed Dec. 25, 1881, to Santa Cruz, on the eastern coast of Pata- gonia, Staten Island, the easternmost of the Fuegian Archipelago, and other islands near Cape Horn, until his wreck in Hammacoja (Sloggett’s Bay) on May 31, 1882. Santa Cruz is described as the fittest cen- tre for the population of southern Patagonia, having a tolerable anchorage, and fair supply of water and wood, and a climate not too severe. But itis a poor place at best; for the surrounding country is dry and desolate, and the strong currents are continually shifting the sand-bars in its river-channel. The spring tides rise 16 met., and produce a violent bore. Forty days were given to a careful exploration of Staten Island: it is very mountainous, with peaks rising to $50 met., and a deeply indented shore-line; its rocks are mostly schists and quartzites, with nothing more recent than carboniferous strata; evidence of glacial action is distinctly found in old moraines and numer- ous lakes; and peat bogs of great area occur not only near sea-level, but on the mountain flanks as well. Further description of this region may be given in later reports. The islands next explored near Cape Horn are seldom visited; and one regrets to find so little description given of them in Bove’s account, although as a simple narrative it possesses much in- terest. While the southern islands were extremely barren, a better country was found farther northward along the deep fiords; as, for example, about the suc- cessful English mission at Ustchiuvaja, —a fine site, with good anchorage, and sufficient wood and water, and pasturage for cattle, on the On-astchiaga (Beagle Channel). Bove compares the snowy Sarmiento peak (2,300 met.) to the finest of Alpine scenery: it gains from contrast with the sea what it loses in absolute height. Extended glacial action is often referred to; but, in the mention of rounded rocks and abandoned moraines, there is again need of more defi- nite statement. Recent glacial retreat was shown by the interval of 100 met. between the foot of the Negri glacier and its nearest terminal moraine. ‘The final wreck of the vessel was occasioned by the selection of an anchorage, unprotected on the south- east, where a rising storm exposed it to such severe weather and waves, that it was hastily decided that the only chance of safety lay in running ashore. a Weal lai Manin hs hia init di. a 4 : [Vou. I, No. 19 ' This was accomplished without loss of life, and much was saved from the stranded vessel. After five days’ waiting, their only boat was launched, and a few men returned in it to the English mission aboved named, whence the mission vessel, Allen Gardiner, was at once despatched, and rescued the entire party on June 10, after they had been some- what disturbed by a band of natives. A rough out- line map, and some views of doubtful accuracy, are among the few illustrations; those of the Fuegians, accompanying the author’s special description of the Jagan tribe of the southern islands, being much better. Reports on zodlogy, botany, and geology, by Vinciguerra, Spegazzini, and Lovisata, all members of the expedition, give information of technical value (cf. 1100). — (Boll. soc. geogr. ital., viii. 1883, 5, 89.) W. M. D. [1085 (Asia.) Indo-China. — A successful search in certain parts of this peninsula for coal, iron, and gold, gave M. Edmond Fuchs opportunity to note some of its phys- ical peculiarities. Its larger features are: the val- ley of the Red River (Song-ka) or Tonking, fertile and open, occupied by 12,000,000 inhabitants, and con- taining valuable coal of early mesozoic age; next westward, the granitic plateau of Laos (Annam), flanked with ranges of ancient slates, abruptly de- scending to the coast on the east, and with a long slope to the west into the valley of the Mekong, —a great river 1,800 miles long, with a rapidly growing delta, which is included in French Cochin-China, The daily discharge of this stream is estimated at almost 4,000,000,000 cubic metres, with a thousandth part of silt. By the extension of the delta, an old bay between mountain spurs on the north-west has been shut off, and now appears as the great Cambo- dian Lake, nearly two hundred miles inland. At the time of high water, the Mekong rises some forty feet, and reverses the current in the lake’s outlet, flooding it with muddy water, and thus filling the lake from its lower end. Interesting notes are added on the na- tive population, and further details are given on the geology and mineral resources of the vast region (cf. 1079).—(Rev. scient., 1883, 482.) Ww. M. D. [1os6é BOTANY. Experiments upon variation in plants. —In the botanical garden in Giessen, Prof. H. Hoffmann has conducted for many years an interesting series of researches upon variation, the results of which have been published from time to time, with little or no comment. ‘The last notice gives a few facts rela- tive to constaney of color, which may be briefly stated as follows: Adonis aestivalis, pure red, self- sown for 15 years, 410 plants in 15 generations, without any change of color; same species, yellow variety, no change in 13 generations. ' Hieracium alpinum is regarded by Kerner as a plant which cannot thrive on a lime soil. Hoffmann obtained, however, good seeds from specimens grown in soil rich in lime, and afterwards carried on a series of observations relative to the variation of thé species in soil both with and without lime. He found the widest variability as regards the branch- ing and leaves; but, with the most divergent forms, he had also in every generation a few perfectly typical plants. — (Bot. zeit., April, May.) G. L. @. [1087 Pollination of Rulingia.— According to Urban, several species of this Australian genus of Byttneria- ceae possess curious adaptations to crossing by insect aid. The flowers are small (one em. or less in di- JUNE 15, 1883.] ameter) and whitish. The pistil secretes nectar, which collects aboutit or in the hollowed petals. At first the stigma is closely covered by five dilated staminodia, closely inflexed over it for a time, but later separate. In R. pannosa there is well-marked protandry, the staminodia not separating, nor the stigma maturing, until the stamens are all dehiscent. R. corylifolia, on the other hand, is synacmic, the expansion of the sepals and the dehiscence of the stamens occurring in regular succession, and being closely followed by the successive removal of the staminodia from the mature stigma. R. parviflora isintermediate between the two species already mentioned. Its flowers as- sume a rosy color with age, like those of Trillium erandiflorum, Weigelia, etc. —(Sitzungsb. deutsch. bot. ges., 1883, i.) Ww. 7. [1088 Pinus koraiensis Sieb. and Zucce.— Through the kindness of Chief Engineer G. W. Melville, U.S.N., Mr. Josiah Hoopes had received some speci- mens of this interesting species of pine collected during the voyage of the unfortunate Jeannette. They consist of a branch clothed with foliage, two immature cones, and a few mature seeds from east- ern Siberia. The trees were seen along the banks of the Lena, the Yenisei, and the Obi rivers, growing to a height of about thirty feet, with trunks about ten inches in diameter at base. The collector fur- ther states that it fruits abundantly, and that the edible seeds are used by the natives as food, and by travellers as nuts. It is interesting to note that this heretofore comparatively rare species has a wider habitat, and is more numerous, than has generally been supposed. Siebold found it in Kamtchatka, and various authors have described it in the list of Japanese Coniferae as a rare introduced species. This nut-bearing pine is well marked throughout, and especially so in its cones and seeds, the latter being wingless, sub-angulate, flatly compressed, leav- ing on both sides of the scale, when removed, remarkably deep impressions. The cones are very distinctive, with long reflexed scales, terminating in an abrupt muero-like apex. Murray, in his Pines and firs of Japan, records its height as from ten to twelve feet; but Parlatore, on the authority of Per- fetti, gives it as ‘sometimes thirty to thirty-three feet.’ The latter is corroborated by Mr. Melville, thus indicating that the tree is a true northern spe- cies, attaining its greatest size only near the extreme limits of arboreal vegetation. It will, no doubt, make a valuable addition to our list of ornamental conifers, as its hardiness is unquestioned, and the foli- age is as attractive as any other of the white-pine group, with the exception, perhaps, of P. excelsa. In England it has proven reliable, and the small plants cultivated by Mr. Hoopes show evidences of success. — (Acad. nat. sc. Philad.; meeting May 8.) [1089 ZOOLOGY. Coelenterates. Recent researches upon the Pennatulida.— As the result of a prolonged study of Renilla, Dr. Wil- son gives a brief summary of his results and conclu- sions upon the following topics : the segmentation of the egg and the formation of the germ-layers, the for- mation of the organs and tissues of the axial polyp, the origin of the community by budding from the axial polyp, the significance of the polymorphism and bilateral symmetry of the community. During segmentation the division of the nuclei ap- pears to be nearly regular; but the vitellus may either divide with the first division of the nuclei, or it may remain at rest until a much later stage. In some SCIENCE. 553 eggs the first division of the vitellus was into thirty- two spheres. After segmentation the ectoderm is separated by delamination from the solid central en- dodermic mass, and the supporting layer is secreted from the inner ends of the ectoderm-cells. The gastric cavity, which has at first no commu- nication with the exterior, is formed by absorption of the central endoderm-cells by those which are more peripherally placed, and the oesophagus is formed as a solid invagination of ectoderm. Its cen- tral end is not simply perforated, but absorbed, during the formation of the mouth. The peduncular septum consists of three layers of endoderm-cells, and the author therefore believes that it is morphologically a fused pair of septa. The muscles are developed as processes from the bases of the endoderm-cells; and the cell-body, in many cases at least, becomes reduced to a small granular mass enclosing the nucleus, and closely applied to the side of the muscular fibre. The apicules are developed in the interior of cells, and are of two kinds (ectodermic and endodermic), which differ much in form and size The buds which are to form the sexual polyps are developed along the axial polyp in pairs, as two sim- ple lateral rows, and each of them soon becomes a secondary axis for two rows of buds which appear in the angles between the older buds. The law of bud- ding is the same for the zooids and polyps. The hauptzooid is formed at an early stage as a median bud upon the axial polyp; and its function is to discharge water from the colony, while the other zooids draw in water, as do also the young sexual polyps, but not the adults. Wilson therefore con- cludes that the zooids are homologous with young sexual polyps; that they are polyps in a state of ar- rested development. He believes that the polymor- phism of the community has not been brought about by the gradual specialization of an undifferentiated community, but that the ancestors of the zooids neyer possessed a higher organization than at pres- ent. He believes that the bilateral symmetry of the community has been directly determined by the bi- lateral environment, and he holds that Renilla is de- scended from a form like the Bathyptileae, and not, as Kolliker believes, from a primitive simple ‘Archyp- tilum. The paper isan abstract of an extended monograph which is to be published in the Phil. trans.; but the author is an American naturalist, and the researches were made upon the coast of North Carolina. — (Proc. royal soc., no. 222.) Living specimens of the very rare genus Funicu- lina have been obtained near Lisman Island, and they have been observed and studied by A. Milnes Marshall and William P. Marshall. The immature or young specimens have all the characteristics of Funiculina Forbesii (Verrill), while the full-grown ones are typ- ical specimens of F. quadrangularis (Pallas); and the authors therefore reject Verrill’s identification of the northern form as a new species. The paper contains a revision of the literature of the Pennatulidae, and an account of the general anatomy of Funiculina, Virgularia, and Pennatula, but it adds very little to the researches of Kolliker and others. —(Rep. Oban Pennatulidae.) Ww. K. B. [1090 Hydro-medusae without digestive organs. — Dr. Lendenteld describes anew sub-family of hydroids, Eucopellinae, in which the medusa has no digestive organs, and lives only a short time after its escape from the genophore. Only one species, Eucopella campanularia, is known, and this is found in Austra- lia. The larva is a campanularian whose hydranths are carried upon short, unbranched stems, which eo eee 504 SCIENCE. spring from a creeping root. The medusa has a veil, well-developed marginal sense-organs, radial and ‘cir- cular chymiferous tubes, and large reproductive or- gans, but it has no mouth, stomach, or tentacles. It discharges its reproductive elements within twenty- four hours after its liberation, and it lives only about thirty-six hours. — (Zool. anz., April 16.) Ww. K. B. [1091 Crustaceans, Monograph of the Caprellidae. — In the sixth of the series of beautiful zoological and botanical mono- graphs published by Dr. Dohrn’s station at Naples, Dr. Paul Mayer treats of the bizarre crustaceans be- longing to the family Caprellidae. The systematic part of the work (pp. 16-90) is the most important, being not barely descriptions of the species found in the Bay of Naples and its neighborhood, but a revision of all the known species of the world. The syste- matic part is followed by an account of the anatomy, histology, and habits. The few pages (165-168) de- voted to development do not add much to the little previously known through the studies of Gamroth. Mayer concludes that the families Cyamidae and Caprellidae are closely related, and form a natural group, Laemodipoda; that the Cyamidae are a later group than the Caprellidae, and are derived from a genus very near Caprella; that the Laemodipoda form a group of the Amphipoda, and are most closely re- lated to the gammaroid Amphipoda. The author’s conception of the relationship of the eight known genera of Caprellidae is expressed in the following genealogical tree. Podalirius? Cyamidae. Caprella. Aeginella? / Aegina. / c . / Caprellina. S / vp Protella. ui / Proto. if Cercops. cig Procaprellid. As nothing is known of the paleontological history of these animals, and but little of the development, this phylogeny is founded almost exclusively upon the adult structure. The species found in the Bay of Naples, together with anatomical and histological details, are figured on ten lithographic and photo- lithographic plates. —(Faunau. flora golfes Neapel, vi. 1882.) ‘Ww. F. [lo92 Thsects. Color-preferences of insects. — Miiller gives a general résumé of the results so far reached, with a brief account of the literature. — (Biolog. centralbl., 1888, no. 4.) w.-T. [1093 Illustrations of American butterflies. — In the eleventh part of his Butterflies of North America, Mr. W. H. Edwards furnishes plates of more than . usual interest, and of a fidelity to nature which we have come to expect from this source. They have, indeed, never been surpassed, and it would be diffi- cult to point out an error of delineation. The plates of this particular number do not show such a wealth (et ee ae Ea ne [Vot. I., No. 19. of varietal illustration as some of the previous ones; but each of them presents new biological features. The first represents four species of Pieris, with larva and chrysalis of two of them (Sisymbri and Beckeri) from drawings made in southern California by Mead; the egg of the former is also given. The second plate is entirely given to Limenitis Eros, and illus- trations are given of every stage of the larva (seven figures), of the egg and chrysalis, besides enlarged drawings of the details of structure in the larva. Considerable space is given to the natural history of the insect, largely from the observations of Wittfeld in Florida; its relations to L. Disippus are also dis- cussed, as far as the preparatory stages are concerned. The third plate has the highest interest, because we are for the first time introduced to the natural history of any of our native erycinid butterflies. Through the efforts of Mr. Doll at Tucson, Arizona, Mr. Edwards has been able to trace and figure the entire history of one and the earliest stages of an- other species of Lemonias, feeding naturally on mes- “ quite (Prosopis juliflora), but which he managed to raise in West Virginia on wild plum, after repeated failures on other plants. Of L. Nais, three figures are given of the egg, or parts of the egg, seven of the four stages of the larva, besides four plain figures of structural details, two of the chrysalis, and four of the butterfly; of L. Palmerii, the egg, young larva, and butterfly are figured. These figures show the larva to have a head scarcely smaller than the body behind it, partially covered by, but not, as in lyeaenid butterflies, retractile within, the segment following; to be clothed, when just from the egg, with long sweeping hairs, and in after life by clusters of short spreading hairs arranged in longitudinal rows, con- tinuous without deviation over thoracic and abdom- inal segments. Neither egg nor chrysalis shows any difference of importance from lycaenids. Another number will complete the second series (or volume) of this excellent iconography. [1094 Fossil insects from Greenland. — Heer deserihes and figures a fragment of a large elytron from the cretaceous beds of Ivnanguit, besides a small series of tertiary insects from Atanekerdluk and Haseninsel. Five of these are elytra of Coleoptera of various fami- lies, one a Locusta compared to L. viridissima of Europe, and one a fragmentary Phryganea. Two oth- er new fossil Phryganeae are also figured from Par- schlug and from Aix, and a Helops from the Molasse of Lausanne. The number of tertiary insects-so far found in Greenland is recorded as thirteen. — (Heer’s Flora foss. groenl., ii. 148, pl. 109.) [1095. VERTEBRATES. Fish, New southern marine fish.— Descriptions of twenty-five new fish from the southern United States have been published by Messrs. G. B. Goode and T. H. Bean. The new generic forms are of special interest. lIoglossus is a Gobiid allied to the Chinese Oxymetopon of Bleeker, although apparently not so ‘closely’ as supposed by the authors. Itis much less compressed than Oxymetopon, has no keel on the head, and almost all the scales are cycloid. ‘The indi- viduals described were obtained at Pensacola, Fla. Chriodorus is a Hemirhamphine closely related to Arrhamphus, —so closely, indeed, that the differences between the two (if any) remain to be shown. The two have not been compared by the authors. The new type, C. atherinoides, was obtained at Key West, Fla. Letharchus is a new Ophisurid nearly related to Sphagebranchus, but differing externally by the JuNE 15, 1883.] absence of an anal fin. Its species, L. velifer, was discovered in West Florida, and attains a length of about a foot and a half. Among the other note- worthy novelties, a new species of Porgy (Stenotomus caprinus) is also described from two specimens found in stomachs of the Red Snapper at Pensacola, — (Proc. U. S. nat. mus., iv. 412.) TT. @. [L096 Characters of the centropomids. — The family Centropomidae has been diagnosed by Theo. Gill. Its most marked distinctive characters seem to be the elongation of the postorbital portion of the skull, ‘a well differentiated posterior oblong, pen- tagonal, or hastiform area,’ resulting from con- striction of the parietals near their middle, and pecul- iarities of the vertebrae and their apophyses. —(Proc. U. 8. nat. mus., iv. 484.) [1097 Mammals, The bottle-nosed whale.—Capt. David Gray, through the agency of Prof. Flower, has recently made known, in a brief but interesting manner, the results of some observations on the whales of the genus Hyperoédon. It appears that the male bottle- nosed whale undergoes great changes in form with age, particularly as regards the head. The shape of this part of the body in females and young males is similar, the plane of the forehead making an acute angle with the plane of the mouth. As the male grows, however, the forehead becomes more and more prominent, and in old age its anterior surface stands” at right angles with the plane of the mouth. Prof. Flower makes use of these observations to reduce the species hitherto recognized to a single one. — (Proc. zool. soc. Lond., 1882, 726.) ¥. w. T. {1098 Development of the intermaxillary bone. — In an article published with great luxury of type and illustration, Th. Kolliker gives the results of his investigations on the intermaxillary bone, and the development of harelip and cleft palate. The memoir is one of special interest to the dentist and surgeon. We may mentiou here the following con- clusions: 1. Since the human embryo has a separate intermaxillary, we may consider the same to be a typical structure in facial clefts; 2. The intermax- illary is composed of two bones; 3. The united bone is destined to carry the four incisors, and many of the irregularities of the teeth in position and num- ber are due to the fact that they are developed inde- pendently of the bones destined to carry them. For further details we must refer to the original, which only partially comes within the scope of this journal. —(WNova. acta. acad. nat. cur., xliii. 825.) oc. Ss. M. [1099 ANTHROPOLOGY. Bove on the Fuegians.— An interesting account of the Fuegians has appeared at Genoa under the auspices of the committee of the Italian antarctic expedition. It is prepared by Bove, and illustrated by a geographical chart of Tierra del Fuego and Pat- agonia, and an ethnological chart showing the distri- bution of the different races inhabiting the Land of Fire. The latter are divided into two very distinct stocks, separated by Admiralty Sound and Beagle Channel. The Ona reside on the east and north of these passages, on the largest of the Fuegian Islands, and comprise about two thousand souls. To the west and south are the Yamana (Jagan), a race com- - prising about three thousand, and the Alkaluf, about aS many more. These people, perhaps of identical origin, now form two well-differentiated races, who are constantly at war. The Ona and Alkaluf have a rough and guttural language, while that of the Ya- SCIENCE. . 9090 mana is soft, and rich in vowel-sounds. A very vivid description of the character of the Fuegian country and of its people is given by Bove, who describes their distribution, physical characteristics, habits, dress, and wanderings; their birch-bark canoes, with which they brave storms, and pursue the seals and even whales; the wretched position of the women, who are practical slaves, living in polygamy, and yet unusually fertile, though a majority of the children succumb to exposure and insufiicient food; their marriage cus- toms, and treatment of their families,which appear to be chiefly remarkable for a stony selfishness unmiti- gated by affection or pity on the part of the males; their Shamanism and blood-revenge, thelatter strictly on Mosaic principles; their weapons, camps, and or- naments; the treatment of the dead, linguistics and the ameliorating influence of the faithful missionaries in that desolate land. The language appears, like that of many barbarous peoples, to be rich in words. Over thirty thousand vocables are enumerated in the Ya- mana tongue, besides agglutinations. They appear to have no reverence for the dead. One fellow sold his father’s skull to Bove, and wished it a pleasant jour- ney over the sea (cf. 1085). —w. u. D. [1100 Aboriginal soapstone-quarries. — Not many years ago the occurrence of copper, mica, and soap- stone vessels in the Indian graves of our eastern states pointed, it was supposed, to a vast aboriginal commerce, embracing the whole continent in its net- work of communications. The researches of prac- tical archeologists, however, are constantly bringing to light new sources of supply, that were formerly worked much nearer to the mounds and graves where their productions found their last resting- place. The finding of many half-finished pots and rude tools at Chula, in Virginia, was soon fol- lowed by the discovery of several large soapstone- quarries in the District of Columbia. To the subject of this class of Indian work, Mr. J. D. McGuire of Ellicott City, Md., has given much attention. He has found soapstone-quarries in Maryland, and, after considerable research, has discovered the meth- ods of this aboriginal handicraft.— (Amer. nat., June.) J. W. P. [1101 Words for color. — Lazarus Geiger, in one of his suggestive lectures, attempts to show that sense-per- ceptions have had a very recent evolution by tracing downward from the Homeric poems the terms em- ployed to designate color. A very much more learned discussion of the same subject is that by Prof. Thomas R. Price, respecting the color-system of Virgil. In this essay itis not maintained that the words for color indicate the state of the color-sense, but the adaptation of language to the color-percep- tions of the eye. What idea had the ancients of color ? Certainly they did not hold it to be a subjective sensation pro- duced by three sets of nerves within the eye by three kinds of waves differing in length. Rather, in the Indo-Germanie languages, the color of a thing is the cover or skin that overlies or hides the true sub- stance. In nature, seen under ordinary daylight, there are for the healthy human eye about eleven hundred dis- tinguishable colors. Fora hundred and two of these, Roget has names ; but the number of color-names in modern French is said to be not short of five hun- dred. Alma Tadema reproduces his color-impres- sions of the antique world by a palette of twelve colors, while the palette of Virgil’s vocabulary con- tains twenty-seven terms of high colors, and fifteen more for shades due to excess or deficiency of illu- mination. 5396 An ingenious set of comparisons leads the author up to the ratio of the occurrence of each set of color- terms to the entire eleyenhundred. ‘‘ His perceptions of color are clearest and strongest in the middle of the spectrum ; even in his sensuous imagination, he is temperate and reserved, avoiding the extremes of sensation, and dwelling by preference upon the mean terms, the media via of visual perception.”’ Prof. Price draws attention to the striking co- incidence of scientific accuracy with prophetic genius in the phrase of Virgil, Mille coloribus arcum (Ecl., v. 609), and the discovery of Aubert (Rood, p. 40) > SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 19. that in the solar spectrum the unaided eye may dis- tinguish a thousand colors. he following terms: are traced to their origin, and their fundamental idea fixed: ruber, rutilus, sanguineus, cruentus, sandix, minium, ferrugo, roseus, viridis, vitreus, hyalus, igneus, spadix, flavus, fulvus, croceus, lu- teus, auruim, cereus, pallidus, lividus, caeruleus, pur- pureus, puniceus, murex, ostrum, albus, candidus, niveus, argenteus, lacteus, marmoreus, decolor, canus, glaucus, ater, niger, fuscus, fumeus, pullus, piceus. —(Amer, journ. phil., v.1.) 0.7. M. [1102 INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. Smithsonian institution, Explorations in Louisiana. — Capt. R. W. Shufeldt, medical corps U. S. A., has, since October last, as- sisted by grants from the Smithsonian institution, been exploring the country in the vicinity of the city of New Orleans, La. The collection that this officer has made has just been forwarded to the institution at Washington. It consists of some three thousand specimens of very interesting forms of the represen- tative vertebrates and invertebrates of that region, besides the contents of the Indian shell-mound situ- ated in the rear of Carrolton, —an antiquity suspected to exist by Foster, from reports he had heard when engaged in his explorations in that locality. Among the vertebrates, some very uncommon forms of bats have been forwarded, and six or seven specimens of the rare Bascanium anthicum, and one of the Aspi- donectes asper, the soft-shelled turtle, so eagerly sought after by collectors. Of the fish, Dr. T. H. Bean, curator of the department of fishes at the Smithsonian institution, says, ‘‘ Two of the determi- nations are uncertain. The examples of Lepomis 32410 and 32419 are so small that I cannot be sure what they are, the lower pharyngeals being little de- (veloped, and with incomplete dentition ; 32412, 32414, and 32420 agree with the published descriptions of Zygonectes chrysoties Giinth., but they may represent a species quite distinct from that. I will try to get fuller information about Giinther’s types through some one of my friends who will visit the British museum nextsummer. Thespecies called Mollienesia latipinna would be regarded as M. lineolata by our friends, Jordan and Gilbert; but I think your series will prove that lineolata is not distinct from latipinna; and, as latipinna is the older name, we should use it. “The lot of Elassoma zonatum (32423 = No. 108) is the largest and finest ever known in this museum, and there is no probability that any collector has se- cured a better series. The range of variation is great- ly extended by them, and a new localityisfound. O. P. Hay had the species from Mississippi; itis known, also, from Alabama, Texas, and South Illinois.” Dr. Shufeldt will work this material up for pub- lication by the Smithsonian institution as soon as the opportunity offers. STATE INSTITUTIONS. State university of Kansas, Lawrence. Weather report for May. — This month had the lar- gest rainfall, the greatest aggregate wind-velocity, and, with one exception (1882), the lowest mean tempera- ture, recorded in any May of our sixteen years’ obser- vations. The light white frost of the 22d did no damage to vegetation, and the growing crops are in prime condition at the close of the month. Mean temperature, 62.05°, which is 4.08° helow the ayerage May temperature. The highest temperature was 91°, on the 2d; the lowest was 39°, on the 22d; monthly range, 52°: mean temperature at 7 A.M., 56.19°; at 2P.m., 71.18°; at 9 P.m., 60.45°. Rainfall, 7.63 inches, which is 3.56 inches above . the May average. There were five thunder-showers. Hail accompanied the rain of the 13th without dam- age at this station. On the 13th the rainfall was three and one-half inches, which daily register has been but twice exceeded in the past sixteen years. Of this amount, two inches fell in one hour and three- quarters, from 3.45 to 5.30 p.m, The entire rainfall for the five months of 1883 now completed has been — 14.07 inches, which is 2.25 inches above the average for the same period in the past fifteen years. Mean cloudiness; 47.63 % of the sky, the month be- ing 1.75 % clearer than usual. Number of clear days (less than one-third cloudy), 11; entirely clear, 3; half-clear (from one to two thirds cloudy), 14; cloudy (more than two-thirds), 6; entirely cloudy, 3; mean cloudiness at 7 A.M., 46.77%; at 2 P.m., 56.45 %; at 9 P.M., 39.68 %. Wind: N.W., 25 times; S.E., 20 times; S.W., 16 times; S., 14 times; N.E., 13 times; W., 3 times; N., twice. The entire distance travelled by the wind was 15,661 miles, which is 3,334 miles above the May ay-. erage. ‘This gives a mean daily velocity of 505 miles, and a mean hourly velocity of 21.04 miles. The high- est velocity was 60 miles an hour, on the 13th. Mean height of barometer, 29.010 inches; at 7 A.M., 29.017 inches; at 2 p.m, 28.989 inches; at 9 P.M., 29.029 inches; maximum 29.355 inches, on the 5th; anu, 28.496 inches, on the 13th; range, 0.859 inch. Relative humidity: mean for month, 64.5; at '7 A.M., 75.5; at 2 P.m., 45.9; at 9 P.M., 72.3; greatest, 100, on 13th; least, 14, on the 9th. NOTES AND NEWS. The American association for the advancement of science will hold its thirty-second annual meet- ing at Minneapolis, Minn., Aug. 15 and following days. The president-elect is Prof. C. A. Young of Princeton, and the following is the list of the general officers of the meeting: section A (Mathematics and astronomy), vice-president, W. A. Rogers of Cambridge; secretary, W. W. Johnson of Annapo- Pe ath oe , “4 UNE 15, 18S83.] lis. B (Physies), vice-president, H. A. Rowland of Baltimore; secretary, C. K. Wead of Ann Arbor. C (Chemistry), vice-president, E. W. Morley of Cleveland; secretary, J. W. Langley of Ann Arbor. D (Mechanical science), vice-president, DeVolsen Wood of Hoboken; secretary, [to be chosen at meet- ing]. E (Geology and geography), vice-president, C. H. Hitchcock of Hanover; secretary, A. A. Julien of New York. F (Biology), vice-president, W. J. Beal of Lansing; secretary, S. A. Forbes of Normal. G (Histology and microscopy), vice-presi- dent, J. D. Cox of Cincinnati; secretary, C. Seiler of Philadelphia. H (Anthropology), vice-president, ‘O. T. Mason of Washington; secretary, G. H. Per- kins of Burlington. I (Economic science and sta- tistics), vice-president, F. B. Hough of Lowville; secretary, J. Cummings of Evanston. ‘The per- manent secretary is F. W. Putnam of Cambridge; the general secretary (of the meeting), J. R. Hast- man of Washington; assistant general secretary, Al- fred Springer of Cincinnati; and the treasurer, Wil- liam Lilly of Mauch Chunk. The headquarters of the association will be at the State university; the hotel headquarters of the per- manent secretary, the Nicollet House. - Members expecting to attend the meeting are requested to notify the local secretary, Prof. N: H. Winchell, Minneapolis, as early as possible. Badges of mem- bership will be distributed to all who register. The following are the principal officers of the local committee. Chairman and treasurer, Hon. George A. Pillsbury; secretary, Prof. N. H. Winchell; and chairmen of the several sub-committees, as follows: invitations and reception, President W. W. Folwell; finance, J. C. Seeley, Esq.; transportation and ex- cursions, Thomas Lowry, Esq.; entertainment, hotels, lodgings, and luncheons, Hon. A. C. Rand; rooms and places of meetings, Hon. Eugene M. Wil- son; printing, David Blakely, Esq. — The annual meeting of the Society for the pro- motion of agricultural science will be held in Minne- apolis, Aug. 13 and 14, just previous to the meet- ing of the American association. —It is announced that Lieut. Schwatka, accom- panied by Assistant Surgeon Wilson, C. A. Homan, U.S. engineer corps, and three private soldiers, left for Chilkat, Alaska, May 22, from Portland, Or., on the steamer Victoria. They are provisioned for a six-months’ cruise, will employ Indians for packers, etc., and intend to ascend the Chilkat River to its head, make the passage to the head waters of the Lewis River, and descend the same to its junction with the Yukon, and descend the Yukon River to its mouth. It is said to be their intention to sur- vey the course of these rivers; and there is no doubt that a properly qualified and equipped party would find abundance of useful work ready to their hands. The whole route has been travelled before, but not SCIENCE. 557 by persons in search of, and qualified to obtain, geo- graphical information, except in very small part. The explorations of the Krause brothers on the Chil- kat and vicinity have been alluded to before. The Yukon has been superficially examined by McMurray, Ketchum, Zagoskin, Dall, Whymper, Raymond, Nel- son, and others, and a few points have been astro- nomically determined; but nothing like an exact map has been attempted, nor do the data for it exist. Astronomical and magnetic observations anywhere along its banks, and especially any data for a map of the Lewis River and its feeders (which are only known from the reports of prospectors and natives), would be of the highest interest. —The treasurer of the American committee of the Balfour memorial acknowledges the following additional subscriptions: Prof. L. A. Wait, Cornell university, $5; Dr. M. J. Roberts, post-graduate medical school, New York, $5; Prof. HE. A. Birge, University of Wisconsin, $10; Adam Bruce, Prince- ton college, $4; W. M. Rankin, Princeton college, $2; W. B. Scott, Princeton college, $10; Lyceum natural history, Williams college, $5; classes ’83 and ’85, Williams college, $10; S. F. Clarke, Williams college, $10; Warren E. Dennis, Newark, N.J., $4; Abraham Jacobi, New York, $10; T. M. Prudden, New York, $5; L. Waldstein, New York, $10; William H. Welch, New York, $10; Miss G. A. Lewis, Philadelphia, $1; Joseph Leidy, Philadelphia, $4; C. S. Minot, Har- yard medical school, $5; E. Burgess, Boston society natural history, $5; J. B. Steere, University of Michi- gan, $4; A. Winchell, University of Michigan, $7; Students’ literary department, University of Michigan, $5.70. Previously acknowledged, $518.25. — Mr. A. H. Keane, whose recent appointment as lecturer in Hindustani, at University college, Lon- don, has been raised by the council to full professor- ship, ‘in consideration of Mr. Keane’s great eminence as a scholar,’ has just issued a prospectus for a work entitled ‘A classification of the races of mankind,’ which will form two large octavo volumes of about six hundred pages each. He aims in it to provide the student of ethnology with a comprehensive treatise on the races of mankind, which shall correspond with the present state of anthropologic knowledge, and super - sede all previous attempts of this sort, however well done. To use his own words, ‘‘ In the general intro- duction such broad questions will be dealt with as the evolution of man, the antiquity and specific unity of the species, the present varieties of mankind, the physical and moral criteria of race, the fundamental human types, their evolution and dispersion, the peopling of the continents, the origin of articulate speech, the morphological orders and families of speech, the problem of specific linguistic diversity within the same ethnical group.”’ He will then deal with the great physical divis- ions of the human family, discussing each of its cde eed Loe ee - eye ee 508 main sections under three separate heads, — first, the physical and moral characteristics of the type; second, the main branches of each (under this head the classification will be carried out) ; third, an alphabet- ical index which will form a complete ethnologic gazetteer, collecting all known races, tribes, and lan- guages under short descriptive titles, alphabetically arranged, and full of references to authorities. The Asiatic domain alone furnishes, according to Mr. Keane, some four thousand entries. The work will be published only upon the condi- tion of there being five hundred subscribers. —The annual meeting of the American academy of arts and sciences was held in Boston, Tuesday, May 29. The following officers were elected for the ensu- ing year: president, Professor Joseph Loyering; vice- president, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes; correspond- ing secretary, Professor Josiah P. Cooke; recording secretary, Professor John Trowbridge; treasurer, H. P. Kidder; librarian, S. H. Scudder. Four new members were elected: Prof. J. W. Mallet of the University of Virginia, and Dr. Atticus G. Haygood of Oxford, Georgia, as associate fellows; George B. Dixwell of Boston as resident fellow; and Adolph Wurtz of Paris as foreign honorary member. The list of members of the academy now includes one hundred and ninety-two resident fellows, ninety- two associate fellows, and seventy-two foreign hon- orary members. The loss by death this year has been as follows. Resident fellows: Augustus A. Hayes, Brookline; William B. Rogers, Chandler Robbins, and Nathaniel Thayer, Boston. Associate fellows: Charles Avery, Clinton, N.Y.; Henry Draper, New York; Isaac Ray, Philadelphia; George P. Marsh, Rome. Foreign honorary members: Joseph Liou- ville, Paris; Emile Plantamour, Geneva; Friedrich Kohler, Gottingen; T. L. W. Bischoff, Munich. The academy voted unanimously to confer the Rumford gold medal upon Professor Henry A. Row- land of Baltimore for his researches in light and heat, The following papers were presented by Mr. W. T. Brigham: 1. Recent voleanic phenomena on the Hawaiian Islands; 2. The flow of laya-streams as illustrated by the Hawaiian eruption of 1881. Profes- sor Cooke presented the following contributions from the chemical laboratory of Harvard university by title: 1. On tumerol, by C. Loring Jackson and A. E. Menke; 2. On curcumin, by the same authors; 38. On the action of phosphorous trichlo- ride of aniline, by the same authors; 4. On the action of sodic ethylate on benzaldehyde, by C. Lor- ing Jackson and G. T. Hartshorn; 5. On the action of concentrated hydrobromic acid upon mucobromic acid and other related substances, by H. B. Hill; 6. On the action of alkaline hydrates upon mucobromic acid, by H. B. Hill and E. K. Sterns; 7. On phe- noxychloracrylic acid, by M. Loeb; 8. On B-phenyltri- SCIENCE. [Vou. I, No. 19. brompropionic acid, by L. P. Kinnicutt and G. M. Palmer; 9. On the determination of nitrites with potassic permanganate, by L. P. Kinnicutt and J. U. Nef; 10. On the determination of sulphites with potassie permanganate, by L. P. Kinnicutt and R. Penrose; 11. On the vapor density of the chloride, bromide, and iodide of antimony, by C. P. Worces- ter; 12. On a method of correcting the weight of bodies of unknown volume for the buoyancy of the — atmosphere, and its applications, by J. P. Cooke. Professor Asa Gray presented the following from the Botanic garden. Contributions to American botany: 1. List of plants from south-western Texas. and northern Mexico, collected chiefly by Dr. E.- Palmer in 1879-80 (II. Gamopetalae to Acotyle- dones) by Sereno Watson; 2. Descriptions of new species of plants, with revision of certain genera, by Sereno Watson. Professor Trowbridge presented the following papers from the physical laboratory of — Harvard university: 1. Attraction of a shell bounded by confocal ellipsoidal surface, by F. N. Cole; 2. Weber’s theory of magnetism, John Trowbridge and C. B. Penrose; 3. Electromotive force, John Trowbridge and H, K. Stevens; 4. Effect of mag- netism on-the conduction of heat, John Trowbridge and C. B. Penrose. A paper on the deduction of different star catalogues to a common system was presented by title by Prof. W. A. Rogers. —At the semi-annual meeting of the American oriental society, held in the hall of the American academy, Boston, May 2, papers were read as fol- lows: by T. O. Paine, on the Julian inscription of Gerash; by L. Dickerman, on the Site of the Pithom of Exodus i. 11; by B. S. Lyman, on the Japanese Nigori of composition; by J. W. Jenks, Some remarks on oriental genius; by W. D. Whitney, on the Jai- miniya Brahmana; by J. Avery, on the Modes in relative clauses in the Rig-Veda; by M. Bloomfield, on Certain Vedic subjunctive forms; by D. G. Lyon, Discussion of the question whether or not there was a god El at the head of the Babylonian pantheon; by I. H. Hall, on the Bronze crab inscription on the New-York obelisk; by B. 8. Lyman, on Certain Pe- kingese sounds; and by W. W. Rockhill, Translation of two. Buddhist Sutras. The society adjourned to meet in New Haven in October. : —M. Raoul Pictet has recently completed a small steam-vessel designed to illustrate the advantages possessed by a form of hull proposed by him to be adopted for very high speeds, and has made prelimi- nary trials on the waters of Lake Geneva. His boat has a full, nearly square, midship section, with a flat floor and sharply turned bilges, vertical topsides, a sheer plan having a line of keel very nearly parabolic, the vertex of the curve at the bow, and the maximum ordinate at the rudder-post. The leading ideais to so form the vessel that the water shall be displaced ver- tically downward as far as possible, in order that the JUNE 15, 1883.] upward reaction shall raise the craft, and thus dimin- ‘ish head-resistance at very high speeds. Comparing the curve of resistance with that of boats of the usual form, it is found that it does not differ, in any great desree, at ordinary low speeds; but at sixteen kilometres and upward (about ten miles) the resistance is less, and at twenty-seven kilometres (sixteen and three-fourths miles) the re- sistance is but about one-half that of the common form of vessel. The Pictet boat was tested beside the fast yacht of Madame Rothschild, the Gitana, and was found to be slightly inferior at low speeds, but decidedly superior at the higher speeds. The new vessel is of a little more than twenty-five tons’ displacement. It would seem that the proposed form would be of less importance for large vessels, in which the resistance is in larger proportion frictional, and less in head-resistance, and that the advantages of the Pictet form are to be realized principally in “small yachts and in torpedo vessels. The boat and its performance are described in La Nature, and re- produced in the Sc. Amer. supplement, May 19, 1883. — At the meeting of the Biological society of Wash- ington, May 25, the following papers were read: Dr. “Thomas Taylor, on Actinomykosis, a new infectious disease of man and the lower animals, with exhibition of a portion of the diseased viscera of a dog, contain- ing specimens of the fungus Actinomyces; Dr. D. E. Salmon, remarks on Actinomykosis; Prof. C.V. Riley, remarks on curious Psyllidae and certain gall-making species. — Mr. Lester F. Ward has made a preliminary study of an interesting collection of fossil plants brought -to the U. S. geological survey in 1882, by Dr. C. A. White, from the Laramie beds of the lower Yellow- stone River. No less than thirty-four species are ‘identified with those already described and figured, including many of those from Fort Union, described by Dr. Newberry, and a number from other localities in the west. A few, however, belong to species that have not heretofore been found within the territory of the United States (arctic or European). In ad- dition to these, there was found a large number of forms which could not be identified, some of which are of peculiar interest. As Mr. Ward expects to visit these beds during the present season, and hopes to obtain more and better material, no descriptions of new species will be published until further study of these forms can be made. — Ten years ago the magnificent private collections of Dr. Gustay Klemm, whom all anthropologists love to honor, were sold by his heirs to the city of Leipzig for the Museum fir volkerkunde. If we mistake not, Dr. Klemm was the first to announce distinctly “the oneness of all human art and industry as a unique subject of study, dividing human occupa- tions, implements, processes, and produccions into genera and species, and aiming to find in each class SCIENCE. 509 the cause of its origin, as well as the law of its evolution. Each year since the transfer, a report of the progress of the museum has been published. the tenth number of which has just come to hand. The affairs of the institution are managed by a board of trustees, who rely upon subscriptions mainly to pay the current expenses. — The expiorers whom the French geographic so- ciety has recently adjudged worthy of its gold medals are: Commandant Gallieni, for his expedition to the upper Niger and Segu two years ago; Commandant Derrien, leader of a topographic party in Senegal at the same date; M. Charles Huber, for travels in Ara- bia during the past three years; Lieut. F. Schwatka, for his arctic voyage to King William’s Land; and M. Langlois, for maps of the department of Oran, Algeria. — At the meeting of the Engineers’ club of Phila- delphia, May 5, Mr. T. M. Cleemann was enabled to show, through the courtesy of Mr. W. W. Evans of New York, a map and profile of the Southern Pacific railroad in California, where it crosses the dried-up bed of a lake, being below the surface of the Pacific Ocean for 5S miles, and attaining a depth below said surface of 266 feet. At this point it skirts a deposit of salt from six to twenty-four inches in thickness. He also showed a number of photographs of the Tehachapi Pass, on the same railroad, near San Fernando. In order to attain the summit with a sufficiently reduced grade, the line was ‘developed,’ advantage being taken of a conical hill to wind about it in the form of a helix, crossing itself, and continu- ing on its way with several meanderings. The St. Gothard railroad has several such helices, but they are cut in the solid rock. A similar location was made, about eighteen years ago, on the Southern Pennsylvania railroad, but it was not built. Another piece of interesting location was also exhibited ; name- ly, the mountain division of the Western North Caro- lina railroad, which shows great skill in fitting a line to the country. Mr. George S. Strong described a new method of manufacture of corrugated boiler- tubes. Mr. E. F. Loiseau gaye a sketch of the prog- ress and condition of the manufacture of artificial fuels. Mr. R, H. Sanders described a derrick used for hoisting material from a slate quarry by means of cable and bucket; and Mr. T. M. Cleemann noted a similar method pursued in the construction of a viaduct in Peru, 252 feet high, when the pieces were conveyed by a traveller to the pier. Mr. C. G. Dar- rach continued his remarks with regard to the rela- tive quality of water at the top and bottom of deep reservoirs, and discussed methods of meeting the dif- ficulty encountered in the accumulation of impurities below the surface. — C. F. Holder contributes to the June number of Lippincott’s magazine an excellent article on Animals extinct within human memory. The greater portion 560 of the paper relates to birds, —the great auk, the dodo, and the giant birds of New Zealand ; but the mammoth and Steller’s manatee are specially men- tioned among mammals. —The Royal geographical society has lately award- ed medals to Sir J. D. Hooker for his services in scientific and botanical geography, extending over many years, and based on voyages to the Antarctic and Australian seas, to India and the Himalaya, and travels in Morocco and the United States ; and to E. C. Baber, of the British legation at Peking, for his reports and maps of journeys into the interior of China. Money-grants were yoted to Abbé Petitot for his researches to the north of Great Slave Lake, to W. D. Cowan for his surveys in central Madagascar, and to F. C. Selous for his journeys in the Zambesi basin. — At a meeting of the Society of ae Massachu- setts institute of technology, May 24, Professor Elihu Thomson exhibited in operation, and ex- plained, the Thomson-Houston system of electric lighting of the American electric company of New Britain, Conn. — When noticing, in a former number of SCIENCE, the curious worm-like articulated impressions from the Potsdam sandstone, the writer of the notice was not aware that the name ‘ Rusichnites’ had been pre- viously proposed by Mr. Whiteaves for the similar markings from the Gaspé sandstone referred to in the note. —In the weekly summary, { 614, for ‘tortricid moth,’ read ‘ tineid moth.’ RECENT BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. Adamson, Ch. M. Another book of scraps, principally re- lating to natural history. Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1883. illustr. 4°. Aschieri, F. Geometria projettiva e descrittiva. Milan, 1882. 3854p. 12°. Beddome, R. H. Ceylon, and the Malay Peninsula. p-, 300 illustr. 8°. Bove, G. Patagonia, Terre del Fuoco, Mari Australi. Rap- porto della spedizione da lui capitanata al Comitato centrale per le esplorazioné antartiche. Parti. Genoa, R&. Istituto, 1888. 150 Den Ors Brown, J.C. The forests of England, and the management of them in by-gone times. Edinburgh, 1883. 268 p. 87. Busley, ©. Die schiffsmaschine, ihre construction, wir- kungsweise u. bedienung. Abtheil.i. Kiel, 1883. 240p. 8. Chalon, J. Les premiers iges de la terre et de Vhomme fossile. Bruxelles, 1888. 105 p., illustr. 12°. Clerk, Ch. Etudes de géologie militaire. caises. Paris, 1883. illustr. 8°. Comision del mapa geolégico. — Breve idea de la constitucién geolégica de Espaiia, presentada en la exposicion de mineria, celebrata en Madrid en 1888. Medrid, Zed/o, 1883. 20p. 8°. Paris, 1883. Handbook to the ferns of British India, London, Thacker, 1888. 500 Les Alpes fran- Crié, L. Essai sur la flore primordiale. 80 p., illustr. 8°. Devic, L.M. Le pays des Zendjs, ou la,céte orientale d’Af- age (géographie, moeurs, productions, animaux rique au moyer Paris, Hachette, 1883. légendaires), @’aprés les Gerivains arabes. 280 p. 8°. Eckardt, Physics in pictures: the principal natural phenomena and appliances described and illustrated. Trans- lated by A. H. Keane. London, 1883. illustr. f°. Fick, A. Philosophischer versuch iiber die wahrscheinlich- keiten. Wiirzburg, 1883. 8°. SCIENCE. Gs . bd == [Vou. 1., No. 19. Fischer, 8.1L. Ueber das princip der organisation u. die pflanzenseele. Mainz, 1883. 143 p. 8°. Garrod, A. E. The nebulae: a fragment of astronomical history. London, Pare, 1883. 44p. 8°. Gaudry, A. Les enchainements du monde animal dans les temps géologiques fossiles primaires. Paris, Savy, 1883. $23 p., 285 illustr. 8°. Gisevius, P. Beitriige z. metbode d. bestimmung d. spec. gewichts vy. mineralien u. d. mechan. trennung von mineralge- mengen. Bonn, 1883. 81p. 8°. Goodwin (bishop of Carlisle). science and faith. London, Murray, 1883. Guillemin, A. Le monde physique. 3 vols. 32+874; 4+670; 1011 p., illustr. 8°. Haussknecht, 0. Lehrbuch der chemie u. chemischen technologie. Hamburg, 1883. 484 p., illustr. 8°. Hirsch. lapport sur les machines et les appareils de la mé- canique générale a VExposition universelle internationale de 1878 2 Paris. Paris, 1883. 609 p. 8°. Hollefreund, K. Die gesetze der lichtbewegung in doppelt brechenden medien nach der Lommel’schen reibungstheorie. Halle, 1883. 4°. Houba, M. J. H. Over de strooming van ylocistoffen door buizen. Nijmegen, 1883. 104 p. 8°. Hoyer, A.G. E. Planten-album. Ter bevordering yan de kennis der algemeen in Nederland groeiende planten. ‘Viel, 1883. 95p. 4°. Kolbe, H. Kurzes lehrbuch der organischen chemie. Braun- schweig, 1888. 509-864 p. illustr. 8°. Lanier, L. Choix de lectures de géographie, accompagnées de résumés, d’analyses et de notes explicatives. Paris, Belin, 1883. 8+656p. 12°. Le Paige, M.C. Essai de géométrie supérieure du 8e ordre. Bruxelles, 1883. 132 p. 8. Lindner, M. Die elektricitét im dienste y. gewerbe u. in- dustrie. Leipzig, 1883. 4°. Maurer, M. Statique graphique. Paris, 1883. illustr. 8°. Melde, F. Akustik. Fundamentalerscheinungen u. gesetze einfach ténender kérper. Leipzig, 1883. 364 p. illustr. 8° Naville, E. La physique moderne. Paris, 1883. 8°. Nysom,H. Hydrografisk kart over det sydlige Norge udar- peidet ved Senplkontay et. Christiania, 1882. 8°. Ormerod, E. A. Report of observations of injurious in- sects during the year 1882; with methods of prevention and remedy, and special report on wireworm. London, Simpkin, 1883. 98p. 8°. Pattison, 8. R.,and Friedrich, Dr. The age and origin of man geologically considered. London, Religious tract so- ciety, 18838. 53p. 12°. Paulucci, M. Note saeeiceene sulla fauna terrestre e fluviale dell’Isola di Sardegna. Siena, 1882. 247 p. 8% Pellet, H.,and Seugier, G. La fabrication du suere. T.i. Historique; les principes sucrés; saccharimétrie chimique et physique; analyse des sols; les terres & betteraves. Paris, Pellet, 1888. 390 p., illustr. 8°. Rieth. Volumetrische analyse. Hamburg, 1883, 8°. Saarbrucker steinkohlen-district. Flétzkarte. Mit pro- filkarte. Aubeldruck, Saarbricken, 1883. f°. Salterain, Pedro. Breve resena de la mineria de Ja isla de Cuba. Habana, Za Publicidad, 1883. 24p. 8°. Schaedler, C. Die technologie der fette u. oele des thier- und pflanzenreichs. Berlin, 1883. illustr. 8°. Schwartze, Th. Telephon, mikrophon u. Wien, 1883. illustr. 240p. 8°. Sicard, G. Histoire naturelle des champignons comestibles et vénéneux. Préface par A. Chatin. Paris, 1883. illustr. 8°. Songaylo, E. Traité de géométrie descriptive. Paris, 1882. 6+440 p., illustr. 4. Tissandier, G. Le probléme de la direction des aérostats. Paris, 1883. 8°. Travaux publics de la France. Publié sous les auspices du ministére des travaux publics, et sous la dir. de L. Reynaud. Paris, 1883. illustr. f°. Tribolet, M.de. La géologic, son objet, son développement, sa méthode, ses applications. Conférence académique. Neu- chatel, 1883, 49p. 8°. Ullrich, V. Die horizontale gestalt u. beschaffenheit Euro- pas u. Nordamerikas. Beitrag zur morphologie beider erden- Yiiume. Leipzig, 1888. 8°. Urban, J. Monographie der familie der Turneraceen. Ber- lin, 1883. 152 p-, illustr. 8°. Witz, A. Histoire des moteurs A gaz. Walks in the regions of 304 p. 8°. Paris, Hachette, 1883. radiophon. Paris, 1883. 8. JUNE 22, 1883. ] FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 1883. THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. Tur Royal society of Canada held its second annual meeting in the Parliament house &t Ottawa on May 22-25, under the presidency of Dr. J. W. Dawson. This society was or- ganized, as our readers may know, a year since, under the auspices of the governor-general of Canada, the Marquess of Lorne, and includes four academies or sections, each with twenty members and a sectional president or chairman. These sections are as follows: I. French litera- ture, history, ete. ; II. English literature, his- tory, etc.; III. Mathematical, physical, and chemical sciences; IV. Geological and bio- logieal sciences. Their presiding officers for the past year were respectively, J. M. Lemoine, Daniel Wilson, T. Sterry Hunt, and A. R. C. Selwyn; the general officers of the society be- ing, J. W. Dawson, president ; P. J. O. Chau- veau, vice-president ; J. G. Bourinot, honorary secretary ; and J. R. Grant, honorary treasurer. There was a good attendance, about two- thirds of the members being present, besides which were numerous delegates from various loeal literary and scientific societies throughout the Dominion. These, by the rules of the Royal society, are entitled to appoint each year a dele- gate to attend the annual meeting, and present a report of their work and progress. In ad- dition to these, various foreign societies were invited to send delegates ; in response to which, Dr. T. Sterry Hunt had been charged to repre- sent the National academy of sciences, and Pro- fessor Alpheus Hyatt came in behalf of the American academy of Boston. The Institut of France had appointed Mr. Xavier Marmier, _of the Academie frangaise, their delegate ; and the French government had offered to send him at the expense of the state, but sudden illness prevented his presence. After organizing in general session on Tues- day, the society at once divided into its four sections, and proceeded to the reading and dis- cussion of papers, to which were devoted the first two days, with the exception of Wednes- day morning. This was set apart for the pub- No. 20.— 1883. SCIENCE. 561 lie exercises of the whole society, which then assembled in the Senate chamber of the Parlia- ment house, the Marquess of Lorne and the Princess Louise being present. The Marquess, to whose zeal for the advancement of letters and science the inception of the society is due, made an address of welcome, congratulating the society on the success which had attended its first year’s work. He informed them that the Queen had been graciously pleased to accord to it the title of the Royal society of Canada ; that Parliament had granted it an act of incor- poration, and, moreover, voted an annual sum of five thousand dollars for the publication of its proceedings and transactions. After pointing out the examples of munifi- cence shown in the encouragement of science by the federal and state governments of the United States, he gave much advice as to the future conduct of the new society, all of which was characterized by the eminent good sense and practical wisdom which distinguishes him. He urged the members of the society to sink all sectional differences and distinctions of province, creed, or race, and aim only at a higher standard of excellence in letters and in science. Dr. J. W. Dawson then gave his address as president. After a review of the work already done in letters and science in the Dominion, he spoke of the desirableness of a great na- tional museum at Ottawa, and then proceeded to speak in eloquent words of the mutual rela- tions of letters and science. We take the fol- lowing extract from a report in the Montreal gazette of principal Dawson’s speech : — “Ty conclusion, he referred to the connection of science with literature. The two departments were in this society intimately associated, the literary sec- tions being in some sense scientific as well. Science has a literature of its own, great and increasing, which competes with history and fiction for the popu- lar eye and ear. Nature, rather than art, is the foun- dation of the best literature. It is on this, rather than on the graces of composition, or the tricks of style, or the flowers of imagination, that enduring literary fame must be built. This is especially the case in a country where history has been and will be marked out by its physical features and resources, and where our real poetry is that of our great rivers 562 and vast lakes, our boundless plains, our forest soli- tudes and changeful climate. These are unwritten poems, which have impressed themselves on the minds of our people more than any thing man has yet said or done; and he who most truly interprets them will build up the most lasting fame. For this reason he rejoiced that the society embraced both literature and science; and he was profoundly con- vinced, that it was for the highest interest of Canada, that, while its scientific men should be men of cul- ture, its literary men should be men of scientific knowledge and scientific habits of thought.”’ Dr. Chauveau, the vice-president, followed in a brief discourse in French on the progress of both French and English letters in Canada, after which Mr. Louis Frechette, the well- known poet and laureate of the French Acade- my, recited with much grace and feeling a poem on The discovery of the Mississippi. On Thursday, the Queen’s birthday, the morning was given to a business-meeting of the society, after which the members and delegates were entertained at lunch by the governor-gen- eral at Rideau Hall, and were subsequently received by the princess at a garden party. Friday morning was devoted to receiving re- ports, the election of officers, and other busi- ness. In sections I. and III., Messrs. Louis Frechette and J. B. Cherriman were chosen chairmen in place of J. M: Lemoine and T. Sterry Hunt. Dr. Dawson, the president, hav- ing declined re-election, Dr. P. J. O. Chauveau, the vice-president, was elected in his place as president of the society, and Dr. T. Sterry Hunt as vice-president, for the ensuing year. Ir would be foreign to our purpose to give an account of the communications on literary and historical subjects which were presented to the first and second sections of the society during the meeting. One of these, however, which, on account of its especial interest to the society at large, was by request read in gen- eral session, deserves notice. This was a paper by Dr. Alpheus Todd, librarian of Par- liament, on the relation of the new royal society, and of similar societies, to the state, and was replete with valuable information and suggestions. He sketched the history of the Royal society of arts of Jamaica, which is there doing an important work, and then gaye an account of the Royal society of New South SCIENCE. [Vou. IL, No. 20. Wales, a colony which has already made great advances in all matters relating to intellectual progress. That country, we were informed, now numbers about a hundred literary and scientific societies, or ‘one to every one hun- dred and fifty adult males of the population.’ A government astronomical observatory, a geological survey, a botanic garden, a gallery of fine arts, and a free public library, the latter under the direction of the minister of public instruction, are among the evidences of the enlightened educational policy of this colony ; and to crown the whole we have the Royal society of New South Wales, which aspires to lead the scientific movement of the country, and to give aid and direction to all its various scientific and literary institutions. Dr. Todd then proceeded to review the history of the Royal society of London with especial reference to its present important position in relation to the state. This body, which has, moreover, considerable revenue of its own, has now for more than a third ofa century received from the imperial govern- ment an annual grant of one thousand pounds, to be employed in aid of scientific research at the discretion of the president and council of the society, —an amount which, since 1876, has been augmented to from four to five thou- sand pounds annually, without counting special grants for astronomical and other investiga- — tions conducted under the auspices of the Royal society. To it was intrusted the organ- ization of the Challenger expedition. The Weather bureau, moreover, with its annual expenditure of fifteen thousané pounds, origi- nally under the Board of trade, is now con- ducted by a commission appointed by the crown on the nomination of the president and council of the Royal society. This disposition of the British government to place the scien- tific work of the nation under the control of its Royal society is an example already imi- tated by New South Wales, and one which will, it is hoped, be followed by the govern- ment of the New Dominion. Dr. Todd did not allude to the National academy of sciences of the United States, one object in the creation of which was the establishment of a body to serve as scientific aids and councillors to the federal government, —a function which they have efficiently discharged on many occasions with vast advantage to the state. The United States Congress has, however, thus far in its relations to the National academy, failed to’ imitate the wise generosity of the British par- liament, or even that of the Dominion parlia- ment to its newly formed Royal society. JUNE 22, 1883.] Among the papers in section III. may be mentioned one. by Professor McGregor of Halifax, on the variation of the polarization of electrodes with their difference of potential ; one by Professor Dupuis of Kingston, on the construction of a sidereal clock to show mean time ; and one by Capt. Deville of Ottawa, on the measurement of terrestrial distances by astronomical observations, in which he pro- poses to employ the difference of azimuths instead of the difference of latitudes. Mr. Baillargé of Quebec contributed papers on some problems in hydrographic surveying, and on suggestions for a new edition of Euclid. Dr. Harrington of Montreal gave a descrip- tion, with analyses, of two rare minerals now found for the first time in Canada, — meneghin- nite and tennantite; and Dr. Ellis of Toronto described telluric gold-ores found on Lake Superior, exhibiting tellurium extracted there- from; he also gaye an analysis of a remark- able sulphur-water found near Port Stanley, Ontario, and described certain applications of Léwenthal’s method for the determination of tannin. This was followed by an account, by Mr. Thomas Macfarlane of Montreal, of certain unexpected reactions attending the de- composition of sodium sulphate by carbon. In the second day’s session, Mr. Sandford Fleming discussed the question of a universal meridian for the regulation of time; after which, reports were presented of the observa- tions made, at various points throughout the dominion, of the late transit of Venus, suc-’ cessful observations being reported from Co- bourg, Ottawa, Kingston, and Winnipeg. Professor Haanel of Cobourg described at length his ingenious mode of blowpipe-testing by means of hydriodic acid, and subsequently, in an eyening session, gave experimental dem- onstrations of its application. His process de- pends upon the conversion of the various metals into volatile iodides, which are condensed on plates of plaster of Paris, and, by their differ- ent colors and subsequent behavior, are found to afford ready means of identifying and dis- tinguishing, at a single operation in many cases, several elements in a mineral compound. Mr. Gisborne read a paper giving an account of recent progress in telegraphy, and Mr. Mac- farlane described some interesting phenomena of double decomposition presented in the re- action between sodium chloride and zine sul- phate. This was followed by a paper by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt on the mechanical transfer of matterin the process of segregation, as shown in mineral masses, —a phenomenon which, in the discussion following, was shown by Mr. SCIENCE. 5638 Thomas Macfarlane to be well illustrated in the concentration which occurs in the process of kernel-roasting of cupriferous pyrites. In section 1V.. Dr. Selwyn of the Geological survey of Canada read a paper on some features in the geology of Lake Superior, most of the points of which have lately been discussed by himself and others in the pages of Science. At a subsequent meeting a discussion of this paper took place, Messrs. Bell, Macfarlane, Sterry Hunt, and J. W. Dawson taking part therein, and contesting many of the views of the author. Principal Dawson presented a paper on spores and spore-cases from the Erian rocks, of which an abstract will be found in our weekly summary, under Botany. A de- tailed study of the distribution of the subdi- visions of the carboniferous rocks in the mari- time provinces was communicated by Mr. H. Gilpin, jun. ; and Dr. G. M. Dawson described the triassic rocks of the western parts of the dominion. Dr. Robert Bell gave an account of the soils of the Canadian north-west terri- tory, an abstract of which appears farther on, under Physical geography. An interesting discussion followed the reading of this paper, in which Professor Macoun and Dr. J. W. Dawson took part. Dr. T.Sterry Hunt made a communication entitled ‘ Studies of serpentine rocks,’ in which, after sketching the history of opinions for the past century as to the origin and geognostical relations of serpentine, he pro- ceeded to describe the modes of its occurrence in various parts of Europe and North America, particularly noting the serpentines of Pennsyl- vania and those of the vicinity of New-York City, including Staten Island. He also pre- sented a memoir on the question of the Taconic system in geology. Prof. L. W. Bailey gave an interesting account of Indianremains found in the province of New Brunswick. The foregoing list of papers presented to the scientific sections of the society is unavoidably incomplete and imperfect, communications having been made, among others, by Prof. E. J. Chapman of Toronto, and Dr. J. R. Grant and Professor Macoun of Ottawa; to which should be added a paper by Mr. G. F. Matthew of St. John, N.B., in continuation of his studies on the trilobitic fauna of the Cam- brian rocks of that locality, with numerous fig- ures. Itis understood that the various memoirs presented to the society, both at this meeting and at its first organization a year since, will soon be published in the form of transactions, in quarto, with suitable illustrations, making what we trust will be the first of a long series of Transactions of the Royal society of Canada. 564 THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES EX- HIBITION.—SECOND PAPER. Tur International fisheries exhibition has thus far been successful to a degree which astonishes its most sanguine supporters. At least 200,000 people passed through the turn- stiles during the first week. This number of visitors represents receipts to the amount of $45,000, in addition to $40,000 or thereabouts from the sale of season-tickets. The official catalogue is said to have cleared $15,000 above its cost, through advertisements, before a single copy had been sold; and the first edi- tion of 25,000 copies is nearly exhausted. The arrangements for lighting the exhibition galleries by the various systems of electrical illumination have not been completed, and the exhibition is now closed at 7 p.m: when it is kept open until 10, the number of visitors will doubtless increase ; for, in addition to the legitimate attractions of the exhibition, thou- sands will be induced to attend by the illumi- nations and music in the gardens of the Royal horticultural society, in which the exhibition is held. On the opening day, only the court and the holders of season-tickets were admit- ted. The next public day was Whitsun Mon- day, one of the half-dozen or more new ‘ bank holidays’ which have recently been bestowed upon the British public by Sir John Lubbock’s parliamentary bill. Not less than 45,000 peo- ple paid their shillings at the door, and at one time 8,000 entered in a single hour. The attendance on the following days was less; but on Wednesday, when admission-tickets cost half a crown, nearly 12,000 were present. It is evident that the entire liabilities of the ex- ecutive committee, amounting to fifty or sixty thousand pounds, will be met long before the close of the exhibition in November. It is almost certain that the profits will be ap- plied, as was done after the great exhibition of 1857, to some object of public educational importance. The press is beginning to urge that this shall be the establishment of a Na- tional museum of fisheries at South Kensing- ton; and the action of the management of the South Kensington museum seems to indicate that such is thei purpose, for they have ap- pointed a committee of four to take charge of the interests of such permanent fishery collec- tions as may grow up as 4 result of the exhi- bition. This committee consists of Edward Birkbeck, M.P., honorary general manager of the exhibition, Sir James Maitland, director of the South Kensington museum, Professor Hwx- ley, and Dr. Day ; and in its constitution must SCIENCE. PS OS ae [Vou. I., No. 20. certainly be satisfactory to the scientific men of England, who are complaining through the columns of Nature that this present exhibition differs from its continental predecessors in hav- ing been organized without the co-operation, to any very great extent, of the professional zoblogists of the country. The readers of Scrmncr have already seen in the daily papers descriptions of the events at the opening of the exhibition on the 12th. The entire English court was present; and the gorgeous costumes of the royal family and their households, the picturesque garments of the foreign ambassadors and commissioners, the military and naval officers, the yeomen of the guard, the Queen’s watermen, the English, Scotch, and Irish fishermen, the fishiwves from -Seotland, Belgium, France, and Holland, min- gled with the bright decorations and the strik- ing objects among which they were passing, made the scene very brilliant and impressive. The building devoted to North America con- tributed its contingent to the ethnological dis- play of the day. Canada had a Melicete Indian in gala dress; the United States, a Carolina negro clad as a whaleman, besides numerous lay-figures of its fishermen in their customary dress, so lifelike in appearance that they were constantly mistaken by visitors for living men. Science was very inconspicuous in this rain- bow-hued pageant; but I noticed in the pro- cession Professor Huxley; in the costume of Inspector of fisheries; Dr. Day, in the uni- form of Surgeon-general; Professor Smitt, in that of the Royal Swedish academy of sciences ; Professor Honeyman, Commissioner from Nova Scotia, in scholastic dress, with the scarlet cape of Doctor of civil law; and Baron de Solsky, Director of the St. Petersburg mu- seum, his breast ablaze with decorations. The most imposing figure of all was that of Pro- fessor Richard Owen, whose venerable form, strone features, and flowing white hair, were brought out in strong relief, against the bright colors around, by his coat and skull-cap of black velvet. On the evening of the opening day, all the officials and commissioners were entertained at a banquet in Fishmongers’ Hall. The most noteworthy events of this occasion were the thoughtful speeches of the Prince of Wales and his brother the Duke of Edinburgh. The former had already tersely demonstrated his appreciation of the objects of the move- ment by the remark, ‘‘ The purpose of this exhibition is to illustrate the present and past condition of one of the most ancient, exten- JUNE 22, 1883.] sive, and important of industries, and to pro- mote that careful collection and discussion of facts by means of which alone we can hope to deal in a satisfactory manner with the many difficult, practical, and scientific prob- lems connected with fish and fisheries.’’ At the banquet he laid especial stress upon the ‘practical results which he hoped might result to the fisheries, and upon the importance of stimulating every possible scientific invention for the saving of life at sea. The remark made by one of the speakers at the banquet — ‘‘ that, by consenting to act as president of the exhibition, the Prince of Wales had done more than any man had ever done before for the fisheries of the world ’’ — sounded strangely to an American; but, dis- counting the courtier element in this speech, the fact remains, that much of the success of the exhibition, and of its consequent possible benefit to Great Britain, is due to the active part which the Prince has taken in its interest. The newspapers, from Punch to the Times, be they social, commercial, literary, comic, or scientific in their scope, are full of the exhibi- tion. Many of them announce special num- bers, or series of special articles, devoted to its discussion ; while at least two periodicals, one an illustrated monthly, are established as its special exponents. The Times, which Em- erson has told us thinks for all Englishmen, and ‘is their understanding and day’s ideal da- guerrotyped,’ gave an entire page on Monday to a description of the opening, and for several days has been printing editorials discussing the subject from various stand-points. It has printed a column article upon the exhibit of the United States, and promises two more special articles. In the first it is remarked, that, in variety and completeness of illustration, the collection from the United States is not sur- passed by that of any of the foreign contribu- ‘tors. This verdict is confirmed by most of the editors, and in especially strong terms by Land and water and the Field, the two fishing- journals; the latter remarking, ‘‘ The whole American court affords food for study, and, for completeness, is beyond comparison the best in the exhibition, whether as to fishing- vessels or fishing-gear.’’ Especially gratity- ing is the letter sent to the Times by Gen. A. Pitt Rivers, the ethnologist, who draws atten- tion to the fact that this is the only department in the whole exhibition which is arranged his- torically. In the Chinese, Japanese, Scandinavian, and Dutch courts there are objects which the scien- tifie student of the arts of life may pick out SCIENCE. 565 and arrange in their proper order in his own mind; but in that of the United States, fol- lowing the method adopted in the National museum at Washington, something more is attempted to bring the department into har- mony with modern ideas. ‘‘ Models showing the development of the art of ship-building haye been arranged in sequence; the various contrivances for catching fish have been shown in association with the rude appliances of savages, from which they sprang; and the improvements and varieties of recent times have been placed as far as possible in chrono- logieal order. This gives to the exhibition a value which is apart from commerce, and an interest which is beyond the mere require- ments of fish-eulture ; and it may be regarded as one out of the many indications of the way in which the enlightened government of the United States marks its appreciation of the demands of science.”’ The press is full of plans for’ the practical outcome of the exhibition. Some of the edit- ors expect to see fish cheaper ; some, to see the cheaper kinds of fish coming into general use ; some, to see fish of all kinds more generally used ; some, to see an immense increase in the yield of the fisheries; some, to see legislation stricter and more strongly enforced. Profes- sor Huxley, when asked what his expectations from the exhibition were, replied that he had none at present beyond a general awakening of interest in fish-culture and the fisheries, from which, in time, some good would certainly result. The conference to be held in June, for the discussion of various questions of practi- cal and scientific interest, will doubtless be one of the most important features of the exhibi- tion. Professor Huxley will deliver the open- ing address; and the words of wisdom which shall then be uttered must necessarily have much influence in determining what are to be the benefits of this great international con- yention to Great Britain and to the world at large. RECENT DEEP-SEA SOUNDINGS OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST OF THE UNIT- ED STATES.1 Tur explorations of the Gulf Stream, insti- tuted by Alexander Dallas Bache, superin- tendent of the coast-survey, and carried on under his direction between the years 1845 and 1860, though necessarily to a great ex- 1 Abstract of Appendix no. 19. Coast and geodetic survey report for 1882. Communicated by the superintendent of the U.S. coast and geodetic survey, Washington, May, 1883. 5 eg 566 tent tentative in their nature, have furnished results of great interest and value to the navi- gator, have stimulated later researches, and have led to the adoption of a definite plan, according to which have been made the obser- vations for depth and temperature in the waters of the Gulf cf Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and in those off the Atlantic coast of the United States. At as early a date as practicable after the close of the civil war, a systematic investigation was begun by deep-sea sounding and dredging, combined with observations of surface, serial, and bottom temperatures, and of currents, in the Gulf Stream and in the Gulf of Mexico. In 4 communication made to the National academy of sciences in 1880 by J. E. Hil gard, M.N.A.S. (Amer. jowrn. sc., April, 1881), upon a model of the Gulf of Mexico, a condensed statement is given of the results of the exploration of the basin of this great in- land sea, as derived from the work organized by Benjamin Peirce and Carlile P. Patterson, superintendents of the U. S$. coast-survey. This exploration was begun by Assistants L. F. Pourtalés and Henry Mitchell, U. S. coast-survey, with the aid of Master R. Platt, _U.S.N., in 1868, and continued by Comman- ders J. A. Howell and C. D. Sigsbee, U.S.N., in 1872-74 and 1875-78, in the coast- survey steamer Blake. With the improved methods of sounding, and the mechanical appliances perfected by Commander Sigsbee, the work in the Gulf of Mexico was brought to a successful conclusion, and under Com- mander J. R. Bartlett, U.S.N., it was ex- tended to the Caribbean Sea. Sketch no. 21, Coast and geodetic survey report for 1879, shows the soundings in these waters and their approaches, in depths ranging from 100 to upwards of 3,400 fathoms. Similar investigations have since been pros- ecuted by Commanders Bartlett and Brownson, U.S.N., under-the direction of Superintendents Patterson and Hilgard of the coast-survey, in the western part of the North Atlantic, — that great embayment, which, limited by New- foundland on the north, and by the Windward Islands on the south, might be not inaptly named the Gulf of North America. The depths and temperatures obtained by these officers, upon lines run normal to the coast across the course of the Gulf Stream, and upon other lines connecting with those run by H. M.§. Challenger in 1873, are shown upon the accompanying chart. JUNE 22, 1883.] the Washington astronomical observations for 1846 (National observatory, 1851). The spe- cial report of Lieut. Walsh occupies pp. 55-62 ; the log covers pp. 64-99. Together, they in- clude a large amount of valuable and original data in regard to a wide area of the Atlantic in the region of the Gulf Stream, and to the eastward of it, including the ‘ Sargasso Sea,’ ete. In Mr. Dall’s second paper he states that ‘it appears’ that the wire used ‘ was of steel, though this is not stated in the log-book.’ As this is explicitly stated in the printed report of Lieut. Walsh, it is possible that Mr. Dall has not consulted the latter. The following description of the wire and apparatus used is to be found on p. 56. It is of interest to notice that this early apparatus was much like the modern improved machines in several respects. “Our arrangements for these deep soundings were altogether very complete. It may be well to add an account of them. We had on board 14,300 fathoms of wire, weighing 3,025 Ibs., all of the best English steel, of five different sizes, Nos. 5, 7, 8, 10, and 13 (Birmingham gauges). Every part was tested to bear at least one-third more than the weight which it was calculated to sustain. “¢ An extent of 7,000 fathoms of this, weighing 1,800 lbs. (the remaining 7,300 fathoms, composed of the smaller sizes, Nos. 10 and 13, being stowed away as spare wire), carefully measured and marked with small copper labels, was linked into one piece, and wound upon an iron cylinder, three feet in length and twenty inches in diameter, — the largest-sized wire being wound first, so as to be uppermost in sounding. Two swivels were placed near the lead, and one at each thousand fathoms, to meet the danger of twisting off by the probable rotary motion in reel- ing up. The cylinder with the wire was fitted to a strong wooden frame, and machinery attached — fly- wheel and pinions, to give power in reeling up. Four men at the cranks could reel up with ease, with the whole weight of wire out. Iron friction bands, which proved of indispensable importance, were con- nected to regulate the rate of the wire in running off the reel. One man with his hand upon the lever of one of these friction bands could preserve a uni- form, safe velocity, checking or stopping the wire as required. The whole apparatus could be taken apart and stowed away in pieces (being so large and mas- sive, this was indispensable in so small a vessel as the Taney). When wanted for use, the frame was put together and secured to the deck by iron clamps and bolts, near amidships, the reel hoisted up from below and shipped in its place; a fairleader was secured to the taffrail, being a thick oak plank, rigged out five feet over the stern, having an iron pulley, eighteen inches diameter, fitted in its outer end, and two sheet iron fenders 34 feet long, of semi- circular shape, fitted under it, to guard the iron wire from getting a short nip in the drifting of the vessel. The wire was led aft, from the reel, over the pulley which traversed freely in the fairleader, and passed between these fenders into the water. “The time occupied in the descent of the 5,700 fathoms, at the moderate rate it was allowed to go SCIENCE. 569 off the reel, using the friction bands, was exactly 1} hours. I found in the subsequent soundings [see May 14], that two or three men could reel up 1,000 fathoms in 24 hours, taking time to rub dry and oil it in passing to the reel, to guard against rust.” In the trial referred to, it is stated that a ten-pound lead, with a Stellwagen cup, and a six-pound instrument for indicating depth, were attached to the wire. The following account of this first use of the steel wire, on Noy. 14, 1849, extracted from the published log’ of the Taney (p. 69), is of interest at the present time. Lieut. Walsh, in this connection and elsewhere, expressed great confidence in the accuracy of this determina- tion of depth, though it has been regarded by others (perhaps without sufficient reason) as unreliable. “At 1h. 25 m., p.M., started the wire machine, and at 2h. 55 m., P.M., had reeled off 5,700 fathoms, dead up and down, without striking bottom, when the wire parted at one of the links on the reel. We had observed some of the links of this large sized wire to catch at times on others upon the reel, en- dangering a break, and in consequence, at the time it parted, we were reeling off very slowly and care- fully checking if by the friction band, which worked admirably. A link going off the reel caught in an- other under it upon the reel and before it could be extricated, it snapped in the middle of the link. This was the largest-sized wire, No. 7. The whole time of reeling off, the wire went down perfectly plumb — it served as an anchor to keep the. vessel steady, and there was at no time a variation of one-half a degree from the ‘plumb.’ We were highly encouraged, ex- pecting to strike bottom every moment, and our sor- row and disappointment upon the break and loss of the wire, great indeed.”” This locality was in N. lat. 31° 59’, W. long. 58° 43’, east of the Bermudas, and not very far from the part of the Atlantic where the greatest depths known have subsequently been found. But this particular region appar- ently has not been re-examined. If correct, this sounding would be more than 1,000 fath- oms deeper than any other that is authentic. Lieut. Walsh appears to have fully appreci- ated the main cause of the several failures with the wire. “Tn all our subsequent work under this head, I found the heave of the sea, however slight, was the great difficulty — the lifting of the stern in the pitch- ing motion causing such an immense increase of strain upon the wire, breaking it upon almost every occasion on reaching about 2,000 fathoms.”’ Probably the use of heavier leads would have increased the liability of the wire to break from this cause. This trouble is reme- died, in the modern sounding-machines, by the use of vulcanized rubber springs or ‘ ac- cumulators,’ which relieve the sudden strains 570 upon the wire. Therefore there is no good reason to think that any thing would have been gained at that time by the use of heavy leads, though Mr. Dall thinks it strange that they were not tried. In some of the trials a twelve-pound lead was used, and, in the last attempt, one of eight pounds, together with a thermometer, with the usual result, —a break- age of the wire. Mr. Dall’s note implies that no successful trials were made with the stgel wire ; but, ac- cording to the published log (p. 93, May 14, 1850), at least one sounding was made (1,050 fathoms, no bottom) when the wire was suc- cessfully recovered. A. E. Verriry. LAKE BONNEVILLE. Mr. G. K. Ginpern’s report (Ann. rep. U. S. geol. Surv., 1881, 169), preliminary to the monograph (in preparation) he promises on the Great Basin, shows the following history for its old lake. The lake- deposits are chiefly a yellow clay of unknown depth, covered by a white marl ten to twenty feet thick, the two being separated at certain points along the old shore-lines by wedges of subaerial gravel-deposits, and some exposures showing erosion of the clay sur- face before the marl was laid on it. These deposits mark two periods of high water, separated by a time of low water, or dryness. As no cause is found in the surrounding country to account for the change from clay to marl deposit, its explanation is sought in a change from salt water of the first lake period to fresh water in the second, for which a theoretic ex- planation is given; but the evidence for this is not considered final. From a critical study of the super- position of many shore terraces (see the plate oppo- site), it is shown that the first lake did not rise high enough to reach an overflow outlet; that the greater number of terraces now visible were formed during halts in the rise of the second great lake; that the highest or Bonneville terrace, nine hundred or more feet above the present Great Salt Lake, marks a stand at the level of overflow northward to Snake River; that the next most pronounced terrace, known as the Proyo, four hundred feet lower, marks a halt in the drainage of the waters when {he outlet had been cut down through softer rocks to a hard lime- stone sill. The reduction of the lake-surface to a still lower level, as in the present shallow sheet of water, has been effected entirely by climatic change, by which the ratio of precipitation to evaporation has been decreased. When at its highest level, Lake Bonneville was three hundred miles long between latitudes 37° 40’ and 42° 20’, and one hundred and seventy miles broad between the meridians 111° 35’ and 114° 15’ of west longitude. Its shore-line was very irregular, advancing around broken promonto- ries, and retreating into fiord-like bays. Numerous islands stood above its broad, deep, fresh waters, and from its shores the enclosing mountains rose five to eight thousand feet. Now it is represented by a mere film of brine on the borders of a desert plain. Pre- vious to the rise of the first lake, the base-level of the basin drainage was low for a long period, as is proved by the distinct overlap of the lacustrine ‘leposits on the eroded mountain-slopes, as shown in the second plate here copied on p. 573, or on the alluyial cones built SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 20. by old streams flowing from the mountain valleys; but the conclusion that this long period had a dry climate is not fully proved. For if, as is mentioned below, a considerable tilting has already deformed the recently made Bonneville terrace, one may fairly suppose a much greater distortion in the long time since the ‘beginning of the first lake; and this distor- tion may have been sufficient to raise a barrier behind which the lake-waters accumulated. The change from the prelacustrine condition would then have been orographic rather than climatic. The relation of the glaciation of the neighboring ranges to the lakes is not shown directly, although three old mo- raines are found within the terrace limits; for none of these give good opportunity for observation, and the one at the mouth of Little Cottonwood cafion is so dislocated by recent faulting that its attitude with relation to the terraces cannot be deciphered. Re- cent discoveries by Mr. I. C. Russell in the western part of the Great Basin may throw further light on this question. Volcanic eruption took place in the basin during the disappearance of Lake Bonneville; and both the Bonneville and Provo terraces haye been warped from their originally level plains, and by different amounts. From measures taken along ' the eastern shore-lines, lines of equal deformation ale constructed; and these show very clearly a rela- tive elevation of the centre, or south-western part, of the old lake-bottom of as much as three hundred feet since the Bonneville terrace was made, and a hundred and twenty-six since the Provo. This tilting ac- counts for the eccentric position of the present shal- low lake-remnant at the north-eastern margin of its flat desert. A fault of fifty to seventy-five feet has” been made along the foot of the Wahsatch range, be- tween Willard and Levan, since the lake lost its out- let. The author therefore concludes that voleanic activity and mountain growth have not yet ceased in this neighborhood. Special interest is attached to this investigation, as it is the first detailed study of an example of those great interior lakes so numerous at a comparatively recent period of the earth’s history, and now so ereat- ly reduced in area, or even converted into saline or sandy deserts. The largest of these was probably the one that united the Aral and the Caspian; another vast interior sea occupied much of what is now the desert of Gobi; and smaller examples could-.be named in the Argentine Republic and in northern Mexico, Central Africa, lying within the belt of heavy equa- torial rains, still preserves a climate moist enough to fill its lakes to overflowing; but the recent drying-up of the outlet of Tanganyika shows that the change so distinct elsewhere is beginning to make itself felt even there. It will be long before any of these other great basins is known as well as that one so care- fully studied by our government surveyors. W. M. Davis. CHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RE- SEARCHES ON THE PTOMAINES. DURING the last few years much attention has been directed to the study of the chemical nature and physiological action of the so-called post-mortem alkaloids (or ptomaines). These mysterious bodies, which are apparently formed in such small quanti- ties as to make their detection and separation an ex- tremely difficult operation, were originally regarded by both Selmi! and Schwanert? (1874) as exclusively 1 Abstract in Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., vi. 142. * Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch , vii. 1332. I *SHNIITHOHS ATTIAANNOD FHL TO SHOVUNAL YNIAOHS ‘ALENT WIOAWASAT ett Fae! LTRS 6 oe — oo 972 products of cadaveric putrefaction. Later, Selmi saw cause to believe that these organic bases, in serious pathological changes, might be produced in the ani- mal organism during life, a view which was confirmed by Spica in 1881. Further experiments by Paternd and Spica on blood and egg albumen, and likewise those of Gautier on normal urine, showed, that, by the methods employed, reactions could be obtained from these healthy animal fluids similar to those which served to identify the ptomaines. Again: in 1881 Gautier communicated the discovery of a non- proteid, ptomaine-like alkaloid, with poisonous prop- erties, in normal human saliva, not destroyed by heat, and yielding crystalline gold and platinum com- pounds. Bujwid,! however, has tried physiological experiments on frogs and pigeons with the concen- trated alcohol-water extract from 100 ce. of boiled saliva, and could obtain no poisonous action what- ever. Griffin,? while endeavoring to explain Vul- pian’s results on the toxic action of human saliva, came to the following conclusions from injection ex- periments on rabbits: pure parotid saliva produces neither local nor general pathological changes when injected subcutaneously; filtered mixed saliva, con- taining, however, recognizable microphytes, produces no local effect, but causes an infection which finally becomes fatal; impure saliva of the mouth, collected while fasting, and injected under the skin, produces both a violent local action and a septic-like infection. The infection obtained in all of the experiments Griffin considers as a form of septicaemia, produced by a substance in solution in the saliva, and not due to microphytes. The local effects, however, produced by the impure mixed saliva, are not to be ascribed to either of the above, but to the partially putrid sub- stances suspended in the fluid. These, when injected, are retained by the subcutaneous tissue, and thus give rise to irritation, finally producing gangrene; and, at the same time undergoing further decompo- sition, new putrid products are formed, which are absorbed, thus giving rise to a secondary infection: Coppola,’ in a similar manner, has made a series of experiments on the physiological action of bases ex- tracted from the blood of a healthy dog, which led him to believe that bodies extracted from healthy animal fluids, carefully protected from putrefactive alteration, may exhibit strong toxic properties, and therefore the albuminoid substances must be capable of undergoing certain transformations, aside from those produced by putrefaction, which may give rise to poisonous alkaloids, This view is in part substan- tiated by the recently published results of Brieger,* who found, that, by the digestion of raw fibrine with gastric juice, peptones are formed, which, although free from all products of putrefaction (indol, phenol, oxyacids, etc.), yield to alcohol and amyl alcohol an amorphous brown mass, which, even in small quan- tities, acts as a poison upon frogs and rabbits. .05-—.1 gram of the sirupy extract was sufficient to kill a frog in fifteen to twenty minutes; while, with rab- bits of one kilogram weight, .5-1 gram of the ex- tract was required to produce the same effect by subcutaneous injection. The poisonous action is first manifested in a gradual paralysis of the extremi- ties; after which the animal falls into a semi-coma- tose condition, and soon dies. The substance or substanees formed in this manner react with all of the general alkaloid reagents, and are not readily decomposed by long boiling, nor by the long-continued 1 Virchow’s archives, xci. 190. 2 Archives ital. biol., ii. 106. * Abstract in Journ. chem. soc., 1888, 528, 4 Zeitschrift physiolog. chem., vii. 274. SCIENCE. : om [Vou. I., No. 20. action of hydrogen sulphide. Length of time, in the digestion of the fibrine, appears to exercise but little influence on the amount of the toxic substance formed. The same product was also obtained, in one case, from von Wittich’s dry peptone. The poisonous substance does not come from the amyl alcohol, nor from the gastric juice; neither does undigested albumen yield any poisonous substance when extracted with amyl alcohol. Brieger’s results thus confirm the previous statements of Schmidt- Milheim, Hoffmeister, Fano, and others, that pep- tones, injected into the blood or under the skin, exert a poisonous action, though it would now ap- pear that the action is not due to the peptones them- selves, but to a substance formed simultaneously with them, and which can be partially separated by ethyl and amyl alcohol. Just here it is worth noti- cing the recent interesting discovery of Mitchell and Reichert, that the poisonous action of rattlesnake and moccason venom is due to the presence of two albuminous bodies, which, from their properties, they name venom-peptone and venom-globulin. Brieger also saw cause to believe that neurin, by oxidation, is changed into a body similar to, if not identical with, the extremely poisonous muscarin; also that a solu- tion of neurin, on long standing in contact with air, is partially changed into poisonous products, which, by further putrefactive decomposition, disappear with formation of trimethylamine, and a substance yola- tilized when boiled with water. It would thus appear that healthy animal fluids may contain substances capable of poisonous action, and also that albuminous matter may undergo changes other than putrefaction by which toxic sub- stances may result; all of which tends to throw a shadow of doubt on the existence of distinctive post- mortem alkaloids. That poisonous bodies (or pto- maines) do result from the putrefaction of organic matter, there can, however, be but little question; and the recent work of Guareschi and Mosso,! of the university of Turin, is, in this connection, well wor- thy of notice. These investigators have made a sys- tematic study of the products of the putrefaction of brain, blood, and fibrine, under varying conditions, and have fully established the formation of one or more poisonous alkaloids. As preliminary to the actual work, a careful ex- amination was made of the methods more commonly used for the extraction of ptomaines, in which it was found that the common extractives employed may contain traces of alkaloid substances. ‘Thus, by the evaporation of large quantities of alcohol (fifty litres) in the presence of tartaric acid, a small residue was obtained, giving the alkaloid reactions with chloride of gold, phospho-molybdie acid, ete., and containing a trace of an alkaloid substance similar to pyridine, thus confirming the results of previous investigators ; viz., Pinner, Kramer, and others. In the amyl alcohol of commerce pyridine was like- wise detected, in one case to the extent of 0.5 per thousand. Platinum and gold salts were made and analyzed. From six litres of crystallizable benzine a quantity of pyridine was also obtained sufficient to furnish chloroplatinates for analysis. The authors therefore conclude that all previous results obtained by different investigators from alkaline extracts by the use of either amyl alcohol or benzine, unless carefully purified, are absolutely without value as de- ciding the presence of ptomaine-like bodies in fresh tissue or fluids, or their formation in the putrefaction of such material. In the search for ptomaines in putrescent brain- 1 Archives ital. biol., ii. 367. VIEW ON GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT, SHOWING MOUNTAINS HALF BURIED BY LAKE-SEDIMENTS. (See page 570.) O74 matter, Guareschi and Mosso followed the method of Stass-Otto, applying exactly the same procedure in the control search with fresh brain-tissue; and, on account of the negative results invariably obtained in the latter, the authors are able to guarantee the absence of pre-existing ptomaines in fresh flesh, or of any substances similar to those which are found after putrefaction, when pure ether or chloroform is used in the extractions. In the experiments, 56 kilograms of brain-tissue were placed in a glass balloon, and left at a temperature of 10°-15° C. for one to two months. The mass was then ex- tracted with alcohol acidulated with tartaric acid, using, in all, 147 litres of aleohol. The final ether solution left an alkaline residue, which, dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid, gave characteristic precipi- tates with the general alkaloid reagents, and several well-defined colored reactions; but, though present, the ptomaines (or alkaloids) were in far too small quantity to admit of determining their composition by analysis. Trimethylamine, coming, doubtless, from the lecithin present in the brain-matter, was likewise obtained, together with an abundance of basic and ammoniacal products. Physiological experiments, made on frogs with both aqueous and ether extracts, of the putrid brain-mat- ter, led to the conclusion that the ptomaines formed possessed an action analogous to that of curare, though less energetic.. A few drops of the extract, applied directly to the detached heart of a frog im- mersed ina.7 % salt solution, exercised upon it an immediate effect, diminishing the frequency of the systole and diastole, but increasing the vigor of the pulsation. In studying the action of the extract on nerves and muscles, a frog was rendered motion- less by destroying the spinal cord; after which the achilles tendon was prepared in the usual manner, the sciatic nerve being placed upon the electrodes, and excited every teu seconds. .3 cc. of the pto- maine containing extract was then injected under the skin of the back. After ten minutes, an irregu- larity appeared in the contraction of the gastrocne- mius; and, since all the conditions of the experiment remained the same, the irregularity is to be ascribed to the poison. From this point the contractions were no longer regular: they gradually diminished little by little, and finally ceased altogether. On increasing the force of the irritation, there was still no further moyement. The sciatic nerve of the other side, in- tact, had likewise lost its excitability, and the animal was in as complete a state of muscular relaxation as if it had been poisoned by curare. But the pupil was dilated, and the heart motionless. In order to obtain the ptomaines in larger quanti- ties, recourse was had to blood-fibrine. Large quan- tities of fibrine (140 kilos) were allowed to putrefy for five months; at the end of which time it was transformed into a thick fluid holding a small quan- tity of solid matters in suspension; the reaction being strongly acid, and the odor very intense at the com- mencement, but less strong later. For the extraction of the alkaloids, the method of Gautier and Etard was followed; the final slightly alkaline fluid being extracted successively with chloroform, in all, twelve times. By evaporation of the chloroform, an oily residue was left with an odor of scatol and of pyri- dine (or cicutine). This residue was purified by solu- tion in tartarie acid, decolorized by extracting the acid solution with ether, and then reprecipitated by an excess of potassium hydroxide in the form of oily, brown droplets, which quickly rose to the top of the fluid. This precipitate was readily dissolved by ether, and, on evaporation, was left as an oily, brown resi- SCIENCE. SEO te WIRE in eee ae ; 4 ' [Vot. I., No. 20. due with strong alkaline reaction, only slowly soluble in water, and then rapidly transformed into a resin. A hydrochlorate was readily obtained, crystallizing in fine lamellae, sometimes rectangular, resembling somewhat the erystals of cholesterin. With a solution” of the hydrochlorate, aurie chloride gave a yellow crystalline precipitate, followed by the reduction of the gold; platinice chloride, an abundant pale-yellow erystalline precipitate; iodine in potassium iodide, a kermes-brown precipitate; phosphotungstic acid, a pale-yellowish precipitate, etc. Chloroplatinates from seven different chloroform extractions were prepared for analysis by treating a solution of the hydrochlorate with an excess of platinic chloride. An immediate deposition of a flesh-colored precipitate, light and erystalline, insoluble in water, alcohol, and ether, took place. Dried at 100° C., the analyses of the various products showed essentially the same composition, pointing to the presence of only one ptomaine in this putrefaction. The results correspond more or less closely with the formula (C,,)H,;N.HC1).PtCl,, the ptomaine itself being probably C,,H,,;N. Bodies having the same apparent or closely related compo- sition have been previously discovered: coridine, a homologue of pyridine, found in the oil of coal-tar by Thenius; a base, C,)H,,;N, discovered by Vohl and Eulenberg in the fumes of tobacco, also termed coridine; a base obtained by Neucki! in the putre- faction of gelatine with pancreas, and which he deemed an isomer of collidine. He? considered its constitution to be expressed by C,H; — CH m Nee, that is, isophenylethylamine, and that it is derived from the putrefaction of tyrosin, anormal product of pancreatic digestion, according to the following equation : — C,H, NO, = C,H,,N + CO, + 0. Gautier and Etard,* while studying the allkaloid- like bodies produced by putrefaction, isolated two bases, which, from the analyses of the platinum salts, corresponded to parvolin and hydrocollidin. Sonnen- schein and Zuelzer* obtained from flesh extracts, which had become putrid by standing at 25° C. for several weeks, a small quantity of a crystalline sub- stance, which behaved similar to atropin, dilating the pupil of the eye, and increasing the pulsation of the heart, etc. There is also a noticeable similarity between the ptomaine obtained by Guareschi and Mosso, and ‘the tetrahydromethylquinoline of Jack- son. The physiological action of the alkaloid from putrefied fibrine is analogous to that of the ptomaine from putrid brain-matter. Guareschi aud Mosso pro- pose to experiment further in the hopes of better establishing the nature of the ptomaine in question, and to make clear its origin and constitution. R. H. CurrrenDEN. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Precocity in a chicken. A Brauma chicken —-now five weeks old, and raised by my boy — was brought into the house two weeks ago with a broken leg. On the same day a weak chicken, just out of the egg, was also brought in; and after two or three days both chickens were 1 Ueber die zersetzung der gelatine und des eciweisses bei der faulnis mit pankr Bern, 1876. 2 Journ. prakt. chem., Xxvi. 51. 3 Comptes rendus, xciv. 1298. 4 Berliner klinische wochenschrift, 1869, No. 2. iodo Rigas aaa 5 Ar =. . JUNE 22, 1883.] N kept in a box together. The older chicken soon assumed the care of the little one, brooding it after its fashion, and pecking any disturbing hand. But the strangest feature is, that when a dainty morsel, such as a fly, is brought, it will call the little one like a mother-hen, and give it the fly to eat. This has been done repeatedly within the past week, the sound made being unmistakably the food-call, though, of course, pitched ona higher key. Yet it cannot have heard that sound for at least two weeks, and, in the ordinary course of events, should not make it for eight months. REDDUCS. Cambridge, June 6. Lake Superior geology. On reading Professor'‘Chamberlain’s paper in Sct- ENCE, No, 16, and afterwards referring to his state- ment in the third volume Wisc. geol. reports (p. 423), I see that I was mistaken regarding the Taylor’s Falls locality being fifteen miles away from other traps (Scrence, No. 9). Inow see that his language was not intended to be taken as it was understood by me. M. E. WADSWORTH. Fish-hooks from southern California. In plates xi. and xii. of Lieut. Wheeler’s Report on archeology there are several drawings of orna- ments found near Santa Barbara, Cal., and on the adjacent islands, by Mr. Paul Schumaker and my- self, which the editors are pleased to call fish- hooks. A writer in the Century magazine for April presents drawings of other specimens of like charac- ter, found by myself in the same locality, and now deposited in the Smithsonian institution. I also have in my possession a series of these ornaments, but it would require a broad stretch of the imagina- tion to believe that they were intended for fish-hooks. SHELL ORNAMENT. BONE ORNAMENT, SIZE OF ORIGINAL. The point, which in many instances curves down- *ward, comes so near the stem that it would be next to impossible for them to become hooked in a fish’s mouth. The point of one of my best specimens, manufactured from the shell of the Haliotis, comes within the sixteenth of an inch of the stem or shank ; and were a line to be looped on the stem, and cemented with asphaltum, as was practised by the California Indians, the space would be completely filled (see the annexed drawing). My specimens range in size from one-half inch to two and a half inches in diameter, and were manufactured from Haliotis shells and from bone. The first of these or- naments of which I have any knowledge, I found in a rancheria at Rincon, on the line between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties ; and during five years’ subsequent residence at Santa Barbara, and SCIENCE. 579 the exploration of the mainland and islands, I had an opportunity to study them in every stage of devel- opment. Iam convinced, that, with few exceptions, they were designed for ornaments, as their shape pre- cludes the idea of their use as fish-hooks. They were proba- bly suspended from the ears, and possibly worn on other portions of the body. The true fish-hook of what may be termed the Santa Barbara In- dians has never, to my knowl- edge, been figured; yet they are more commonly met with in the rancherias and ‘cemen- taries’ in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties than the curved specimens we have been considering. I send you draw- ings of two specimens belong- ing to my cabinet. These hooks were made of two slight- ly curved pieces of bone point- ed at each end, and firmly tied together at the lower end and cemented with asphaltum. They are somewhat similar to those still in use by the South Sea Islanders. The larger specimen I found with a skeleton at Point Dume, Ventura county. There were several others similar to the FISH-HOOK, SIZE oF ORIGINAL. FPISH-HOOK, SIZE OF ORIGINAL, one figured still retaining the thong and cement that bound the parts together. The smaller specimen I found on the surface in a rancheria one mile west of the town of Ventura, STEPHEN BOWERS. Falls City, Neb., June 4, 1883. 576 Intelligence of the crow. I find, by referring to my note-books, that I have witnessed several times the occurrence of crows breaking mussels by dropping them from considera- ble heights (ScimNce, p. 513). In one instance, I had my field-glass with me, and made careful notes of what took place. The crows had assembled on Duck Island, in the Delaware River, and were busily engaged in running along the edges of the sand-bars, exposed at low tide. Hvery few moments, one of them would rise up to a height of fully fifty feet, carrying a mussel in its beak, and, flying inland to a distance of one hundred yards, would let the mol- lusk fall on the meadow. Usually the force of the fall was sufficient to break the shell. The crows, as soon as.they had let fall their burden, immediately returned to the island and bars, and gathered more mussels. This was continued until the returning tide made mussel-hunting impracticable. In no in- stance did the crows carry the food they were gather- ing by their feet. There is one fact with reference to “this habit of the crows which is, I think, indica- tive of greater intelligence than the mere fact of lifting an object and dropping it in order to break it. This “is, that all the mussels so dropped were left undisturbed until the returning waters made further fishing impracticable, when the birds hastened to feast on the results of their intelligent labor. Mar- vellous as it may seem, these crows recognized the nature of tides, and, knowing their time was short, made as good use of it as possible. If any more striking evidence of intelligence on the part of birds can be produced, let it be placed on record forthwith. C. C. ABBOTT. Impregnation in the turkey. An interesting fact respecting our domestic turkey has recently come to my notice. A friend, finding that a stray turkey had recently come upon his prem- ises’with the intention of remaining, finally shut it up;in his chicken-yard, where it was permanently confined with no other associates than the chickens. The prisoner at once began to lay eggs, and, after a nest was formed, sat upon them, hatching out, in the usual time, nine healthy turkeys. Three others, that had been hatched by a hen, died soon for want of care. The eggs, thirteen in all, were laid without any connection with a turkey-cock. An impregna- tion, then, that must have taken place before the fowl! was placed in confinement, must have answered for all the eggs. Agassiz states that one copulation is supposed to answer for more than one egg in the case of the turkey, but adds that the supposition needs confirmation. The facts here mentioned seem . conclusive, as there was no possible way in which connection could have taken place after the turkey was confined. Epwarp M. SHEPARD. Springfield, Mo. THE GRAPE PHYLLOXERA IN FRANCE. Compte rendu des travaux du service du Phylloxera. Année 1882. Procés verbaux de la session annuelle dela Commission supérieure du Phylloxera. Rap- ports et piecesannexes. Lois, décrets et arrétes relatif au Phylloxera. Paris, Impr. nat., 1883, 603 p. 4°. Tue Compte rendu des travaux du service du Phylloxera for the year 1882, just received in this country, makes a large volume, contain- SCIENCE. [Vou. L., No. 20. ing numerous reports of special committees and delegates. The Commission supérieure du Phylloxera, which consists of some thirty-seven members, including such well-known investi- gators as Dumas, Pasteur, Tisserand, Cornu, Balbiani, Marion, Marés, with a number of deputies and senators, was conyoked by the minister of agriculture on the 19th of January, 1883. The first sub-committee at the session of Jan. 22 submitted its report, which was accepted by the Commission supérieure. This report may be thus summed up: — After having passed upon 185 proposed rem- edies, they were unable to award the prize of 300,000 frances offered by the government in 1874, as they recognized in none of the new propositions any merit, whether as to novelty or more desirable methods of application of any insecticide already known. As in previous years, the substances most often recommended were salt, lime, soot, and cinders. It is well known that salt has produced nothing but bad effects on the vine, lime has amounted to little, while soot and cinders are but adjuncts to other modes of treatment. Among plants, Pyrethrum, tobacco, Quassia, and other similar products, are still urged by applicants for the prize, notwithstanding that the uselessness of such products has been shown by past experi- ence. In fact, the proposed remedies range from dynamite and electricity to prayers and processions. The second sub-committee reported ae its chairman, M. Cornu, on the spread of the insect through France, the report being accom- panied by a map which shows that nearly one- half of France is infested with Phylloxera. The map indicates particularly (1) the ‘ aron- dissements’ in which the presence of Phyl- loxera has not yet been observed, and into which it is forbidden to introduce any vines from phylloxerated districts or from foreign countries; (2) districts in which the insect occurs quite generally, but into which the intro- duction of foreign vines, or vines from other phylloxerated districts, is not authorized ; and (3) badly infested districts, into which the introduction of foreign and French vines from phylloxerated districts is authorized. These last constitute nearly one-third of the area of France. It will be well for those, who, allured by the liberal offer of the French government, venture to propose a Phylloxera remedy, to remember that one of the absolute conditions for the awarding of tle prize is that the remedy shall be based on positive and authentic experience. A great many visionary and theoretical propo- JUNE 22, 1883.] sitions have been sent to us of late years with a request that we assist the proposers in pre- senting their claims to the French government. In almost every instance the proposers have shown an absolute lack of experience, both as to the insect and as to the methods they recommend. The question of the winter egg, so called, has again occupied much of the attention of the commission, which places great confidence in the researches in regard to it of one of its eminent members, Balbiani, who has been in- structed to continue his investigations. In reference to this egg, and the importance of destroying it, there has, of late, been much discussion in France; and we may repeat our answer to the following question, recently put to us by one of the first French investigators into the life-history of Phylloxera : — “¢ T’oeuf soi-disant dhiver de M. Balbiani est-il indispensable a la reproduction du Phyl- lowera, ou bien la reproduction agame vous parait-elle possible durant plusieurs années ow méme indéjiniment?”’ Our reply was, that the impregnated egg (we prefer this term to ‘ winter egg’) is indispen- sable to the continued reproduction of Phy!l- loxera, and that normally it is produced annually in the cycle of the insect’s life ; but that agamic multiplication may, under favoring conditions. extend to the third or fourth year, and, for aught we know, longer. In reading over Targioni-Tozzetti’s criticism of Balbiani, and the latter’s reply, in late num- bers of the Comptes rendus de l’académie, we felt, that, so far as our own observations and experiments have gone, both were in a degree right, and both wrong. ‘There is no question but that Balbiani is essentially right in his con- clusion as to the necessity for the impregnated ege at some period during the annual develop- ment, under the conditions of our changing seasons. All the facts ascertained, as well as all analogy from what is known of the life- history of other species of the family, point to the accuracy of that conclusion. Yet ex- periments enough are on record to show, that, where the conditions of early spring and sum- mer are artificially maintained, agamic repro- duction in aphides may be greatly extended, and eyen go on to the third or fourth year. Of course, this possibility of such continued agamic multiplication does not change the practical fact of what does take place in an or+ dinary year under ordinary seasonal changes. Balbiani, therefore, is theoretically quite right in insisting on the importance of the destruc- tion of his winter egg. Just here, however, is SCIENCE. aT7 where we shall have to differ from him as to the practical value of attempts to do so, and for the following reasons : — It is a universally conceded fact, that the species hibernates chiefly in the dormant larval state underground. Now, even supposing that every so-called winter egg could be destroyed, we know positively that the vines would still be infested, and that new impregnated eggs would again occur the ensuing fall or winter. Therefore, even on Balbiani’s belief, these eggs would have to be annihilated for at least two consecutive years to do any good. But, unfor- tunately, all methods of annihilation heretofore proposed have proved impracticable, and, in fact, impossible. Decortication must always be but partially successful, as the eggs are not confined to the loose bark or to the older por- tions of the vines. Moreover, our researches in this country (and it seems to us that ex- perience in Europe corroborates them) show conclusively that this impregnated ege is not necessarily a winter egg, for it is extremely rare, and difficult to discover, during winter, or at any time: hence, and for the reason that larval hibernation prevails, we are justified in one or the other of the following conclusions :— 1°. That the'sexual females do not necessa- rily confine the impregnated egg to the stems and branches, but lay them also at the base of the vine, or even beneath the ground; 2°. That hypogean, apterous females also produce the sexed individuals underground ; 3°. That the impregnated ege hatches the same season that it is laid. Now, there are certain facts of experience that would give some warrant to all three of these conclusions, the first and second being fully justified by facts recorded by Balbiani and our- selves. The third statement we have proved true with Phylloxera Rileyi; and M. P. Graels has also proved it for P. vastatrix in Spain (see Amer. nat., 1881, p. 483). Thus we have little faith in the results of decortication ; and we have already expressed much the same views in the American nat- uralist, in our eighth Missouri report, and in our report to the Department of agriculture for 1878, p. 83. With regard to the use of American vines as stocks on which to graft the more susceptible French vines, the commission admits the suc- cess of the former in rich or deep soils, but concludes that they leave something yet to be 1 The eggs, in the rare cases where they are found, are con- cealed as much as possible in minute cracks and crevices, so that mechanical decortication cannot well reach them all; while the application of heat, as by torches, would not destroy them all unless intense enough to injure the vines. 978 desired on light or superficial soils. It seems to us that this amounts to little more than saying that a vigorous vine cannot be grown on a poor soil; the fact being that the Amer- ican vines for this particular purpose have made their way against much opposition, and remain to-day the best solution, all things con- sidered, of the Phylloxera question. The commission finally concluded that the prize of 300,000 franes be still reserved, but maintained. It seems to us that some dispo- sition should be made of this prize, as the commission must not expect to get any more satisfactory means of dealing with the pest than those already proposed, that are based on experience and sound scientific principles. By this we mean that the treatment of any such underground pest that has so varied a life-history must necessarily involve a given amount of time, money, and labor, regardless of the particular substance or means employed ; and to look for a ‘remedy’ that shall involve neither is to look for the impossible, — the miraculous. Those who were the first to sug- gest and prove the value of resistant American vines, those who established the value of sub- mersion and bisulphide of carbon, and those who have helped toward a sound knowledge of the insect’s life-history, —all deserve rec- ognition. ; The methods recommended by the commis- sion for the year 1883, aside from the use of the American yines, are the old ones of sub- mersion, bisulphide of carbon, and sulphocar- bonate of potassium. C. V. River. CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE. University of California. College of agriculture. Reportof the professor in charge to the president, being a part of the report of the regents of the uni- versity. 1882. Sacramento, State, 1883. 179 p. 828 Tuts report includes the general report of the professor in charge, E. W. Hilgard, to the president, and four appendices, or special re- ports: viz., report and discussion of work in the agricultural laboratory, by E. W. Hilgard ; report on instruction given, and culture experi- ments, by Charles H. Dwinelle; report of W. G. Klee, gardener in charge of the experimen- tal grounds, on fruit and miscellaneous cultures ; report of work done in the viticultural labora- tory, with record and discussion of results, by F. W. Morse. In his general report, Professor Hilgard re- iterates the opinion which he has advanced in another publication (Aélantic monthly, April SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 20. and May, 1882), that, in view of the present wide-spread indifference to agricultural educa- tion, ‘‘ the work of an experiment-station . is the key to the situation, so far as the utility and public appreciation of the College of agriculture is concerned.’’ In accordance with this view, work appropriate to an experiment- station has been carried on, in addition to the » work of instruction, to as great an extent as the time and means at command permitted ; and the four appendices to the general report contain the results of the investigations which have been made. The work of the agricultural laboratory has consisted chiefly of an examination of the more important and widely distributed soils of the state. These are classified geographically ; and chemical and mechanical analyses of several representative samples of each class have been made, from the results of which very important conclusions are drawn as to the present and prospective value and the proper treatment of these soils. Professor Hilgard is far from fall- ing into the old erroneous belief that chemical analysis can be depended upon to show the immediate deficiencies of a soil; but he holds. that it may furnish important information as to the amount and kind of reserve matters which it contains, and afford a cuide to a rational method of cultivation; and in his hands it certainly seems to justify the claims made for it. One of the most interesting portions of the horticultural report in appendix III. is that devoted to ‘the vineyard, where are given the results of experiments on grafting the Kuropean grape (Vitis vinifera) upon a native Californian species (Vitis californica). The conclusion is reached, that ‘‘ it must be considered definitely proved that the Vitis californica-is well adapted as a grafting stock for a large number of the varieties of Vitis vinifera.’’ The importance of this fact, of course, lies in the greater power of resistance to Phylloxera possessed by the American species. Experiments upon the lat- ter point are now in progress with grafted specimens. The account of the viticultural work includes some observations on the occurrence and de- velopment of Phylloxera, but is chiefly occu- pied with the results of the experiments on wine-making, which, though still incomplete, and though necessarily executed on a small seale, furnish much valuable information as to the character of the wine to be obtained from different varieties of grapes, and from grapes grown in different regions of the state. They can hardly fail, if continued, to exert a most JUNE 22, 1883.] beneficial influence on the advance of this in- dustry in California, and may fulfil the hopes of their authors by leading to the establishment of definite and reliable brands of California wines. ; The whole report, while dealing largely with SCIENCE. 579 questions of local interest, affords at the same time an admirable illustration of the advantage accruing to agriculture from the application of high scientific attainments to the investiga- tion of its problems. WEEKLY SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. ASTRONOMY. Semi-diameter of the moon.— Professor H. M. Paul, formerly assistant at the U. S. naval observa- tory, gives the results of two occultations of the Pleiades group by the moon, observed by himself to determine the occultation semi-diameter of the moon, and also the corrections to the right ascension, declination, and parallax of the moon, these being necessarily involved with the semi-diameter. The occultations occurred ‘on July 6, 1877, and Sept. 6, 1879, and were observed with the 9.6-inch equatorial at the Washington observatory. The relative posi- tions adopted for the stars were those of Wolf with proper motions from comparison with Bessel, and the general proper motion of the group as given by New- comb. The observations of 1877 were poorly placed for a determination of the correction to the semi-di- ameter, but those of 1879 give a much more reliable result. From the latter (fourteen in all), the result- ing correction to Hansen's mean semi-diameter (15’ 33”, 47) is — 1”. 69 + UV”. 12; and the resulting value is, therefore, semi-diameter = 15'1”.78 £ 0”. 12. He gives also the results of Airy’s determination from two hundred and ninty-six scattered observations, from 1§30 to 1860. From the immersions and emer- sions at the dark limb, the resulting values are larger by 0”.9 and 0”.5 than those given by Paul, and, from immersions and emersions at the bright limb, Airy’s results are larger by 2”.3 and 47.4; while the prob- able error ofa single observation and of the final result is in all cases greatly in excess of those ob- tained by Paul. Mr. Paul concludes that the best way to observe the actual occultation at the bright limb is to use as high a magnifying power as possible, so as to obtain a decided difference of color between the star and the moon’s limb. Neither set of occul- tations observed by Paul gives any evidence of devia- tion of the moon’s limb from a perfect circle. — (Rep. Wash. obs., 1879, appendix ii.) M. MCN. {1103 ENGINEERING. Swelled rifle-barrels.— A board of officers, with Capt. Greer as president, has tested a lot of rifles at the Springfield armory to determine the cause of the ‘bulging of the barrel, which occasionally occurs in practice. They find it due to the fact that the muz- zle has been stopped by sand, caused by resting the muzzle in wet sand, or in dry sand after the gun has become foul from firing. This arrests the passage of the ball, so that the pressure is increased at the point of swelling. It is curious that sand produced this result where wooden plugs, driven in tightly and swelled by steam, failed to do so. — (Ord. notes, U.S.A., no. 238, Feb. 1.) Cc. E. M. [1104 Strength of explosives.— Gen. Abbot has ex- tended his investigations to tonite, California gun-cot- ton, and rackarock. The first consists of 52.5 parts of gun-cotton and 47.5 parts of barium nitrate. The second is gun-cotton pulverized, and containing 24 per cent of moisture. The dry gun-cotton analyzed 89.6 per cent insoluble trinitrocellulose and 10.4 per cent soluble gun-cotton. This is 7 per cent above the standard required by the British government. The rackarock is composed of potassium chlorate and nitrobenzol. The substances are kept separate until needed for use, when the chlorate is dipped in the liquid until it has absorbed enough of it. Gen. Abbot found the relative efficiency in a horizontal plane for tonite, as compared with dynamite No. 1, to be 0.81 for the dry compressed state, and 0.85 for the damp un- compressed state, or 0.83 as the average value. It thus stands just below gun-cotton (0.87). Rackarock gives 0.86. The California gun-cotton was found equal to the best English. In a note, he calls atten- tion to the spontaneous decomposition of explosive gelatine into cellulose and free nitro-glycerine, with the evolution of nitrous fumes, while in store during the winter and spring.—(Prof. papers corps eng., U.S.A., no, 23, add. i.) ©. B. M. [1105 Composition of steel. — Professor Abel has con- tinued his researches on steel; and his experiments with cold-rolled steel of a particular composition con- firm the view that the carbon exists in it in the form of a carbide which has the formula Fe;C, or some multiple of that formula. Whether this carbide va- ries in composition in different descriptions of steel which are in the same condition of preparation re- mains to be demonstrated ; but the preliminary experi- ments with small specimens of cold-rolled, annealed, or hardened steel, appeared to warrant the belief that the condition of the carbide in the metal is affected to such an extent, by the process of hardening, as more or less completely to counteract its power to resist the decomposing effect of such an oxidizing ageit as chromic-acid solution. — (Proc. inst. mech. eng., Jan., 1883.) ¢. E. M. [1106 CHEMISTRY. (Analytical.) Preparation of hydric sulphide from coal-gas — When coal-gas is passed through boiling sulphur, I. Taylor finds that nearly all the hydrogen (forty to fifty per cent) is converted into hydric sulphide. He states that this is a convenient method for the prepa- ration of hydric sulphide for laboratory use. — (Chem. news, xlvii. 145.) ©. F. M. [1107 Hydric peroxide as a reagent in chemical analysis.— A. Classen and O. Bauer find that the great oxidizing power of hydric peroxide may be made available in many quantitative determinations which depend upon oxidation. Roth & Co. of Berlin manufacture a three or four per cent solution, acidi- fied with hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, as may be desired. In an ammoniacal solution, hydric peroxide oxidizes hydrie sulphide completely. This reaction affords a convenient and extremely accurate means for the determination of hydrochloric, hydrobromic, or hydriodie acid, in presence of hydric sulphide. 980 Arsenious sulphide is oxidized completely into arsenic acid and sulphuric acid. A special form of apparatus was devised by the authors for determining sulphur in sulphides. Hydric sulphide was set free by an acid, and carried forward by a current of carbonic dioxide into a tube filled with glass beads. An ammoniacal solution of hydric peroxide was allowed to drop into this tube, thereby oxidizing the hydric sulphide to sulphuric acid, which was drawn out at the bottom of the tube by means of a stop-cock. By this method accurate results were obtained in the analysis of the sulphides of antimony, tin, cadmium, iron, and of. baric sulphite and hyposulphite. —( Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 1061.) C.F. M. [1108 (Organic.) Derivatives of chinoline.— The study of the derivatives of chinoline and their constitution is con- tinued by several chemists. W. La Coste prepared p-nitrochinoline (1: 6) from p-nitraniline, p-nitra- cetanilide, and glycerine, and p-dimethylamido- chinoline from dimethylamido-p-phenylendiamine and nitrobenzol. o-nitrochinoline was made from o-nitraniline. m-nitraniline gave m-phenanthroline, identical with the product obtained by Skraup (Scr- ENCE, i. 283). At the same time there was formed an oxyphenanthroline whose constitution may be repre- sented by the following reactions : — HC — CH : 4 S HC — C CN 4 \ 7 i HC c—C 'COH \ 7 S 4G (Cr— GE Cc — CH ©. Fischer prepared oxyhydroethyl- and methyl- chinoline by the action of the corresponding alkyl iodides on a-oxyhydrochinoline. In studying the therapeutic properties of the oxychinoline derivatives, it was found that oxychinoline possessed poisonous properties, and that the chlorides of the correspond- ing hydro-compounds exerted an action similar to that of chinine. /-oxychinoline and certain of its deriva- tives were examined by C. Riemerschmied. L. Hoff- man and W. Konigs prepared tetrahydrochinoline _by reduction of chinoline with tin and_hydro- chlorie acid. By the action of nitrous acid this sub- stance gave a nitroso-amine (CyH,)N—NO) which formed nitronitrosotetrahydrochinoline NO, (cit, < N-— i) when treated with nitric acid. The corresponding hydrazine was obtained by reduction. Indol was one of the products of the dry distillation of tetrahydro- chinoline. — (Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 669, 721, 727.) C.F. M. [1109 AGRICULTURE. Digestibility of moistened and cooked fodder. —In continuation of earlier researches on this point, G. Kiihn has compared the digestibility of three sam- ples of hayand three samples of wheat-bran, when fed dry, to that of the same fodders variously treated. Moistening the hay or bran immediately before feed- ing with a quantity of cold water insufficient to satisfy the thirst of the animals (steers) had no rec- ognizable effect on the digestibility. Moistening the bran with cold water twenty-four hours before feed- ing had no effect on its digestibility, provided the quantity of water was so limited that the amount drunk by the animals did not fall below about fifty per cent of that drunk when the ration was given dry. SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 20. When the amount of water used to moisten the bran largely exceeded the limit just mentioned, indica- tions of a decreased digestibility of the crude proteine of the total ration were observed. ‘Treating the bran with boiling water twenty-four hours before feeding caused an undoubted decrease in the digestibility of its crude proteine, which was greater the higher the initial temperature, and the longer the action of the heat continued. The other constituents of the bran were unaffected. Giving the bran stirred into water as drink, along with dry hay, had no notice- able effect on the digestibility of the total ration, com- pared with that observed when similarly prepared bran was mixed with the hay. The experiments gave also the interesting and important result, that the ex- tent to which the same fodder is digested by the same animal may vary at different times. A new source of error in digestion experiments is thus brought to light, and one which must receive serious considera- tion in all future experiments, and lead to new cau- tion in accepting the results of old ones, especially in the case of concentrated fodders, since the calcula- tion of the digestibility of the latter is based on the assumption of unaltered digestibility of a coarse fod- der for two consecutive periods. These experiments are worthy of notice also for the care and conscien- tiousness with which the limits of possible error are taken account of in the discussion of the results. They afford, in this respect, an excellent example of really scientific investigation, and contrast favorably in this particular with many agricultural experi- ments. — (Landw. vers.-stat., xxix. 1.) WW. P. A. : [LLLO Bottled milk.— Milk preserved by Scherff’s pro- cess (heating in closed bottles to 100°-120° C. for one or two hours) differs from fresh milk in certain respects. It is not coagulated by rennet, and when acidified, or allowed to become sour, it yields a fine, granular coagulum. These differences haye been attributed to chemical changes in the albuminoids of the milk, produced by the heat; but Fleischman and Morgen fail to find in such bottled milk any peptones or other products of the decomposition of proteids, or any evidence of a chemical alteration. It appears to bea trifle less readily acted on by pep- sin than fresh milk. The good results obtained by its use for sick children are ascribed to the granular coagulum which it yields in the stomach, and its freedom from all germs. — (Landw. vers.-stat., Xxviil. 321.) H. P. A. [1111 Soil-temperatures. — In continuation of previous researches, E. and H. Becquerel have taken the tem- perature of two soils at different depths twice daily during the year 1882. One soil was naked, and the other covered with turf. At a depth of 0.05 m., the turfed soil was the warmer at 6 A.M. At 3P.mM. the naked (sandy) soil was the warmer during the warm months, while during the cold months the reverse was the case: in other words, the range of temperature was less under the turf. At greater depths this effect became less marked, and on the average the turfed soil was 0.1°-0.7° warmer than the naked one. — (Comptes rendus, xcvi. 1107.) H. P. A. [ Reduction of nitrates.— The reduction of ni- trates by means of an organized ferment, which has been observed by Springer (SCIENCE, i. p. 115), has also been the subject of experiments by Gayon and Dupetit, Dehérain and Maquenne, and de Rodionoff. The action of the ferment is prevented by oxygen and by disinfectants, and heat destroys the ferment. Large quantities of free nitrogen are produced in > ea baal JUNE 22, 1883.] the fermentation, and smaller quantities of ammonia, _ nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, nitrites, and probably amide-like bodies, were obtained. The action has been shown to take place in soils rich in organic matter, when excluded from the air; and a small quantity of active soil may infect a large amount of soil which has been sterilized by heat. — (Bied. centr.- blatt, 1883, 82.) H. P. A. [1113 Butt and tip kernels of corn.—In a number of sprouting trials at the Ohio agricultural experi- ment-station, corn taken from the butts of the ears produced larger and stronger radicles than that from the tips, while that from the middle of the ear was intermediate in this respect. The proportion of seeds which sprouted was: tip kernels, 70.3 % ; mid- dle kernels, 58.2 % ; butt kernels, 76.1 %. — (Country gentleman, May 10.) H.P. A. (4114 GEOLOGY. The Balkan peninsula.—In the tenth number of Petermann’s mittheilungen for 1882, Toula pub- lished a geological map of this region, which gives us a better idea of the geology of that much-disputed country than any thing yet published. By a mistake, the region between Aiwadschik and Kopriikoi, in Bulgaria, was colored as Jurassic instead of eocene. With this exception, this map, in sixteen colors, is fully up to Petermann’s usual standard. Toula now publishes a map on the scale of 1: 2,500,000, on which, by means of twenty-five different lines, he shows the routes travelled over by different geologi- cal explorers in this region from the days of Herder, Boué, and Viquesnel (1835-37), down to the present time, and in the accompanying ten pages of text gives a brief account of the country visited, and a historical sketch of the work done by each author. — (Mitth. geogr. gesellsch. Wien, 1883, 25.) J. B. M. [1115 Origin of the carboniferous limestone of Belgium.— Dupont divides the carboniferous lime- stone of Belgium into massive and stratified lime- stones, the latter essentially detrital rocks with a sedimentary appearance. The massive limestones are due to the growth of corals, and are adapted to the special dispositions of coral formations in fringing reefs or islets, according to their distance from the shore. The detrital limestones are subdivided into two marked categories: the crinoidal limestone; and the limestone made up of coralline detritus, with or without interstratified beds of crinoidal limestone. These three divisions correspond with the three faunas that de Koninck has distinguished, — the fauna of Tournai, belonging to the crinoidal limestone; the fauna of Waulsort, to the coral-reef limestones ; and the fauna of Visé, to the detrital limestones. The stratigraphical study of the Belgian carboniferous limestone thus becomes much simplified ; and the problems suggested by the mixture of rocks of the same chemical composition, but of different modes of formation, can be solved by studying the mode of formation, and the application of the stratigraphical laws of coral phenomena established by the study of the Devonian limestones, — (Bull. acad. roy. Belg., (8), Vv. no, 2.) J.B. M. {1116 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. Causes of the fertility of land in the Canadian north-west territories.— Robert Bell showed, that, with local exceptions, a vast fertile tract stretches from the Red River valley to the Liard River, a dis- tance of some fourteen hundred miles, characterized by a dark loamy soil of varying depth and nearly SCIENCE. 581 homogeneous consistency. The primary cause of the fertility of this region may be found in the char- acter of the subsoil, which consists largely of creta- ceous marls and the comminuted material of the glacial drift. The speaker ascribed to moles and other burrowing animals the chief agency in the process by which the black loamy soil was formed out of this subsoil. Darwin had proved that in Eng- land and some other countries earth-worms played the chief part in the formation of mould. These worms appear to be absent in the north-west, as well as in most cold and sparsely settled countries, per- haps due to the depth to which frost penetrates. But in the north-west he believed the ground squir- rels and moles more than made up for the absence of worms. In the fertile area referred to, the old and new mole-hills cover the entire surface, rendering it ‘hummocky,’ as is easily observed after a prairie fire. These animals are very active in autumn, digging many more burrows than would appear to be of any use to them. Each hummock thus thrown up covers about a square foot, and buries all the grass, ete., on this space. In this manner large quantities of vege- table matter were ultimately incorporated with the soil, which was also refined by the fact that the stones and coarse gravel are left undisturbed below the surface, so that in time they are more deeply buried by the layer of mould produced. By an in- teresting coincidence at the season when these bur- rowing animals are most active, the prairie vegetation is mature, and contains the greatest amount of sub- stance. The coldness of the soil during a great part of the year tends to preserve the organic matter in it. While the circumstances given were the direct cause of the fertility, the ultimate reason was perhaps to be looked for in the climate, which fosters the growth of such vegetation as forms both the fertilizing material and the food of the little workers, who mingle it with the mineral portion of the soil. The action of frost in comminuting the soil does not account, by itself, for the introduction of the organic matter upon which its fertility depends, and which is due to the co-operation of the circumstances and agencies de- scribed. —(Royal soc. Canada; meeting May 23.) {L117 The French ‘Landes.’—E. Blane describes the great improvement effected in the formerly desert region of south-western France by planting its sandy surface with the maritime pine (Pinus pinaster). The region is divided according to its surface-fea- tures into five districts, locally named the Grande- Lande, the Dunes, the Marensin, the Maremme, and the Chalosse. The first includes half the entire area, and, before the tree-planting, was an open plain of loose sandy soil about two feet deep, lying on an impermeable layer (alios) of sandstone cemented by organic and ferruginous material. During winter it was a great marsh ; in summer, a dry, sandy desert, barely supporting its flocks of sheep. The absence of stone for building and road-making was another cause of its poverty. Since 1857, nearly the whole surface has been covered with a continuous pine for- est, from which the resin is a valuable product. The stilts of the old shepherds are no longer the fashion. The Dunes, extending along the coast of Gascony from the Adour to the Gironde, form a belt four to eight kilometres wide. Their sand does not come from the coasts of Spain and Brittany, as has been supposed, but from a submerged continuation of the Landes. Their height sometimes reaches eighty metres. These, also, were formerly barren: they are now almost entirely wooded over. Their area of 88,096 hectares (nearly 350 O miles) contained 15,82 582 hectares of forest in 1840. and 55,584 in 1862, the un- planted part being chiefly the little valleys (lettes) between the Dunes. From 1861 to 1865 the greater part of the forests on the Dunes was sold by the government for a total of 13,000,000 francs ; but, as the supply of resin from our southern states was just then diminished by the war of the rebellion, the pines were much injured by bad treatment from their private owners, The Marensin is a region of old forests included in the district of lagoous between the southern quarter of the Dunes and the Grandes- Landes as far south as Dax. It has long produced a valuable yield of resin, and is thought to have had har- bors and ports in Roman times; but these have long since been destroyed by the drifting sands. The Ma- remme comes next farther south along the coast. It is a region of large dunes of irregular form, independ- ent of the present coast, and probably much older than the sand-hills farther north, occupied by an old forest of cork-oaks and resin-pines. The Chalosse is the only agricultural part of the Landes. It extends southward of the Adour to the department of Basses Pyrénées, —a rolling, well-watered, fertile country. After this introductory description, M. Blane dis- cusses the future of the region, and its improvement by further tree-planting, and by opening a canal to connect all its lagoons behind the Dunes. — (Rev. scient., 1883, 391.) Ww. M. D. {1118 METEOROLOGY. Rainfall in South Australia. — The tropical rains on the north coast prevail during the summer months, commencing generally towards the end of October or beginning of November, and lasting until April, little or none falling during the inter- mediate months. These tropical rains extend more or less across the interior, down to, or even south of the Peake (lat. 28°), but fall off considerably south of the Daly Waters (lat. 16° 15/). This, however, varies greatly in different years, according to the force and southerly dip of the north-west monsoon. In some cases, heavy thunder-storms and torrential rain extend over nearly the whole of the interior, and in other years the rainfall is heavy for only a few hundred miles from the north coast; and the country, espe- cially south of the tropics, down even to the head of Spencer’s Gulf, is exposed to Jong and severe drought. On the other hand, the winter rains occasionally ex- tend well up into the interior, sometimes reaching or passing the centre of the continent. This, perhaps, is more especially the case when the centre of a cyclonic disturbance passes to the north of Adelaide, from west to east, and also when cyclonic disturbances in Queensland, or on the east coast, have their western quadrant extending well into the central regions of the continent and the northern pastoral districts of South Australia. But most of our disturbances have their centre south of the continent, their path being roughly parallel to the coast-line, so that as a rule our winter rains thin off, and become uncertain about a hundred miles north of the head of Spencer’s Gulf, and are heavy north of the Gulf only along or near the PBlinders Range. The area of minimum rain- fall extends from the Great Australian Bight to Port Augusta, at the head of Spencer’s Gulf; northwards up Lake Torrens and Lake Eyre; and again over the plains to the east of the Flinders Range, up to about lat. 25°, reaching on either side to within, perhaps, a few hundred miles of the east and west coasts (es- pecially the latter). All south of this, and for some distance northwards, along and in the immediate neighborhood of the Flinders Range, we usually have good winter rains, but uncertain summer rains; the SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. .20. latter being heavier and more frequent over tle north- ern limits of this region, where they bear a large ratio to the total fall during the year. — (Jet. obs. Ade- laide observ., 1880.) [1119 Rainfall in France. — At the last meeting of the Meteorological society of France, a paper was read by Mr. Moureaux, showing that the law of the rains south of the central plateau of France is independ- ent of the meteorological conditions on the oceanic side, This shows the importance of being in di- rect connection with Algiers. — (Nature, March 22.) H. A. H, [1120 GHOGRAPHY. (Aretic.) Arctic notes.—In the year-book of the Verein fiir vaterlindishe naturkunde in Wiirttemberg, Zeller has an article on the Aleae and zoophytes of the Nordenskiéld Sea, collected by Graf Waldburg-Zeil. —— Nature (vol. xxviii. no. 3) gives a woodeut of the Russian meteorological station at the Lena mouth. — The Leo is announced to sail for Point Barrow, June 12, from San Francisco. The steamer Pro- teus is to go to the relief of the Lady Franklin Bay party, and is expected to sail about the 20th inst., or as soon as she can be joined by U.S.S. Yantic, which is to act as tender, and to utilize as far as possible the scientific opportunities of the voyage. — w. H. D. {1121 (Africa.) African notes. —In spite of the disastrous end- ing of the Flatter’s expedition, two more parties are planned by the French for Saharan exploration, un- der Col. Bernard and F. Foureau. According to a recent despatch from Wargla, four members of Flat- ter’s party are still alive as prisoners among the Tuaregs. In western Africa the active French advance has met with opposition. Dr. Bayol was re- fused permission to continue on his way to Kaarta, and has returned to Bafulabe on the Senegal. Col. Berguis-Desbordes writes from the upper Niger, that, after his losses on the way there, he must at once re- turn to the coast unless immediately re-enforced. A sketch of the rapid progress of the French in this region is given by J. Ancelle in Rev. de géogr., 1883, 161-183. —— R. Flegel writes from Lagos under date of March 20, 1883, of his safe return from Adamaua and the source of the Benue ; ‘his farther: journey was cut short by lack of means. —— The In- ternational Kongo association has despatched Lieut. vy. Kerkhoven from England with supplies for the parties in the field. It is stated that he takes a number of carrier-pigeons with which to keep up communication from the interior with Zanzibar ; but this must be a mistake. A general review and map of the later explorations in the Kongo basin is given in Peterm. mitth., 1883, 177. News has been re- ceived from Dr, Pogge at Mukenge, on his way to the west coast, after parting from Lieut. Wissmann in the farther interior. —— Dr. Holub is about to start for southern Africa after a course of special geo- graphic study; he proposes to go northward from the Cape to the lake district. —— Giraud and Thomson, recently entering Africa from Zanzibar, have been heard from in good condition, a short way on their respective journeys. —— Revoil has left Somali-land for the Zanzibar region. ——The French and Italian exploration about Shoa and Assab is still very active in spite of the unattractive climate of these districts. At Assab nearly all the drinking-water has to be dis- tilled from the sea, ——Schuver, the Dutch explorer, arrived in Kartum last December, and Dr, Junker is expected there shortly from his journeys in the far JUNE 22, 1883.] . interior. —— Dr. Colin of the French navy has been charged with a mission to the Senegal; his instruc- tions are to search for gold, to obtain concessions of the auriferous regions from the local chiefs, or at least protection for those who may go there, and to make geographic and scientific observations as far as possible. He expects to return to France next April. —wW. M.D. [1122 > (Indian Ocean.) Heard Island.— The U.S. S. Marion, Commander Terry, last year went to this seldom-visited island in the southern Indian Ocean (lat. 53° 20’ S., long. 73° 10’ E.) to search for the crew of the whaler Trinity, not heard from for eighteen months. The rescue was successful; and on Jan, 13, 1882, the men were taken from the island after over a year’s endurance of excessive hardships. Ensign Chambers gives an interesting account of the expedition. The island was discovered in 1855 by an American, Capt. Heard, who believed it to be afloat, as he ‘ had sailed over its position repeatedly on former voyages;’ but its firm anchorage is pretty. well established by the presence of an active volcano, about six thousand feet high, seen in moderate eruption by the crew of the Trinity ; and its antiquity is proved by marks of former glacial action which date somewhat before Capt. Heard’s voyages. The climate of the island is extremely severe. Snow-squalls were of daily occur- rence even in midsummer, and the air was seldom clear enough to show the mountain summit. Sea- currents pass the island from north to south. It is Supposed from the appearance of clouds, and from the flight of birds and departure of sea-elephants, ‘that an uncharted island must lie sixty or one hun- dred miles south of Heard; and it is even said that 4 certain sealing-captain has discovered an island in that direction, the position of which he keeps a secret in the interest of his trade. —(Proc. U.S. naval inst., ix. 1883, 121.) Ww. M. D. [1123 Indian Ocean.—On his return from Japan in April-May, 1881, G. Liebscher took samples of the water in the Bay of Bengal (about lat. 5° N.) and Arabian Sea (near lat. 15° N.), finding the specific grayity of the former at 60° F., 1.0255 to 1.0258, and its percentage of salt 3.29 to 3.34; for the latter, 1.0264 to 1.0276, and 3.40 to 3.52. —(Mitth. erdk. Halle, 1882, 139.) w.™M. D. [1124 BOTANY. Cryptogams. Diseases of the vine.— The Observations sur le Phylloxera et sur Jes parasitaires de la vigne, pub- ' lished under the direction of the French academy, contains a long and valuable paper by Cornu on Peronospora viticola B. and C., which has within a few years been introduced into the vineyards of Europe from this country. After an elaborate state- ment of the history of the discovery of the Perono- spora and its spread to Europe, there follows a full account of the development and pathological action of the fungus, beautifully illustrated. The work con- cludes with an account of the treatment and preven- tion of the disease, and a comparison of the grape- mould with those of the potato and lettuce plants. — wW.G Fr. - [1125 Glycogen in fungi.— In a thesis entitled ‘1’ Bpi- plasme des Ascomycetes,’ Dr. Léo Errera demon- strates, that apart from the Myxomycetes, whose vegetable nature is not beyond question, glycogen occurs in undoubted plants, especially in the Ascomy- cetes, an order of fungi. It also appears to exist in the yeast-plant and Pilobolus, a small mould. The SCIENCE. 583 glycogen of Peziza vesiculosa is identical with that found in the livers of mammalia. In the Ascomycetes, it is at first diffused throughout the whole young plant, but afterwards accumulates in the asci, and is apparently transformed during the maturing of the spores. When not in too small quantities, glycogen may be recognized microchemically by its semi-fluid consistency, the absence of any reaction with osmic acid, Millon’s reagent, and iron salts, and by the reddish-brown or mahogany color on the application of iodine, which color disappears on heating, and re- appears on cooling. — Ww. G. F. [1126 Spores and spore-cases in Hrian rocks. — Dr. J. W. Dawson spoke of the discovery many years since, by the geological survey of Canada, in a pyro- schist or bituminous shale at Kettle Point on Lake Huron, —referred to the horizon of the Marcellus beds of the New-York series, —of vast numbers of mi- nute disks, which were recognized as the spore-cases of some cryptogamous plant, and were by him named Sporangites huronensis. More recently Profs. Orton of Columbus, O., Williams of Cornell university, and Clarke of Northampton, Mass., have found, in the Erian (Devonian) and lower carboniferous shales of Ohio and New York, beds replete with these organ- isms; and Prof. Orton has shown reasons for beliey- ing that they are connected with filamentous stems found in the same layers, and, moreover, that they have contributed largely to the bituminous matter present in the shales in which they occur. Similar bodies haye also been found associated with the curi- ous plants known as Psilophyton and Trochophyllum. Still more recently specimens from the Erian of Bra- zil have been sent to the author by Mr. Derby of the Brazilian geological survey, which seem to throw additional light on the bodies in question. These specimens present oval or rounded bodies in the form of flattened sacs, containing numbers of rounded disks similar to those above referred to, and so closely resembling the utricles, or spore-sacs, of the rhizocarps as to make it extremely probable that they belonged to plants of this class. Should this conjec- ture be sustained by subsequent inquiries, it would show that this peculiar group is of much greater antiquity than hitherto supposed, and that these plants were extremely abundant in the shallow waters of the Erian period. Dr. Dawson further suggested probable relations of these singular fruits not only with Psilophyton, but also with other Erian aad Silurian plants. — (Royal soc. Canada: meeting May 23.) [1127 ZOOLOGY. Mollusks, Land-snails from Bering Strait and Alaska. — Drs. Aurel Krause and Reinhardt enumerate and describe the land-snails obtained by the Krause brothers in the Chukchi peninsula and in south- eastern Alaska. Seven species were obtained from the former locality, and nineteen in the latter. Most of them are common to both shores. As a matter of much interest to American conchologists, the species . new to the fauna of the United States, as determined by them, may be mentioned. Omitting mere varie- ties, these are: Limax hyperboreus West., Conulus pupula Gould (originally described from Japan), Pupa Gredleri Cless., P. Krausiana Reinh., P. arc- tica Wall., Succinea chrysis West., Vallonia asiat- ica Neyille (Yarkand, described by Neville as a variety of V. costata), and Pupa edentula Drap. (probably). Dr. Reinhardt also describes, under the name of Vallonia gracilicosta, a small shell obtained by Krause on the Little Missouri River, while 084 returning home by the route of the Northern Pacific railway (Sitz. Berl. ges. naturf. fr., 3, 1883). In the same connection, the following species of the Vega expedition are of interest for American stu- dents. Westerlund, in advance of the final publica- tion, describes as new, from the same region, Helix ruderata var. opulens, collected at Bering Island; Succinea annexa and chrysis; and Pisidium arcti- cum, nivale, and glaciale, from Port Clarence, Alaska. —(MNachr. deutsch. mal. ges., April, 1883.) W. H, D. [1128 A man-eating mollusk. — A minute pulmonate, Cionella acicula, was not long since reported as oc- curring in myriads in the cavities of cancellate bones in a prehistoric British cemetery at Chichester. It has now been found of unusual size, by Director Fischer, in human skulls from comparatively recent interments at Bernberg. — (Nachr. deutsch. mal. ges., April, 1883.) Ww. H.D. [1129 Monograph of Onchidium. — The last-received part of Semper’s land-mollusks of the Philippines contains the continuation of an extremely thorough monograph of Onchidium,—the genus of slugs in which that author made the discovery of the extraor- dinary ‘ dorsal eyes,’ and which seems to be’ prolific in species in the east. The new genus Onchidina is established for O. australis Gray, which exhibits marked anomalies in the genitalia. —(Semper’s reisen., heft iv.) W. H. D. {1130 VERTEBRATES. Centripetal stimulation of the vagus.—In a previous paper ( Wiener sitzungsb., 1xxxv., 282), Knoll had pointed out that the vagus nerve may be stimu- lated by the making or breaking of its own current, when the nerve, for instance, is raised from the moist tissue upon which it lies, or, after being raised, is again lowered intothe wound. ‘This is especially the case after exposure, or section, or other mechanical injury. The effect of such a stimulation is, in the great majority of cases, the production of an expira- tory standstill, or a flattening of the respiratory curve toward the expiratory position. In many cases the action is not confined to a mere inhibition of the in- spiratory discharge, but causes an active expiratory effort. In this, his second contribution to the theory of the innervation of the breathing movements, he submits the action of electrical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal stimuli upon the central end of the vagus to a new investigation, taking care to avoid any secon- dary effects arising from stimulation of the nerve by its own current. The experiments were made upon rabbits, to some of which a minimal dose of chloral was given. The effect of induction shocks was found to vary with the strength of current used, minimal currents causing a short expiratory pause, or a dis- placement of the curve toward the expiratory posi- tion ; stronger currents giving inspiratory effects. During the period of vagus stimulation, although there is always a certain amount of dyspnoea, never- theless the accessory respiratory muscles do not come into action, and, if previously in action, become re- laxed during the stimulation. Neither anaemia of the brain, caused by blocking off the blood-current, nor respiratory reflexes from other afferent nerves, stim- ulation of the nasal mucous membrane, for instance, produce any breathing movements during the in- spiratory standstill which follows strong electrical stimulation of the vagus. From these facts he con- cludes, that, during such stimulation of the vagus, the irritability of the respiratory centre toward other stim- uli, especially natural stimuli, is greatly depressed. He finds that the effects obtained may differ according SCIENCE. [Vou I., No. 20. to the direction of the current, the portion of the nerve stimulated, the condition of the nerve and of the respiratory centre, —conditions which may explain the contradictory results obtained by those who have worked at the subject. Mechanical stimuli produced in various ways gave always, as the primary effect, either complete standstill in inspiration, or strong displacement of the curve toward the inspiratory position. Chemical stimuli inhibited respiration in the expiratory phase. Thermal stimuli had appar-_ ently no effect. Warming the vagus in 0.6% salt solution or oil from 14$°-2° to 45°-60° C. had no action on the respiration. —(Wiener sitzungsb., Ixxxvi., iii. 48.) WwW. H. H. pat Activity of the yolk during impregnation. — Kupffer recalls the active movement of a proto- plasmatic hillock on the surface of the ovum of Pe- tromyzon, observed by August Miller, Calberla, and himself, immediately after the spermatozoon entered the yolk. He now reports a similar observation on Bufo. In this animal several spermatozoa enter the ovum; but those that reach the.eg¢ a few minutes after spawning are not able to pierce the egg-mem- brane. One then sees little protuberances arise on the surface of the yolk, and stretch up the mem- — brane. Opposite each protuberance are one or two spermatozoa, their heads towards the yolk. It ap- pears as if the yolk were actively striving to reach the spermatozoa. In a few minutes the protuber- ances sink back. In both Bufo and Petromyzon there appears this secondary act of impregnation after the male elements (or element) have penetrated the yolk. — (Sitzungsb. akad. wiss. Miinchen, 1882, 608.) .c. S. M. (1132 ANTHROPOLOGY. Growth of the skull in dogs.— M. Lacassagne having communicated to the biological society of Lyons a paper on the cranial dimensions in man in their relation to social condition and intellectual culture, Dr. Arloing has followed up the subject upon dogs. Discarding the merely instinctive faculty, attention was paid only to the intellectual. The subject of weight and race was so far considered as to render it easy to make allowance for these, since the average weight of the well-known breeds is known everywhere. The following table tells its own story:— Weight of | Weight of the skull. brain. Grams. Grams. St. Bernard . 100.39 387 Large spaniel (Grand epagneul). oth5 85.5 695 Bull, medium size . 81.14 205 Bull, small size . 63.2 110 Little spaniel 50.7 67 Loulou . 53.9 62 avian aice Wee vel elaliel l/s) rccaser eielnmetkelll 6 73.6 60 King Charles 9-9.) 6 2 2 3 50.7 45> The brain of a small ape weighs from seventy to seventy-five grams. We see from the table that the weight of the head is doubled, while the weight of the brain is eight times greater, between the extremities of the table. The difference would be much greater if we could compare the weight of the brain with that of the body. The conclusion reached is, that education increases the dimensions of the skull in animals as in man. — (Bull. soe. anthrop. Lyon, i. 44.) J. W. P. [1133 ulm vale Ae Nee ee eee ye y ed pe 2) - ’ JUNE 22, 1883.] Criminality in France. — “Society, in its moral and social aspect,’”’ says M. Lacassagne, ‘‘is divided into three strata, —the frontal, the parietal, and the occipital; the latter including the most of our race.” The causes which operate upon the human organism are cosmic and social; or, as M. Lacassagne has it, physico-chemic, biologic, and social. The first in- cludes temperature, physical forces, aliment, etc., acting, first, upon the posterior part of the brain, thence forward, influencing the instinct to control the intelligence. The second includes sex, age, heredity, temperament, acting equally on all parts of the brain, and giving to the sentiments, thoughts, and acts a characteristic peculiarity. The last, act- ing from the front brain backwards, modifies the ideas before changing the sentiments. The penal code of France divides infractions of the laws against persons and property into contra- ventions, délits, and crimes; and, for seeking out and punishing these, an army of two hundred thousand individuals is engaged, costing 41,694,720 francs, against 26,034,016 for primary public instruction. M. Lacassagne, after reviewing the works of Que- telet, Guerry, Maury, and Ferri, on the statistics and philosophy of crime, proceeds to furnish, in a series of curves, the results of his own researches. It is well observed, that, in studying a series of years, notice must be taken of the changes in the law and the multiplication of recognized infractions. Crimes against property vary with the price of breadstuffs, the operation of tariff, warm summers, rigorous winters. Crimes against persons are shown to be in- fluenced by revolutions, elections, the wine-crop, etc. The relation of crime to the season of the year pre- sents some interesting facts, the table showing a crim- inal calendar in which the maxima of crimes against property are placed opposite to the minima of crimes against persons. The former have their maximum in December, their minimum in April and June. The latter have their minimum in November, and their maximum in June. Each crime is then scru- tinized by months, according to the causes affecting it, such as heat and cold; wine-production, harvests, forced indoor life in winter, wandering life in sum- mer, the length of the day and night, fétes, holy days, pay-days, reaping-time, vintage-time, salaries to do- mestics, etc. For instance, infanticide is large in January, February, March, and April, as the effect of the aphrodisiac months, while abortions, usually at the fifth mouth, are numerous in January; concep- tions of harvest-time, at their maximum in March; conceptions of the new-wine season, high in May; conceptions of Christmas holidays, high in June; con- SCIENCE. 589 ceptions of the carnival, ascending in September, October, November, and December, owing to the aphrodisiac months. : Assassination, murder, parricide, poisoning, theft, are similarly treated, and the relation of crime to sex and illiteracy examined. M. Lacassagne closes his discussion with observations on the prevention of crime. — (Bull. soc. anthrop. Lyon, i. 48-71.) 3. w. P. [1134 EARLY INSTITUTIONS. Writing among the Romans.— M. Havet points out the curious fact, that Greece had a literature be- fore she had the means of recording it, while Rome had the means before she had the literature. It is certain that in Greece literature existed at first in- dependently of writing; but in Rome writing was in use during the period of the kings, when there was no literature. This fact being established, M. Havet asks whether writing was introduced during the time of the kings, or before that time, i.e., before the foun- dation of Rome. He then goes on to show how the Romans must have used writing before they came into contact with the Etruscans, because they did not adopt the Etruscan alphabet. Writing must have been in use, he concludes, in the earliest period of the history of Rome, if not before the foundation of the city. Then he argues, if this is the case, what right have we to suppose that the early kings are fabulous ? If they knew how to write, it is probable that they put their names in writing. The question is raised, What did the Romans do with their writing, if they did not use it to record events which actually hap- pened? They had no literature to give it a raison @étre. The argument is an interesting one. — (Rev. polit. et lit., 24 Mars, 1883.) D. w. R. [1135 Beginnings of taxation in France. — M. Vuitry continues his studies in the financial history of France, and describes the origin and establishment of state taxes as distinguished from the revenues of a feudal sovereign. These, he tells us, must not be regarded as state taxes. He defines state taxes as taxes levied upon all citizens for the purpose of defraying public expenses. During the early feudal period there were no public expenses: therefore there were no state taxes. The expenditures of the feudal sovereign were private expenditures; his revenues were private reye- nues, derived chiefly from his estates, or from privi- leges attached to his person. It was not until the fourteenth century (1328-55) that state taxes, proper- ly so called, were instituted. M. Vuitry explains how this came to pass. — (Séan. trav. de lV acad., Avril— Mai, 1883.) D. w. R. [1136 INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. Bureau of ethnology. Note on certain Maya and Mexican manuscripts. — Professor Cyrus Thomas has recently prepared a paper for the bureau, on a plate of the Codex Cortesi- anus, reproduced in plates 9 and 10 of Rosny’s Les documents de V antiquité Américaine, and plate 44 of the Fejervary Codex (Kingsborough, vol. iii.). For the benefit of scholars devoting attention to these manuscripts, a brief réswmé of his explanation of one discovery that he has made in regard to them is here given. As facsimile plates cannot be intro- duced here, plans of the portions referred to are figured on the assumption that those particularly interested have access to the works in which the plates are to be found. Mr. Thomas maintains, with a strong array of evidence, that these plates are simply a kind of con- densed calendar, and that the outer looped line of dots and day-symbols in each is a mere table by which . to tell the days on which the weeks (of thirteen days) for the entire year begin. If we examine carefully the rows of large dots, and the day-symbols in the large outer space of the Cor- tesian plate, as given by Rosny, we shall find, that, taken together, they form but one continuous line, 586 making one outward and two inward bends or loops at each corner, as shown in fig. 1. In this figure the dots correspond with those in the plate; the circle, with the day-symbols. The numbers a 205, 2) © eo ec coo o%6© Fie. 1.—Scueme oF THE CORTESIAN PLATE. correspond with the numbers in the following list, in which the names are given, as shown by the symbols; those obliterated in the original are in Italics. 1 Cauae. 15 Oc. 28 Ahan. 2 Chuen. 16 Ik. 29 Ymix. 3 Eb. 17 Akbal. 30 Ben. 4 Kan. 18 Men. 31 Ix. 5 Chicchan. 19 Cib. 32 Cimi. 6 Caban. 20 Tamat. 33 Manik, 7 Ezanab. 21 Mulue. 34 Cauac. 8 Oc. 22 Ymix. 35 Ahau. 9 Chuen. 23 Ik. 36 Eb. 10 Akbal. 24 Ix. 37 Ben. 11 Kan. 25 Men. 38 Chicchan. 12 Cib. 26 Manik. 39 Cimi. 138 Caban. 27 Lamat. 40 Eznab. 14 Mulne. Starting with 1 Cauac (No. 1) on the right side, and running upward toward the top, along the row of dots next the right-hand margin, we reach 13 Chuen (No. 2). Just above this is 1 Eb (No. 3). Running inward toward the centre, along the row of dots, we reach 13 Kan (No, 4). Then passing upward, we come to 1 Chicchan (No. 5); then outward along the row of dots, toward the outer corner, to 13 Caban (No. 6); thence to the left to 1 Ezanab (No. 7); then inward to 13 Oc (No. 8); then to the left to 1 Chuen (No. 9); then outward to 13 Akbal (No. 10); and so on around toward the left. The number of the day is usually indicated by a numeral symbol, —one dot for 1, and two short lines and three dots for 13. By commencing with Cauac, and writing the twenty Maya days in succession, repeating them in the same order, numbering them from 1 to 13, and 1 to 13 again, or by referring to table V. of Professor Thomas’s Study of the manuscript Troano (fig. 11), the reader will find that the days numbered 1 of the looped SCIENCE. [Vor. I, No. 20. line (as 1 Cauac, 1 Eb, etc.) are always the first days of the Maya week, and those numbered 13 (as 13 Chuen, 13 Kan, ete.) are always the last days of the week. The Cauac years alone have been referred to; but this calendar is made to answer equally as well for the Kan, Muluc, and Ix years. For the Kan years we begin with 1 Kan (No. 11) in the top row; for the Mulue years, with 1 Mulue (No. 21) im the row next to the left margin; and, for the Ix year, with 1 Ix (No. 31) in the bottom row. The proof of Professor Thomas’s interpretation of this part of the ‘ Cortesian plate’ seems to be conclusive. The signification of plate 44 of the Fejervary Codex he claims to be substantially the same as the other; and that the outer looped line shown in our fig. 2 is constructed on precisely the same plan, and for the same purpose; the only difference being, that here only the first day of the week is given, and that the days are Mexican instead of Maya. The twenty circles at the corners and loops con- taining numbers indicate and replace Mexican day-symbols, as shown in the following list : — 1 Cipactli. 8 Malinalli. 15 Calli. 2 Ocelotl. 9 Coatl. 16 Cozeaquauhtli. 3 Mazatl. 10 Tecpatl. 17 Atl. s 4 Xochitl. 11 Ozomatli. 18 Ehecatl. 5 Acatl. 12 Cuetzpalin. 19 Quauhtli. 6 Miquiztli. 7 Quiahuitl. 13 Ollin. 14 Itzeuintli. 20 Tochtli. The four in the larger circle, italicized in the list, are the four year-bearers or year-names. By making a list of Mexican days in succession, beginning with Cipactli, and numbering from 1 to 13 as before, and following the line in the order E. creek. Clays of the same character and age (cretaceous) occur nearer Trenton than Cross- wicks Creek; and in them, also, occurs much fossil wood. Jn and on this, grains of amber are not uncommon. ‘They are usually very small, and difficult to detect. The fossil wood in this cretaceous clay is soft and very ‘ recent” in appearance, and burns with an uncertain, flickering flame. The scanty traces of amber found with this — derived, I suppose, from it —is the fossilized sap of the trees now found in these deposits of clay. ; Cuartes C. Apporr. THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF MAY 6. Toe U.S.S. Hartford, which sailed from Callao, Peru, March 22, with the American and English astronomers on board, arrived at Caro- line Island April 20, sixteen days before the date of the eclipse. The island is in reality a chain of small islands of coral formation, encir- cling a lagoon; the length of the enclosure being about seven miles and a half, and the breadth one mile and a half. The land is low, but supports an excellent growth of grass and other vegetation, including a number of cocoa- nut-trees. There are no permanent inhabitants ; but the island is leased by an English firm which deals in guano, cocoanuts, and other products of this and similar Pacific islands. An agent of this firm visits the island occa- sionally, and superintends the work of those employed. Seven persons were found living on the island for the time being, having been brought there from Tahiti two months before. These were four men, one woman, and two children. There were two large frame houses in excellent condition, besides several smaller houses, which furnished comfortable accommo- dations for the party, and also for the French astronomers, who arrived two days later in the © L’Eclaireur. The latter party was composed of the following scientific men: M. Janssen of Meudon; M. Tacchini of Rome; M. Palisa of Vienna, formerly of Pola; M. Trouvelot of Meudon, formerly of Cambridge, Mass. ; and M. Pasteur, photographer, also of Meudon. The landing of the heavy cases containing the instruments was accomplished with diffi- culty, as even the small ship’s boats could not come within several hundred feet of the shore, which was composed of rough coral rock. The cases were taken from the boats by men stand- ing in about two feet of water, and carried to the shore, thence across several hundred feet of coral rock to the land, and about a quarter of a mile farther to the site selected for the ob- ‘other preparations. clouds. JUNE 29, 1883.] servations. After the completion of the land- ing, the men-of-war steamed away to Tahiti, leaving selected members of their companies to assist in the work. The American party was favored with the help of Messrs. Qual- trough, Dixon, Fletcher, and Doyle, officers of the Hartford, and of ten seamen. The two weeks preceding the eclipse were occupied in mounting the instruments and in Pendulum observations during this time were made by Messrs. Preston and Brown, under instructions from the U.S. coast and geodetic survey. The weather was in general pleasant; though there was one severe rain-storm, and nearly every day there were flying clouds with slight showers, as is not unusual in the region of the trade-winds. The wind was usually strong, and blew stead- ily from a direction varying from north to east, but never south of east, though the island is in the heart of the south-east trade region. Eight inches of rain fell during the seventeen days which the party spent on the island, more than half of this in one storm on May 4. The weather on the morning of May 6 was cloudy and threatening ; but after several showers the sky cleared shortly before the time of first contact, and remained clear the remainder of the day, with rapidly moving One of these partially concealed the corona for about twenty seconds in the first minute of totality, and the sun was wholly in a cloud soon after the close of totality ; but the observations were not interfered with, though there was at all times haze in the atmosphere. Your readers have already been informed of the nature of the observations planned. All these were carried out successfully, with results which will be given in full detail in the official report of the expedition. A summary of these results can, however, be given at the present time. Professor Holden swept for intra-Mercurial planets, but discovered none. Spectroscopic observations were made by Dr. Hastings and Messrs. Rockwell, Brown, and Upton, with interesting results. Dr. Hastings had devised a spectroscope by which the spectra of two- opposite sides of the sun were brought into juxtaposition, and could be examined simul- taneously. This instrument, which was at- tached to a 64-inch equatorial, was used especially to note the changes in the appear- ance of the 1474 line on the preceding and following limbs of the sun as the eclipse pro- gressed. At the beginning of totality the 1474 line extended to a height of about 12’ on the eastern limb of the sun, while on the western limb it was faint, and not more than SCIENCE. 595 4’ in height. As the eclipse progressed, the lines changed relatively, becoming sensibly equal at mid-eclipse, and the conditions at the close of totality being the reverse of those at the beginning. This change was many times greater than any change due to the moon’s motion, and is regarded by Dr. Hastings as conclusive proof that the outer corona is main- ly due to diffraction. The dark D lines were seen in the corona, and the bright hydrogen and magnesium lines by several observers. The relative height and brightness of the coro- nal rings seen in an integrating spectroscope were estimated. The duration of totality was five minutes twenty-five seconds. ‘The corona was bright, and characterized by five well-defined stream- ers, a careful sketch of which was made by Dr. Dixon. The azimuths of the shadow-fringes at the beginning and end of totality were obtained, and their distances from each other estimated. The meteorological observations made by Mr. Upton showed a slight but well- defined rise in barometric pressure, a rise in humidity, and a fall in temperature. The tem- perature reached the values given at night, while the radiation thermometers indicated that the receipt of heat by the earth was almost wholly checked. The direction and velocity of the wind were unchanged during the time of the eclipse. ; The photographs obtained by Messrs. Law- rance and Woods, the English members of the party, who were assisted by Mr. Qualtrough of the Hartford, include a series of negatives of the corona to its outer limits, and also of the coronal spectrum. The latter contains a few bright lines, but not as many as were ob- tained by the same observers in Egypt a year ago. The phenomenon of reversal of the Frauenhofer lines was also successfully photo- graphed. The French astronomers obtained many pho- tographie negatives of the corona, and of the sky in the vicinity of the sun, to aid in the search for Vulcan. M. Palisa searched for intra-Mercurial planets without success. M. Janssen saw darklines in the coronal spectrum, and M. Tacchini a faint spectrum resembling that of comets in one of the coronal streamers. M. Trouyelot made a sketch of the corona, and devoted also a portion of the time to the search for intra-Mercurial planets. The Hartford returned to Caroline Island on the 8th of May, and on the 9th sailed for Honolulu, which was reached on the 30th; a stop of four days haying been made at Hilo, Hawaii, to allow a visit to the volcano of 596 Kilauea. The members of the expedition, ex- cept Messrs. Preston and Brown, who remained at the Hawaiian Islands to make pendulum observations, left Honolulu by the steamer Zealandia on the 4th of June, and arrived at San Francisco June 11. W. U. SCIENCE. ; [Vou. I., No, 21. technical society a piece of apparatus, shown in the illustration, which, when connected in circuit with a telegraph-line, will show the varying strength of the current in the line, registering the results on a diagram. The earth-currents are generally very weak, and only can be Fie. 1. REGISTERING APPARATUS FOR EARTH- CURRENTS. For the purpose of studying the earth- currents on telegraph-lines, the instrument- maker, Wauschaff of Berlin, has made for the earth-current committee of the German electro- a 1 From the April number of Zeitschrift fiir instrumenten- unde. shown by the most delicate galvanometers, so that no registering apparatus requiring a great amount of force could be used. ‘This necessitated the use of photography. That the observations might be independent of the hour of the day, an artificial source of light was used. The most sensitive dry plates were em- ployed, and, to keep out all extraneous light, the JUNE 29, 1883.] whole apparatus is covered with a wooden box, removed in the illustration. This cover turns on the hinges at c, and, when closed, rests in the grooves f. The tubes 7 and »” are furnished with two cloth-lined metal collars, which can be pressed up against the box where the tubes pass through it. The outer end of ris closed with ~a plate in which there are three rotind holes side SCIENCE. d97 it forms the drivying-weight. The downward velocity is about 80 mm. per hour. This is sufficient to allow of changes from minute to minute being easily distinguished. For the purpose of allowing different rates of speed, it is proposed to put another rack on the back of S, which, by a sliding motion, may be made to catch on a second pinion of different size. Kabel: Serlin-Dresden Sepl.29. lo 35™ bis 12" 10" Fie. by side in ahorizontalline. Before this plate is the diaphragm d, which can be turned on a ver- tical axis, and through which there is one hole. With this diaphragm the central opening in the end of 7 may be alone left open. In front is placed a kerosene lamp. From the flame of this lamp a fine pencil of rays passes through the hole in d, along the tubes r and 7’, and is reflected by a total reflecting-prism, », which throws it on the mirror, G’, of the galvanometer, which is connected in circuit with the line by the wires 2. From the mirror G the light is reflected back through the lens J; which brings the rays to a focus on the photographic plate. This plate is put in a holder, #, in the slide S, before the beginning of the observation. There are spring clamps on S, so that, when the cover is drawn from in front of the plate, the holder will remainin S. In order that it may be pos- sible to expose the plate after the box-cover is put down, there is a slit covered with rubber cloth in the box, through which the fingers may reach the top of the plate-holder and pull out the sliding front. The slide S travels on guides fF, and on one side is furnished with two roll- ers, and on the other with one; so that the movement may be as straight as the guide against which the two rollers press. In the front side of F' there is a horizontal slit at the height of the _ focus of therays. The back side of S carries a rack which fits a pinion on the driving-axis of the clock U. The downward movement of S is therefore regulated by this clock, of which ) For lesser changes the pendulum may be varied in length. The wires leading to the galvanometer are connected with a commutator. When the needle is in its position of rest, a straight line will be marked on the plate by an upward movement of the slide. From this line the deflections caused when the earth-currents pass are measured. Time-signals may be made by turning back the diaphragm d, when marks will be made on each side of the neutral line. From time to time, currents of known strength may be sent through the apparatus, and will pro- duce spots, as 0. | Fig. 2 shows one of the diagrams obtained. The abscissa line was drawn through the por- tions a, which were marked by the light. The portions a are broken, and at these points occur the dots b, the result of the known cur- rents. c¢, ¢ are the time-signals. A NEW CONDENSING-HYGROMETER. Every one who has had occasion to use the com- mon form of condensing-hygrometer for the deter- mination of the dew-point of the air, as devised by Regnault, has found great difficulty in obtaining satisfactory results, especially if the air is in rapid motion, and there is a great difference between the dew-point and the air-temperature. Professor Crova of Montpellier, France, recogniz- ing these defects, has devised a new form of this ap- paratus which obviates many of the difficulties, and goes far toward making this justly important instru- ment one of precision. ~ 098 The principle adopted is that of condensing moist- ure upon the inside of a polished cylinder the outside of which has been cooled. This instrument described in the Journal de physique, April, 1883, consists es- sentially of a brass cylinder, nickel plated, and highly polished on the inside, provided with two fine tubes near its ends. Through one of these, by means of a rubber tube conducted to the exterior air or to any point at which it is desired to obtain the hygrometric state, the air is drawn into the polished cylinder by using an aspirating-bulb attached to the other. At the first extremity is placed a ground-glass plate, which permits light to enter. This light appears as a bright annulus enlarged three times, as viewed by a magnifier at the other end. The cylinder is supported in a box, through the centre of which it passes horizontally. This box is provided with two openings, as in an ordinary con- densing-hygrometer, through which, by aspiration or by blowing, ether contained in the box may be evapo- rated, thus lowering the temperature, which is indi- cated by a properly adjusted thermometer. In observing, air is drawn into the cylinder by an aspirating-bulb, and at the same time the ether is evaporated. The moment dew appears on the inside of the cylinder, which is easily seen, the reading of the thermometer gives the dew-point. This may be readily obtained again and again with an error less than 0.1° C., or 0.18° F. Some of the advantages claimed, are the possibility of guarding against varying air-currents; the delicacy of adjustment; the ease and accuracy of observation with the magnifier; the easy manipulation of a uniform light, so difficult to obtain in the ordinary form; and the use of the apparatus in the house for determining the dew-point of the outer air. In regard to the last advantage claimed, it may be said, that if accurate results can thus be obtained when the air-temperature is from — 40° to — 60°, or when there is a difference of forty or more degrees between the air-temperature and the dew-point, the instrument will be of great service; but there should be some means of aspirating the outside air through the ether, and the apparatus should be very carefully isolated by non-conductors of heat, as the heat of the room would make a sufficient cooling impossible under the conditions just named. ‘The possibility of easily securing such isolation without interfering with the working of the apparatus seems the most important advantage to be derived from its use. H. A. HAZEN. THE RIGHT WHALE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC. Tue four plates devoted in Dr. Holder’s recent paper on this subject to the external and osteological characters of the right whale of the North Atlantic (Balaena cisarctica Cope = B. biscayensis of Euro- pean cetologists), and the seventeen pages of text descriptive of the same, form a welcome and valua- ble contribution to the history of a species possessing peculiar interest. Its habitat being the temper- ate waters of the North Atlantic, — extending from the coast of Florida and the Bay of Biscay, north- ward to southern Labrador and Iceland,—it was pursued off the coast of Europe for centuries before the Greenland whale (B. mysticetus), the basis of the great northern whaling industry of modern 1 Bull. Amer. mus. nat. hist., vol. i. no. 4, pp. 99-137, pl. x. = xiii., May 1, 1883. SCIENCE. [Vou. L, No. 21. times, became known to Europeans. It was hunted by the Basques and Norwegians as early as the ninth and tenth centuries, was the basis of the whale-fishery of the fifteenth and sixteenth centu- ries, and was already approaching extinction in European waters, when the great arctic or Green- land whale first attracted the attention of whalers, early in the seventeenth century. The latter, from its greater size, easier capture, and larger numbers, its greater yield of oil and superior quality of baleen, became at once the chief object of pursuit; and the earlier known species was quickly lost sight of as a commercial animal, except on this side of the Atlan- tic. Here it was the species chiefly hunted by American whalemen down to about the middle of the last century, when from its rarity its pursuit was grad- ually abandoned for that of the arctic species. The cisarctic animal was early known to the French as the ‘sarde;’ to the Norwegians, Dutch, and Germans, as the ‘nordkaper;’ and to the Icelanders as the ‘slet- bag.’ To Americans it was known under the various names of ‘ northeaper,’ ‘Grand Bay whale’ (in refer- ence to the Bay or Gulf of St. Lawrence, where it was chiefly hunted), ‘seven-foot-bone whale,’ and ‘ black whale.’ Under these names it was briefly described by various early non-scientific writers, and, in the works of the early systematists, was very inadequately char- acterized under various systematic names. It is the Balaena glacialis of Klein (1741) and Bonnaterre (1789), the B. islandica of Brisson (1756), and the B. nordecaper of Lacépéde (1804). It was, however, prac- tically unknown to science, till the researches of Eschricht and Reinhardt, published in 1861, led to its rediscovery, having been, until then, generally con- founded with the B. mysticetus. During recent years it has several times been taken off the coast of south- ern Europe and in the Mediterranean. These speci- meus have formed the basis of important memoirs, and given rise to additional specific names. It is, however, now commonly known in Hurope as Balaena biscayensis, the name originating really with Gray, although almost universally ascribed to Eschricht, who merely designated the species by an equivalent vernacular name. It was redescribed by Cope in 1865 as B. cisarctica, from a specimen taken at Philadelphia, the skeleton of which is now in the museum of the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences. Ruling out the name ‘islandica’ of Brisson, ‘on the ground that it antedates the binomial sys- tem, and ‘glacialis’ of Bonnaterre as untenable from its misleading tenor, we have left, of the earlier names, ‘nordcaper’ of Lacépéde, which is objectiona- ble only from its barbarous character, but no more so than hundreds of other names currently employed in zodlogy, save by a few purists who admit nothing that is unclassical. c Dr. Holder describes and figures, 1°. The external characters of a male specimen taken off the New- Jersey coast in the spring of 1882; 2°. The skeleton of a specimen (sex unknown) stranded some years since on Long Island; 3°. Through notes furnished by Dr. G. E. Manigault, a specimen captured in the harbor of Charleston, S.C., in January, 1880. Pro- fessor Cope’s specimen, and two of the three here mentioned, are more or less immature. There is, however, the skeleton of a fully adult example, taken at Provincetown in 1865, in the Museum of comparative zodlogy, of which, as yet, no description has been published. The New-Jersey example not having been preserved, there exist at present four skeletons of this species in American museums. Dr. Holder figures the skull of the Charleston, the external characters of the New-Jersey, and the JUNE 29, 1883.] skeleton of the Long-Island specimens, and gives measurements and details of the external characters and osteology, all of the highest importance; our only regret being that he did not, respecting some points, make fuller use of his opportunities. We wish we could speak with equal satisfaction of the his- torical portion of his paper, comprising one-half of his text. Besides numerous outrageous typographical errors (a partof which, however, are corrected on an errata slip), relating to proper names and titles of works (‘ Researches’ and ‘Reserches’ for ‘ Re- eherches,’ ‘Seibold’ for ‘Siebold,’ ‘Van Benedin’ for ‘Van Beneden,’ both the latter in repeated in- stances, and various others of like character, are among those still uncorrected), there are errors of statement of so grave a character as to require notice. It would seem, for instance, that only the merest novice in cetology could have been misled into supposing that the quotation given at p. 114, respecting a whale captured far up the St. Lawrence River in August, 1871, and reported as ‘ Balaena mnysticetus,’ was any thing but a’ rorqual or fin- back whale (in all probability, Balaenoptera mus- - culus), much less into an attempt to explain away the evident discrepancies to make it referable to the North Atlantic right whale; yet we find our author devoting several pages to an attempt at this absurd- ity. Again: in the strictures passed upon Scoresby (pp. 121, 122), he informs us that ‘“‘his [Scoresby’s] inability to portray the subject pictorially was a misfortune,’’ and that ‘‘he furnished to science an incorrect figure, at second hand,” of the B. mysti- cetus, and considers it ‘deplorable’ that “‘ nearly every book published to this day, having an illustra- tion of B. mysticetus, shows a manifest copy of Scoresby’s figure.’”? That it was the best figure, if not quite correct in all points, of the species down to 1874, when Scammon’s admirable illustration was published, has, I think, hitherto been unquestioned ; and if our author has evidence that Scoresby’s figure (or rather figures, for he gives two) was not original, its presentation would be undoubtedly a revelation to cetologists. That our critie of Scoresby is none too familiar with Scoresby’s ceto- logical writings is evident from his statement, that Godman (p. 129) ‘‘ gives a lengthy account of the mysticetus, with an amount of anatomical and physi- ological knowledge of the subject quite unusual;’’ the fact being, that Godman’s account is an unac- credited compilation from Scoresby, whole pages being taken entire, and without change, from Scores- by’s work, particularly in his notice of the whale- fishery. Bachstrom’s figure, published by Lacépede as representing the nordcaper, and which is accepted by Dr. Holder as such, recent eminent authorities have unreservedly referred to B. mysticetus; yet ' on its interpretation as a representation of the nordecaper rests much of Dr. Holder’s criticism of Scoresby. We are surprised to see no reference to the various recent original memoirs relating to the so-called B. biscayensis, either in the author’s formal notice of the ‘Right whale of Europe’ or in the bibliography of the general subject given at the end of the paper. In ‘the list of works referred to’ the uncorrected errata are numerous; ‘J. C. Gray’ (four times repeated), for example, standing for ‘J. E. Gray,’ ‘Col. Hamilton’ (also on p. 129) for *W. Jardine,’ etc., while there are also inaccuracies of dates. While, as above said, Dr. Holder gives us valuable information about the external appearance and osteology of the North Atlantic right whale, his historical résumé is seriously defective and mis- leading. J. A. ALLEN. SCIENCE. 599 FIG-INSECTS. Few insects offer more remarkable structural pe- culiarities, or have more puzzled systematists, than the minute Hymenoptera associated with the caprification of figs. Part I. of the transactions of the London entomological society for 1883 opens with a very in- teresting illustrated paper by Sir Sidney S. Saunders, descriptive of fig-insects allied to Blastophaga from Caleutta, Australia, and Madagascar, with notes on their parasites and on the affinities of their respective races. It is chiefly as a contribution to the discussion of the affinities of these insects that Mr. Saunders’s paper possesses so great an interest. Jn the trans- actions for last year, Westwood, by certain authorita- tive statements, appeared to settle the place of the fig-insects (at least, for the genus Sycophaga) as among the Chalcididae, and not far from Callimome. He remarks, ‘‘ The structure of these fig-insects, es- pecially as shown in the females (whose character must be shown as more truly normal than that of the males), recedes so entirely from that of the Cyni- pidae that we cannot for a moment adopt the sugges- tion that the fig-insects are Cynipidae. . . . Hence M. Coquerel had no hesitation, in describing the female of one of his fig-insects, to give it the name of Chalcis? explorator; and it is impossible to com- pare his figure of that insect, or mine of Sycophaga crassipes, with a female Callimome, and not be con- vinced that the fig species are most closely related to Callimome (many of the species of which are para- sitic upon the gall-making Cynipidae). The structure of the antennae (even to the minute articulations following the second joint), the fusion of the three terminal joints of these organs, the structure of the wings and wing-veins, and the long exserted oviposi- tor, sufficiently. prove that these insects must be placed in the great family Chalcididae.”’ Mr. Saunders differs from Westwood in these con- clusions, showing that the place of the whole group must not be considered in so sweeping a manner. He disposes of the relationship of the group to Cal- limome by the following points: 1. The minute ar- ticulations in the antennae of the female Sycophaga do not correspond with any in the same sex of Cal- limome, nor do they occur in Blastophaga, the antennae of which also differ in other respects from Callimome. 2. The fusion of the three terminal joints, while found in Sycophaga, does not occur with Eupristina nor with Agaon. 3. The wing-veins differ inter se among the fig-insects, and Callimome does not coin- cide with Kupristina in this respect; moreover, the wings are invariably absent in the males of the fig- insects. 4. The ovipositor of fig-insects varies in length, and always maintains an arcuate position. The argument which Westwood brought up ina later paper, of the similarity of the dentate genital claspers of Sycophaga to those of Platymesopus and other Chalcids, Saunders disposes of by saying that this character can have no tribal value, as it is found alike in Sycophaga and several of its parasitic asso- ciates; moreover, this character is not present in Callimome. Mr. Saunders’s final conclusion is, that this anoma- lous group which he calls Sycophagides should be placed under the Cynipidae in the following man- ner:— 1. Prionastomata. — Blastophaga Gray., Agaon Dalm,, Sycocrypta Coquerel, Eupristina S. Saund., Pleistodonta 8. Saund., Kradibia S. Saund. 2. Aploastomata. —Sycophaga Westw., Apocrypta Coq. C. V. RiLey. 600 OPTICAL RESEARCHES ON GARNET. Iv has been for a long time known that all garnets, as well as some other isometric minerals (boracite, analeite, alum, senarmontite, etc.), do not show the, action on polarized light which would be required by substances crystallizing in the isometric system; and to find out the causes of these optical variations, and the laws which govern them, C. Klein has examined (Jahrb. min., 1883, 87) as many as three hundred and sixty different garnet sections, cut parallel to differ- ent crystallographic planes, and from various locali- ties. His researches do not indicate-that because garnets frequently show these optical variations we should refer them to some system of crystallogra- pby other than the isometric; for garnets from the same locality often show a great variation in optical properties, some crystals being isotrope throughout, others in part uniaxial or biaxial. Others, on the other hand, have tried to explain the optical varia- tions by regarding the various isometric forms as made up of numerous prisms, either uniaxial or biaxial, united at the centre, and whose bases make up the external crystal faces. Others regard the gar- net substance as triclinic, and the various optical properties as the result of repeated microscopic twin- ning of the same. The chemical composition does not influence the optical structure of the crystals, because the same optical phenomena are observed in garnets of differ- ent composition; and in garnets of the same compo-’ sition, but with different form, varying optical struc- tures are observed, even among crystals from the same locality. The form, however, in which the various garnets occur, governs the optical structure. Thus, in the octahedral garnets from Elba, what is called the octahedral structure is noticed. A section from this garnet cut parallel to an octahedral face, examined in parallel polarized light with crossed nicols, shows a triangular centre, which remains dark, and three fields on either side, which are alter- nately dark and light as the section is turned, being dark when one of the sides of the triangle becomes parallel to the plane of either of the nicols. In con- vergent polarized light, the centre shows the dark cross of a uniaxial crystal, while from each of the three sides a dark bar runs out into the side-fields at right angles to the edge. This indicates a crys- talline structure made up of eight uniaxial prisms united at the centre of the crystal, and whose bases form the eight faces of the octahedron. A section cut near the centre of the crystal shows six of these prisms radiating out, while the upper and lower ones have been, of course, cut away. What is called the dodecahedral structure is observed on pure dodeca- hedrons. A section cut parallel to a dodecahedral face shows, in convergent polarized light, the appear- ance of two optic axes whose plane lies parallel to the longer diagonal of the rhomb. The tetragonal- trisoctahedral structure observed on crystals of that form shows, in sections parallel to the trisoctahedron faces in convergent polarized light, the appearance of two optic axes with very slight divergence, indicating a crystalline structure made up of twenty-four nearly uniaxial prisms united at the centre, and whose bases are the faces of the trisoctahedron. The plane of the optic axes is normal to the symmetry diagonal of the trisoctahedron face. In the hexoctahedron structure the sections show a biaxial structure, and the plane of ‘the optic axes is very variable. By making and examining artificial gelatine crystals, the author was able to imitate many of the optical varia- tions; and these seemed to be related to a contraction SCIENCE. [Vot. L., No. 21. working along the edges of the crystal, and normal to its faces. The greater the contraction along the edges in relation to that normal to the faces, so much greater will be the double refracting power of the erystal. The cause, then, of the optical varia- tions observed in many garnets seems to be tension, caused by unequal contraction, and this being in- fluenced largely by the external elements (edges) of the crystal gives to each form its peculiar optical structure. S. L. PENFIELD. GEOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. Tue following resolutions concerning nomencla- ture, coloring, etc., were voted by the recent interna- tional geological congress : — I. Nomenclature. The elements of the earth’s crust are the mineral — masses (masses minérales). The mineral masses, regarded from the point of view of their nature, take the name of rocks.1.uCon- sidered from the point of view of their origin or mode of formation, they are to be called formations. - a. Stratigraphical divisions. Regarded from the point of view of their age, mineral masses may be subdivided according to the following rules : — 1. The word group (groupe) is applied to the three or four great divisions. Ex.: Secondary group. 2. The divisions of the groups are designated by the word system. Ex.: Jurassic system. 3. The divisions of systems of the first grade are designated by the word series (série), or by the terms section or abtheilung. Ex.: Lower oolitic section or series. 4, The divisions of systems of the second grade are designated by the word étage, or by the corre- sponding terms, piano (Italian), viso (Spanish), stage (English), stufe (German), etc. Ex.: Elage bajocien. 5. The divisions of systems of the third grade are designated by the term assise, or by its strict equiy- alents in the different languages. Ex.: Assise a A. Humphresianus. 6, The French expression couches (beds) may be employed as synonymous with assise. 7. A certain number of assises combined will bear the name of substage (sous-étage). 8. The first element of stratified masses is the strate or couche, schicht (German), stratum (Latin and English), strato (Italian), retek (Hungarian). b. Chronological divisions. 9. The word era (ére) is applied to the three or four great divisions of time, corresponding to the groups. 10.. The length of time corresponding to a system will be rendered by the word period (période). 11. The length of time corresponding to a series (section, série, abtheilung) will be expressed by the word epoch. 12. The length of time corresponding to a stage (étage) will be expressed by the word age. II. Colors and signs. 1. Crystalline schists, rose-carmine (by preference) ; bright rose for the rocks of pre-Cambrian age; pale rose for those of indeterminate age. 2. Primary group. Decision referred to the com- mittee of the map of Europe. JUNE 29, 1883.] 3. Secondary group (mesozoic). Triasssic system, violet. Jurassic ‘‘ blue (lias, dark blue). Cretaceous ‘‘ green. 4. Tertiary group (cenozoic), yellow, using light- er shades as the beds become more recent. 5. Quaternary deposits. .Decision referred to the committee of the map of Europe. 6. Resolutions of detail relative to shades, reserves, etchings, and letter notations. III Rules concerning the nomenclature of species. 1. The nomenclature adopted is that in which each animal and plant is designated by a generic name and a specific name. 2. Each one of these names is composed of a sin- - gle Latin or Latinized word, written according to the rules of Latin orthography. 3. Each species may present a certain number of modifications, related to each other in time or in space, and designated respectively under the name of mutations or of varieties. The modifications whose origin is doubtful are simply called forms. The modi- fications will be indicated, when requisite, by a third term, preceded, according to the case, by the words variety, mutation, or form, or the corresponding abbreviations. 4. The specific name should ‘always be precisely designated by the indication of the name of the author who established it. © This author’s name is to be placed in parentheses when the primitive generic name is not preserved; and in this case it is useful to add the name of the author who changed the generic name. The same disposition is applicable to varieties elevated to the rank of species. 5. The name attributed to each genus and to each species is that under which it has been primarily designated, provided the characters of the genus and the species have been published and clearly defined. Priority will not be carried beyond Linné’s Sys- tema naturae, 12th edition, 1766. 6. In future, for specific names, priority will be irrevocably acquired only when the species shall have been not only described, but figured. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. A powerful direct vision spectroscope. AT a journal meeting in which Professor Rowland and the students of physics take part, an article came up for discussion which needs correction. In Comp- tes rendus, April 9, 1883, Ch. V. Zenger, in a note entitled ‘ Spectroscope & vision direct tres puissant,’ claims a dispersive power equal to that of thirteen sulphide-of-carbon prisms of 60° angle for a spectro- scope composed of a parallelopiped of two prisms, — one of quartz, and the other of a mixture of ethyl cinnamate and benzine,—combined with a third prism of crown glass of angle of refraction 27° 13’. He gives as the angles the three rays make with the perpendicular to the last prism after they have passed through, — Jb ga Goo 6.6 ho ol lo oh OS DY RMR E RA 6 Moe a) ee aay Fe(II IO: aa, 4. Nel) 0 Van ho PIR It will be easily seen that H should be negative in place of positive; which will make the dispersion between A and H 47° 5’, in place of 132° 55’ which the writer gives. H. R. GoopNnow. Jobns Hopkins university. SCIENCE. 601 Connecticut minerals. The towns of Middletown, Portland, Haddam, and Chatham, in this state, have long been famed as a region remarkable for the number of minerals occur- ring in the veins of coarse granite. Within the last few days two minerals have been discovered in these yeins, which, so far as I am aware, have not previ- ously been reported. Torbernite has been found at Andrus’ Quarry, near the boundary between Portland and Glasten- bury, associated with autunite, the occurrence of which has been previously reported. Rhodonite has been found at the White Rocks in Middletown. Wm. NortH Rice. Wesleyan university, Middletown, Conn. June 9, 1883. Book reviews. I wish to quarrel a little with the critic of Gage’s ‘Elements of physics’ in your issue of June 8, p..517, for not keeping the following promise, found in the ‘Prospectus of ScreNcE for 1883:’ ‘‘To promote one of its chief objects, and as a distinctive feature of the journal, ScIENCE will give its hearty support to those who are endeavoring to introduce the study of the natural and physical sciences into public and private schools, by drawing attention in every possi- ble way to the high importance of this measure, as well as by giving illustrated articles, plainly worded, prepared by skilful hands, to guide the efforts of the teachers.’”’ He has failed to keep this promise by failing to give such information about the book he reviews as ‘‘ those who are endeavoring to introduce the study of physical science into public and private schools ”’ would like to have. Many teachers cannot afford to buy every text-book they see advertised, and therefore must needs trust to reviews to tell them enough of a book to enable them to decide whether it is worth purchasing. In regard to a work on phys- ies, they wish some such questions as the following answered : — 1. What is the plan of the book? Does the au- thor expect the pupils to do experimental work, or that the teacher only will perform experiments ? 2. If the author wrote with the view of having experi- ments performed by the pupils, how well has he suc- ceeded in executing his plan? Has he succeeded in giving such experiments as will be of real service in laying the foundation of scientific work, and as can be performed in the short time that teachers in high schools and academies have for such work ? Could pupils manage the experiments without the aid of a teacher? 3. Does the author give any di- rections in regard to preparing apparatus? If so, are these directions sufficiently exact and minute to enable an inexperienced person to follow them with- out trouble ? All of these questions a teacher would like to find answered in the review of a new book on physics. All the information he would get on these points from the review of Gage’s book is found in this sen- tence: ‘“‘The book is of merit as giving many exper- iments with apparatus of easy make.”’ - The reviewer said more than this, of course; but this one sentence is all to answer such questions as I have asked above. He was probably right in what he did say, which makes it the more to be regretted that he did not go farther. My quarrel with him is, that he did not say enough; that he did not say as much as your readers had a right to expect, — certainly not enough for those readers who had not seen the book, and wished to know whether it was worth buying. This suggests a question. Are reviews written for the benefit of 602 those that have made the acquaintance of a book, or for those that have not? For myself, I can answer that I care most for the reviews of those books that I have not seen. In conclusion, [ wish to say that Mr. Gage is a stranger to me, and I have never had any sort of communication with him. Whatever one might say in his behalf, my remarks were not made for his benefit, but to point out what I believe to be one of the first duties of the reviewer of a scientific book to his readers. S. T. M. Lexington, Va., June 13. [The limited space at our command will not allow of extended analyses of the many text-books of science which are continually appearing. A short notice either of their general merit or demerit is all we can give. In the case of Gage’s ‘Elements of physics,’ the reviewer used the book as a text to preach against the common custom of teachers in using the atomic theory in their explanations as if we knew definitely that atoms exist. ] Solar constant. Prof. C. A. Young has kindly called my attention to an unintentional oversight in my article entitled “Solar constant’ (SCIENCE, p. 542). In the general equation sent me by him, ¢ represents ‘degrees of heat,’ not ‘quantity of heat;’ and m represents ‘time,’ not ‘unit of time.’ H. A. Hazen. A zoo-philological problem. On the New-England coast, where Mya arenaria is abundant, and known as the ‘clam,’ an annelid which is common in the same localities is called the ‘he- clam,’ and is believed by many fishermen to be the male of the mollusk. In Norway, Mya arenaria is abundant in the fiords of the north. It has no economic uses; but its as- sociate, an annelid, the ‘piir’ (said to be Arenicola piscatorum), is an important bait, and gives its name to the Mya which is called the ‘ ptirschaal.’ Why should the common annelid and the common mollusk be thus associated in popular nomenclature in remote regions? It isinteresting to observe that the form possessing commercial value in each in- stance gives its name to the one which is in lower esteem. G. Brown GoopE. The sun’s radiation and geological climate. In my objecting (SctmNncE, p. 395) to the assump- tion that the dissipation of solar energy from loss of heat diminishes the supply of sun-heat received by the earth, I said, that, so far as there has been any change in the supply, it has been in the divection of an increase, and hence cannot explain the undoubted decrease in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. I think Professor Le Conte’s criticism (ScrENCE, p. 543), taken in its entirety, corroborates my position. He shows that the quantity of heat incident normally on a unit of surface ina unit of time varies as the area of a great circle of the sun X heat-emitting power of each physical point of the sun: hence the quantity emitted would not increase, unless the heat- emitting power increased faster than the square of the temperature. He adds that ‘“‘some physicists (Rossetti) make the latter proportional to the square of the absolute temperature, while others (Stephan) make it as high as the fourth power.”’ If Rossetti is right, there has been no decrease in the amount of solar heat received; while, if Stephan is right, there has been a very great increase: for, on the assump- tion that the temperature is inversely as the radius, as stated in Professor Newcomb’s article (Popular SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 21. astronomy, p. 508), the heat-emitting power, if the solar radius is reduced to one-half, will be increased four times, and will just compensate for the great - circle being reduced four times in area. If the emissive power increases, as Stephan claims, then a doubled temperature will increase it sixteen times, and, the area being diminished only to one-fourth, the earth will receive quadruple the heat. It is true that the heat-emitting power of any (solid) body varies according to the area of its surface, providing all the other conditions are unchanged. In case of solids and liquids, very little change can be made in their density by any force that we can apply, —so little, indeed, that no appreciable effect can be produced; but gases are easily affected, and there is no difficulty in conceiving them reduced many times in bulk. Now, suppose two spheres, e.g., of hydrogen, of equal masses and of the same temperature, but one having twice the radius of the other. They will radiate equal amounts in equal times, as I shall try to show. I assume that the radiation goes on only from points of matter, —the atoms of the hydrogen. Conceive each sphere made up of a vast number of concentric layers, each one molecule thick. The number of layers will be the same, and the number of molecules in each will also be the same: con- sequently the heat-emission of the outside layer will be the same in both spheres. What would be true of the first layer would be true of all, unless the outer one intercepts some of the rays. So far as the outer layér is gaseous and elementary (it is very doubtful whether any chemical compounds can exist in the intense heat of the sun), it is a vacuum to radiant heat; for Professor Tyndall, in ‘Heat con- sidered as a mode of motion,’ has shown (p. 362) this in reference to oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and air, and, in general (see rest of the lecture), that elemen- tary gases or vapors produce little or no effect upon the radiant heat that passes through them. It must be remembered, too, that the source of heat employed in his experiments was icy-cold in comparison with the sun, and that the penetrating power of heat-rays increases as the temperature of their source rises. It is therefore probable that the heat from the lower layers passes through the upper ones, so far as they are gaseous, with little or no loss, and hence that in gaseous bodies the heat-emitting power for any. given temperature is proportional, not to the surface, but to the mass or density. \ But suppose that diffused through the upper layers were molecules that were capable of stopping every ray that impinged upon them. Neither the absolute number nor the size of these bodies would be affected by shortening the radius, but only the space between them. If the radius were reduced to one-half, the apertures would be reduced in area to one-fourth, while the radiating molecules within any given dis- tance would be increased eightfold: in other words, the chances of not passing out into space would be increased only four times, while the number of shots would be increased eight times; so that, in this case, the heat-emissive power would be actually increased by the condensation. If to this be added an increase of the same power from the rise of temperature (either as the square or the fourth power, Rosetti or Stephan), there can, I think, be no doubt that any change which has occurred in the earth’s temperature from the sun’s losing energy has not been in the direction of growing cooler. As a corollary of the above, I add, the radiant or heat-emitting power of a sphere of gas appears to be a function of mass and temperature, and not of sur- face and temperature. JUNE 29, 1883.] This is of interest in the study of cosmic develop- ment. C. B. WARRING. Poughkeepsie, N.Y., June 16, 1883. A Flight of the flying-fish. The difficulties in the way of accurate observation of the flying-fish in motion are numerous and real. Seen always from above, usually at a distance which is constantly increasing, and while the observer him- self is in rapid motion, it is not strange that such con- flicting opinions exist, or that the mode of flight is so often spoken of as a mystery. During a trip by steamer from New York to Rio Janeiro vid the West Indies and Para, and on the re- turn trip coming directly from Rio to New York, I watched flying-fish nearly every day, and frequently all day, and satisfied_ myself on the following points :— The fish usually leaps clear of the water at once, leaving it commonly at an angle of 45° orless. After leaying the water, no forward impulse whatever is re- ceived (except sometimes from the wind) until the water is again touched, when the tail may be used effectively without immersion of the rest of the body. Very soon after leaving the water, yet not instantly, the pectorals are spread, and an instant later the ventrals. Both sets of fins are kept quietly extended so far as any voluntary vibration is concerned. Any similar, tensely stretched membrane would quiver more or less when cutting the air at such speed. Ordinarily the two pectorals lie in about the same plane. They are never carried much below the body, but are frequently lifted considerably above it, especially when going before the wind, at which time the whole fish rolls from side to side, precisely as does a sailing-vessel under similar circumstances. The course may be a simple curve, as it commonly is in calm weather, or it may be undulating, as is usu- ally the case in rough weather or over a heavy swell. I think the ventrals are used to direct the fish up or down, as they certainly work independently of the pectorals, and closing them would naturally drop the tail. Toward the close of the first stretch, and when the fish wishes to re-enter the water, the pectorals are instantly closed, and he shoots head foremost into the water with only a slight splash. If, on the contrary, he wishes to continue in the air, the long lower lobe of the tail is allowed to drop into the water, and a few vigorous strokes send him upward and forward, sometimes enabling him to clear another hundred feet before repeating the action, which I have seen him do at least seven or eight times before finally entering the water for a fresh start. Not unfrequently the tail is dropped, seemingly by closing the yentrals, and an undulating motion so obtained, even when there are no waves or swells to be cleared ; and, although the tail may not then touch the surface, it looks as if the fish were feeling for the water, which I think is really the case. The poetic wetting of the wings in the crest of a wave so as to prolong the flight appears to be a harmless bit of imagination for all but the fish: to him it is disas- trous. His tail alone needs wetting; and, when by mistake he takes the top of a wave bodily, it usually topples him over, or at least checks him noticeably. The drying of the wings would be rather favorable than otherwise. I was not able to detect any voluntary change of direction to right or left while in the air. Once a large fish rose quite close to us, and started directly toward the steamer. When within a few yards, he suddenly closed his pectorals, plunged into SCIENCE. 603 the water, and almost instantly issued again in a nearly opposite direction. D Examination of a Pacific species in alcohol (and I presume the same general structure holds good for the genus) shows that the pectorals are inserted at such an angle with the axis of the body, that, if the body be horizontal and in motion, the air striking on their lower surfaces must tend to raise the fish, although at the expense of a certain amount of for- ward motion. Evidently, then, any beating of the . pectorals would only retard the fish still more, even if it did support him somewhat in the air. The con- clusion seems inevitable, however, that the tail alone is the propeller, the other fins acting solely and pas- sively as supporters. WALTER B. BARROWS. Wesleyan university, Middletown, Conn. HEITZMANN’S MICROSCOPICAL MORPHOLOGY. Microscopical morphology of the animal body in health and disease. By C. Heirzmann, M.D. New York, J. H. Vail & Co., 1883. 19+849 p. 8°. Dr. Herrzmann, formerly of Vienna, now of New York, is well known as an unusually good histological draughtsman. Ten years ago he published some investigations on the minute structure of protoplasm. To his own re- searches on this subject he has long attributed an importance which scientific men of much greater experience and ability have failed to recognize. ‘The present volume, a very well made and beautifully illustrated book, although it comes in the guise of a manual of normal and pathological histology, is obviously in- tended principally to bring forward the author’s own theories, and to insist upon their funda- mental character and great value. The author so openly implies his conviction that he is a neglected grandeur, that he incites the critic to a severity of comment that a tone of modesty more commensurate with the real value of his researches would not have called forth. The general defect of the book is want of judgment on the author’s part, and an exag- gerated confidence in his own notions. Thus, being unusually skilful with his fingers, he scoffs at microtomes (p. 7), and closes a slur- ring paragraph upon them with, ‘‘ The greater the complication, the less is the value of such machines.’’ A man who makes such a state- ment without any limitation reveals a hopeless lack of comprehension of the indispensable requirements of many branches of histological investigation. The second chapter in the book discusses the general properties of living mat- ter, and contains a number of characteristic loose assertions: for instance, ‘‘ Life is evi- dently a peculiar kind of motion of the molecules (plastidules) of living matter, of a relatively short duration’’ (p. 14). This is 604 simply a false statement, since the utmost that could be said is, that unknown molecular changes occur in living organisms. ‘There is no basis for saying that life is ‘a peculiar kind of motion,’ much less that it is evidently so. The pages from 20 to 142 are essentially an extended exposition of the author’s theories in regard to cells and protoplasm, which he groups under the general term of ‘the bio- plasson doctrine.’ He maintains that all proto- plasm is a network, that the nucleus is only a part of the network, and that the network of the so-called ‘cells’ is really continuous, the whole body forming one mesh. The cells are not distinct elements, but only partially differ- entiated centres of the mesh: he drops the term ‘ cell’ altogether. He very complacently explains that he has revolutionized the gener- alizations of all histologists before him, but admits that he expects recognition only from the future. ‘‘The present generation of his- tologists will very probably never realize the harm done by the misnomer ‘cell,’ etc.” (p-. 57). i Unfortunately, Heitzmann has entirely over- looked the extremely obvious reasons for re- jecting his bioplasson doctrine. He mentions (p. 134) the independent cells, which migrate within the body, but merely remarks that their occurrence ‘does not alter the general rule.’ If he had been acquainted with the work of the last few years by Fleming, His, Hatschek, and many others, upon the development of tissues, he would have known that a great many of them are derived from just such inde- pendent cells, forming a natural group, for which the brothers Hertwig have proposed the name ‘mesenchyma.’ The existence of these tissues alone suffices to overthrow the theory of a continuous protoplasmatic network as the basis of organic structure. Further, he has overlooked that during segmentation of the ovum a complete separation of the cells is ef- fected: hence it is self-evident, that, even if the network of adjacent cells is found to be continuous in later life, such a disposition is secondary, and cannot, therefore, possess the fundamental significance our author has as- signed to it. As the part, so is the whole, with numer- ous defects from want of judgment or wider Knowledge, and blemishes from want of mod- esty. The largest part of the volume is taken up with accounts of the various tissues and organs and the pathological changes in them. There is little sense of proportion, — eight pages are given to the cornea, but only one- SCIENCE. [Vou. I.}; No. 21> third of a page to all the sense organs; sixty- three pages to the teeth, and barely two to the development of nervous tissue. If he is to be judged by those two pages, we must assume the author to be entirely unacquainted with the literature of his’ subject, and to have made no accurate original observations. Indeed, throughout the volume the attention bestowed on recent histological literature is so meagre that it impresses us as an intentional and con- venient neglect, rather than as the outcome of ignorance and oversight. Thé unequal attention given to different topics renders it impossible to regard the vol- ume as a text-book, although it imitates the form of one. It is really a series of special arguments, or, to speak more accurately, of bare assertions, to prove that the bioplasson doctrine is true of certain tissues. This at- tempt would be excellent in a series of scien- tific articles which discussed the doctrine by accurately stating careful and exact observa- tions, and judiciously considering the objec- tions. The author, however, ignores even these elementary requirements of logical argument. On the contrary, as is not unusual with persons of narrow views, he is excessively dogmatic. Of a rigorous scientific demonstration there is only pretence. Besides the main text, there are numerous contributions in fine print by twenty other writers, whose articles nearly all partake of the singularities of the chief portion of the work. Those descriptions which do not touch upon the bioplasson doctrine, but merely recite the elements of histology, such as they may be found in numerous text-books, are more accu- rate than the rest. The style of the book is good, clear, and simple. The presentation of the subject-matter is well arranged and natural. Many of the illustrations are excellent, some could hardly be improved, and all are good in point of technical execution. A large propor- tion are said to represent the bioplasson net- work in various tissues: of those that are: purely diagrammatic, it can only be said that they are pictorial theories; those, however, which are stated to be drawn from the tissues, represent an organization which we cannot admit to be actual,—a number of spherical granules of nearly even size, and at even dis- tances from one another, connected together by threads of uniform diameter. We believe that figs. 10, 32, 66, 114, 120, and others, showing this pattern of globules and linking threads, have their prototype in the author’s imagination, which has distorted the actual JUNE 29, 1883.] appearance of the protoplasmatic network of cells. If these appearances are real, Dr. Heitz- mann’s best plan of securing recognition for his views would be to send preparations to be examined by histologists of experience in re- search. The discovery of the reticular charac- ter of protoplasm is very interesting, and our author deserves praise for insisting on this point; but we find in his volume little to awaken the expectation that it will earn rec- - ognition for the ‘ bioplasson doctrine ;’ which, in Our opinion, is not shown to deserve serious consideration, although it is possible or even probable that in certain cases a secondary connection is established between the proto- plasm of adjacent cells. It should be added that special consider- ation of the pathological chapters has been purposely omitted from this notice as inappro- priate here. EUROPEAN ORTHOPTERA. Prodromus der europdischen Orthoptera. Von C. BBuNNER von WATTENWYL. Leipzig, Engel- mann, 1882. 32, 466 p., 11 pl., map. 8°. TuE activity of systematists within the past thirty years has rarely received a more striking proof than in the publication of the volume before us. When H. Fischer published his classic work on European Orthoptera, the num- ber of recognized species on that continent was less than two hundred and fifty. Brunner, one of our leading writers, now places the number at very nearly double the former figure. The increase is particularly marked in the Locusta- riae, which have nearly trebled.1 Already, while Fischer’s work was passing through the press, Fieber was making discoveries in the little worked region of south-eastern Europe ; and, of late years, Bolivar and others have shown how little the Iberian peninsula was known; yet one would scarcely have looked for such strik- ing additions in so old a field as Europe, and among such bulky insects as the Orthoptera. Meanwhile there has been great activity in the study of Orthoptera of other parts of the world; and it may safely be said, that, if the number of European Orthoptera has doubled, that of the world at large has quadrupled in the same period. This has entailed much re- vision and remodelling, in the work of which Brunner, Saussure, and the gifted and lamented Stal, have performed the most honorable part, though they may have been outdone in (diluted) quantity by Walker. 1 Brunner credits Ephippigera with forty-nine species, of which only ten are given by Fischer. The additions are largely from Bolivar’s work in Spain. SCIENCE. ous parts of machinery. 605 There was need, then, that some one should erystallize the methods of recent days for a region so abounding in workers as Europe. This Brunner has now attempted. He disclaims at the outset any attempt at a monograph. Europe, he rightly says, is no natural province, and the Orthoptera, in the sense of the older naturalists as used in his work, no natural order. For the convenience only of the numerous workers in this region upon the somewhat heterogeneous groups which have been classed under Orthoptera, he issues this Prodromus. It is excellent as asystematic review. The groups are clearly and succinctly _ defined, but the work is mainly of value in afaunal sense. There is no superfluity of lan- guage ; analytical tables abound; the balance of parts is admirable ; every genus is well illus- trated ; and, as an expression and synthesis of current toxonomic views, it will serve a most useful purpose. But the biology of these in- sects is entirely and purposely overlooked ; _and there is yet room for some -one, working upon the excellent model of Fischer, but with the light the newer biological studies have given, to produce a work which shall be classi- eal, and far more fruitful than this can be. MACHINERY AT PARIS, 1878. Rapports du jury international, groupe VI., classe 54: Les machines et les appareils de la mécha- nique générale. Par M. Hirscu, ingénieur des onts et chaussées. Paris, Jmprimerie nationale, 883. 8°. M. Hiresce has collated and edited the notes of the members of the section of the jury of which he was secretary, and compiled a very extensive and detailed report, with the addition of considerable matter original with himself, thus making a valuable work of the official report. The principal classes of exhibits here examined are steam engines and boilers, with their accessories (divided into stationary and locomotive engines and portable machines), hot-air engines, electric and other motors, hydraulic machinery, compressed-air appara- tus, machinery of transmission, machinery of transportation, dynamometers, and miscellane- There seem to have been no steam-boilers or accessories from the United States except the Hancock inspirator, which is well noticed. The engines of Corliss and Wheelock are studied at length, and appar- ently with very satisfactory results, the latter taking the grande médaille. A large number of engines were exhibited,—copies of the American Corliss engine, which has evidently 606 become the best standard among European makers. Among the hot-air engines, that of Rider is given a leading place, and is fully described. It is commended for its simplicity, its quiet- ness in action, its regularity, and its careful design. Stow’s flexible shafting is noticed as one of the characteristic products of American inge- nuity. It consists of two oppositely twisted helices of steel wire, the one enclosing the other, and both covered with a flexible sheath. The device is recommended for the transmis- sion of motion around acorner. These Amer- ican exhibits were all properly commended in the award of premiums by the jury. Among other important exhibits from Euro- pean. countries were various forms of ‘ safety- boilers;’ the singular modification of. the injector of Giffard, which, by means of the energy of the exhaust-steam, performs the func- tions of the air-pump in the steam-engine ; several forms of compound engine; Hall’s pul- someter, which is a modification of the Savery steam-engine of nearly two hundred years ago, with automatically working valves, — an Amer- ican invention ; the gas-engine of Otto, which is said to have exceptional efficiency; the Sagebien vertical water-wheel, which is claimed to have extraordinary performance; the indi- cator of Deprez, which gives a diagram from the fastest engines ; and many other important inventions. One remarkable feature of the exhibition was the absence of valueless and eccentric devices. This point of difference, in contrasting the exhibition with those which preceded it, is attributed largely to the progress of technical education. In studying progress, it is noted that the gain is considerable in every direction. Inthe production of steam, the more general use of ‘heaters’ of the feed-water is observable, the use of tubular and of the ‘safety’ forms of boiler is increasing, superheating is oftener practised, better material and workmanship are seen. In steam-engine practice, the use of higher steam, of greater expansion, the adoption of two types exclusively, — the com- pound of the Wolff type, and the American forms of single-cylinder engines, — greater speed of piston and of rotation, and the use of better material and superior workmanship, are the characteristics of recent practice. Rotary engines are given up. Air and gas engines are extensively used, but only for small powers. Among the hydraulic motors, the turbines are principally used, and have attained great per- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 21. fection in practice as in theory. Aerostation has made no great progress, notwithstanding the interest which it continually awakens. : American exhibiters distinguished them- selves by the boldness and the ingenuity of their designs, and by their entire independence of tradition. Their devices are adapted pre- cisely and effectively to their work. ‘‘ Les Ameéricains s’attachaient avec énergie a Vidée premiere, a Vidée juste; ils Vv amélioraient, la perfectionnaient, et, meme au prix de grandes complications de méchanisme, ils jfinissatent par la faire triompher, et par Vimposer de nouveau a Hurope.”’ MINOR BOOK NOTICES. Conversion-tables of metric and British or United States weights and measures, with an introduction. By Rozert H. Tuursron, A.M., C.E. New York, John Wiley § Sons, 1883. 83p. 8°. In the introduction, the requirements of any system of weights and measures are given. There is a brief history of the English and French systems, and the supposed advantages of the metric are stated. The difficulties and annoyances arising during the change from the English yard and pound to the metre and gram are suggested as sufficient reason for this book. In the second part, containing the tables of conversion, the units of length, mass, stress, work, and heat, temperature and baro- metric pressure are defined. A chapter is devoted to c. G. s. units. The tables are full, numerous, and seem to be well arranged, and will, without doubt, be found useful by those haying occasion to make measurements. This book forms part of a treatise, in three volumes, on the Materials of engineering, by the same author. How the great prevailing winds and ocean-currents are produced, and how they affect the temperature and dimensity of lands and seas. By C. A. M. Taser. Boston, Williams, 1882. 82p. 12°. This pamphlet, by Capt. Taber of Wakefield, Mass., gives a practical seaman’s views on the origin of winds and ocean-currents, and sug- gests certain very hypothetical causes for gla- cial climate. The fundamental errors of the work lie in a misconception of the sun’s action in producing, and the earth’s effect in deflect- ing, the winds, and in a tendency to refer apparently simple effects to single instead of composite causes. The other side of some of the questions here raised is presented in Tchiatcheff’s or Rolland’s descriptions of the Sahara, and Woeikoff’s and Hann’s articles on the general atmospheric circulation. JUNE 29, 1883.] The physiology of protoplasmic motion. By Th. W. ENGELMANN. Translated by C. S. Dotiey. Rochester, N.Y., Davis § Leyden, n.d. 40p. 8°. This pamphlet, without date or any state- ment as to the original, is a good’ translation, with very poor reproductions of the illustra- SCIENCE. 607 tions, of Engelmann’s chapter in Hermann’s well-known Handbuch der physiologie. It is to be regretted that the author did not see fit to date his translation, nor give the source of the original. The latter omission we are for- tunately able to supply. WEEKLY SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. MATHEMATICS. Orthogonal transformations.— Mr. W. J. C. Sharp has investigated the invariants of a certain orthogonal transformation with special reference to the theory of the strains and stresses of an elastic solid. If a,b, c, f, g, h, are transformed according to the same law as x”, y?, 27, yz, 2@, xy (%, y, 2, being the rectangular Cartesian co-ordinates of a point, trans- formed without change of origin), they will have a system of invariants entirely unaffected by the trans- formation. The author gives the three invariants corresponding to these quantities, and makes a large number of exceedingly interesting applications to different geometrical and physical problems. As Mr. Sharp’s paper consists almost entirely of algebraical work, it is impossible to give it more than this brief reference, and to commend it to the notice of those interested in the subjects which he touches upon. — (Proc. Lond. math. soc., xiii.) . ¢. [1137 Elliptic functions.— The Rey. M. M. U. Wilkin- son has given a number of general formulae arising from the differentiation of the elliptic functions with respect to the modulus. — (Proc. Lond. math. soc., Sait) | ne (oh [1138 Unicursal twisted quartics.— Mr. R. A. Roberts considers in this paper some properties of the unicur- sal twisted quartic curve; namely, the intersection of a quadrie and a cubic which contains two non-inter- secting generators of the quadric. Almost exclusive use’is made of the expressions for the co-ordinates of a point on the curve in terms of one independent ‘parameter. A reduction is first given to the canoni- cal form, and, after examining a particular property of the curve, the author obtains the condition that four points of the curve shall be complanar; then certain points on the curve are examined, and inva- riant conditions are obtained for degenerate forms of the curve. The next five sections treat of polygons circumscribed about the curve, and the five conclud- ing sections treat of circular unicursal quartics. — (Proc. Lond. math. soc., xiv.) T. Cc. [2139 PHYSICS. Acoustics, Maintained vibrations. — Lord Rayleigh dis- cusses mathematically that type of maintained vibra- tion which is most familiar in the form of Melde’s experiment in which a fine string is kept in transverse vibration by connecting it at one end with one prong of a vibrating tuning-fork, the direction of the mo- tion of the point of attachment being parallel to the length of the string. The string settles into a state of permanent vibratioh whose period is double that of the point of attachment. The equations indicate that an absolutely rigorous adjustment of pitch is necessary, 2 conclusion not borne out by experiment. 38 and 4 give the strongest effects. This is accounted for by the slight variation of rate with variation of amplitude. The son rauque of Savart is probably caused in a similar way, as the periodic variations of tension accompanying longitu- dinal vibrations will produce associated transverse vibrations. For lecture illustration, a soft-iron pen- dulum vibrating on knife-edges may be placed verti- eally over a vertical bar electro-magnet, through which are sent intermittent currents whose frequen- ey is twice that of the pendulum vibrations. Of the same nature are the crispations observed by Faraday on the surface of water which oscillates vertically. The author has shown that Faraday was correct in his opinion that there are two vibrations of the sup- port for each vibration of the liquid. — (Phil. maq., April.) ¢. R. C. 1140 Hydrogen-whistles.— Le Conte calls attention to an error in Galton’s calculations, as he assumes that the number of vibrations of the whistie, when blown with different gases, is in proportion to the density, while it is actually in proportion to the square root of the density. Hence 86,533 instead of 312,000 vibrations would be given by Mr. Galton’s pro- posed whistle. — (Nature, May 17.) c.R.c. [L141 ; Electricity. Winding electro-magnets.— Professors Perry and Ayrton have experimented upon the following types of electro-magnets : — 1. Wires wound equally over the whole length. 2. Wires coned toward each end. 3. Wire wound equally over half the iron bar, Jeaving the other end bare. 4, Wire wound on one half, but coned towards the end. It was found that the effect of coning the wire is to produce a strong field very near the pole, but that the force falls off very rapidly as the distance from the pole increases. At considerable distances from the end of the electro-magnet the uniformly coiled magnet, No. 1, produces the most powerful field. At very sinall distances from the end of the magnet, Nos. They conclude therefrom, that with a definite length of wire, of core, and strength of current, the mode of coiling the wire determines the strength of the magnetic field at dif- ferent distances from the end of the electro-magnet. — (Phil. mag., June, 397.) J. T. [1142 CHEMISTRY. (Analytical.) Ammonic hyposulphite as a reagent in quali- tative analysis. — A. Orlowsky suggests the use of ammonic hyposulphite instead of hydric sulphide in a qualitative separation of the metals. In a syste- matie course of analysis which Orlowsky proposes, lead, barium, strontium, and calcium are precipitated 608 with ammonic sulphate. The filtrate is acidified with hydrochloric acid, heated to boiling, and sodic or ammonic hyposulphite added, avoiding. an excess. The precipitate, which contains antimony, arsenic, tin, platinum, mercury, silver, copper, bismuth, co- balt, and nickel, is next treated with ammonic sul- phide. On neutralizing with ammonia the filtrate from the precipitate thrown down by the hyposul- phite, cadmium, manganese, and zinc are precipitated. In the last filtrate the alkalies, calcium and magne- sium, must be looked for, as well as antimony andt tin, since the last two metals are not precipitated com- pletely by ammonic hyposulphite. — (Journ. russ. phys. chem. gesellsch. ., 1883, 32; Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., xvi. 807.) c. F. M. [1143 Separation of nickel from cobalt.— For the detection of a small quantity of nickel in presence of much cobalt, or of a trace of cobalt with nickel in large quantity, G. Vortman converts the cobalt into the luteo-salt by oxidation with sodic hyposulphite in an ammoniacal solution. Nickel may be precipi- tated from this solution by sodic hydrate, and, in the filtrate, cobalt by ammonic sulphide. — (Monats. chemie, 4, 1, Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., Xvi. 810.) co. F. x. [1144 Determination of zinc as sulphide. — In ignit- ing zine sulphide, R. Macarthur suspends the crucible containing the sulphide in a Hessian crucible with a hole drilled through the bottom large enough to admit the flame of a Bunsen burner. Another hole is drilled through the side of the crucible, through which is passed a glass tube for introducing a stream of hydric sulphide. — (Chem. news, xliv. 159.) C.F. M. [1145 METALLURGY. Copper-smelting plant.— The Pacific copper- smelter has a peculiar arrangement of the water- jacket. By means of circulating plates, a rapid cireulation of the water is secured, and also great economy in the use of water. The thirty-ton smelter requires about twenty-five thousand gallons of water per day, if allowed to run to waste; if collected and cooled for use again, only about. three thousand gallons are needed.— (Min. sc. press, April 28.) R. H. R. [1146 The dephosphorization of pig iron.— The fol- lowing is the process for which a patent was granted, May 22, to Mr. James Henderson of Bellefonte, Penn.. The iron is taken from the Bessemer converter at the end of what is called the third period, or after the boil, transferred by means of a ladle to the hearth of a reverberator y furnace, which is capable of being heated to the melting-point of wrought iron or higher. The metal is treated in this furnace with fluorspar and titaniferous iron in the proportion of forty parts by weight of fluorspar to one hundred of titanifer- ousiron. If there is one per cent of phosphorus in the metal, about three hundredweight of the mixture will be required to a ton of steel. Thus the dephos- phorization is effected after the decarbonization. — (Eng. nin. jowrn., May 26.) 2B. H.R. [1147 The basic process at Steeltown.—The first heat of basic steel ever made in this country was effected on May 7, 1883, at Steeltown, by the Penn- sylvania steel company. The excellent quality of the steel thus made is shown by the following tests. Some flat bars were plunged in water when hot, and then bent cold and hammered down without showing any fracture. A plate was also flanged hot, on which the flange is as perfect as if the material had been the best charcoal-hammered plate iron. In the same plate two holes were punched within a sixteenth of SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 21. an inch of each other without cracking the interven- ing steel. — (Bull. Amer. iron steel assoc., May.) R. H. R. [1148 Blast-furnace slag.—It is now proposed by Mr. A. D. Elbers of Hoboken, N.J., to utilize the well- known mineral wool for the manufacture of china cement, pigments andabsorbents. The process con- — sists in roasting and subsequent washing of the fine mineral wool so as to leave only tlie silicates of lime, alumina, and magnesia. — (Eng. min. journ., ay 26.) R. H. R. [1149 The Siemens direct process.— A lot of sepa- rated magnetic iron sand from Moisic, Canada, was sent to Mr. James Davis, manager of the New steel- works, London, to be worked in the Siemens direct rotatory furnace. Mr. Davis reports that it is the best material for working in the rotator that he has seen. A charge of twenty- -five hundredweight with six hundred weight of coal or charcoal gave ‘the best results. The average time required was three hours forty-five minutes, and the yield of solid metallic balls was fifteen hundredweight three quarters. The balls were found very suitable for making mild steel in the Siemens furnace. The wages are estimated at five shillings per ton of balls; the fuel, at ton per ton. — (Eng. min. journ., May 5.) R. H.R. [1150 | GEOLOGY. Geology of the province of Jujuy, Argentine Confederation. — Brackebusch divides the forma- tions of this province as follows. 1°. Sedimentary rocks: a. Silurian, 6b. cretaceous, c. post tertiary, d. modern. 2°. Eruptive rocks: a. granite, b. quartz prophyry, c. diorite, d. basalt, e. tragnite and andesite. The Silurian consists of two mnem- bers, —the primordial (Taconic) fauna, being repre- sented in a great thickness of beds, and the second or lower Silurian fauna, The petroleum-bearing formation has been assigned to almost every geological period. The present author considers it as probably lower cretaceous, and makes a fair argument in support of his claim. Darwin con- sidered it as cretaceo-Jurassic. These beds have an enormous distribution in South America. The same beds are said to reach to Puntas Arenas, where Dr. G. Steinmann (ScIENCE, p 156) has lately recognized the neocomian, which would seem to support the view that they are of lower cretaceous age. Bracke- busch thinks that the boring of wells for petroleum in the region he has examined will be attended with magnificent results. In the quartz porphyries, many ores of copper and argentiferous galenite occur. The trachytes and andesites, and their accompanying tufas, are very widely distributed. To these the author refers numerous gold and silver mines of the province. — (Anal. soc. cient. argent., 1883.) J. B. M. [2151 Lithology. Fossil-bearing schists. — Renard has published a valuable paper on the metamorphic rocks of the Ar- dennes, in which fossils had been found by Dumont and Sandberger, the latter describing a case in which garnets and fossils were together in the same hand specimen. The fossils Spirifer macropterus and Chonetes sar- cinulatus show that the schists belong to the lower Devonian. The paper gives the results of micro- scopic and chemical analyses, describing the prin- cipal minerals. Renard rejects entirely the view that these schists are chemical precipitates, and holds that they are metamorphosed sediments. These results are similar to those of Reusch and 7 JUNE 29, 1883.] Brogger on the schists of Norway. Both found fos- sils in crystalline marble, in mica schist, and in other rocks of like metamorphic character. The latter even found the remains of Orthis enclosed in dodeca- hedral garnet. Likewise the Carrara marble of Italy has been shown to overlie and underlie fossiliferous Strata. From these observations, there seems to be no doubt that the general belief that schists are metamorphosed sedimentary rocks is substantiated, so far as these regions are concerned; and they afford no aid to the revived and remodelled Wernerian hy- pothesis that has been made so prominent in this country during recent years. Without objecting to the work of the writers above referred to, attention may be called to the tendency in most observers, when they have proved the origin of a rock, to as- sume that all associated rocks are the same, leading one class to hold to the eruptive origin of all the rocks seen, and another to their sedimentary origin. “Tn regions of crystalline rocks, both classes of rocks would naturally be expected to occur together, and it would be well if the utmost care should be used to - prove the origin of every rock in the district studied. — (Bull. mus. roy. Belq., i.; Die silur. etagen 2 u.3 ; Silurfoss. og kongl. 1 Bergensk. ; Nature, xxvi. 567, Xxvii. 121.) M. E. w. [1152 Carboniferous gneiss and schist. — Some gneisses and schists, which, from the associated plant- remains, are referred to the carboniferous, have been microscopically studied by Foullon. They are asso- ciated with the graphite deposits about Kaisereberg in Steiermark. The gneiss is composed of felspar (albite) quartz, muscovite, and chlorite, with a little epidote, biotite, and, in one case, tourmaline. The phyllite gneiss is fine-grained, and composed of quartz, orthoclase (microcline), and tourmaline ; while the graphitic schist is also a purely crystalline mass of quartz and chloritoid, excepting some por- tions in which are found plant-impressions and plates of a micaceous mineral. Zircon and an asbestiform mineral were also seen. —(Verh. geol. reichsanst., Jan., 1583.) M. E. w. [1153 MINERALOGY. Some results of the alteration of minerals. — The following facts are communicated by F. A. Genth :— Albite from orthoclase. — This interesting altera- tion is well exhibited at the gneiss-quarries of upper Avondale, Penn., where flesh-colored orthoclase is found much decomposed, the cavities being filled with albite associated with muscovite. Anthophyllite from talc. — At Castle Rock, Dela- ware county, Penn., tale occurs as the result of the alteration of olivine, but in some cases this alteration has proceeded farther. Radiating from a nucleus of tale is a white or grayish mineral, with silky lustre and prismatic cleavage at an obtuse angle, which proved, upon analysis, to be anthophyllite. Talc pseudomorph after magnetite. —In Hartford county, Md., small octahedrons of scaly tale occur, the seales being parallel to the octahedral faces; and sometimes the crystals contain in the interior a small nucleus of magnetite. The author regards the crystals as pseudomorphs after magnetite, and suggests that a whole bed of steatite twelve to fifteen feet in thick- ness, occurring at the above-mentioned place, may have resulted from a like change from magnetite. — (Proc. Amer. phil. soc., xx. 392.) 8. L. P. {1154 Wulfenite. — It has generally been accepted that the red varieties of wulfenite found at many localities SCIENCE. 609 are colored by chromate of lead (PbCrO,), which is isomorphous with the wulfenite PbMoO,. If this is true, lead chromate must be tetragonal in its crystalli- zation, and trimorphic; for the natural variety, cro- coite, is monoclinic, and again it is undoubtedly orthorhombic, isomorphous with anglesite (PbSO,). Inred crystals from Phoenixville, Penn., J. Lawrence Smith found vanadium and only a trace of chromium, while Wohler detected vanadium in a variety from Bleiberg in Carinthia. Owing to the dissimilarity between molybdic and vanadic acids, it is not proba- ble that any isomorphism exists between them, while chromate and molybdate of lead, from a chemical stand-point, can well be regarded as isomorphous. To decide as to the true nature of the coloring-matter, P. Groth had various wulfenites examined by F. Jost, with the following results. In a highly colored, yel- lowish-red variety from Bleiberg, neither chromium nor vanadium could be detected. In the red crystals from Phoenixville, Penn., chromium was found, but no trace of vanadium. The analysis gave PbO(60) + MoO,(39.21) + CrO,(0.38) = 99.59. The green pyromorphite accompanying wulfenite from the latter locality contained no vanadium, but a trace of chromium; while chromium was also found in a yellowish-red pyromorphite from Leadhills, Scotland. Here, certainly, no isomorphism can exist between the chromate and phosphate of lead; and the red color in the latter case must be due either to the mechanical admixture of some chromate or some pigment entirely independent of the chro- mium. The fact that wulfenites, entirely free from and containing a trace of chromium, occur of a red color, makes it probable that the color is due to some pigment, perhaps of organic origin, while the chro- mate is present as a mechanical admixture, and in no way related to the red color. —(Zeitschr. kryst., vii. 592.) 5. L. P.. [1155 METEOROLOGY. Solar physics.— A recent report on this subject to the British government mentions India as a sat- isfactory field in which to prosecute investigations of solar radiation, and its connection with terrestrial phenomena; calls attention to the importance of a more satisfactory means of measuring directly the sun’s heat, the great obstacles presented in the attempt to measure this heat at sea-level stations, owing to the very great fluctuations in the observed direct heat, even on clear days, due to invisible vapor; and refers to the expedition of Prof. Lang- ley to Mount Whitney, and the permanent establish- ment of instruments at Leh in India, at an elevation of 11,000 feet, in order to overcome these obstacles if possible. A very useful, detailed catalogue of sun- spot observations, and photographs of the sun, from 1832 to 1877, is given. A discussion of the influence of the state of the sun upon the earth’s temperature is entered upon, in which an effort is made to con- nect the range of temperature at the single station Toronto, Canada, with the sun’s spots. The results arrived at seem to show that a maximum tempera- ture range corresponds to a maximum number of spots, and that the Toronto phases of temperature range lag behind similar phases in solar spottedness between one and two days. The first of these con- clusions differs from the opinions held by some, and, on taking the mean annual ranges, seems hardly sus- tained. , The following table gives the mean annual range of temperature from 1841 to 1880, and mean annual cloudiness from 1853 to 1880, at Toronto, Canada. Solar spot numbers are added for comparison. 610 Mean annual temperature range, «cloudiness, , with sun-spot numbers. t Toronto, Canada. aN Cloudi-| Sun- Fs Cloudi-| Sun- Der hange: ness. | spots WED) ange: ness. | spots 4 % 5 % 1841 16.8 = 37 3861 | 14.4 62 17 1842 | 17.8 = 24 1862 | 144 -63 59. 1843 | 16.7 - 11 1863 | 14.7 -61 44 1844) 17.9 - 15 1864} 14.6 65 47 1845 | 17.9 - 40 1865 | 16.4 61: 3 1846 | 15.8 = 62 1866 15.0 -61 16 1847 | 13.9 = 98 1867 |} 15.5 -61 7 1848 | 149 - 124 1868 15.3 64 37 1849 13.6 - 96 1869 | 14.6 66 (Cc 1850 | 16.7 - 67 1870 | 15.7 62 139 1851 | 13.9 - 65 1871 | 16.5 64 111 1852 14.3 = 54 1872 | 17.6 +09 102 1853 16.9 OT 39 1873 16.9 -60 66 1854 | 19.8 +59 wi S74 | 17.4 63 45 1855 18.2 -60 7 1875 17.4 -62 17 1856 | 18.3 OT 4 1876 | 15.7 66 11 1857 16.4 -60 23 1877 | 16.2 -60 12 1858 13.9 -60 55 1878 | 15.1 62 3 1859 | 13.7 -61 94 1879 17.1 63 6 1860} 14.2 -60 96 1880 | 16.0 -62 = If these figures be projected in curves, it will be seen that minimum ranges occur markedly about 1848 and 1859, while maximum ranges occur about 1844 and 1855; which are just the epochs of maxi- mum and minimum sun-spot numbers respectively. Making full allowance for varying cloudiness, we still do not obtain any different results. The whole subject needs complete investigation. — (Rep. com. solar phys. London, 1882.) WH. A. H. [1156 Applications of photography to meteorology. —Photography is constantly finding new applica- tions in the other sciences. By its means, under the direction of Capt. Abney, experiments are being conducted at Kew, Eng., to determine the height and velocity of clouds. Two similar cameras are set up at a distance of about six hundred feet apart, and provided with instantaneous shutters, which can be released at the same instant by electricity. By knowing the angle of inclination of the cam- eras, and measuring the position of the cloud as photographed on the two plates, we at once have a trigonometrical observation which will give us the distance of the cloud with great accuracy. The axis of a cyclone is probably not vertical, its upper portion being in advance of the lower in relation to the direction in which the cyclone is moving: hence the higher clouds are sometimes affected by an approaching storm before its influence affects the winds blowing at the surface of the earth. The cirrus clouds are, therefore, the ones to whose ob- servation is attached the greatest importance. Occa- sional observations only haye so far been made, but the Meteorological council has under consideration the plan of adopting the instrument for continuous use at its central station at Kew. The observations made so far would seem to indicate that the cirrus clouds are not situated at so great an elevation as has heretofore generally been supposed. — (Brit. journ. phot., May 4.) w. H. P. [1157 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. Old river-courses by Vicenza and Padua.— F. Molon gives geological and historical evidence to show considerable changes in the rivers Astico and Brenta, on the northern margin of the plain of Lom- bardy, in post-glacial times. On issuing from the SCIENCE. ‘[Vou. L, No. 21. mountains, both of these streams formerly turned westward, toward a depression produced by an old fault running along the eastern margin of the hills from Schio to 0 Vicenza; but, as this district was raised by their deposits, they ran more directly south, and now the Astico is laying its sands on the old beds of the Brenta, while the latter has abandoned the chan- nel which led it through or even west of Padua, and flows farther east. By such diversions from old chan- nels, the volume of some of the lower streams has been greatly affected. The name Retrone was formerly applied to a river of considerable size, extending to Padua ; but it is now limited to a small stream west of Vicenza. The Bacchiglione, an Italian corruption of the German Bachlein, was named when its size justified its meaning; but it has now usurped the place and volume of the old Retrone. — (Atti ist. ve- neto, i. 1882-83, 247, 347.) WwW. M. D. [1158 Origin of fiords.—Fr. Ratzel calls attention to the broken form of polar coasts in both hemispheres, and the bare, rocky surface of the adjoining lands, and concludes that both of these characteristics re- sult from the strong erosive action of ice. He lays the excavation of not only our Great Lakes and Onega and Ladoga to the same cause, but the Baltic, the North Sea, and Hudson’ s Bay as well (Ausland, 1883, 223, 254). The barrenness of polar lands may well be ascribed to ice-action, which has undoubt- edly produced some modification of the surface as well; but to consider all their diversity of form due to glacial erosion exaggerates the power and dura- tion of the ice as greatly as it neglects other and efficient causes. — W. M. D. {1159 GEHOGRAPHY. | (Arctic.) Northern voyages in the fourteenth century. — Baron Nordenskidld has begun the publication, under the title of “Studier och for: skningar,’ of a popu- lar scientific account of early voyages to the high north, as a sort of supplement to the ‘ Voyage of the Vega,’ in which so many early northeastward voy- ages were noticed. The first volume contains an account and discussion of the voyages of the brothers Antonio and Nicolo Zeno of Venice, who are sup- posed to have journeyed to the Faeroe Islands, Ice- land, and East Greenland toward the close of the fourteenth century. The author brings forward reasons for believing that the voyages were actually made, and the narrative authentic, a general dis- belief in them having been (with a few individual ex- ceptions) hitherto prevalent. The volume contains a photographic reproduction of the map of Claudius -Clavus in 1427, —a remarkable discovery by Norden- skidld himself, who found it in the city library of Nancy, included in an old manuscript copy of Ptole- my’s Cosmographia. The period when all early voy- ages were regarded with suspicion or open disbelief seems to have passed away, and the truthfulness of some of them is established; while the misapplication of others (as the Chinese voyages to Fu-sang, now known to be a province of Japan, but formerly inter- preted by enthusiastic geographers as north-west America) has been rectified. The danger of running into the opposite extreme of credulity is not, how- ever, to be overlooked, in view of the attention which the perfectly preposterous story of ‘ Moncatch-Apé’ has recently received from a few serious students. It is not necessary to say to any ethnologist who understands the nature of the races of north-west America as they were when discovered, that the story referred to is not less improbable than the wildest vagaries of Jules Verne. —W. H. D. [1160 } ‘ JUNE 29, 1883.] Wordenskiold’s programme.— Baron Norden- skiold’s programme for this year’s expedition is pub- lished in full by the concurrence of Mr. Oscar Dickson, who provides the funds to carry it out. Besides the object of penetrating to the interior of Greenland, it is hoped to fix the limits of the drift-ice between TIeeland and Greenland, to sound and dredge in the adjacent seas, to pay especial attention to the flora of the ice and snow, to further investigate the plant- remains in the fossiliferous strata of the region vis- ited, and to collect new data connected with the fall of cosmic dust. The expedition sailed from Gothen- purg in the latter part of May, and expects to start on its return in September next.— (Nature, May 10!) Ww. H. D: [1161 (Asia.) Corea.— J. C. Hall, British consul at Nagasaki, visited Han-yang or Soul (Seul), the capital of Corea, last October. In approaching the harbor of Nam- yang, the west coast was found hedged in by a thickly clustered fringe of islands, through which the mainland could hardly be seen. The water was very shallow; and the heavy fall of the tides, averaging thirty feet, makes dangerous currents. Thousands of square miles of mud flats are left bare at low water; and, besides all these difficulties, there are the dense fogs of summer, and shore ice of winter. The coast is bold, rising in trap and granite headlands two to six hundred feet high. ‘The interior, as far as seen, was bare and almost treeless. The Villages are of miserable mud-hovels, and the people are very poor. The only temples seen were two small huts near a village at the landing-place. Soul is about fifty miles inland; itis a shabby, squalid city of low stone and mud houses, with a population.of about 240,000. One long main street one hundred feet wide, running east and west, and another about north and south, divide it into nearly equal portions, and lead to gates in the eastern, southern, and western walls. On the northern side it is enclosed by steep granitic peaks. Below their abrupt slope is the royal enclosure, containing the king’s palace and the more important public buildings. Mr. Hall learned from the Japanese consul that the population of the kingdom, according to the government census, was about 6,840,000 souls. The revenue is derived from a tax on the cultivated land, and is payable either in money orin produce: at present it amounts to about 190,000 pounds sterling. —(Proc. roy. geogr. soc., Vv. 1883, 274.) Ww. M. D. [1162 Upper Siam. — Between Nov. 9, 1881, and June 14, 1882, Carl Bock, whose travels in Borneo are already well known, made a journey from Bangkok up the valley of the Menam, and across the Lao states to the Mekong River, and back again by much the same route. The country was found very productive throughout, and well worthy of extended commer- cial enterprises. As far as Rahang, the river was ascended by poling; the country on either side was low, flat, and fertile; numerous ruins were seen there. A variety of valuable timber is brought from the forests by elephants and oxen, and floated down the river to Bangkok. Other products are cotton, wax, resin, tobacco, hides, and horns. Above Ra- hang, rapids interrupt the up-stream navigation, and the journey was continued overland on elephants. Lakon is the centre of the elephant trade: Bock found a thousand of these great animals there, where they are brought after capture in the forest; their value varies from five hundred to two thousand rupees, Oxen are sold at sixteen to twenty-five rupees. Tchengmai, at an elevation of seven hun- dred feet on the Meping (the upper course of the SCIENCE. 611 Menang, above the rapids) is an important and busy city, with a population estimated at a hundred thou- sand. Teakwood and gum-lac are among its chief commodities. A railroad from the southern coast should be constructed as far as this point, as, in addition to what now goes down the river, it would gain a large share of what is carried northward to Yunnan, and out to Canton. From Tchengmai, Bock turned a little north-east, and crossed a pass of twelve hundred feet elevation into the valley of the Mekok, that flows on to the Mekong at an alti- tude of eight hundred and seventy feet. The latter is a large river in a superb valley, lined with valua- ble forests; its lower course should be examined to learn if timber could not be floated down to the sea. Bock was unable to do this, and returned to Tcheng- mai, whence he descended the Meping, running the rapids into the open lower valley. — (Peterm. mitth., 1883, 161.) Ww. M. D. [1163 BOTANY. Relative, size of diclinous flowers. — Fritz Miller mentions Carica papaya — which is some- thing of a curiosity in haying polypetalous pistillate flowers and gamopetalous staminate flowers, which have been divided into two so-called genera — as forming an exception to Sprengel’s rule, that, in entomophilous plants with imperfect flowers, the male are more conspicuous than the female; that they may be first visited by insects, which carry their pollen to the pistils. The greater size of the pistil- late flowers in this species is explained by their con- cealed position among the leaves, while the smaller staminate flowers hang out in conspicuous clusters. In this connection it is shown by Hermann Miiller that in monoecious species, which attract a suflficien- cy of insect visitors, it may be an advantage for the fertile flowers to be the larger, as those of a given stock will then be visited first, and fertilized by foreign pollen, before the insects have been to the sterile flowers of the plant in question. On the other hand, in cases where crossing is uncer- tain, the larger size of the staminate flowers will insure at least close fertilization, and thus be ad- vantageous. — (Kosmos, April.) Ww. T. [1164 The purple-leaved barberry.— Mr. Thomas Meehan referred to the fact that seed of the purple- leaved variety of Berberis vulgaris, collected from plants growing near Philadelphia, reproduced the purple-leaved peculiarity to an extent which it could not do more perfectly if the variety were a true spe- cies. Ina bed of seedlings containing on an estimate one thousand plants, there were only two reversions to the original green-leaved condition. — (Acad. nat. sc. Philad. meeting; May 15.) [1165 Influence of stock and scion.— According to the Tropical agriculturist, Mr. Moen has obtained some extraordinary and undesirable results from grafting scions of Cinchona Ledgeriana upon stocks of Red bark. The grafts have been cultivated under glass, and are now four years old. Examination has shown that the bark of the stock is rendered abnor- mally rich in quinine ‘by its contact with the graft;’ but the bark of the graft itself is found to contain less quinine than it:should, while it has more cincho- nine and cinchonidine. Since the amount of the bark of the stock is, of course, very small when compared with that of the vigorously-growing scion which must ultimately form the bulk of the whole, nothing is gained by the grafting. It diminishes, rather, the value of the plant. It is now proposed to try the re- verse experiment. It is very probable that subsequent experiments may show that part, at least, of the un- 612 favorable results may be explained by the fact that only young plants have been studied. — (Gard. chronicle, May 26.) @. L. G [1166 ZOOLOGY. (@eneral physiology and embryology.) Spermatogenesis. — J. E. Bloomfield gives a ré- sumé of the recent papers by Duval, Hermann, Ren- son, Sabatier, and von Brunn on this subject, and points out that they confirm the old idea that the spermatozoa are developed in mother-cells, a part of which remains behind. (The general hypothetical bearing of this fact was first brought forward by Minot. Bloomfield, in an article on spermatogenesis, advanced this view again, and apparently still regards it as original with himself.) — (Quart. journ. micr. sc., 1883, 520.) C. Ss. M. [1167 The coloring-matters of the bile of inverte- brates.— C. A. MacMunn communicates to the Royal society the results of a systematic examination of the bile and various extracts of the liver of mol- lusea and other invertebrates. The universal dis- tribution is proved of a chlorophyll pigment, to which the name of ‘enterochlorophyll’ is applied.’ It can be found in the bile of specimens of Helix after a six-months fast, and is much more abundant in the liver of mollusca and echinoderms than in crus- tacea. The presence of reduced haematin is also demonstrated in the bile of several pulmonate mol- lusks. The bile of the cray-fish and most pulmonate mollusks contains haemochromogen, generally ac- companied by enterochlorophyll, and appears in the latter group to be more concerned in aerial than aquatic respiration. He concludes that the so-called liver of invertebrates is a pigment producing and storing organ in addition to its functions connected with the production of digestive ferments. The presence of haemochomogen is apparently connected rather with the mode of life of the invertebrates in which it occurs than distributed according to mor- phological considerations. A drawing of the micro- scopical structure of the liver of Limax, showing the enterochlorophyll within the liver-cells, and maps of the most important absorption spectra, described with readings reduced to wave-lengths, accompany the paper. — (Natwre, May 10.) w. #. D. [1168 Protozoa. Polemical about protozoa. — In reply to the crit- icism of Biitschli (ante, 273) concerning the view maintained by Balbiani in regard to the conjugation of Infusoria, the latter points out that he accepts and has in part confirmed Biitschli’s observations, but differs from him as to the conclusions to be drawn from them. From Balbiani’s own statement, how- ever, it appears that he has entirely changed his for- mer theories, and essentially adopted Biitschli’s; and in stating that his old views could still be essentially preserved he seems not ingenuous. — (Zool. anz., vi. 192.) Kiinstler also replies to Butschli’s assertion (ante, 269) that Kiinckelia gyrams is a Cercaria: it has no ventral sucker, it swims with the tail forward, and shows no trace of cellular organization. K., however, now admits that it is probably a metazoon larva, and not related to the Flagellata. — (Zool anz., vi. 168.) c. Ss. M. [1169 Dimorphism of Foraminifera.— It is stated by Munier-Chalmas and Schlumberger that in many genera of Miliolidae there are two forms of the spe- cies. Although the individuals are often alike exter- SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 21. nally, they may be divided into two sets, according to the arrangement of the central chambers. Thus in Biloculina depressa, in form A the central round chamber is large, and the other chambers next it fol- low the bilocular arrangement; in form B, the cen- tral round chamber is very small, and those next it present the quinquelocular order, which, however, is soon suddenly replaced by the usual bilocular ar- rangement. This dimorphism is probably general in the group. The authors’ first note on this subject is contained in the Bull. soc. géol. France (3), viil. 300; their second, in the Comptes rendus, March 26, 1883. — (Ann. mag. nat. hist., ii. 336.) Cc. S. M. (4170 Coelenterates, Phylogeny of the Siphonophorae. — Fewkes points out the resemblance between the primitive scale of Agalma and the nectocalyx of Monophyes, as well as the close resemblance of the embryonic knobs of Agalma and Halistemma to the tentacular knobs of the Calycophores. r He believes that these resemblances are an indica- tion of the point in the development of the Sipho- nophora where the separation of the Physophorae from the Calycophorae, or the separation of both groups from a stem form, took place. —(Amer. nat., June.) wW. K. B. [1171 New Brazilian medusa.—In his work on the deep-sea Medusae collected by the Challenger expe- dition, Haeckel describes an interesting genus, Dry- moneura, represented by a single species from Gib- raltar. Fr. Miiller records the occurrence of a second species, Drymoneura Gorge, which he has found in 1857, 1860, and 1861, on the coast of Brazil. The Brazilian form was found in a very shallow inlet, and the genus cannot be regarded as a deep-sea form. — (Zool. anz., no. 137.) W. K. B. {1172 Insects. Odonata of the Philippines. — Baron de Sélys gives a list of seventy-seven species, with descriptions of new species, and notes on those previously known. Twenty years ago hardly one was known from the region. The present paper is due to the collections of Semper; and, with the exception of Hypocnemus, which is figured, all the genera and even sub-genera are represented in other oriental countries. But forty-one of the species are peculiar to the Philip- pines. A single species of the otherwise wholly African genus Libellago occurs. —(Anal. soc. esp. hist. nat., xi.) [1173 Scolopendrella. — In a new species described and figured from Massachusetts, peculiar for the robust- ness of the legs, Scudder finds the openings consid- ered by Ryder as stigmata next the bases of the legs, but believes he has also found stigmata in the head, as in some Thysanura. He also compares the coni- cal protrusion of the mouth-parts to those of Podura. —(Proc. Bost. soc. nat. hist., xxii. 64.) - [1174 Growth of the ova in Chironomus. — Jawo- rowski advances some singular notions on this sub- ject. The eggs grow directly from the blood, not at the expense of other cells, or by the intermediation of the follicular epithelium. In pupal life the amount of the blood is reduced to a minimum; when the eggs are discharged by the imago, they leave a large space; the blood flows in and partly fills it, so that there is less blood left in circulation than can sustain life; hence the insect dies. (It does not appear that the author’s startling assertions rest upon any observed facts.) —(Zool. anz., vi. 211.) c. Ss. M. (1175 JUNE 29, 1883.] VERTEBRATES. Development of the pulmonary epithelium. — The lungs of the human adult have been minutely studied by Kolliker, whose memoir, which appeared in 1881, still left the development of the lung to be worked out. This gap has now been partially filled by Nicolai Jalan de Ja Croix, who, however, has relied on the chick and mammalian embryos for the earli- est stages. In ahuman embryo of the third month (6.5 em.) the bronchi are nearly straight tubes branch- ing at acute angles; the alveoli have begun to form at their ends, but are developed in the inner part of “the lung only later; the connective tissue is in process of differentiation; the whole system of respiratory Cavities is lined by a continuous epithelium, which ~ is thickest in the trachea, where it has several layers of cells, and which gradually thins out, until, in the alveoli, it consists only of two layers of cells, the deeper cells being somewhat smaller, the upper ones irregular in shape, and approaching the cylindrical form. The alveoli are already grouped into lobules; and it is these which KGlliker has described in his embryology as the primitive alveoli. By the end of the fourth month the bronchi branch off at much greater angles; the epithelium in the terminal vesi- eles is only 15 » thick, and consists of a single row of cylinder cells. In the fifth month the connective tissue around the bronchi is quite advanced in devel- Opment; it is, between the lobules, largely fibrous; between the alveoli, still rich in cells. The alveoli themselves measure about 0.05 mm. in diameter; their epithelium, only 11 in thickness. The blood- vessels have attained an enormous development, but are not yet close to the respiratory surfaces. Com- parison of the different stages shows that the alveoli gradually increase in number, and at the same time diminish in size (author’s résumé, vide p. 109). The conversion of the many-layered original epithe- lium into the single layer of the alveoli, the author asserts (apparently without definite reason) to be effected by the passage of the deeper-lying cells into the upper layer. By this process, as well as by the multiplication of the cells, is the rapid expansion of the epithelium to be explained. For the history during the fifth to ninth month, de la Croix col- lates the previous literature. In the mature foetus (still-born) alveoli are still forming along the alveolar canals. The epithelium of the canals and all alveoli is still cylindrical, the cells with oval nucleus being about twice as high as broad. The alveoli do not yet extend down into the meshes of the capillary net-work. In a child that lived for seven days the flattening-out of the alveolar epithelium had already made considerable progress (Stieda found that this flattening took place much earlier in sheep embryos). The very rapid develop- ment of the pavement out of the cylinder epithelium, the author says, must be necessarily produced by the expansion of the lungs after birth. (There are two objections to this view, — first, it is not shown that the change accompanies an expansion; second, it fails to account for the development of the flat cells during foetal life, as in sheep. Rep.) — (Arch. mikr. anat., Xxii. 93.) Cc. S.M. [1176 The nature of inhibition. — Professor T. Lauder Brunton has lately offered a theory of inhibition founded on its analogy to the interference which occurs when waves of light or sound meet in oppo- site phases. According to his hypothesis, there are, in the cord and brain, successive layers of sensory and motor cells, so arranged that each motor-cell is connected, not only with its corresponding sensory SCIENCE. 613 cell, through which the afferent impulse causing a simple reflex first passes, but also with other sensory cells higher or lower in the cord. When the afferent nerve leading to a sensory cell is slightly stimulated, a simple reflex occurs through the corresponding motor cell. So when several afferent fibres are gen- tly stimulated, as in tickling the sole of the foot, the impulse from each sensory cell passes to a motor cell, and calls forth a reflex contraction. If the afferent fibre leading to any sensory cell is more strongly stimulated, the impulse on reaching the sensory cell will divide, part going directly to the motor cell, part passing to a neighboring sensory cell and thence in- direetly to the motor cell. The consequence is, that the two waves of impulse, having travelled paths of unequal length, meet in opposite phases, and an interference or inhibition results. A firm pressure applied to the sole of the foot arouses no reflex con- traction. No place is given in the theory to special inhibitory cells. Any cell may exercise an inhibi- tory action on the sensory or motor cells with which it is connected. Whether its action on any other cell shall augment or inhibit the activity of the latter, depends on the phase in which the wave of impulse travelling from it meets the wave of impulse that has reached the same cell from another source. In the case of inhibition by the will, the impulse sent down from the brain is supposed to interfere with that originating in the cord from the stimulation of sensory nerves. Besides inhibition by interference, apparent inhibition by the diversion of the stimulus into other than its customary path may occur. Brunton attempts to explain many of the well- known phenomena of inhibition on this hypothesis. His explanation of the action of drugs—such as atropia, morphia, strychnia—on the theory of inter- ference is particularly weak and unsatisfactory. — (Nature, nos. 696-699.) Ww. H. H. [1177 Man. Hlectrotonus of the motor nerves of man.— Since the discovery by Pfliiger of the general laws of electrotonic changes in a nerve during the passage of a galvanic current, from investigations made upon the dissected nerves of frogs, numerous attempts have been made to verify his conclusions for the uninjured nerve of man. The general outcome of this work has not been satisfactory, as far as a confirmation of Pfliiger’s generalizations is concerned. Perhaps the chief cause of the discrepancy amongst the results of different observers has been the neglect to fully ap- preciate the fact pointed out by Helmholtz, that when the uninjured nerve, in its natural position in the body, is exposed to an electrical current, there exist in the region of each electrode, owing to rapid current diffusion, areas of different electrical density, which must, therefore, be considered as electrodes of opposite signs. Waller and de Watteville have inves- tigated the subject anew upon the motor nerves of man, and obtained results which are in accord with the laws established by Pfliiger. Their experiments were. made in most cases upon the peroneal nerve, and the contractions of the corresponding muscles were registered by appropriate means upon a smoked drum. They employed three methods of stimula- tion, —induction currents, constant currents, and mechanical stimuli. The unipolar method was used in all cases, and the polarizing and stimulating cur- rents were combined in one circuit. By this means the points of stimulation and polarization were made co-extensive, and the electrotonic changes in the polar region obtained. In mechanical excitation the same result was reached by using the polarizing electrode itself to give the stimulating blow. The authors have 614 adopted the theory of a ‘mixed polar action for both polarizing and testing currents;’ that is, at the electrode applied to the nerve, there exist for each current, stimulating as well as polarizing, a ‘polar’ region of the same sign as the electrode, and a ‘ peri- polar’ region of the opposite sign, the electrical density of the latter being less than that of the former, but still sufficient to act as a physiological stimulus. When an induction current was used to test the ‘polar alteration of excitability’ produced by the polarizing current, the results were found to differ according as the ‘exploring’ electrode repre- sented the kathode or anode of both currents, or the kathode of one and the anode of the other. In the first case the effect of the induction shocks are in- creased; in the second case, diminished. They explain their results in this way. When the electrode is kathode of the induction current, the excitation proceeds from the kathodie polar region. If the electrode is at the same time the kathode of the polarizing current, the polar region is kathodic, and possesses increased irritability. If the electrode is anode of the polarizing current, the polar region is anodic, and its irritability is diminished. When, on the other hand, the electrode is anode of the induc- tion current, the excitation proceeds from the peri- polar kathodie region, since all contractions with induction currents are make-contractions. If the electrode is at the same time the anode of the polar- izing current, the peripolar region is kathodic, and therefore of increased excitability. If the electrode is kathode of the polarizing current, the peripolar region is anodic, and therefore of diminished excita- bility. When the testing current is a galvanic cur- rent, and both polarizing and testing currents are in the same direction, it is found that the effect of the kathodic make is increased during the flow of a kathodic current, and of an anodic make during the flow of an anodic current. The excitation proceeds from a kathodic region of increased irritability, in one case polar, in the other peripolar. So the effect of a kathodic break is diminished during the flow of a kathodic current, and of an anodic break during the flow of an anodic current. The excitation arises from the disappearance of an electrotonus in an anelec- trotonic region of depressed irritability, in one case peripolar, in the other polar. With regard to mechani- cal stimulation, it was observed that the effect is increased when the polar region is kathodic, and diminished when it is anodic. They made some experiments upon the after-effects of the polarizing current, the results of which show that there is an after-kathodie diminution and an after-anodic in- crease of excitability, which are more marked in the polar than in the peripolar region. — (Phil. trans., 1882, 961.) Ww. H. H. {1178 Electrotonus of the sensory nerves of man. — Waller and de Watteville have carried out a series of experiments on the alterations of excitability of the sensory nerves during the passage of a galvanic cur- rent, similar to those made upon the motor nerves. Their method of work was essentially the same as in the preceding investigation. In order to measure the increase or diminution of sensation after polarization, they ascertained the least strength of current which would produce a ‘reaction in consciousness,’ and then noted the changes necessary to be made after polarization to obtain the same effect. Their general result is, that, “after the passage of a galvanic cur- rent, the alterations in the excitability of the sensory nerves of man follow a course essentially similar to that observed in the motor nerves.’’ — (Proc. roy. Soc., 1882, 222.) w. H. H. 1179 SCIENCE. [Vor. I., No. 21. ANTHROPOLOGY. ‘Smithsonian anthropological papers. — The great delay in bringing out the annual report for 1881 has induced Prof. Baird to publish the scien- tific summaries and the anthropological papers in separate pamphlets. The summary, as usual, is by Prof. Mason, and the papers were all prepared under his editorial care. The summary is divided into two parts, the discussion and the bibliography. In order to show just where each contribution for the year stands with reference to the whole, he divides anthropology into eleven parts, —anthropoge- ny, archeology, biology of man, psychology, glossolo- gy, ethnology, technology, hexiology, and bibliography; the latter term includ- ing all aids to the study of man. Greek words ypao7, Adyoc, vouoc, and yevea, the suffixes -ography, -ology, -onomy, and -ogeny, may be applied to each of the foregoing terms, in order to indicate the observing, the classifying, the discursive, and the philosophic phases of each branch of inquiry. Sep- arate chapters are devoted to each of the leading topics. The miscellaneous papers are unusually numerous. Explorations of mounds in Kansas are reported by Mr. Serviss; in Lowa, by Banta and Garretson; in Missouri, by Hardy, Scheetz, and Watkins; in Wis- consin and Illinois, by Moody, Shallenberger, and Adams; in Ohio, by Luther; in Kentucky, by Linney and Evans; in Tennessee, by Haite; in Alabama, by Gesner ; in Georgia, by Whittlesey; in Florida, by Bell. Other aboriginal works are treated by Whitcomb for Washington Territory, by Stinson for Indiana, and by Case and MacLean for Ohio. Miscellaneous an- tiquities are reported from Iowa by Dean; from IIli- nois, by Gale, McClelland, French, Farrell, and Sibley; in Texas, by: Roessler; in Arkansas, by Jones; in Pennsylvania, by Hayden; in New York, by Sheward; in Connecticut, by Ellsworth; and in Nova Scotia, by Patterson. Besides these are papers on shell-heaps in Alabama, West Virginia, and Massachusetts, by Mohr, Hubbard, and Wing; on inscriptions in Arkan- sas, by Green; on buried flints in Illinois, by Snyder; on silver crosses from a Georgia mound, by Jones; on ancient canals in Florida, by Kenworthy; on rock- carvings on the Susquehanna, by Galbraith; on a sculptured stone from New Brunswick, by Jack; on a perforated tablet from New York, by Tooker; a specimen of aboriginal art, by Matthew; and on the aborigines of Florida, by Walker. —s. w. Pp. [1180 Egyptian boomerangs.— Gen. Pitt-Rivers takes the occasion of receiving an Egyptian boomerang as a text for the review of the subject of the spread of that interesting weapon. His description is accom- panied by a plate, giving figures of twelve boom- erangs from the same quarter, which he had seen in different museums. There are four phases in the evolution of the boomerang worthy of notice. 1. . All weapons which are thrown by the hand, and which are not specially adapted for rotation. 2. A round, curved stick, which would rotate more freely than a straightone. 3. The same weapon made from a split stick, opposing to the atmosphere a thinner edge, whereby the rotation and ‘range would be greatly increased. This is the most important stage in the development of the boomerang. In this state it was used by the Australians for purposes of war, after they had further acquired a knowledge of the returning or screw boomerang. It was in this stage that Gen. Pitt-Rivers supposes it was carried by the black races into those distant regions where it is now used, 4. Those weapons to which is imparted by sociology, mythology, - By the use of the’ JUNE 29, 1883.] peculiar twists a screw movement tending upwards, or at any rate in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of rotation. This last stage of improve- ment, so far as we at present know, was effected in Australia only, and not in those countries into which, in its simpler form, it had been previously distrib- uted by the migration of tribes. The Egyptian, African, and Dravidian boomerangs may not have been independent inventions, therefore. The boom- erang being a weapon of very primitive construction, and its present distribution being coincident with the distribution of some of the black races of man, it may with great probability be regarded as one of those weapons which primeval men carried with them into distant parts from the home of their ancestors, wherever it was. In speaking of the distribution of this weapon, writers should be care- ful to note that the Egyptian boomerang, the trom- bush of the blacks of Abyssinia, and that of the blacks of Hindostan, correspond only to one class of the Australian boomerang, — yiz., that used by them for war, and considered to be the most useful weapon they employ, —and that this differs from the returning boomerang, which has a lateral twist by means of whieh it is caused to rise in the air, screwing itself up precisely in the same manner asa boy’s flying- top, which rises and spins against the ceiling. — (Journ. anthrop. inst., xii. 454.) J. WwW. P. (1181 Hittite inscriptions.—So many attempts to decipher the Maya hieroglyphs have been based upon the processes that have led to brilliant results in Egyptian and Mesopotamian inscriptions, that we are not surprised to find an author deciphering Hittite by means of Aztec phonetic values. Prof. John Campbell of Montreal has in press a volume on the history of the Hittites, their migrations, antiquities, and language, in which will appear translations of some of the inscriptions first discovered by Mr, Drake in 1871. A pamphlet of sixteen pages, how- ever, precedes the volume, giving the translations. Briefly, the author believes that the Hittite empire, overthrown in 717 B.C., was re-established succes- sively in India, north of the Altai, north-east of China, in Khitan, Mantchuria, Saghalin, Corea, and Japan, and finally as Aztec, Peruvian, and Chibcha, on the American continent. Mr. Campbell, there- fore, has only to give to the characters of Hamath resembling those of Mexico their Aztec phonetic values, and the thing is done. —J. w. P. [1182 EGYPTOLOGY, Geography. — The vast field of ancient geography yet to be explored is indicated by the fact that two thousand names of places outside of Egypt, mentioned in the. geographical lists, still await identification. Brugsch points out some necessary cautions. 1°. The different systems of orientation. The Egyptian always imagined himself as standing face to the south : the ‘east was on the left hand, the west on the right hand, and the north behind him. The African made a point, between the Nile and the Red Sea, east of Ethiopia, the place from which he judged of the re- lations of countries : hence to him Ethiopia was in the west, etc. The Asiatic faced the east, and spoke of it as before him, the west as behind him. And the Egyptian monuments represent, sometimes one, sometimes another, of the systems in giving the re- lations of the same place. 2°. The Egyptians very frequently translated and did not transcribe foreign names. It has often been remarked that the names of nations well known in pre-classic antiquity, and with whom the Egyptians were well acquainted, are not found on the monuments. These names must SCIENCE. — 615 be sought in the Egyptian translations. 3°. The Egyptian geographical lists, in their enumeration of African peoples, proceed from south to north: among Asiatic nations they proceed from north to south; i.e., in both cases they follow the downward course of the great rivers. Brugsch believes that Punt was a southern land, not in Arabia (where most place it), but in Africa, and that the Egyptians sent expeditions thither at a very early period in their history. Hommel ( Vorsemi- tischen kulturen, 1888, p. 108, 421) thinks these expe- ditions began about 2450 B.C. — (Revue egyptol., iv.) H. 0. [1183 NOTES AND NEWS. The remains of the late Professor Charles Frederic Hartt, who is well remembered for his extensive scien- tific researches in Brazil, arrived at New York from Rio de Janeiro on June 7 last, by the steamer Finance. They will be carried to Buffalo, N.Y., the home of Mrs. Hartt, for interment. Over five years have now elapsed since the death of this distinguished natural- ist and linguist, whose life was so faithfully dedicated to the cause of Brazilian science. Completely worn out by the drudgery of official cares in trying to perfect the organization of which he was the chief, against the jealousies of a foreign and unappreciative people, he fell an easy victim to that most dreaded of all Brazilian scourges, yellow-fever, which afflicted so many Americans during the early spring of 1878. His grave in the protestant section of one of the larger Rio cemeteries has borne no other mark than the customary number by which it could be identified. While Brazil has neglected the memory of one who more than any other gave character and purity of purpose to its scientific undertakings, his own coun- try will not fail to do him homage. —The Report of the chief of ordnance, U.S.A., 1882, contains some important matter relating to the science and practice of gunnery. Col. Crispin makes a long and valuable report on European ordnance. The methods of construction of British and French ordnance are described, and the advantages of mal- leable over cast irons are exhibited. The now familiar effects of tempering in oil, as practised in British gun-making establishments, are described. Soft steels having a tenacity, untempered, of. thirty- one tons per square inch are given a strength of forty-seven tons by oil-tempering, their elongation being, meantime, reduced somewhat by the process. The reporting officer concludes that the direction of change is toward the introduction of built-up forged guns, or built guns of cast steel, and that the future is to see the introduction of this principle carried to its limit in guns made of coiled wire, as proposed by Treadwell of Cambridge, and recently by Wood- bridge, — a conclusion manifestly at variance with the results described in his report as attained by Whitworth with solid guns of compressed steel. The principles upon which Whitworth is working 616 are summed up by that inventor as ‘“‘strong, duc- tile, and sound materials, strong, quick-burning powder, short guns, long projectiles, and rapid rota- tion.” Lieut. Birnie’s conversion-tables for metric measures are included in this volume. They are substantially the same as those issued by the Messrs. Wiley, together with Noble’s British tables, and other matter from Thurston’s Materials of engineering. Capts. Mighaelis and Greer discuss the deviations of projectiles mathematically. ‘The report is supplied to libraries and scientific departments by the chief of ordnance. — De Candolle’s ‘ Origine des plantes cultivées’ has received a searching review at the hands of Professor Asa Gray and Mr. J. Hammond Trumbull in the American journal of science. The book itself is as valuable to anthropology as it is to botany, and it was fitting that a competent representative of each of these sciences should be associated in its examination. The reviewers, however, in this case, seem to have had a definite object ulterior to that of merely appreciating this last great contribution of the venerable phytologist. The claims of America as the original source of a large number of the best- known yegetable products of the globe required to be defended; and they deliberately assumed and per- formed this task, showing in a large number of cases that De Candolle had either ignored or had not duly weighed the evidence that exists in favor of their American origin. The comprehensive and critical learning displayed in these articles, relative to the mention of these plants in the early history of Amer- ican discovery, is only equalled by the shrewdness and force with which it is marshalled in support of the views which the writers feel called upon to set forth and sustain. — ‘Progress in meteorology, 1879-81.’ This useful contribution to the English literature of meteorology has been published by the Smithsonian institution under the editorship of Professor Cleveland Abbe of the army signal-office. It consists, as the author ex- pressly states, of extracts, mostly from the Vienna Zeitschrift for the years 1879, 1880, and 1881; and this accounts for the notices from the German of two papers originally published in this country. Bio- graphical notices of eminent meteorologists who died in the interval covered by this pamphlet, a concise description of the work contemplated by the Polar commission, and an account of the meteorological work in hand and proposed by nearly all the different governments, are given. Under well-arranged heads, such as bibliography, methods, apparatus, ete., chemi- cal and physical properties of the atmosphere, solar radiation and terrestrial temperature, movements of the atmosphere, barometric pressure, electricity, mag- netism, and optical phenomena, will be found abun- dant material for study, and of the later scientific investigations in the protean subject of meteorology. SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 21. — ' — The Worcester county, Mass., free school of in- dustrial science is now completing its fifteenth year. It offers free instruction to students, who, at the time they enter, are residents of the county. There is a further endowment by the state for twenty free scholarships for students elected by the board of education.» The school is by no means a local insti- tution, a large number of the boys coming from out- side Massachusetts. At present there is great need of an increase in the accommodations of the chemi- cal and engineering departments. The friends of the institution are bestirring themselves, and have issued a pamphlet stating the results of the school’s work up to this time, and the urgent need there is for further room, that the growth of-the institution may not be cramped. The mechanical department, possi- bly the most thriving, has received, within the last two or three years, greatly increased facilities, but is pressed to the utmost to fulfil the demands upon it. — At the meeting of the Engineers’ club of Phila- delphia, May 19, Mr. C. G. Darrach exhibited two pro- files from Tiffin, O., to Lake Station, on the southern bend of Lake Michigan. The surveys were made for the Baltimore and Ohio short line to Chicago, — one vid Napoleon, and the other vid Defiance, O. About 240 miles of surveys were run, and the profile and maps plotted in sixty working-days, with a party of eight men. At the meeting of June 2, Mr. Carl Hering read a short article on electrical units and formulae; Prof. L. M. Haupt exhibited a drawing of the Phoenixville bridge, which was built by Mr. Moncure Robinson, C.E., in 1836, for the Philadelphia and Reading Rail- road, over the Schuylkill. It is an instructive and enduring monument of successful construction of cut- stone masonry. There are four segmental arches 72 feet clear span, and 164 feet rise; radius of arch, 474 feet; voussoirs, 2 feet 9 inches thick. One end abuts against a rocky bluff, whilst the other is sup- ported by a heavy abutment with an earthen filling. It is believed to be one of the lightest and cheapest bridges of its kind in this country, having cost but $48,000. The secretary exhibited samples of Japan- ese paper, which he had obtained through Mr. J. A. L. Waddell. Many Japanese papers are of excellent quality, and could probably be used with great adyan- tage in engineering practice. — Van Nostrand has published, as one of the ex- cellent ‘ Science series,’ a book of logarithms to four places, of logarithmic and natural functions. The tables seem to be very well arranged, especially those of the natural functions. — Dr. Ralph Copeland, editor of Copernicus, writes to that journal in the latter part of February last, from La Paz, Bolivia, 12,050 feet above the level of the sea, — ‘For the first time for ten days, the sky is tolerably clear, and remarkably dark, although the moon is al- JuNE 29, 1883.] most exactly full, and at an altitude of some 30°. At 9h. 30m. local mean time, to test the clearness of the air and the visibility of fifth and sixth magnitude stars, I made a naked-eye sketch of the Hyades and Pleiades, which were also roughly at the same alti- tude as the moon, but considerably more than 90° distant from her. In the Pleiades I distinctly made out ten stars, —D. M. + 24°, 553 and 556, both of 7.0 magnitude, being seen as one star; and D. M. + 24°, 546, of magnitude 6.3, being clearly visible. In the head of Taurus I made out seventeen stars, two of which — D. M. + 16°, 586, and + 16°, 605 (of 6.0 and 5.0 magnitude) — are not in Argelander’s Uranome- tria nova. I also saw o Tauri plainly double. “ As it is now near the close of the rainy season, I hope shortly to be in a position to report something of what can be done with a six-inch refractor at 14,- 360 feet above the sea-level. My station is at Vinco- caya, between Arequipa and Puno. In the mean time I am endeavoring to obtain the height of the Tlimani.” — Dr. Ralph Copeland, editor of Copernicus, writes to that journal in the latter part of January last, from Lima, — *¢ At Chorillos, near this, are staying M. Barnaud, Lieut. de Vaisseau, and M. Favreau, Enseigne de Vaisseau, members of the French Venus expeditions to Chili. Chorillos is the landing-point of the cable from Valparaiso and Panama. The French astrono- mers, in conjunction with two:colleagues now at Val- paraiso, are determining the difference of longitude. They have two-inch transit instruments, with chron- ographs and chronometers; and the cable is led directly into the observatory. The instruments are similar at both stations, and the observers do not interchange stations; but the personal equation has been determined for wire-transits, and signals trans- mitted by Thomson’s galvanometer. The strength of current is adjusted by a rheostat to a constant strength. A triangulation will connect Chorillos, Callao, and Lima, distant some six or seven miles from each other. The connection of Valparaiso with Buenos Aires on the one hand, and with Callao and Panama on the other, will complete the circuit of the greater part of South America; the chain from Green- wich to Buenos Aires, through Lisbon, Madeira, St. Vincent, Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio Janeiro, and Monte- video, having been finished by Lieut.-Commander Green, U.S.N., in 1879.” — The first livraison of Les nouvelles conquétes de la science, par Louis Figuier, is devoted to a sketch of the application of electricity to lighting. Judging from the sample of explanation given in the introduction, where the glowing of a conductor is attributed to the accumulation of an electric fluid, it cannot be said that the book promises to give a straightforward statement of facts without embellishment. The illus- trations are numerous and attractive. Very much of SCIENCE. 617 the same untrustworthy character is the first livraison of Nouvelle histoire des voyages, par Richard Cortam- bert. Both of these books are for sale by F. W. Chris- tern, New York. — Prof. C. 8S. Sargent has recently prepared a strik- ing statement of the loss, actual and prospective, suffered from forest-fires, and of the necessity of stringent legislation for their prevention. Especially should this loss be brought to public attention in New England, where so much surface is adapted only to forest-growing, and whence a great share of our white pine must come in future years. These states already possess valuable forests of second-growth pine, now reaching a size when they can properly be thinned out, leaving the smaller trees for future need. But in Massachusetts alone, ten thousand acres of forest are on the average burned annually; about one-third of the fires beginning from locomotive sparks, and nearly all the rest from easily avoided carelessness. . This burning not only destroys the standing trees; it makes investment of capital in growing forests hazardous, it checks the growth of a very desirable industry, and it destroys the capacity of the ground to continue a pine growth. When properly cut, a pine forest may be propagated indefinitely. When burned, _ thereis a long succession of weeds and briers, moun- tain cherry, gray birch, willows or poplars, maples, and ash-trees, until a hard-wood growth is established. This maintains itself for a long time if left alone; but if the ground be then cleared by cutting, cultivated for many years, and then left free from plough and scythe, and guarded from pasturing and fire, the white pine will spring up spontaneously after its long absence. Fifty or one hundred years must pass before this desirable crop returns. In view of so long a delay, and of the considerable value that pine will soon command, it is well that special care should be given to protecting and preserving the second-growth forests now approaching maturity. — The national congress of the French geographic societies will meet this year at Douai, seat of the Geographic union of the north of France, on Aug. 26, for a week’s session. Excursions will be made to Calais and other points on the channel, and to Charle- ville, and across the Ardennes to Belgium. A geo- graphic exhibition is proposed in connection with the meeting. —M. de Lesseps recently stated to the French geographical society that the work on the Panama canal was going on in good condition. Excavation has been begun all along the line. Two American machines had just been received, capable of digging three to four thousand cubic metres a day. The work is in charge of the chief engineer ‘ des ponts e¢ chaussées,’ sent out from France by the canal com- pany some months ago. The Algerian canal, in which M. de Lesseps is interested in connection with M. Rondaire, now, he says, stands a good chance of 618 receiving government concessions, in spite of the adverse report made by the Academy of sciences last year. — The Entomological society of London, the sec- ond of its name, held its fiftieth anniversary last month; and, in his presidential address upon the oceasion, Mr. J. W. Dunning suggested that Pro- fessor Westwood of Oxford be made titular life- president of the society. ‘‘ An original member, he has never failed us. During the crucial period of our childhood, he was the motive power, the life and soul, of the society. For fourteen consecutive years he was secretary, and for part of that time he was curator also. The council has seldom been complete without him, and during six years he was our president. Whilst he resided in or near London, he rarely missed one of our meetings. Even Oxford cannot keep him away from us; and there is not a single year, from first to last, that he has not been a contributor to our transactions.”’ This pro- posal was carried by acclamation. —The unusual competition for the last ‘ Walker prize’ of the Boston society of natural history induces the society to offer the same subject for next year’s competition; viz., ‘Original unpublished investiga- tions on the life-history of any animal or plant.’ While the partial treatment of the subject is per- mitted, preference will be given, other things being equal, to memoirs which embrace the whole life-his- tory of an animal or plant from the early embryo- logical stages to the adult form. The society also offers, through the generosity of a member, for next year, a special first prize of from $60 to $100, and a second prize of $50, on the follow- subject: ‘‘ A study of the venation of the hind-wings of Coleoptera, with illustrations of all the families of Le Conte’s and Horn’s classification.’? Essays in competition for both prizes must be sent to the secre- tary of the society before April 1. — Over four hundred members of the British asso- ciation have already pledged themselves to attend the meeting at Montreal in August, 1884. It is be- lieved that all the permanent officers of the organiza- tion will be present. — We learn that a series of fifteen original letters of Alexander von Humboldt to his intimate friend Wegener, bearing the dates 1788-90, is for sale in Germany. They have been made use of for the biog- raphy of Humboldt by Bruhns ; and extracts have been more than once published, — most recently, in the Berlin journal Gegenwart, nos. 30 and 82, of 1882, —but they have never appeared in full. Any insti- tution or private person desiring to acquire them should apply to Dr. G, A. Saalfeld, Hobsminden, Germany. — In the weekly summary {] 1075, line 20, instead of ‘acid,’ read ‘pentachlor- and hexachlor-com- pounds.’ SCIENCE. [Vou. I., No. 21. In the ‘Weather in March,’ p. 388, for ‘Falls- town, Ind.,’ read ‘ Fallstown, Md.’ RECENT BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. American apiculturist, The. A journal devoted to scientific and practical bee-keeping. Edited by S. M. Locke. Vol. i., nos. 1-2, Salem, Mass., Locke, May—June, 1883. 48 p. 8°. Anderson, J. Scotland in pagan times: the iron age. The Khind lectures in archaeology for 1881. Edinburgh, Doug las, 1888. 332p. 8°. Basset, J. Anthony. Latitude and longitude, and longitude and time, embracing a comprehensive discussion, with over one hundred illustrative questions and problems. Syracuse, N.Y., Bardeen, 1883. 50p. 16°. 7 Blackburn, T. True and false issues betwéen christianity and science. London, Skefington, 1883. 12°. Box, T. A practical treatise on the strength of materials, in- cluding their elasticity and resistance to impact. London, Spons, 1883. 530p. 8°. Briart, Alphonse. Principes élémentaires de paléontologie. Avec 227 figures. Mons. Bawdry. 12°. Buck, J. H. W. A graphic table for facilitating the com- putation of the weights of wroughtiron and steel girders, etc., for Parliament and other estimates. London, Lockwood, 1883. Large sheet, Cotterill (Bishop of Edinburgh). Does science aid faith in regard to creation. London, Hodder, 1888. 226p. 8°. Dessoliers, H. De V’habitation dans les pays chauds. Con- tribution & Vart de Vacclimatation. (Alger) J. Baudry. illustr. 8°. : Dresler, E. F. Flora yon Lowenberg in Schleswig; nach dem natiirlichen system bearbeitet. Lowenberg, Adhle7, 1883. 162 p. 12°. Eclectic complete geography, The. Cine. and N.Y., Van Antwerp, Bragg, & Co., 1888. (New two-book series.) 114 p., illustr. 4°. Haeckel, Ernst. Heterothalamus, 82. Hexagram, Pascal, 592. Hexamita inflata, 568. Hibernation, action of heart during, 1046. Hieracium alpinum, 552. ‘ High stations, observations at, 119. Himearp, H. W. Distribution of public documents, 395. Hitz, A. F. Shop-treatment of structu- ral steels, 106. Himalayan melaphyrs, 20. Hirmoneura, id/., 882; exotica, 513; ob- scura, 513. Hirondelle, L’., i//., 388. Hirsch’s Report on machinery at Paris, 1878, reviewed, 605. Histélogy of pancreas, 67. History of fresh-water mussels, 54. Histriophoca equestris, 417. Hiteheock, C. H., 350. Hittite inscriptions, 1182. Hive-bee, color-preference of, 305. Hornesite, 433. Holbrookia texana, 21. HoxpeEn, E. 8. Houzeau’s Astronomical literature, #//., 112; map of planets and stars near sun, May 6, 1883, 7d/., 65. Holder, C. F. Animals extinct within human memory, 559; right whale of the North Atlantic, 598. Holopus, 88, 527. Holosaurus, 372. Holozonia, 50; filipes, 50. Homologies and conics, 694. Homopus elephantis, 62. \ Hong Kong, observatory at, 377. Hoplia, 203. Hornblendie granite of Quincy, Mass., 210. Horse, colors of, 629; digestive fluids of, 602. Horse-trotting from mathematical stand- point, 335. Houghton Farm, 250, 374. House-flies in Philippines, 169. Houzeau, J. C., 236. Houzeau and Lancaster’s Astronomical literature, reviewed, 2z/., 112. Hovelacque’s Les races humaines, re- viewed, 516. Howe, H. M. Cure for blast-furnace chills, 102. Howell, G@. W. Topographical map of New Jersey, reviewed, 545. ‘ Hubrecht on Development by primogeni- ture, 165. Human fauna of District of Columbia, 575; remains in bone-cayerns of Bra- zil, 541. Humboldt, A. von, letters of, 618. Humite, 317. Humus in soil, determination of, 265. Hungarian census, 223. Hunt, T.8. Coal and iron of Alabama, 101; decay of rocks geologically con- sidered, 324; geology of Lake Superior, 218. Hurricane of Oct. 20, 1882, 25. Huston, 8. Peculiar faulting of coal-bed, ills Oy Hybrid, pleuronectoid, 623. Hydra, 50, 179; grisea, 81; oligactis, 81; viridis, 81, 143. Hydra, development of tentacles of, 238 ; nature of green cells of, 142. Hydraulic experiments, 699; machine- tools, 975. Hydric peroxide as reagent in chemical analysis, 1108; sulphide, preparation of, from coal-gas, 1107. _ Hydrochloric acid and caffeine, 1021; electrolysis of, 107. Hydrogen lines, reversal of, 1068; whis- tles, 865, 1141. Hydroids, Australian, 513; endodermal neryous system in, 617; histology of, 388; nervous system of, 387. Hydro-medusae without digestive organs, 1091. SCIENCE. — INDEX TO VOLUME I. Hydrophilus, 82. Hydropsyche, 345. Hydrous salts, changes of volume and of molecular arrangement in, 108. Hydroxylamine reaction, 766. Hygrometer, condensing, 597; dry- and wet-bulb, 502. Hylerpeton, 523. Hylonomus, 523. Hylopus, 523. Hymenoptera, thorax of, 954. Hypergeometric series, 641. Hyperoddon, 555. Hypersthene-andesite, 375, 985. Hypocnemus, 612. Hy poglossus, origin of, 59. Hypophysis, development of, in Petromy- zon planeri, 256. Ice-age in Pennsylvania, 376; caves, 549; palace at St. Petersburg, 375; plant, 610. Idotea, color in, 618; tricuspidata, 285. Ines, G. Compass deviation, 485. Illinois state laboratory of natural his- tory, 155, 374, 495. Tilustration of an abuse, 501. Import duty on scientific journals, 589. Impregnation, activity of yolk during, 1132; in turkey, 576. Improvements at Batopilas in silver amal- gamation, 19. Ineas, metallurgy of, 819. India, 631. Indian burial-mound, 168; meteorology, 267; music, 751; portraits, 83; relics from New Brunswick, 245; species of Primula and Androsace, 47. Indian Ocean, 1124. Indian-oflice report, 684. ie Indiana geological report, reviewed, 336. Indo-China, 1086 ; coal and mineral fields of, 1079. pacteton, Conti’s system for neutralizing, 65. Induration of rocks by atmospheric action, 313. Infants, weight of, 1006. Infinitesimals, 922. Infusorian, new ciliate, 270; theory of conjugation of, 273. Inhibition, 1177. Injector, exhaust steam, 1020. Innus pithecus, 261. Inscriptions, Hittite, 1182. Insect oscillations, action of birds upon, 457. Insects, color-preferences of, 955, 1093; fossil, 375, 1095; respiratory mechan- ism in, 673. Instrument for measuring intensity of aerial vibrations, 4. Insulation of electric-light wires, 812. Integrals, definite, 536, 860. Integumentary appendages, 337. Intensity of aerial vibrations, 4. Interference of sound by telephone, 167. Intermaxillary bone, development of, 1099. Intermedius of carpus in man, 743. International African association, 499; bureau of weights and measures, 441; commission on geological map of Eu- rope, 236; conference for determination of electrical units, 87; congress of elec- tricians, 120; fisheries exhibition, 417, ill. 447, 564; geological congress, 184, 512; standard time, 159. Intersections of circles and 348. Invertebrates, coloring-matter in bile of, 1168; research on lower, 237; trade in Californian, 239. Iodide, ammonio-argentic, 924; electric conductivity of, 426; of silver in emul- sion, 1069. Toglossus, 534. Towa weather service, 376. Tridium, electro deposit of, 83; reproduc- tion of osmides of, 104. Tron, of Alabama, 101; annealed and _un- annealed, 418; native, 495; in Ohio mounds, 912; pig, dephosphorization spheres, of, 1147; structure of, 101; volumetric determination of, 308. Tron-smelting, Bull’s process for, 208. Tron vessels, 973. Iroquois, 632. Irritability of spinal cord, electrical, 155. Irvine, R. D. Rocks of Lake Superior, 140, 359, 422. ’ Islands, classification of, 484. Isomorphism, modification of law of, 106. Isosoma tritici, 409. Isotropic solid, strain of, 967. Ttalian cretaceous fossils, 55; Limaces, 946. Italy, area of, 1035. Itieria, 252. Jade, 431. Jamaica ferns, 138. James’s Guesses at purpose in nature, re- viewed, 400. Japan, Ainos of, 219, 307; geology of, 166; volcanoes of, 329. Jefferson physical laboratory of Harvard university, 437. JEFFRIgs, J. A. Cleaning birds, 11; zoOlogical regions, 393. Jobns Hopkins university circular, 499; scientific association, 194. Joslin, O. T., on phosphides of platinum, 235. Jujuy, geology of, 1151. Juliane-haab, minerals from, 215. Jumala, 260. Junker on the Uelle, 324. Jupiter, mass of, 474. Jurassic of Galicia, 1043. Kabyles, woman among, 470. Kampecaris forfarensis, 371. Kangas, State university of, 154, 319, 471, 556. Karnak, geographical list of, 583. Keane’s Classification of the races of man- kind, 557. Kebler, E. A., on Cadmium iodide, 235. Kentucky, glaciation in, 510. Kerr, W.C. Topography of South Ap- palachian plateau, 105. Keweenaw-point geology, 248. Keweenawan series, 307. Kinetic theory, 455. Kinestey, J. 8. crustacea, 173. Kinzua viaduct, 423. Kirchhoff, A., on Classification of islands, A84. Klein, C., on Optical researches on garnet, 600. Klemm, Dr. G., anthropological museum, 559. KNEELAND, 8. Flying-fish, 191; house- flies in Philippines, 169; intelligence of crow, 359; moxa in Japan, 457; Negri- tos of Luzon, i/l., 415; Tagals of Lu- zon, ill., 297; typhoon at Manila, z//., 6. Kogia Goodei, 470. Kongo, Stanley and de Brazza on the, RAD. Kordofan, ethnography of, 467. Kradibia, 599. Krao, the human nondescript, 685. Kuengo, expedition to the, 36. Kiinckelia gyrans, 116, 612. Kiinstler’s theory of Protozoa, criticism of, 269. Kyanethine and derivatives, 593. L., W.J. Rainbow, 518. Laboratory for physics and chemistry at Cornell university, z//., 538. Lacazina, 405. Lacerta agilis, 282; muralis, 511, Lachesilla, 231. Lachrymal! duct in mammals, 626. Lactic acid, determination of, $77. Lacustrine formations of St. John, 772. Lady Franklin Bay, relief of party at, 473, 497. Laemopblaeus alternans, 409. Lagerstroemia, 370. Lagophylla, 50. Lake Agassiz, 220. Haswell’s Australian 625 Lake Bonneville, 7//., 570. Lake Constance, altitude of, 690. Lake Michigan, fauna of, 495. Lake Moeris, 887. Lake Ontario, terraces and beaches about, 28. Lake Superior, copper-bearing rocks of, 140, 221, 359, 453; geology of, 39, 218, 575; rocks of, 11, 334, 422. Lake survey, 346. Lake Winnipeg, southward discharge of, 30. Lakes and valleys in Pennsylvania, 304. Lambrus latirostris, 173. Laminarites Legrangei, 330. Land-shells, European, 448. Land-system of Franks, 1060. Landes, French, 1118. Laneupy, S. P. Photographing the co- rona Without an eclipse, 4; spectrum of argand burner, 2//., 481. Lanium album, 306; maculatum, 306. Lanthanum, atomic weight of, 709. Lapithes, 231. Latent heat, specific heat, and volume, 354. Lathyrus odoratus, 306. Laughter in lower animals, 281. Lawsonia, 370. lead as an intensifier, 292. Lead-smelting at Altenau, 1078. Leadville porphyry, 192. Leaf-movements and light, 39. Least bittern in Newfoundland, 457. Leaves, basipetal development of, 132; epinasty of, 40; exudation of water from, 991; structure and movements of, 385. LeConte, Joun. Apparent attractions and repulsions of small floating bodies, 249; freezing of liquids in living vege- table tissue, 395; sun’s radiation and geologic climate, 543; thermal belts of North Carolina, 278. LECONTE, JOSEPH. Ducks that fly abroad like pigeons, 249; movement of arms in walking, 220. Lecture experiments, 250, 13; with zinc- dust and sulphur, 18. _ Lectures at American museum, New York, 85; at Boston, 298; at Cooper ~ union, 120; upon materia medica, 291; at New Haven, 293; scientific, at Har- yard divinity school, 84; at Washington, 27, 85, 377. Leeches, segmental organs of, 999. Lerpy, J. A study of the human tem- poral bone, é//., 380, 475, 506. 3 Leidy, J., on Rotifera without rotary or- gaps, 37. Leiodon, 372. Leitocheira bispinosa, 173. Lemonias Nais, 554; Palmerii, 554. Lepidodendron, 90, 149, 840; Harcourti, 397; Justieri, 397; rhodumnense, 397. Lepidolite, 215. Lepidopodinae, 276. Lepidoptera, Wisconsin, 794. Lepidopus elongatus, 117. Lepidosteus osseus 274. Lepidostrobi, 397. Lepomis, 556. Leptoptilus cruminiferus, 23. Lesseps, de, on Rainfall at Panama, 453. Lestosaurus, 372. Letharchus velifer, 555. Leucochroa baetica, 492; candidissima, 492. Leucospori, 369. Lewis, H. C., on Glacial theory, 97. Leyden museum, Crustacea in, 950. Libellago, 612. Libellula, 82. Lichomolgus, 433. Lick observatory, transit of Venus at, 94. Lievrite, 215. Light on algae, 724; colors of flowers, and, 42; electro-magnetic theory of, 298; leaf-movements and, 39; percep- tion of, by low organisms, 52; white- ness of various sources of, 184. Light and foliage-leaves, 726. Lighthouses, improvement in, 221. 626 Lighting buoys and railroad cars, 873. Limaces, [talian, 946. Limax, 433, 402, 612; campestris, 275; hyperboreus, 533. ‘ Limenitis Disippus, 554, Eros, 554. Limnocalanus macrurus, 495. Limulus, 203, 231; eyes of, 454; larva of, 516. Lingual glands of frog, 1002. Linguistic journal, a new, 375; manu- Scripts, catalogue of, 208. Lingula, 166. Liquefaction, 455; of oxygen and nitro- gen, 970. Liquids, flow of, on surface of burette, 878. Liriope, 196. Lirus perciformis, 117. Lisbon, geographical soc., 121. Lisgocaris, 81. Lithium in waters containing calcium sulphate, 650. Lithology, archeological, 1029; instruc- tion in, at Philadelphia, 46. Little Miami valley, mound explorations in, 496. Liver, destruction of red blood corpus- clesin, 154; structural changesin, 909. Liver-Huke, life-history of, i//., 330. Lixidi, European, 953. Lizard schists and serpentines, $27. Lizards, caudal region in, 521. - Locomotion, animal, photography as ap- plied to, 189. Locust ravages, promoting, 252. Locusta viridissima, 554. Lodran meteorite, 211. Lollingite, 935. Lowit on Vagus nerve, 220. Logan memorial collection, 154. Logic, studies in, reviewed, 514. Loligo, 276. Longitude determi Valparaiso, 617 meridians of, ‘ Lophius piscatorius, bones of, 624. Lost continent, microscopic evidence of, 590. Louisiana, explorations in, 556. Love-songs, 582. Lowell institute, 235. Lucanidae of U.S., 952. Lumbriculus, 496; variegatus, 406. Luminiferous ether, density of, 183. Luminosity of magnetic field, 971. Lunar crater Plato, 637. Lund on Human remains of bone-cayerns of Brazil, 541. Luzon, Negritos of, il/., 415; Tagals of, ill., 297. Lycodes, Anguilla Kieneri of Giinther a, 279. Lycopodium, 21. Lyell, Sir Charles, Life, letters, and jour- nals of, reviewed, 62, 110. Lymnaeus trunculatus, 330. Lympb-hearts in embryo chick, 158. Lynx canadensis, 279. Lythraceue, 48, 786. Lythrum, 316. itions at Chorillos and stablishing secondary M.,8.T. Book reviews, 601. M., Tf. C. Pairing of first-born, 360. Macgregor’s Wanderings in Balochistan, reviewed, 487. Machinery at Paris, 1878, 605. Maclay’s travels, 405. Maclura aurantiaca, 207. Macrochlamys, 467. Mad¢roglossa ‘Titan, 203. Macrophthalmus definitus, 178; dilitatus, 173. Macroscelides, distribution of, 163. Macrostachya, 397. Madagascar, flora of, 895; slug from, 900. Madisonville, O., ancient cemetery at, 373. Magnesium carbonate, 197. Magnetic field, luminosity of, 971. Magnetism, influence of, on chemical ac- tion, 36; rotatory effect of terrestrial, 420. Magnetization, molecular theory of, 483. Magneto-motive force, 391. Magnitied objects, apparent size of, 343. Maine, shell-heaps on coast of, 319. Maine’s Early law and custom, reviewed, 485. Maize, variability of, 234. Malacological notes, 104.7. Malus, 466. Mammalian germ, morphology of, 627. Mammals of Hssex Co., England, 165; lachrymal ductin, 626; of north-eastern New York, 72; notochord of, 399; quantity of blood in living, 66; as weather-prophets, 456. Man, abnormal dentition in, 68; asym- metry of turbinated bones in, 167; cerebral convolutions in, 526; fecun- dity in, 742; prehistoric antiquity of, 525. Man-eating mollusk, 1129. Manganese binoxide, formation of, 425. Manila, typhoon at, 6. Manitoba fishes, 152. Mannite, second anhydride of, 205. Manumissions at four roads, 808. Manuring vineyards, 264. Manuscript Troano, 578. Map of planets and stars near sun, May 6, 1883, idd., 65. Marcou, J. B Geological map of Bel- gium, 190; international geological con- gress, 412. Margaritana margaritifera, 22, 492. Margelis, 196. Marginella, 531. - Marine engines, 701. Marionia, 524. Marsh,.O. C. Distribution of casts of Rhamphorhynehus, 56. Marsilia, 21, 397. Marsupials, communication between me- dian vaginal cul-de sac and uro-gegital canal in, after parturition, 71; foetal membranes of, 451. Martin, H. N. Consequences of spleen extirpation, 66; influence of the vagus nerve upon the heart, 220; origin, after birth, of aspiration of thorax, 357; properties of cardiac muscle and nature of the action of the vagus nerve upon the heart, 246; rhythmic muscular con- tractions, 38. Martin and Moale’s Hand-book of verte- brate dissection, reviewed, 281. Martin, J., 268. Maryland, med. chirurg. faculty of, 1001. Mass of planct, 919. Massachusetts, crested,seal on coast of, 542; inst. technology, society of arts, 157, 375, 489, 529, 560. Mastzellen of connective tissue, 1049. Material point, motion of, 1065. Mathematical tripos in university of Cam- bridge, 412. Mathurina, 466; penduliflora, 522. Maturation of reptilian ovum, 1003. Maxwell, James Clerk, Life of, reviewed, 360. Maya manuscripts, 585. Measurement, absolute, 645. Mechanics, teaching of, 416; theoretical, 972. Meconic acid and derivatives, 594, 1075. Medieval formulae, 79. Mediterranean climate, 832. Medusae, Brazilian, 1172; deep-sea, i//., 195; origin of spermatozoa in, 616. Mevalotrocha, 38. Megatherium Cuvieri, 154. Melaenis Loveni, 260. Melaphyrs, Himalayan, 20. Meleagrina californica, 81. Melopsittacus, 261. Men, races of, 516. Ménard’s Oriental history, reviewed, 41. Menobranchus, 279. Menyanthes trifoliata, fall blooming of, 137. Mercury, double haloid salts of, 16. Merejkowsky’s Suctociliata, 271. Merian, Peter, 155. Meridian-cirele, deviation of axis of, 1063. SCIENCE. — INDEX TO VOLUME I. Merriam, C. H. The least bittern in Newfoundland, 457. Merritt, G. P. Fluidal cavities in quartz. grains of sandstones, 221. Mery, Russo-Persian boundary and, 130. Mesembryanthemum erystallinum, 610. Mesoderm, vertebrate, origin of, 733. Mespilus, 466. Metal-working, great feat in, 109. Metallurgy of nickel in U. S., 102. Metals, compression of, 112; molecular condition of, 110. Meteor, track of, 7//., 422. Meteorie and terrestrial rocks, 127. Meteorie iron, Cranbourne, 604; phe- nomenon, 4. Meteorite, Bishopville, 211; Moes, 213,934. Meteorites, Dresden, 22; fusion-struc- tures in, 24, 1030; two Japanese, 212; Paris, reviewed, 41. , Meteorological research, British co-opera- tion in arctic, 125; bureau of Ohio, 208; council of England, 547; observatory in Jamaica, 321. Meteorology, Indian, 267; progress in, 616. Mexican copper-smelting, 598; manu- scripts, 585; national museum, 682; anales of same, 440. Meyer, E., on Anatomy and histology of Polyophthalmus, 96. Meyer and Seubert’s Calculation of atomic weights, reviewed, 397. Mice, embryology of, 851. Michigan state teachers’ assoc., 57. Microscopic evidence of lust continent, 590. Microscopical morphology, 603. Milk, bottled, 1111; ropy, 770; testing, 654. Milk-glands, embryology of, 162. Mill Rock, glaciai phenomena of, 314. Miller, S. A. American paleozovie fossils, reviewed, 173. Milleria herbatica, 316. Milne-Edwards, A. Crustacea of Blake and Travailleur expeditions, reviewed, 546. Mimetite, 498. Mimicry of humming-birds by moths, 456; in butterflies, theory ot, 57. Mimosa, 432; pudica, 178. Mindanao, 553. Mineralogy, instruction in, at Philadel- phia, 56. Minerals, alteration of, 1154; collection of, Boston soc. nat. hist., 436; Connecti- cut, 601; from Juliane-haab, 215. Mining statistics and technology, division of, U. 8. geological survey, 153. Minnesota, Natural history of, reviewed, 14 655; Lodran, Minot, C.S. Anatomy and histology of Polyophthalmus, 96; apparently new animal type, 3805; criticism of Prof. Hubrecht’s hypothesis of development by primogeniture, 165; early develop- ment of reptiles, 511; life-history of the liver-fluke, ¢//., 830; pairing of first- born, 360; researches on Dicyemidae, 392. Miocene, North German, 998. Mispickle, 214. Mississippi valley, explorations in, 263. Missouri weather service, St. Louis, 471. Mitchella repens, leafy berries in, £43. Mitostemma, 259, Mocs, meteorite of, 213, 934. Modiola, 433. Modiolicola insignis, 433, Mohammedans in world, 577. Mole pursues an earthworm, 404. Molecular condition of metals, 110; re- fraction, 94. Mollia, 316. Mollienesia latipinna, 556; lineolata, 556. Mollusean rock-boring, 422. Molluscan type, remarkable, 146. Mollusks, arctic, 997; and civilization, 471; fossil, of North America, 425; man-eating, 1129; of North Atlantic, 563. Monadg, parasitic, in blood of fishes, 944 ; SCIENCE. —INDEX TO VOLUME I. Moncatch-Apé, voyages of, 634, 913. Mongoloids, craniology of, 747. Monkshood, floral evolution in, 1041. Monophyes, 612. Monstrous orang, 70. Monteomery, G. E. Darwin, 531. Montreal nat. hist. soc., 372; Peter Red- path museum (see Redpath, etc.). Moon, semi-diameter of, 1103. Moor-versuchs-station, Bremen, 374. Moors, manuring, 822; 551. Moraine, great terminal, in Kentucky, 376. Morgan, Augustus de, memoir of, re- viewed, 422. Morphine, derivatives of, 206. Morphology, microscopical, 603. ; Mortillet, G. de. Prehistoric man, re- viewed, 222, Mortuary customs, 283; statistics, 321. Mosasauridae, 800. icepeaurus Camperi, 372; Maximiliani, 372. Moslem property-law, $10. Mother, age of, and sex of child, 166. Mother of petre and mother of vinegar, 98. Moths of New Mexico, 152. Motor-centres in cerebral cortex, 678. Motor disturbances following lesions of internal ear, 338. Motor-nerve endings, 676. Motor nerves of man, 1178. Moulting of decapod Crustacea, 389. Mound-builders’ pipes, 472. Mound explorations in Little Miami valley, 496. Mounds, relics from southern, 496. Mountain-climbing, hygiene of, 1082. Mouse, germ-layers and gastrula of, $50. eeyerent of the arms in walking, 11, 140, Moxa in Japan, 457. Mucor circinelloides, 178. Mucous layer of skin, 573. Miiller, Hermann, on Color-preferences of the hive-bee, 308. Murray, Alexander, 157. Muscles in breathing, 461; of insects’ wing, histology of, 247; fatigue curve of striated, 396. Museum of comparative zodlogy, 26, 83, 319, 527. Music, Aztec, 752; Indian, 751. Mussels, history and distribution of fresh- water, 54.- Mustela americana, 279. Mya, 274; arenaria, 602. Mycteria australis, 23. Myriapods, Devonian, 791. Myriophyllum, 468. Mysis relicta, 496. Myths, hero, 282. Mytilus, 433. N. The watchmaking industries in Swit- zerland, 296. Nago language and proverbs, 1057. Nais, 406. Nantucket, pine moth of, 905. Naples, Bungiaceae of, 664 ; zo0l. station, 377, tll. 479, ill. 507. Natal, geology of, 460. Natica, 319. National academy of sciences, 156, 328, 349; convention of agriculturists, 121; experiment stations, 26; museum (see U. 5. nat. mus.). Native iron, 495. Natural history of Minnesota, reviewed, 14; of Ohio, 278. Nautical mile, length of, 172. Nautilus, 230; Geinitzi, 523. Naval observatory, ete. See U.S. naval, etc. Navicula, 21, Nearctic region, relations of, 332. ‘Nebalia, paleozoic allies of, 240. Nebula of Orion, 378. Nectria cinnabarina, 369. Necturus, 279, 417. Negritos, distribution of, 633; of Luzon, ill., 415. : of Oldenburg, Nelson, E. W., 472; explorations in Yu- kon delta, 220. Nelumbium, 259. Nematophores, 728. Nemestrinidae, 513. Neopsocus rbenanus, 231. Nepheline, 215. Neptunea Ossiani, 260. Neptunus rugosus, 173. Nerye-endings in muscles, 677. Nerve-fibres, histogenesis of, 956. Nerves of blood-vessels, 622; polarization of, 460. Nettles as artillery-plants, 555. NEWBERRY, J. S. Physical conditions under which coal was formed, 89. New Brunswick, Indian relics from, 245. New England, cannibalism in, 408; towns, 753. Newfoundland geology, 373; least bit- tern in, 457. New Haven. Connecticut academy. See Connecticut academy. New Jersey geological survey, 265; topo- graphical map of, 545. New Mexico, Bandelier’s investigations in, 576; moths of, 152. New South Wales, rainfall of, 716. New Testament autographs, 7//., 35. New York agricultural experiment- station, 234, 484; documentary history of, 406; fossil peccary from, 159; mammals of north-eastern, 72; state survey, 267. Newspapers, science and, 211. Niagara Falls, assoc. to preserve scenery of, 237. Nickel in U. 8., 102; separation of, from cobalt, 1144. Nicolia aegyptiaca, 230. Niger, 35; upper, country of, 778. Night-signals for geodetic work, 173, 859. Nitella, 496. Nitrate ferment, 263. Nitrates, reduction of, 1113. Nitrogen, loss and gain of, by arable soil, 611. Nitrogenous fertilizers, availability of, 309. Nitroso-bodies, constitution of, 544. Nomenclature, geographic, 1083. Non-Euclidean geometry, 477. Nordenskidld on Rock disintegration, 39. Nordenskiold’s programme, 1161. Norris, P. W. Explorations in Missis- sippi valley, 263. North, F. W. Report upon coal-fields of Natal, reviewed, 460. North, geographical notes from, 885; notes from the, 550, 774. North America, zodlogical geography of western, 51. North American Coleoptera, 56; Sphingi- dae, geographical origin of, 795. North Carolina agric. experiment-station, 376, 472; prehistoric remains in, 470; thermal belts of, 278, 320. North-sea annelids, 564. Northern voyages in 14th century, 1160. Norway, glaciation of, 1081. Norwegian arctic fishery in 1882, 719. Nostoe pruniforme, 495. Notholaena candida, 370. Nova Scotia, sigillarian stumps of, 1044. Nuclear displacement, law of, and its sig- nificance in embryology, 7//., 2738. Numbers, theory of, 352. Nummulina, 405. internal Nunn, Eminy A. Naples zodlogical station, i//. 479, 507. Nuphar, 468. Nur-aghes of Sardinia, 286. Nux vomica, alkaloids of, 767. Nymphaea, 468; lutea, 38. Obi and Yenissei, canal between, 321. Observations at high stations, 119. Ocean currents south of Africa, 936. Octopus, 276; Bairdii, 533; punctatus, 353, 417. Octopus, giant, of west coast of America, ill., 352. 627 Ocypoda arenaria, 179; ceratophthalma, 179; convexus, 178; cordimana, 179; Fabricii, 173. Ocypoda from the Bonin islands, origin of species of, 390. Odonata of Philippines, 1173. Oecanthus niveus, 410. Oedionychis, 22. Oenothera glauca, 306. OGDEN, R. Spanish folk-lore, 542. Ohio fungi, 779; glacial phenomena in, ill., 269; mechanics’ institute, 85, 156, 489,472, 201, 263, 490; meteorological bureau, Columbus, 470, 527; mounds, iron in, 912; natural history of, 278; State forestry association, 471; state weather service, 118; weather bureau signals, 320. Ohm, determination of, 194, 293. Oldenburg, moors of, 551. Olfactory sensations, 620. Oligogynium, 405. Onchidina australis, 584. Onchidium, monograph of, 1130. O'Neill, Consul, 376. Onondaga Indians, 852. Open polar sea, theory of, 123. Opening-twitch, 255. Opbhrys apifera, 492. Opossum, foetal membranes of, 451. Optical phenomenon, 760. Opuntia, 870; Rafinesquei, 229. Orang, monstrous, 70. Orchid in Florida, 233. Ordnance experiments, 291. Ordnance, report of chief of, 615. Ore-deposition by replacement, 883. Organ of Bojanus of oyster, 145. Oriental history, 41. Origin of cultivated plants, 12; of hypo- glossus, 59; of vertebrates, GO. Orthite, 497. Orthogonal surfaces, 534; tions, 1137. Orthoptera, European, 605. Oszporn, H. F. Foetal membranes of marsupials, 451. Osmides of iridium, reproduction of, 104. Osphranter robustus, 24, Ostracism, 809. Ostrea, 274; angulata, 62, 567; edulis, 51, 567; tenuiplicata, 51; virginica, 51, 62, 567. Otaria jubata, 53, 346. Ottawa field naturalists’ club, 237, 266; microscopical soc., 121; Unionidae, 789. Oviposition in Argynnis, 153. Owen, R. Discovery of Trichina, 206. Oxalie acid, spontaneous decomposition of, 1076. Oxy-acids, aromatic, anhydrides of, 816. Oxygen at ordimary temperatures, prepa- ration of, 15; Yormation of active, 200. Oxymetopon, 554. Oxytes, 467. Oxytheea, new, 558. ; Oyster, organ of Bojanus in, 145; dis- ease in, 671; protozoan parasites of, 567. transforma- Oysters from artificially impregnated eggs, 60. Pachnolite, 1031. Pachygrapsus transversus, 173. Pachyma cocos, 499. Pachmyxa hystrix, 370. Pachypoma gibberosum, 81, Pairing of first-born, 278, 360. Palaemon, 547. Paleolithic man in Ohio, 359. Paleozoic fossils, American, reviewed, 173. Palinurichthys perciformis, 117. Palinurus, 179. Pallas iron, 23. Palmantes perfossus, 230. Palorus depressus, 409. Panama canal, 617; rainfall at, 452. Pancreas, histology of, 67. Pancreatic digestion, influence of spleen on, $48. Pantallina, 405, Panther Creek coal-basin, 309, 394. Paolia, 96. 628 Papaver rhoeas, 306. Papilio Aliaska, 871; Eurymedon, 371; Machaon, 371; oregonius, 371; Rutulus, 371; Turnus, 3871; Zolicaon, 371. Papuans and Polynesians, 341. Paramecium, 50; bursaria, 21. Paramicippa affinis, 173. Parasites of elephants, 148. Parasitic Copepoda, 243. Parental instinct a factor in the evolution of species, 303. Paris anthropological society, 207. Paris meteorites, reviewed, 41. Parkes museum of hygiene, 588. Parmacella, anatomy of, 899; Olivieri, 433. Parthenogenesis of acarids, 951. Partitions, 586. Pascal hexagram, 592. Passalus cornutus, 334. Passiflora, 259, 316. Passifloreae, new, 560, 670. Pasture-lands of far west, 186, 335. Patagonia, 1033; eastern, 659. Patagonian voyage, Bove’s, 1085. Patio process in San Dinas, 599. Paulownia, 80. Peabody academy of science, 207. Peabody museum of American archae- ology, 83, 84, 292, 319, 348, 373, 496; report of, reviewed, id/., 308. Pearls, American, 788. Peat, action of, on insoluble phosphates, 8380. Pebbles resembling artificial objects, 342. Peceary, fossil, from New York, 159. Pelagia, 287. Pelargonium, 306; chogamy of, 4.45. Pellaea, 370. Pelycosauria, 204. Pempelia lignosella, 487. Penaeus, metamorphosis of, 901; nau- plius, 433. Pendulum-chronograph, 703. Pendulum, motion of, 415. PENFIELD, §. L. Fluorine minerals, 331; optical researches on garnet, 600. PENHALLOW, D. P. Ainos of Japan, 307; flight of flying-fish, 278. Penhallow, D. P. Houghton Farm experi- ments, reviewed, 250. Penicillium, 178. Pennatula, 553. Pennatulida, 1090. Pennsylvania, anthracite coal-fields of, 647; lakes and valleys in, 304; second geological survey, 208. Pentacrinus, 83, 527. Perameles, tongue of, 523; nasuta, 232. Perception of light by low organisms, 52. Perception, reflex, varying thermal back- ground of, 345. Perfossus, Cotta’s, 511; angularis, 230; costatus, 230; punctatus, 230. Peridermium pini, 369. Peripatus, blastopore and mesoblast of, 453. Periphylla mirabilis, 196. graveolens, 202; di- Peruvian fishes and reptiles from Texas, ' 463; Ginkgos, 562; plants from east- ern Russia, 331; reptiles, 522. Peronospora viticola, 583. Peroxides, reactions of, 425; volumetric analysis of, 366. Persia, 721; improvements in, 1037; northern, 503; southern, 722. Peruvian stone-quarrying, 748. Peters, Dr. W., 438. Petrogale penicillatus, 24. Petroleum as blast-furnace fuel, 490. Petromyzon, 584; planeri, development of hypophysis in, 256. Peziza vesiculosa, 583. Phalacros, 466, Phaseolus lunatus, 14; nanus, 14; vulga- ris, 12, 13. Phenoxybromaerylic acid, 305. Philadelphia academy of natural sciences, 26, 27, 56, 875, 50, 51, 63, 68, 153, 159, 160, 280, 335, 339, 342, 463, 464, 192, 507, 522, 752, 771, 782, 783, 801, 842, 945, 957, 958, 1089, struction in mineralogy and lithology at, 56; American philosophical soc. (see Amer, phil. soc.) ; engineers’ club, 559, 616, 542, 647, 814; Franklin in- stitute (see Franklin institute). Philipp, 8., on the Ego of organisms, 498. Philippine Islands, 1039; house-flies in, 169; odonata of, 1173. Philologic science, 853. Philotheca australis, 80. Phoberus caecus, 547. Phoea vitulina, 24, 58, 543. Phoenix, 230. Pholidophyllum, 202. Phosphates, action of peat on, 880. Phosphoric acid, determination of, $24. Phosphoric and silicic oxides, 981. Phosphorus, new acids containing, 488; white, 705. Photographic defects and remedies, 588; focusing, 160; halos and reversals, 290; measurements, 417; notes, 589. Photographs, astronomical, 349. Photographing the corona, 4. Photography, applications of, to meteor- ology, 1157; applied to animallocomo- tion, 189; astronomical, 412, 867, 868. Photometer, wedge, 450. Photometric measurements of sun, moon, and electric light, 9; observations of transit of Venus, 97. Photometry, solar, 480; spectrum, 696. Phryganea, 554. Phrynosoma Douglassi, 204. Phyllites, Ardennes, 1028. Phyllotheca, 397. Phylloxera, fears concerning, 498; Rileyi, 577; vastatrix, 577. Phylloxera in France, reviewed, 576. Phylogeny of the Sirenia, 160. Physa heterostropha, 202; humerosa, 202; virgata, 202. Physalia, tentacles of, 943. Phytonomus punetatus, 409. PICKERING, W. H. Horse-trotting from a mathematical stand-point, 855; photo- graphic focusing, 160. Pictet, Raoul, high speed steamer, 558. Pieris Beckeri, 554; sisymbri, 554. Pike’s skull, development of, 518, 738. Pilcomayo, 660. Pilidium larva, 1000. Pilling, J. C. Catalogue linguistic manu- scripts, 208. Pilularia, 397. Pilumnopeus crassimanus, 173. Pilumnus detlexus, 173. Pine moth of Nantucket, 905. Pinner’s Organic chemistry, reviewed, 223. Pinnotheres ostreum, 568. Pinus, 20; excelsa, 553; koraiensis, 1089; strobus, 369. Pipes, mound-builders’, 472. Piriqueta capensis, 522; caroliniana, 466. Pirus, 466. Pisidium, 61; arcticum, 584; glaciale, 584; nivale, 584. Pithecia satanas, 24. Pithom, 1012. Pithom-Succoth, 581, 687. Pitt-Rivers collection in anthropology, 374. Plagusia depressa, 467. Planarian, cave-dwelling, 451. Planeri Ungeri, 259. Planets, mass of, 919; small, 392. Planetary induction, 299. Plant-life, past and present, 358. Plants, variation in, 1087. Platessa vulgaris, 289. Plato, lunar crater, 637. Platyarthus Hoffmanseggii, 81. Platycodon grandiflorum, 20. Platygonus compressus, 53. Platymesopus, 599. c Platyphyllum, 202; sinense, 202. Playas and playa-lakes, 219. Plectrocnemia, 345. Pleistodonta, 599. Pleurocera elevatum, 495, SCIENCE.— INDEX TO VOLUME I. Pleuronectoid hybrid, 623. Plioplatecarpus, 372. Plumatella, 38. Plumularia halicioides, 344. Plusia brassicae, effect of pyrethrum upon, 249, Poa, 187, 370. Podalirius, 554. Podostemaceae, holdfasts in, $35. Podura, 612. Poey, F. Ichthyologia cubana, 184. Pogge and Wissmann, 381. Point Barrow observing party, 208, 497. Polar quadrilateral, 288, 754. Polar research, 657. Polarization of diffracted light, 186. Pollen in cycads and conifers, develop- ment of, 41. Pollenia rudis, 82. Pollination of Araceae, 992; Arum itali- cum, 446; fig, 615; Rulingia, 10838; Rutaceae, 230. Pollinia, withdrawal of, in bee orchis, 994. Polygons, geodesic, 639. Polyides, 344. Polymorphism of acarids, 951. Polynesia, 1038. Polynesians and Papuans, 341. Polynoe globifera, 260; scolopendrina, 260. Polyophthalmus, 96; pictus, 96. Polyphylla, 203. Polypodium, 870. Polystigma, 178. Polyxenus, dermal appendages of, i//., 792; fascicularis, 371. Pomaceae, 941. Pompholys, variations of, 450. Ponape, Micronesia, alleged ancient build- ings at, 293. Pontophilus Jacqueti, 547. Pontoporeia, 495. Poole’s Index to periodical literature, re- viewed, 68. Population, aboriginal, of northern Amer- ica, $33; march of centre of our, 221; statistics of, 411. Porphyrites, Cheviot, 773. Porphyry, Leadyille, 192. Portugal, rights of, 990. Positive prints from positive, $69. Potamogeton, 468. Potassium chromate, separation of barium from strontium or calcium by, 361. Potato-disease, prevention of, 371. Potentilla anserina, 306. Potsdam sandstone, impressions on, 372. Pouchet, G., 376. Power, transmission of, 697. Precious metals from slags, 368. Precocity in chicken, 574. Prehistoric antiquity of man, 525. Prehistoric man, 222; trephining, 307. Prejeyalsky’s movements, 265, Prentiss, D. W., 375. Pressure in carbon, 540; influence of, on chemical action, 201. Primogeniture, development by, 165. Primula, Indian species of, 4:7. Prionastomata, 599. Pristis, use of the saw in, 61. Prize question of Royal Danish society of sciences, 392. Prizes, Walker. See Walker prizes. Procyon, 82. Prognostics, popular weather, 216. Projectile, rifled, radius of gyration of, 864. Pronuba, 287. Propionic acids, 768. Prorastomus, 346. Prorhynchus, anatomy of, $46. Prorocentrum micans, 568. Prosopis juliflora, 554. Prostomum, 51. Proteine, digestion of, 601. Proteles, myology of, 258; cristatus, 82. Protella, 554, Proto, 554. Protocattannic acid, 816. Protophasma Dumasii, 96. / SCIENCE. — INDEX TO VOLUME I. Protoplasm, chemical character of living, 38; in contiguous cells, $92; living and dead, chemical constitution of, 613. Protoplasmic bodies, chemical constitu- Ho of, $36; motion, physiology of, Protozoa, Biitschli’s, 53; criticism of Kiinstler’s theory of, 269; investiga- tions on, 787; preservation of, 268; polemical about, 1169. Protozoan parasites of oyster, 567. Prussian gymnasia, curriculum in, 169. Pseudamussium Verrilli, 51. Pseudotriacis microdon, 119. Psilophiton, 397. Psiloptera, 203. Psocidae, 517. Psocus heteromorphus, 231. Psychoda, 492. Psychological methods, 74. Pteris aquilina, 405. Pterocarya denticulata, 259. Pterostichus, 317. Pterycollasaurus, 372. Ptinus, 203. Ptomaines, researches on, 570. Public documents, distribution of, 239, 395. Puccinia suaveolens, 369. Pueblos of Tusayan, explorations of, 153. ~ Pulmonata, East-Indian, 948. Pumps, centrifugal, 424. Pupa artica, 583; Bigsbii, 523; edentula, 588; Gredleri, 583; Krausiana, 583; ve- tusta, 523. Potnam, KF. W. Archeological frauds, 99; Indian burial-mound, 168. Putnam, F. W., lectures by, 439. Pylocheles Agassizii, 547. Pyrameis Atalanta, 433. Pyrethrum, 576; cinerariaefolium, 487; roseum, 487. Pyrrol-potassium, action of cyanogen chloride on, $17. Quadrangles, conjugate, 174. Quadrature of the circle, 1. Quadrupeds, taxonomy of hoofed, 403. Quarterly journ. microsc. science, 157. Quartics, ternary, 177; unicursal twisted, 1139. Quartz, electro-optical properties of, $70. Quassia, 576. QUIET, EH. T. Venturesome spiders, 4. Quincey, Mass., hornblendie granite of, Quingueloculina, 405. Raccoon’s limbs, muscles of, 257. Races of men, 516; in Cochin China, 287. Radiant heat, 248. Radiation, solar, 612; terrestrial, $29. Rafflesia, 344. Railway-accidents in 1882, 167; and earth’s rotation, 700. Railway management as a science, 196; rae 410; time-tables, new system of, Railways, automatic inspection of, 195. Rainbow, 5138. Rainfall in France, 1120; New South Wales, 716; Panama, 425; South Aus- peal, 1119; statistics, 120; Uberaba, 17. Rana, 277, 317; pretiosa, 21. Ranunculus, 306; philonotis, 259. Raphidiophrys elegans, 466. Rastenberg granite, 930. Rational fractions and partitions, 1016. Rattlesnake, fangs of, 63. Red tape, 473. Reppvues. Precocity in a chicken, 574. Redpath (Peter) museum of McGill uni- versity, 154, 288. Refining process, 1023. Reflection of actinic rays, 6. Refraction, elliptic double, 187 ; molecu- lar, 94. Regel in central Asia, 322. Regina Kirtlandi, 279. REIGHARD, J. Cracking inice, 248; snow- drifts, 221. Religion and science, 548; of savages, 468. REmsEN, I. Influence of magnetism on chemical action, 36. Renard, A., on St. David’s rocks, 541. Renault’s Fossil botany, reviewed, 397. Renilla, 553. Replacement, ore-deposition by, 883. Reptiles, development of, 511. Resistance in carbon, 540. Resistance-unit, determination of, 539. Resonance boxes, experiments with, 182. Respiration, influence of centre of deglu- tition on that of, 796; experiments, new apparatus for, 131. Respiratory mechanism in insects, 673 ; movements, influence of, on arterial pressure, 395. Retinia frustrana, 434. Reversion of superphosphates, 825. Reviews, book, 601. Revue de histoire des religions, 377. Rezbanyite, 318. Rhabdocoela, 406. Rhachoearis, 547. Rhamphorhynchus phyllurus, cast of, 56. Rhees’ Catalogue of Smithsonian publica- tions, reviewed, 310. Rhinochilus, 21. Rhizocrinus, 527. Rhizomorpha fragilis, 369; necatrix, 369; subcorticalis, 316; subterranea, 316. Rhizophyllum, 202. Rhizostoma, 287. Rhizotragus pupa, 333; solstitialis, 333. Rhodope, position of, $97. Rhombus maximus, 289. Rhynchocephalus Sackeni, 513; volaticus, 513. Rhyolite from Yellowstone Park, 932. Rhyssota, 467. Rhythmic muscular contractions, 38. Rhytidophyllum, 202; pusillum, 202. Rhytina, 53, 293, 346, 417; gigas, 25. Ribes, 432. Rice, W. N. Connecticut minerals, 601. Rice, by-products from, 928. Richardia Aethiopica, 405. RicHarvs, R. H. Changes in structure of block-tin, 102; lines of weakness in cylinders, 106. Richardsonia, 405. Ridgway, R., 499. Riebeck in India, 321. Riemann’s theory, 413. Rifle-barrels, swelled, 1104. Rigidity of earth, 93. Ritey, C. V. Elephantiasis, or Filaria disease, z//., 419; fig-insects, 599; grape Phylloxera in France, 576; larval stages and habits of the bee-fly Hirmoneura, ill., 382; Nemestrinidae, 513. Rio Bembe, 609. Rio Pilecomayo, 660. Ripple-marks, 1032. Riyer-courses by Vicenza and Padua, 1158. Rivers, regulation of, 301. Rizzolo clays, fossils of, 790. Roasting cylinders, 105. Robinia, 179, 466. Robins, 457. Rock disintegration in hot, moist cli- mates, 39. Rock-salt, radiation and absorption of, 1017. Rocks classified by formation, 21; decay of, 324; meteoric and terrestrial, 127; _thermal conductivity of, 98. Rocky-mountain division, U. 8. geologi- cal survey, 83. \ Rodents, development of, z//., 1052; em- bryology of, 1053; Harder’s glands in, 628. Roesleria hypogaea, 369. Rogers, Prof. W. B., 157, 184. Romans, writing among, 1135. Rome, institutions of early, 858. Rosa centifolia, 306. Roscoea, anther of, 993 ; purpurea, 492. Rot in European grape-vines, 662. Rotation of solid body, 89. Ror#weEtt, R. P. Jacketing of roasting cylinders, 105. Rotifera without rotary organs, 37. 629 Rotula, 467. Royal observatory, Cape of Good Hope, 921. Royal society of Canada. Ruled spaces, 289. Rulingia corylifolia, 553; pannosa, 553; parviflora, 553. ; Rulingia, pollination of, 1088. Ruscus aculeatus, 259. Russia, archeology of, 574; southern, 128. Russians and English in western Asia, 224. Russo-Persian boundary and Merv, 130. Rutaceae, pollination of, 230. Ryper, J. A. Development of the mem- brane bones of the skull of the pike, 513; law of nuclear displacement, and its sig- nificanee in embryology, 2/., 273; pro- tozoan parasites of the oyster, 567; rearing oysters from artificially impreg- nated eggs, 60. See Canada. §. Badly crystallized wrought iron, 248. Saccharimeter, 7. Saccharomyces apiculatus, 178. Sacconi, P., 376. Sagenaria, 397. Sagerstroemia, 316. Sagitta, 446. St. Bernard, observations at, 217. St. David’s rocks, 541. St. Paul’s rocks, 590. Salisburia primigenia, 259. Saliva, amylolytic action of, 571; proper- ties of, 275. Salivary alkaloids, 569. Salix mauritanica, 249. Salpa, 446. Salvia, 230; fulgens, 492; Grahami, 492, Salvinia, 397. Salzbrunn, spring-water from, 649. Samia cynthia, 4; 9. San Francisco. California academy. See California academy. Sand-tracery, 192. Sanpo, 505. Saporta’s Fossil algae, reviewed, 252. Saportea grandifolia, 259; salisburioides, 299. Saprinus, 492. Saprolegnia, 201, Saprolegniaceae, reproduction in, 442. Sardinia, molluscan fauna of, 947; nur- aghes of, 286. Sargent, C. 8., on prevention of forest- fires, 617. Sarracenia, capture of prey in, 667. Saturn’s rings, new measures of, 688. Saunders, 8. 8., on Fig-insects, 599. Sauropus, 523. Saussurit, 114. Savings-banks, school, 170. Saw in Pristis, use of, 61. Scaphiopus, 21. Scapholeberis, 467. Schary collection of fossils, 319. Schedophilus medusophagus in Ireland, 277. Schimper, A. F. W., on Development of chlorophyll and color granules, 421. Schists, carboniferous, 1153; fossil-bear- ing, 1152. Schizaea, 405. Schizodendron, 149. Schizoneura, 397; imbricator, 409. School collections of natural history, dis- tribution of, 155; savings-banks, 170. Schulze, F. E., on New animal type, 805. Schwatka’s exploration of Alaska, 557. Sciara, 492. Science in Brazil, 211; future of Ameri- can, 1; and newspapers, 211; and reli- gion, 543; teachers’ school of, Boston, 55; for workingmen, 295, 457. : Scientific journals, import duty on, 589. Scintillation of stars and aurora borealis, 1062. Scion, influence of, 1166. Sciuropterus volucella, 181. Sclerostoma sipunculiforme, 52. Scolopendrella, 1174. Scorias spongiosa, 409. 630 Scorpio, 208; eyes of, 454. Scotland, glacial depression of, 1080. Serew-propeller blades Scupper, 8. HW. Walking-stick from coal, ill., 95. Scyllium, 23. Seyphostoma, 196. Sea, depths of, 218. Sea-otter hunting, 124. Seal, foetus of, 741. Season of flowering, 45. Seasoning wood for musical instruments, 542. Seaweeds, red, fertilization of, 725. Sebaceous glands of tongue, 1005. Sebastichthys, 83. Second law of thermodynamics, 160, 248. Secondary batteries, 923. Seed-testing, 312. Seeds, sprouted and dried, value -of, 370. Segmental organs of leeches, 999. Segmentation of reptilian ovum, 1003. Selaginella, 21; tortipila, 561. Selenium cells, electrical resistance of, 100. SELwin, A. R.C. Age of rocks on north- ern shore of Lake Superior, 11; copper- bearing rocks of Lake Superior, 221. Semicireular canals, equilibration func- tions of, $47. Senegal, climate of, 777; upper, 35; railroad on upper, 321. Sensory nerves of man, 1179. Sepia, 276. Septic transformation, $2. Serbonis, 918. Serpentine, crystals of, 492. Serum albumen in gastric digestion, 734. Sesarma, 467. Sewage irrigation, $23. Sex of child, and age of mother, 166. Sexes of flowers, and heat, 783. SHater, N. 8. Improvement of the na- tive pasture-lands of the west, 186. SHARPLES, 3. P. Strength of American woods, 107. Sheep, fattening breeds of, 652. Sheflield scientific school, lectures at, 293. Shell. fish commission, Conn., 1883, Report of, reviewed, 223. Shell-heips on coast of Maine, 319. SHEPARD, E. M. Impregnation in the turkey, 576. Ships, British, registry of, 439. Shooting, conditions of sight affecting, 759. Shrimp and prawn fisheries, 242. Shufeldt, Dr. R. W., 499. Siam, upper, 1163. Siberia, $55. Siberian notes, 775. Siemens direct process, 367, 1150; unit, value of, y Sigillaria, 90, 397, 523, $40. Sigillarian stumps of Nova Scotia, 1044. Signals, night, geodetic, 859. Silene armeria, 306. Silk-culture, 206. Silver amalgamation, improvements in, 19. Silver-milling at Charleston, Arizona, 710. Simocephalus, 467. Singing mice, 259. Siphonophorae, phylogeny of, 1171. Siphonorbis Dalli, 260; undulata, 260. Siredon, 417. Siren, 417. Sirenians, American, 740; phylogeny of, 160. Skin, human, lines on, 1004; mucous layer of, 573. Skull, growth of, in dogs, 1133; of crimi- nals, 527. Slags, recovery of precious metals from, 368. ‘ Slates, use of, 168. Slavery in Hurope, 530. Slug from Madagascar, 900. Smelting, lead, at Altenau, 1078. Smith, Henry J. 8., papers of, 236. Situ, 8. I. Milne-Wdwards’ Crustacea of Blake and Trayailleur expeditions, 546. Smithsonian institution, 25, 236, 556; an- thropological papers, 1180; publica- tions, 310. Smoke abatement, 293, Snails in Spain, 995; land, from Bering Strait and Alaska, 1128. Snow, M. 8. Science for workingmen, 457. Snow-drifts, 221. Snowballs, curious, 237. Soaking-pits, $20. Soapstone-quarries, aboriginal, 1101. Société de géographie ; recipients of gold medal, 559. Society of American taxidermists, 293, 300. Society of naturalists of eastern United States, 411. Sodalite, 215. Soil, determination of humus in, 265. Soil-temperatures, 374, 1112. Solanum rostratum, 316. Solar constant, 542, 602; eclipse of May 6, 299, 587, 5945 energy, absorption of, 532; physics, 1156; Siemens on same, 1061; radiation, 612. Solemaya subplicata, 21. Solomon-islanders, 1010. Solvents, congelation of, 199. Somatogyrus isogonus, 495. Sonoran region, 50. Sorbus, 466. Sorghum, 26; nutans, 335. Sound, intensity of, $56; interference of, by telephone, 167. Sounding-wire, steel, use of, 568. Soundings, deep-sea, off Atlantic coast, map, 56d. Sounds in air, range of, 353; produced by flow of liquids, 179. Spain, geographie work in, 437. Spanish folk-lore, 542. Sparks, M. C. Caterpillars eaten by a kitten, 248. Sparodus, 523. Spathiocaris Emersonii, 81. Spea Hammondii, 21. Specific gravity of solids, determining, 537; heat, 192. Spectroscope, direct vision, 601; observa- tions of transit of Venus, 636. Spectrum of argand burner, i//., 481; of aurora, 546; photometry, 696. Spelling-reform, 473. Sperm-whale, new, 470. Spermatogenesis, 1167. Spermatozoa in Medusae, 616. Spermogonia of Uredineae, 781. Sphaerium solidulum, 499. Sphagebranchus, 554. Sphenophorus robustus, 487. Sphenophyllum, 397. Spherical triangle, 959. Sphingidae, North American, 795. Sphinx, 82, 871. Spiders, venturesome, 334. Spinal cord, electrical irritability of, 155; irritability of motor-nerve cells in, 394. Spinal nerves, relation of spinal-cord nerve-cells to fibres in, 393. Spirifer macropterus, 608. Spirillum, 568; ostrearum, 568. Spirula, 230 Spleen extirpation, 66; influence of, on pancreatic digestion, 848. Spongilla, 50. Spongomonas guttula, 370. Sporangites huronensis, 583. Spores in Erian rocks, 1127. Sporobolus, 335. Spray markings, 39. Spring floras, 136. Stadia reductions, 814. Stamens, functional differentiation in, 386, 666. Standards, distribution of, 118. Stanley and de Brazza, 989; on the Kon- go, 225. Starch from sugar, 557. Stars, scintillation of, and aurora borealis, 1062. SCIENCE.— INDEX TO VOLUME I. State weather services, 606. Statice caroliniana, 433; Lefroyi, 433. Statistical division, U. 8. department of agriculture, extension of, 2a, Statistics, rainfall, 120. Stature, nomenclature of, 854. Steam-vessel of high speed, 558. Steamer City of Fall River, 1072. Steamship, power of, 1019. Steel castings, 485; composition of, 1160; corrosion of, 871; iron, 111; process, basic open-hearth, 369; shop-treatment of structural, 106; structure of, 101; for structures, 698; wire, use of, in sound- ing, 65, 191, 568. Steenstrupine, 215. Steganoptycha claypoleana, 82. Steinmann’s observations at the Straits of Magellan, 156. Stellar photometry, 8. ‘ Stenostoma dulce, 21. 5 Stenotomus caprinus, 555. Stenzelia elegans, 230. StrEvENS, R. P. Evidences of glaciation in Kentucky, 510. Stichotricha socialis, 370; urnula, 370. Stigmuaria, 523, 840. Stock, influence of, 1165. Stoddard’s Outline of qualitative analysis for beginners, reviewed, 400. Stone graves, 802; implement from Phila- delphia, 375. Storer, F. H. Caterpillar-eating hen- hawk, 168; domestic ducks that fly abroad like pigeons, 67; mother of petre and mother of vinegar, 98; Norden- skidld on rock disintegration, 39; rob- ins, sparrows, and earthworms, 457. Stow, G. W., 377. Strahl, H, on Early development of rep- tiles, 511. Strange performance, 379. Street railways, 209; cable power for, 102. Strength of wooden beams, 261. Streptopetalum, 466. Strongylus, 344; clathratus, 52; falcifer, 52; foliatus, 52. Subinvariants, 91, 1014. Succinea annexa, 584; chrysis, 583, 484. Suctociliata, Merejkowsky’s, 271. Sugar-beet, assimilation in, 328. Sula bassana, 23. Sulphur in illuminating-gas, 307; in iron and steel, 353; in organic bodies, $76. Sulu Islands, 552. Sun’s radiation, 395, 458, 543, 602. Sunlight, action of, upon silver amalga- mation, 489. Superphosphates, fineness of, 310; re- version of, $25. Surface geology of vicinity of Baltimore, 209. Surfaces, spherical. representation of, 1064; transformation of, 638. Surnames, English, 77. Swallow-tail butterflies, American species of, 793. Swirer, L. New comet in Pegasus, 139. Switzerland, watchmaking in, 296. , Sycophaga crassipes, 599. Sycotypus canaliculatus, 224. Symmetric functions, 349, 691. Symons, G. J. Sphere anemometer, 543. Symphytum asperrimum as fodder, 651 ; officinale, 306, Synandrospadix, 405. Synovial membranes, 161. Synthesis of minerals and rocks, 459. Syringophyllum, 202. Yaber’s Winds and ocean-currents, re- viewed, 606. Tabernaemontana, 405. ‘Tachynotus inermis, 467. Tacsonia, 259, 316. Tagals of Luzon, 7U., 297. Tahiti, 227. Taste-bulbs, origin of, 523. Tauridea spilota, 496. Taxation, beginnings of, in France, 1136. Taxidea americana, 279. . SCIENCE.—INDEX TO VOLUME I. Taxidermists, American, society of, 293, 350. Taxodium, 249. Tea, detection of adulterations in, 329. Teachers’ school of science, Boston, 55, 588. Teleas, 410. Telegraphic announcements of astronomi- cal discoveries, 25. Telephone recciyer, transmitter, 7//., 302. Telephony, 763. Telescopes, diffraction in, 185. Temperature of Wisconsin lakes, 31; variation of, z//., 239, production of low, 190. Temporal bone, human, Z//., 380, 475, 506. Teneriffe, eruption of, 382. Tension of bark and annual rings in wood, 1042; in guns, 872. Terebellides, anatomy of, 844. Ternary quartics, 177. Terraces and beaches about Lake Ontario, 28; of Connecticut, 29. Tertiary flora of Australia, $41. Tesserantha connectens, 196. Testicularia cyperi, 316. Tests of building materials, 103. Tetanic stimulation of frogs’ nerves, 736. Tethys, 483. ‘Tetranychus tellarius, 409, Tetrataxis, 21. Thelphusa angustifrons, 173; crassa, 173. Theobromine, 202. Theorem of virial, 65. Thermal belts of North Carolina, 278, 320. Thermodynamics, exception to second law of, 355; second law of, 160, 248. Thermometer-shelters, $28. Thermometers, exposure of, 247, 26. Thermometric observations in cities, 156. Thermometry, 761; domestic, 538. Thomas, A. P., on Life-history of the liver-fluke, id/., 330. Thompson, J., 321. Thomsenolite, 1031. Thorax of Diptera and Hymenoptera, 954. Thorite and equivalent of thorium, 105. Thorium, equivalent of, 105; specific heat and valence of, 706. Thouar’s explorations, 321. Thrips, 482; habits of, 254. Tuurston, R. H. Peculiarity distin- guishing annealed from unannealed iron, 418. Thurston’s Conyersion-tables of weights and measures, reviewed, 606. Thyridopteryx ephemeracformis, 179, 375. Thysanura, 612. Tibet, 505. Tides, great, 434. Tilia expansa, 259. Timber, preservation of, 302. Time of apperceiying simple and com- pound concepts, 73; astronomical unit of, 1014; sense, 75; standard, 159; transmitter, telephonic, 7//., 302. Tin, structure of block, 102. Tinea bisselliella, 454; pellionella, 434; tapetzella, 434. Tinnantia, 179. Tissues, yegetable, method for examining, 228. Titanic acid in presence of iron, estima- tion of, 365. Titanium, detection and estimation of, 364. Titanophasma Fayoli, 95. Topp, D. P.. Transit of Venus at Lick observatory, 94. Tokay, Hungary, trachytic rocks of, 116. Tonga plant, 236. Tongue, sebaceous glands of, 1005. Too much red tape, 473. Topographical map of New Jersey, 545; work, U.S. geological survey, 118. Topography of south Appalachian pla- teau, 105. ‘Toronto natural history society, 472. Torpedo-boat, electric, 297; nets, 702. new, 358; time- s ‘Tortricidae, rearing, 150. Tortrix, spruce, 906. Tozzetti’s Ortotteri agrari, 498. Trachytie rocks of Tokay, Hungary, 116. Tracy, C., on deflective effect of earth’s rotation, 98. ‘Transferred impressions, 534. Transformation of elliptic functions, 83. Transit of Venus at Lick observatory, 94; expedition to Florida, 300; to Santiago, $4; observations at Helderberg, N.Y., 80; at New Haven, 81; photometric observations of, 97; spectroscepie ob- servations of, 636. Transmission, electrical, of power, $13. ‘Trayailleur’s cruise in 1882, 440; expedi- tion, Crustacea of, 546. Tree-planting on school grounds, 499. Trees, diseases of, 780. Trelease, W. Color-preferences of hive- bee, 305. Trenton gravels, 1056; nat. hist. soc., 158, 391, 466. Trephining, prehistoric, 307. Triarthron, 22. ‘Triassic traps and sandstones, 882. Trichechus senegalensis, 495. ‘Trichoplax adhaerens, 305. Trifolium pratense, 306, 432. Triglops, 83. Triglopsis Thompsoni, 496. Trillina, 405. Trillium grandiflorum, 553. Triloculina, 405. Triton, 434. Triton in North Atlantic, $90. ‘Troano, manuscript, 578. Trochiscus Norrisii, 81. Trocticus, 231. Tropaeolum, 306. Trophon breviatus, 524. Tropidoclonium, 279. Troschel’s Gebiss der schnecken, 156. TRUE, F. W. Movement of the arms in walking, 11. True F. W., 350. Tryon’s Conchology, reviewed, 40. Tryonia, 426. Trypanosoma Balbianii, 568; Eberthii, 568; sanguinis, 568. Trypeta, curious gall of a, 248; Scudderi, 82 Trypsin, carbon-monoxide poisoning, in- fluence of, on, 798. Tuckahoe, 499. Tuning-forks, rate of, 181. Turbinal bones in carnivores, 524. ‘Turbinated bones in man, asymmetry of, 167. Turkestan, eastern, 504, $34. Turkey, impregnation of, 576. Turnera apbrodisiaca, 466; diffusa, 466; ulmifolia, 522. Turneraceae, 942; flowers of, 1040. ‘Tusayan, explorations of pueblos of, 153. Tylor’s lecture at Oxford, 1055. Tylosaurus, 372. Typhoon at Manila, 6. Tyrol, floods in, 321. U. Solar eclipse of May 6, 299, 594. Uberaba, rainfall of, 277. Ubler, P. R., on Baltimore surface-geol- ogy, 277. Uintatherium, 151. Umbilics, conical, 175. Umbra, 328. Undulina ranarum, 568. Unicursal twisted quartics, 1139. Unio, 22, 274, 523; belliplicatus, 426; bo- realis, 371; complanatus, 150; luteolus, 371. Unionidae, Ottawa, 789; variations in, 1045. g United States bureau of ethnology, 119, 153, 263, 470, 585; bureau of navigation, 292; work of, 292; bureau of weights and measures, 118; coast and geodetic survey, 183; department of agriculture, 25, 59, 263, 291, 349, 409, 470; eclipse expedition, 119, 238; tish commission station at Wood’s Holl, 588; fish-com- mission steamer Albatross, 588; fungi 631 of, 663; geological survey, 83, 118, 153, 157, 183, 185, 350; geologists, and sand- stones, 307 ; Lucanidac of, 952; national academy of sciences (see National acad- emy); national museum, 23, 54, 83, 118, 152, 291, 470, 495; naval bureau of ord- nance, 291; naval institute, 472, 978; naval institute, prize essay, 293; naval observatory, 55; signal service bulletin, 527 ; Smithsonian institution (see Smith- sonian). Universities, 76, 409. University of Cincinnati. See Cincinnati. Upham, W., on Extinct Lake Agassiz, 220. Uranidea gracilis, 496. Uranium, 428. Uranometria argentina, Gould’s, 264. Uredineae, spermogonia of, 781. Uric acid, synthesis of, 203. Urosalpinx cinereus, 224, Urtica gracilis, 259. Utricularia intermedia, dispersion of, 134. Vagus, centripetal stimulation of, 1131; influence of, on heart, 220, 246. Valgus, 208. Vallonia asiatica, 583; costata, 583; gra- cilicosta, 583. Valparaiso, longitude determinations of, 617. Vanadates, formation of crystallized, by fusion, 980. Vaporization, 455. Variables, functions of several, 693; of two independent, 862. Variation in plants, 1087; of tempera- ture, 7/., 239; in the vertical, Darwin on, 10. Vascular nerve-centres, excitation of, by electrical stimuli, 735. Vaucberia tuberosa, 495. Vaux gift, the, 26. Vegetation, electric light on, 554. Venus. See Transit of Venus. Venus mercenaria in Britain, 672. Vera Cruz, Mexico, new harbor at, 303. Veratria, muscles poisoned by, 570. VERRILL, A. E. Parental instinct as a factor in the evolution of species, 303; recent explorations in region of Gulf Stream by the U. 8. fish-commission, zll., 443, 531; use of steel sounding- wire by Lieut. J. C. Walsh, 468. Vertebrate embryos, caudal end of, 572. Vertebrates, origin of, 60. Vespertilio murinus, 346. Vesuvianite, 316. Veterinary hospital, 438. Viaduct, Kinzua, 423. Vibrations, maintained, 1140; of elastic sphere, 90; of loaded bar, 180; of membranes, 757; of solid bodies, 479; sound, photography of, 758. Vibratory movement of bells, 478. Viburnum pseudo-tinus, 259; rugosum, 259. Vine, diseases of, 1125. Viola tricofor, 306. Virginias (The), 207. Virgularia, 553. Viscosity, 482. Visual exaltation, 534, Vitis californica, 578; vinifera, 578. Vitrina, 433. Vocal organs, photographing, 1070. Volatile organic bodies, 429, Volcanoes, Japanese, 329. Miele) development of, 842; globator, 405. Vortex cavicolens, 202. Vorticifex, 202. vores G. L. Railway-accidents in 1882, 167. Wave, J. M. Intelligence of crow, 458. Wavswortn, M. E. Algae and spray markings, 89; Kewcenaw-point geol- ogy, 248; Lake Superior geology, 575; meteoric and terrestrial rocks, 127; mi- croscopic evidence cf lost continent, 590; mollusean rock-boring, 422; St. 632 SCIENCE.— INDEX TO VOLUME ee David’s rocks and universal law, 541; U. §. geologists, sandstones, and Ke- weenawan series, 307. Walchia, 149. Waldeck’s drawings, errors in, 750. Waupo, L. Yale observatory heliome- ter, 2//., 91. Wales, South, eozoic and lower paleozoic in, 108, Walker prizes of Bost. soc. nat. hist., 618. Walking-stick from coal, 2//., 95. Walsh, Lieut. J. C., use of steel sounding- wire by, 968, Walther, J.,. on Development of mem- brane bones of skull of the pike, 513. Walton, Isaak, and river Lea, 739. Warp, L. F. Plant-life, past and present, 308. Ward, L. F. Fossil plants from lower Yellowstone, 559. Warring, C. B. Sun’s radiation and geological climate, 395, 602. Washington, anthropological soc., 27, 330, 410, 472, $54; biological soc., 56, 48, 84, 85, 157, 237, 298, 375, 489, 472, 559, 575,'740; philosophical society, 85, 156, 209, 320, 390, 875, 377, 472, 530, 320, 344, 537, 761, $11, $26, 883, 919, 922; Smithsonian institution (see Smithsonian). Watchmaking in Switzerland, 296. Water, color of, 695; drinking, purifica- tion ‘of, 979; organic matter in, 648; specific heat of, 643; spring, from Salz- brunn, composition of, 649. Water-works, Antwerp, 541; 646. Waterville meteorite, 377. Weather in Noy., 1882, 34; Dec., 1882, 134; Jan., 1883, 2//., 216; Feb., 1883, 2//., 271; March, 1883, z//., 385; April, 1883, ill., 536; predictions in Australia, 717; prognosti¢s, popular, 216; prophets, mammals as, 466. Weather report, Kansas, for February, 154; March, 319; April, 471; May, 556. Weather report, Missouri, for April, 471. Weather report, Ohio, for March, 470; April, 527. Weather review, Canadian, for Ieb., 1883, 6! Weather service, lowa, 376; Ohio, 118. Weather services, state, 606. Boston, Wechsels, rocks of, 931. Wedge-photometer, 450. Weigelia,553. Weights and measures, international, bu- reau of, 441. Weldon, W. F. R., on Early development of reptiles, 511. Wesleyan univ., museum of, 209. Western grasses, 234. Westwood, Prof. J. O., 618. Westwood and Satchell’s piscatoria, reviewed, 461. West Virginia, timber resources of, 208. Weyenbergh, H., 374. Whale, bottle-nosed, 1098; baleen, 630; right, of North Atlantic, 598. Whale-fishery, arctic, in 1882, 33. Wheat-stalk Isosoma, 251. nd Whistles, hydrogen, 865. White, I. C., on Lakes and valleys of north-eastern Pennsylvania, 304. White’s Fossil mollusks of North Amer- ica, reviewed, 420. White Sea, commerce of, 720. - Whitman, C. O., on the Dicyemidae, 392, Wuitney, J.D. Geology of Lake Supe- rior, 39. Whitney’s Climatic changes, reviewed, 141, 169, 192. Wilder and Gage’s Introduction to anat- omy, reviewed, 398. Wiley, H. W., 376. Wimshurst’s electrical machine, 357. WrncHett, N. H. Lake Superior rocks, ood. Wind, pressure of, 500; and ocean-cur- rents, 606; on sea and land, 715. Winding, determination of surface of, 162. Wing-muscles, histology of insect, 24%. Wintock, W. C. Great comet of 1882, ill., 388. Winogradow on Spleen extirpation, 66. Wire in deep-sea sounding, 65, 191, 568. Wisconsin birds, food of, 675; fishes of, 625; lakes, temperature of, 31; Lepi- doptera, 794. Wissmann’s letter from Cairo, 608; and Pogge, 381; trip across ‘Africa, 380. Wolkmannia, 397. Woman among the Kabyles, 470. Wood-cells in Coniferae and other trees, relations of, 327. Bibliotheca Wood, fossil, from India, 510. Wood’s Holl station, U. 8. fish-commis- sion, 588. Woods, strength of American, 107. Worcester free school of industrial sci- ence, 616, Workingmen, science for, 295, 457. Worms, multiplication of, by division, 845. Wormskioldia, 466. Wricut, G. F. Glacial phenomena in Ohio, id., 269. Wright, G. F. Studies in science and re- ligion, reviewed, 543. Writing among Romans, 1135. Wulfenite, 1155. Wurtemberg, surface and structure of, 1034. Wyoming historical society, 686. Xanthine, 202. Xiphias, 23. Xylaria, 178. Xylocopa augustii, 513. Xylopagurus rectus, 547. Yale observatory heliometer, ¢dJ., 91. Yellowstone Park, rhyolite from, 932. Yesso, 723. Yolk, activity of, during impregnation, 1132. Youne, C. A. The late Dr. Henry Dra- per, 2/l., 29. Yucatan, researches in, 1008. Yucca aloifolia, 287; fertilization of, 614. Yukon delta, Nelson’s explorations in the, 220. Zalophus Gillespii, characters of, 164. Zambesi, tribes of, 911. Zantedeschia, 405. Zea, 432. Zeller, P. C., 322 Zine, determination of, as sumone, 1145. Zizania, 12. Zonites priscus, 523. Zodgenetes harpa, 492. Zoological gardens, Cincinnati, 294; geog- raphy of western North America, 51; regions, 393. Zoothamnium, 568. Zuni, model of, 25. Zygonectes chrysoties, 556. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE PAGE Absorption apparatus for combustion products. , . . . 179 Laboratory for physics and chemistry at Cornell university, Arvicola, section of ovum of. . ot Ota Coe soa erie) 5393 plans of basement, first, second, and third floors . 540 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, portrait Oise mee en 1DS Lighthouse tower at La Haye, 162; interior of, 162; of Caddis- fly cases. Gi) De Oil lsc, by RON Guest) Palmyre, 164; of Planier, BectionOf | saz) loses Nees Coast-light of Planier, section of lens” Babe. Oh G) ote Ne Liver-Auke, developmentof .. . , - ..-.- .- . . . 330 Coast- lights of France, map showing rangeof . . .. . 138 Luzon, Negritos of (3 figs.) - . - 415, 416 Comet, great, of 1882 (3 figs.) . . 398 Meteor, after explosion (3 figs.), 5; ‘track of, seen in “Austria, 422 Commutator for electric-ligbt lines, ‘and plans Gfigs.),1 162, 188, 215 Moraine, map of Ohio, showing terminal»... ss . 269 Comparator, planof. . . 240 Mount Etna, eruption of, March PPL GEE) eo Sc pn 5 Bilt) Compass- needle, improvement in Oi AU thetes dase a) og ee BS Net, towing. . - . 446 Cortesian plate, scheme of the. . . . ..... . . 586 Observatory, Dr. Draper’ 3s, at Hastings-0 on-the- Hudson ain =» BR DkaperswHenty, portrait of 2). we wD Octopus, model of giant . . 5 - . . 353 ID ENey He CATER ae Coal spc vom Clad lp) sooo sono aS? Ornament of bone, ‘B15; of Shell ate welts ae ree 575 Dredge, rake. 445 —_ Pectiythis asteroides . . . 90 a LA Earth-currents, diagram of observations, 5975 “registering Pendant, cruciform, from a stone grave in Pennessee . mee 309) apparatus for. . Boo 5 FD Planets and stars near the sun, May 6, 1883, map of . opp. 64 Eggs, sections of, showing nuclear displacement oa) 6 6) 28) Polyxenus, dermal appendages Bio Bee yal Hlectric-light regulator. . . 216 Reservoir Butte, showing terraces of the Bonneville shore- Electric machine, de Meritens dynamo-, 2425 armature ‘of, lines . . ae Is ox Pace Mipecl ines en eae eee ee 243; cross-section of, 244; diagram showing direction Salt Lake desert . . 573. of current in, 244; field-magnets of, 243; longitudinal Soundings and temperatures off the Atlantic coast of ‘the section of, 243; plan of, with line wires, 187; section of. 187 United States, chartof . . - Opposite 566 » Electric machines, dynamo-, plan and section of building Spectrum of argand burner, distribution of energy in, 483; for. . STG terran har Ok sameofsun . . Sates » 2. 483 Exhibition, plan of international fisheries. 1) |. 1+. 449 Tagals of the Philippines 2 figs. We PeMBEMC ry fit ol gticoey ws. 248i Expansion ‘of steel bar 8, diagram of @ figs). . . - 240,241 Telescopes in Hastings observatory 3.5 31 Faulting of coal-bed. . . 540 3 Oo Mo ohmomoro or AD ‘Temporal bone, human, views and section of GB figs, D8 381, 384, 507 Fejervary plate, scheme of ilies NREER eRe Seals SOMA BS Tesserantha connectens . 2 ee 195 Wilaria Bancrofti, developmentof. ....... . . 419 Time-transmitter, telephonic, and section @ figs. aS O2sra Ue Fish-hook of bone (AiG) So ag) ooo) om oe Ra) Titanophasma Havel Brongniart . . . CNM bE aos a. OD Flying-fish, diagram of courses of flight aliie 543, Trawl,beam. » 2 « 445 Gulf Stream slope off New England coast, map of, 444; pro- Typhoon of Oct. 20, “1882, , diagram of record of meteoro- file of, 446; temperature curves (3 figs. ) Be - 532, 533 logical instruments at Manila, 7 (5 map aortas course Heliometer at Yale obser vatory . . 93 of . 8 Hirmoneura, early stages of (2 figs.), 333, ae females ovi- i eeraee map for ‘January, i883, 217; for Heprrenys 1883, positing in burrows of Anthaxia. . . apes aglass 33¢ ; for March, 1883, 386; for April, TEER) go 537 ~ Hirondelle Zobiogival station at Naples, 479; plan of basement, 480; ground floor, 480; upper floor, 480; diver’s oat, 5095 dre dging steamer, 508; station fisherman Horse-trotting curve, ‘showing improvement i in the record : Ice-map for march, 1883, 387; for April . oeiats Ea AS Page 50, col. 2, 2, line 31, for ‘ Paramarcium ’ read ¢ Paramecium.’ Page 255, col. 1, line 2, for ‘ Mittag- Zefiler’ read ‘ Mittag-Lefiler FS 16¥ tp GE raven 0 photographic sun’ read ‘ photo- 287, 1, “ 67, for ‘tortricid’ read ‘ tineid.’ graphic gun.’ «994, “ 1, “ 8, for ‘dollars’ read ‘shillings,’ 97, “ 2, ‘ 16, for ‘elevation in Greenland’ read ‘ eleva- of 306, OB: alte 23) for ‘Lamium’ read ‘ Lanium.’ tion in the region of greatest cold (the © 338, ‘“ 2, ‘© 49, for ‘Rumford’ read ‘ Ranyard.’ west) in Greenland.’ Ga Bt) OO ale 900 ilp for ‘Ind.’ read ‘ Md.’ 116, ‘* 2, ** 35, for ‘tennicollis’ read ‘tenuicollis.’ *¢ 586, ‘© 2, “* 6, for ‘Lun City’ read ‘Sun City.’ fe 119, ‘* 1, * 16, for ‘Chilly’ read ‘Cheilly.’ «542, “ 2, ** 63, for ‘grypus’ read ‘ gryphus.’ ec 149, “ 1, ‘* 54, for ‘Rogiferidae’ read ‘ Rangiferidae.’ « 550, * 1, ** 49, for ‘acid’ read ‘ pentachlor- and hexa- «149, “* 1, ‘* 54, for ‘ Copridae’ read ‘ Capridae.’ chlor-compounds.’ «« 151, ‘f 1, ‘* 42, for ‘Reptiles’ read ‘Mammals.’ * 612, * 2, ‘* 34, for ‘Drymoneura Gorge’ read ‘Dry- « 177, “ 1, ‘* 19, for ‘ Rurichnites’ read ‘ Rusichnites.’ monema gorgo.’ 177, “ 1, ‘ 20, for ‘Traena’ read ‘ Fraena.’ « 192, “ 1, lines 10, 11, the clause ‘‘ the coal next the mouth not partaking of the motion of that farther in the hill” belongs to the pre- ceding and not to the succeeding sen- On p. 191, the cut, which is printed bottom upward, should be tence. reversed. ~ a Oe ow) dee Me oy oa x = - a x ee: he. MITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES AOL 9088 3891 vit HN ith