ivem - science · science. science: a weekly record of scientific progress. john michels, editor....

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SCIENCE WEEKLY RECORDI,4" VOLUME 1

S JULY-DECEMBER 1880

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IPublished on demand byUNIVERSITY MICROFILMS INTERNATIONAL

AnnArbor, Michigan, US.A.* London,England

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SCIENCE :

A WEEKLY RECORD OF SCIENTIFIC

ILLUSTRATED.

VO(l,UME 1. -- /;1

JULY TO DECEMBER.

PROGRESS.

EDITED liY JOHiN MICHELS. 0. 9 ,

0 0 0 11 0

. II, 1,.* ?9

I . :

PUBLISHED AT 229 BROADWAY. -

NEW YORK:I 8So.

SCIENCE.:A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.

NEW YORK, JULY 3, I880.

THE UNITED STATES NAVAL OBSERVATORY,WVASIIINGTON.

BY PROFE;SOR EDWARD S. HOLDEN.'This institution has been long and favorably known

to the scientific public, not only of the United States,but of the whole wor!d. It was founded in I844,and commnenced its operiations in I845, and as it isnow about to enter a new epoch of its existenceby a removal to a new and better site in the Districtof Columbia, a brief accourit of its progress will notbe witlhout interest.

Astronomy did not flourish in America during theeighteentlh century. A few observations were madeby Professors at Harvard and Yale Colleges, and inPennsylvania by RniTENHOus1- and others (in 1769).A telescope was mounted in I830 at Yale College forregular astronomical observations, and the first ob-servatory was built at Williams College in x836, byProf. HOPKINS. Mr. WILLIANM C. BOND, of Dorches-ter, a maker of chronometers, had erected a small ob-servatory at his residence, anid this was afterwards re-move(d and formed the nucleus of the observatory ofHarvard College. The observatories of Hudson, Ohio,(founded I837), of the Plhiladelphia High School(1840), of XVest Point Mlilitary Academy (i841), ofCincinnatti (i843), of Georgetown, 1). C., (i844), andthe Naval Observatory (1842), were the first estab-lisihed, and( these observatories all erected withlinl the(lecade, w835-1845, xvere the signs of a growing senseof the importanice of astronomical research amonig thepCople.

Probably due credit has not been generally given tothe efforts of General 0. MI. M'nC,HEL the astronomerof the Cincinnati Observatory, who, by lectures, treat-ises and personal influence, kept the subject before thereading public. In Congress a few intelligent men, likeMlr. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, had always advocated theestablishment of an observatory which should be trulynational, but great opposition to such an institutionwas constantly displayed, and so late as I832 a bill

appropriating money for the survey of the coast, con-tained the clause " provided that nothing in this.actshould be construed to authorize the construction ormaintainance of a permanent astronomical observa-tory."The final establishment of the Naval observatory

came about in this wise, and it was due largely to theadmirable abilities of Lieutenant GILLISS, of the Navy.The exploring expedition of Admiral WILKES (I838-

1842), proposed making astronomical observations inall parts of the world, and to utilize these, correspond-ing observations were required at home. These weremade by GILLISS in a small observatory on CapitolHill for the four years and they were of high excellence.The present observatory building was erected as a" dep6t of charts and instruments " for the Navy fromdesigns by GILLISS. The regulations of the Servicerequired that GILLIsS should be sent to sea, and thedirection of the observatory was confided to Lieute-nant MAURY, who retained it till i86I. A corps ofastronomers was formed and a detail made of theofficers from the line of the Navy to care for thechronometers, charts and instruments, and to collecthydrographical information, and this plan of organiza-tion continued till I866, when the Hydrographicoffice was separated from the Observatory. Suitableinstrumiiienits wvere provided and the observations were

published in qxarto volumes, twenty-two of whichhave alpl)eared up to i88o. The main instrumentswz ere:

i. A Transit Instrument (by ERTEL, of Munich).2. A Mlural Circle (by SIsIMs, of England).3. A Meridian Circle (by ERTEL).4. A Prime Vertical Transit (by PISTOR & MA-

TIUS, of Berlin).5. An Equatorial (by MERZ, of MIunich), with an

Object Glass of 9.62 inches.These instruments were kept steadily at work and

thousands of observations were made and have beenreduced and published. The mere index to these ob-

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6 SCIENCE.

SCIENCE :A WEEKLY RECORD OF SCIENTIFIC

PROC RESS.

JOHN MICHELS, Editor.

PBILISHED AT

229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK.

P. 0. Box 8888.

SATURDAY, JULY 3, I880.

To Correspondent.All communications should be addressed to the Editor-Box 3838, P.

O., New York-with name and addiess of writer, not necessarily for pub-lication without consent.

Scientific papers and .orrespondence intended for publication, should bewritten leCibly on one side only of the paper. Articles thus received willbe retumed when found unsuitable for the Journal.Those engaged in Scientific Research are invited to make this Journal

the mediuin of recording their work, and facilities will be extended tothose desirous of publishing original communications possessing merit.Proceedings of.Scientific Societies will be recorded, but the abstracts

furnished must be signed by the Secretaries.Both questions and answers in " Notes and Queries " should be made

as brief as possible; an ans%% er appearing to demand an elaborate reply,may be written in the form of an article.

Ti. St'bmerlbers.Ternms of subscription for Sc: ><N K will be $4 a year, payable in advance.

Six months, $2.50. Single copies io cents.

Subscriptions forwarded by mail should be addressed to the Editor,BoX 3838, P. O., New York, and Post-office orders made payable so"John Michels."

To Advertisers.Terms for advertising may be obtained at the office of Journal, 229

Broadway.

SALUTATORY.'In presenting to the public the first number of

"SCIENCE," we would briefly define its aim and scope,so that its position in the periodical literature of thecountry inay be clearly understood.

While Literature proper, and Art, both omamentaland useful, nay, almost every distinctive social and

economiiic initerest in the United States, have theirseveral organs for the interchange of views or the dif-fusion of information, Science still remains withoutiany weekly journal exclusively devoted to thechronicling of its -)rogress, an(l the discussion of itsproblems.

This may be stated without disrespect to many ex-

cellent weekly journals restricted to special branchesof science, or allied to trade interests.The field being thus open, after consultation with

many of the leading scientists in this country, it has

been decided to publish "SCIENCE" in its presentform. Its aim will be to afford scientific workersin the United States the opportunity of promptlyrecording the fruits of their researches, and facilitiesfor communication between one another and theworld, such as are now enjoyed by the scientific menof Europe.A distinctive feature in the conduct of this Jouirnal

will be that each department of science will besupervised by some recogniized authority in that fieldof research, and( it is believed that the names of theseAssociate E'ditors will be a guiaranitee that accutracybe miiaintaiine(I so far as p)ossible.

There wuill be a department of "A'Wes and Qu'eries,"which caniniot fail to be of benefit to those engaged inoriginal researchi. By this means many may attainthe speedy solutions of difficulties which othenrisemight cost them much unprofitable labor.

It is the desire of the Editor that " SCIENCE " may, inthe United States, take the position whiclh "Xzture"so ably occuipies in England, in p)resenting imme(liateinformation of scientific evenits; the Smithsonian Insti-tution and other scienitific bodies have promised theirco-operationi in this respect, anid representative men inall branches of science have cordially volunteeredtheir aid towards making "SCIENCE " as uiseful as itsforeign contemporary.We shalll sup)ply wvitli eachl volume a coml)rehensive

Indlex. h'lie size of thle jouirnial is convenient forbinding, anid it slhouild formii a valuable work of re-ferenice in every library.A slhort time must elapse before our arrangements,

at home and abroad, can be coml)leted, but wetrust that this journal, even in its earliest stages, will bewelcomed l)y all interested in scientific progress.

As one of its " Occasional Papers " the Boston Societyof Natural History has published a volume of great valueon the "' Geology of Eastern MIassachusetts," by WV. 0.Crosby. It is evidently the result of long and competentinvestigation, is well illustrated, and contains a large andwell-printed geological map of the region treated of.

Interesting discoveries are reported from Italy. NearEste, in the Venito, at the foot of the Eugancian Mount-ains, Prof. Prosdocisnmi discovered a prehistoric burialground with many bronze and clay vessels. Eighty-twotombs were found, of which forty-four seemed to havebeen opened already by the Romans, while the contentsof the others seemed untouched. The urns belong tothree different periods ; sonic arc staine:d black withlinear ornaments ; others are striped red and black.Some vases are of such exquisite workmanslhip that theycould, even to-day, serve as patterns. A small case ofbronze is adorned with human and animal figures.

SCIENCE.

SCIENCE :

A WEEKLY RECORD OF SCIENTIFICPROGRESS.


PUVILISIIKD AT


P. 0. Box 8888.

SATURDAY, JULY so, I8So.

To ('orrespondents.All communications should be addressed to the Editor-Box 3638, P.

O.. New York-with name and address of writer, not necessarily for pub.lication without consent.

Scientific popers and correspondence intended for publication, should bewritten letgiAv on one side only of the paper. Articles thus received willbe returned when found unsuitable for the Journal.Those engaged in Scientific Research are invited to make this Journal

the mediuni of recording their work, and facilities will be extended tothose desirous of publishing original communications possessing merit.

Proceedings of Scientific Societies will be recorded, but the btntractsfurnished must be signed by the Secretaries.Both ouestions and answers in " Notes and Queries " should be made

as brief as possible; an ansser appeari,tg to demand ati el;boratc reply,mav be writetn in the form of an article.

T' Siubstrlbers.erms of subscription for SCIsNCu will be $4 a year, payable in advance.

Six months, $a.so. Single copies to cents.bubcriptions forwarded by mail should be addressed to the Editor,

Box ,3838, P. O., New York, and Post-office orders made payable to"John Michels."

To Advertlsevs.Terms for advertising may be obtained at the office of Journal, 229

Broadway.

THE EDISON LIGHT.A gas lighting an(d sanitary jouirnal published in

London asserts that MIr. }Edison has thrown ul) hiselectric light researches, an(d left for California, andsuggests that there is now a fair field to those disposedto try their han(d in this (lirection.

Possible the "wishi" was father to the "thought"with the promoters of this journal, when they l)rintedthis atrocious statement, which is not only false butmalicious.

In this country a contradiction of such a "canard"is, of course, unneccessary. Mr. Edison has ceasedto notice attacks of this nature, and possibly in his re-tirement at Menlo Park, and with every moment occu-pied on his important work, he may not even know ofthem. Warned by experience of the misinterpretatiolnplaced upon his willingness to permiit the p)ublic towitness the gradual progress he was making witlh hiscarbon.electric laml), he has of late discouraged thecontinued reporting of his movements, b)ut withina very few weeks a whole section of MlenloPark will be illuminated by mieans of his carbon-

electric lights, equal in extent to one of those districtswhich will be afterwards established in New York Cityif success is achieved.When the arrangements are completed the question

of the success or non-success of Mr. Edison's systemof electric lighting will be removed from the arena ofexperimental demonstrations. Here will be an exhibi-tion on a full-sized scale, which must be decisive, asaccurate calculations can be made, and every pointdetermine(d down to the smallest (letail.

'l'his will be Edison's answer to all the meretriciousarguments and scientific hair-splitting which has beenof late, with little generosity, carefitlly (lisseminate(l tohis disadvantage. 'F'aking the view that it is a waste oftime to argue theoretically, on that whic:h can be (Ie-nmonstrate(l l)ractically, 14,dison, throuigh all this wran-gle has been silent, hut not i(lle; whiile otlhers taXed,he has wvorkd, an(l in a few short weeks all will berea(ly, when those who arc, competent can see andju(lge for themselves.

In the mean time, (luring this short interval, letslander be silent. 'The l)ublic is becoming nauseatedwith the wearying cry of " nou possumiius," an(l the realmen of science in this country, appreciating the truescientific course Edison has followed to solve the ques-tion, are prepared to give his results a crucial but fairinvestigation.

Professor Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Insti-tution, Washington, is desirous of obtaining informationrespecting Mr. James Smithson, the founder of the Insti-tution, for the purpose of assisting the writing of amemoir now in preparation. James Smithson, F. R. S.,-was the son of Hugh, first Duke of Northumberland,and Elizabeth, heiress of the Hungerfords of Audley, andneice of Charles, Duke of Somerset. In 1826 he residedat Bentinck street, Cavendish square, London. He diedin 1826. The following are some of the points on whichinformation is desired: John Fitall, a trusted servant ofMr. James Smithson, died June 14th, 1834, at Bush House.Wanstead, EsSex, England. Have his heirs any relicsor mementos of Mr. Smithson, any notes, letters, etc. ?The executor of Mr, Smithson was 'Mr. Drummond, theLondon banker; can any original letters or documents beprocured in this direction ? Information relative to HenryLouis Dickinson (half brother of James Smithson) Col-onel of the 84th Regiment of Foot. Information relativeto the college life of Mir. Smithson. He was a graduateof Pembroke College, Oxfordl University, May 26, 1786.Letters from Sir Hunmphrey Davy, Sir Davies Gilbert,lion. Henry Cavendish, Dr. W. H. Wollaston, Mr.Smithson Tennant. Dr. Joseph Black, Dr. Hutton, M.Arago, M. Gay Lussac, M. Cordier, MI. Hauy, M. Klap-roth, M. A. C. Becquerel, M. Fanjas de St. Fond, Mr.Thornton, Mr. Maclaire, Mir. William Thomson. Anyoriginal letter of Mr. Smithson, or authenticated factsrelating to him wiil be gladly received, and should be ad-dressed to Professor Spencer F. Baird, Smithsonian In-stitute, Washington.

The Emperor of Germany has appointed ProfessorBaron von Nordenskjold a foreign Knight of the Orderpour le Ms'rite for Arts and Sciences.

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PROGRESS.

JCtHN MICHELS, Ed*tor.

PUBLISHID AT


P. 0. Box 8888.

SATURDAY. JULY 17, IX88.

To Correspondents.All communications should be addressed to the Editor-Box 3838, P.

O.. New York-with name and address of writer, not necenarily for pub-lication without consent.

Scientific papers and correspondence intended for publication, should bewritten legibly on one side only of the paper. Articles thus received willbe returned when found unsuitable for the Journal.Those engaged an Scientific Research are invited to make this Journal

the medium of recording their work, and facilities will be extended to

those desirous of publishing original communications possessing merit.Proceedings of Scientific Societies will be recorded, but the abstrcts

furnished must be signed by the Secretaries.Both questions and answers in " Notes and Queries " should be made

as brief as possible; an ans%ver appearing to demand an elaborate reply,may oe written in the form of an article.

To Subscribers.Terms of subscription for SCIENCE will be $4 a year, payable In advance.

Six months, $2.5o. Single copies so cents.Subscriptions forwarded by mail should be addressed to the Editor,

Box 3818, P. O., New York, and Post-office orders made payable to

John Michels."

To Advertisers.Terms for advertising may be obtained at the office of Journal, sa9

Broadway.

CO-OPERATION IN SCIENCE.At this season of rest and recreation, naturalists are

now wandering on many a hill and dale or upon thebreezy shore, intent on collecting specimens which shallemploy their leisure hours in the Autumn and comingWinter. From the close precincts of a city, whowould not be free and join the little band, who withnets, bottles, corks and pins, are now seeking thingsbright and rare, which Nature has so lavishly scattered,and yet with such a cunning hand, that even thesearch and gathering affords delight to those who dili-gently seek.The number of collectors is stea(lily increasing, but

when we contemplate the imminense groun(I to be cov-

ered, the necessity for increasing the force becomes but

too alpparent. Not onily have the depths of miiightyoceans to be explored, and the bottom of great seas

investigated; but also tiny denizens of little rock poolsmust be described and classified. The suirface of the

earth might seem too immense to be minutelyexamined by the naturalist, but still he has todescend many hundred feet into the bowels of theearth to there find records of past life, so as to com-plete the great catalogue of Nature's works.

Earth, air, and water have thus to be surveyed, andstill another world of life and form which is invisibleto the natural vision of man. These nmicroscopicforms are not to be neglected, for they decimate popu-lations and destroy the industry of nations, and are sonumerous, that the accumulation of their countlessnumbers rear up mighty ranges of mountains.W'ith such a work before collectors who are hope-

fully struggling to add to our garner of a knowl-edge of Nature, who catnnot desire that their numbermay be increased. Yet how easily it might be done.From the fact that some of our best collectors arenot scientific men, it would seem that a convenientdivision of labor is here suggested, namely: the ama-teur who collects, and the scientist who describes andclassifies. Some men possess special qualifications forcollecting, they discover localities which others wouldnever dream of, and they have a happy knack ofalways finding what they are in search of. Such ex-pertness may be largely due to constant practice, butthe professional scientist finds himself tied to hisstudy and laboratory, and has no time for these con-stant peranibulations; he must therefore largly relyon the amateur collector for his material, as the lattermust depend on him, for his technical and scientificknowle(dge.

If therefore, there are two classes who are depend-ent upon each other for the extension of a great andvaluable work, let that co-operation be more distinctlyrecognized and accepted, for such is far from beingthe case at the present time, particularly in the UnitedStates, where of all places it might be expected tothrive.One of the best means of organizing an efficient

corps of amateur workers, is the establishment of localscientific societies, and the circulation of moderatepriced but strictly first-class scientific journals.

In Europe, and especially England, scientificsocieties, chiefly supported by amateurs, are now doingexcellent work; but in the United States (with a fewexceptions) they drag on a miserable existence ofpoverty an(d inutility. Wl'hat is the cause of this?Siml)ly a wanit of co-operation between the amateurand( l)rofessional scienitist, and(1 a dutie regar(d for eachiother's position.

Tro be effective, the officers anid couincil of a scien-tific society should be taken from the best professionalscientists in the neighborhood-men able to commandand organize the work of the society, and give a

.SCIENCE.30

42 SCIENCE.


PROGRESS.


PIILISHml) AT


P. 0. Box 8838.


To ('orrempondenuts.

All communications should be addressed to the Editor-Box 3838, P.O., New York-with name and address of writer, not necessarily for pub-lication without consent.

Scientific papers and correspondenice intended for publication, should bewritte.n13 gib/y on one side only of the paper. Articles thus received willbe returned when found unsuitable for the Joutnal.

hose engaged in Scientific Research are invited to make this Journalthe meditim of recording the;r woik, and facilities will be extended tothose dcsironis o.f puiblishiig original cononiluniicatiotis possessing merit.

Procecdings of Scieitifil Societies will lie recorded, but the ubstractsfulrnilhlcd mutit 1), signledt lby |the Se rrew ries.

nod.i questtions antd( answers i, " Nitte,t andt1 ,Queries shou"sit ild he itiadeas brief as pom4ible a, nt1 auii%er ippeairilg to deantilldti anl eliborate reply,may be writteii in the fornm of ani aiticle.

Terms of subscription for SCIENICi will be $4 a year, payable in advanice.Six months, $2.50. Single copies to cents.

Subscriptions forwarded by mail should be addressed to the Editor,Box 3838, P. O., New York, and Post-office orders made payable to"Joht tl ichelts."

To1 Adve'rtileer.Teriis ior advertising ma.y be obtained !tt the Olike of Journal, 2J9

Broadway.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE Al)VANCE-Ml'NT OF SCIENCE.

IVe (lirect the attelntioni of ouir rea(lers to the ap-)

p)roaclling mi etiig of thev America Association for thleAdvancement oif Science, which will lIelieitl this year

at lBoston, comm1111enCling at io o'clock on Wednesday

morning, tIle 25th of Aulgust.As it is generally believed that the Boston meetinig

will be the largest an(d most important hitilerto held,we are com)leting arrangeimients withi the Executive,by which abstracts of all papers rea(l nay 1be p)rinte(d in"SCIENCE" contemporaneously withi the mecting of theAssociationi, togrether With a fuill report of the lprocetd-ings; we liave reasoni to believe that sicih a course

will be welcomle to the miembers of the Association,and useful in many resl)ects. In a later niuimiber we.

propose to give fuller l)articulars in regard to this

matter, and in the meantime would be glad to hearfrom those who will read papers at this meeting, par.ticularly where illustrations are necessary, as by a littleco-operation greater justice to the l)ublication of suchpapers may be attained.We may state for the convenience of non-members

desirous of being admitted as members, that by payingthe fees in advance (eight dollars), before the meeting,member's tickets w ill be senit, whlich w ill secuire to newmeml)ers andtinominees the s;ame privilegcs p)ossessedby old mml)ebrs.The attention of entomologrists is (lirecte(d to the an-

nual meetinig of the Entomological Clulb of the Asso-ciation, which will be hel(d at the rooms of the BostonSociety of Natural History, on Tuesday, August 24th,at w*hichl all intereste(l in entomology are invited to bepresent.

WN'e niotice by the l)rosl)ectus that the suggestionma(le at Saratoga to formi a sub-section devoted toPhysiology and( Anatomiiy will l)e carric(l out at Boston,and(1 it is also l)robable that niew sub-sections in G(eologyan(l lllysical Geography will be formied(l.We truist that all initerested( in sciecice who can at-

tell(I tllis mlleetilln of thle Association will niot fail to bepresent, and thlat manyn'ew memlbrs will enroll tlhem-selves andtake pa1ta ill tilt procedings.

I ndel)CIlent t of tile interest aIttdched to thile meetilgof the Association several excursions have been plan-ned, which will add greatly to the pileasure of thosep)resent, and( cainnot fail to m;1ake the trilp to Boston onewhicih will be lowg, after r'ec,alled by miiany), agreeablerememl)rances.

At NEW SulIp)hate of adlumlil.na (ses(lilm)sie sulphate ofalumina) has been ptrepared by M1. Marguerite. Onemethod is by decomposition of alum of ammnonia throughheat. When the alium is hcated to a red heat carettully,there remains after the operation anhydrous sullphate ofalumina ; if.the calcination hlave been puslhed further, thereis partial decomposition. rFl imatter lheld by the watergives a li(tluor whicih, concenitrated, deposits crystals of theses(luibasate. Ordinary suliphate of alumilinia, dried and col-ored gently, gives the saimie reaction, and the new suillphatecan also bli got 1))' the' wet Iprocess. (Sce (C',t:,M's R.eidus).

A (ctlus geological ellhcct has recently occurred in Sicily.Onl thle imiorninig of thle 20til May tilhe hal.f of alin oldi chateauat the seaside, between Catania atid Acireale, fell in conse.quence of alteraltion of an enormouss volcainic rock whichhlad supported it. This rock was at)out 50`11. high and Soni.in circu-nference ; its form nearly cylindric.al. It wasplaced on a;n older layer of lava, which forms a promontory.Trhe rock is in suchi a state of disseggregation, thatt piecescan eas'ily he detached witli the hand. 'Tihe eflect seenmsdtei to sujperoxidationl of tilh ironi, which it contains inauld(lance, and to tilc action of carbonic acid o01 thfe cal-carcous matter in it. 'f'lic cha.te;au in (ltiestion is a very oldotie, hut its wvalls were entiie, and olle mlighit visit it ill allits parts. lltal an lhour l)before tilh full, a family of totiristshlad taken u) residence in it, withi a view to visiting thuCyclops islanids, wlhichi rise a shiort way ofi.

42 SCIENCE.

54 SCIENCE.

SCIENCE:.A WEEKLY RECORD OF SCIENTIFIC

PROGRESS.


P'IILaSHiaL) AT


P. 0. Box 8888.


To Cosrreespondrosta.All communications should be addressed to the Editor-Box 3838, P.

O.. New York-with name avd addiess of writer, not necessarily for pub-lication without consent.

Scientific papers and correspondence intenided for publication, should bewritten k.Cibly on one side only of the paper. Articles thus received willbe returned when found tinsuitable for the Journal.Those engaged an Scientific Research are invitel to make this Journal

the meditim of recording their work, and facilities will be extenidel tothose desirous of publishing original communicaltions possessing merit.Proceedings of Scientific Societies sill be recorded, but the abstracts

fiurniished must be signed by thc Secretaries.loth quiestions anid answers in - Notes and Queries" should be made

as brief as possible; aai anss%er appearing to demand anl elaborate reply,may be writteni in the form of an article.

'T't Piulwerlbers.Terms of subscription for Scii Nci will lbe$e a year, payable in alvance.

Six nionths, $2.50. Sinigle copies io cents.

Subscriptions forwarded by nmail sh,ould be addlressed to the Editor,lBox 3838, 1'. O., New York, and Plast-office orders nmade paayable to

John Alichels."

'ITe Advertlsers.

Ternms for advertising may be olbtaiined at the ofrice of Journal, 229

.Broadway.

I'ROFESSOR LEIDY'S "FIRESH WVATER RIIIZO-POD)S OF NOR'IH AMNERICA."

Dr. Leidy is acknowledged to be the higlhestauthority oni the subject treated in his great work," Fresh Water Rhizopods of North America;" a

criticism of the book becomes, therefore, a work ofsupererogationi, and we reserve to ourselves themore pleasing task of pointing ouit its many beau-ties and particularly its importance as one of themost valtuable conitribtitions to the literature ofmicroscopic forms of life.

Puiblislhe(d by the Department of the Initerior ofthe Uniite(d States Government, anid forminig voluimetwelve of the " lReport of the Uniitedl States Geo-logical Survey of the Territories " in clhar ge ofProfessor F. V.. HIayden, it is produced in a stimp-

tuous form which no pnrvate publisher would havedared to imitate.

Dr. Leidy's Report covers about three hundredfolio pages, illustrated by forty-eight full sizedplates, printed in colors in the highest style oflithography.

It may be a superfluouis question to most of ourreaders, but as Dr. Leidy himself inquires in the firstpage of his work, " Whiat are Rhizods?" In re-ply lhe says, "Rhizopoda are the simplest andlowest forms of animal life, constituting the firstclass of the Protozoa. They derive their namefrom the Greek word rhiza, a root, anid pous, afoot. They are mostly microscopic beings, al-though sometimes sufficienitly large to appear asconspicuous objects." WVe may add that theessential characters are the gelatinous structurelessbo(lies, and the locomotive organs consisting ofvariable retractile root like processes (pseuido-podaor false feet).

Their minuiteness is compensate(l for by theirmultitud(le and wide-worl(d distribuitioni; essentiallyaquiatic they occur wherever there is moisture; thesearch for them may be commeniced in the crevicesof the stones at your (loor step, and may be con-tinued in every marshi, pool, ditch, pond, lake, seaand ocean, andl from the greatest depths of the latterto the snow linles of mountains.

Tlle particular Rhiizopods whichi form the subjectof the book lowv unieder considleration, are thosefounid( in fresh water only, and Dr. Lei(ly expresslystates that hiis attention, dluring the fotir years en-gaged, was directed more to the discovery and de-termination of the various forms occurring in theUnited States, than to the elaboration of details ofstructuire, habits, modes of developnmenit, anid othermatters pertainipgr to their history.

Althioughi it is professedly an illistrate(d catalogueof the fresh water Rhizopoda of North America,we finid most initerestinig ani(l valuable contributionsto their life hiistory whicih makes us regret that timeandtl oj)portunity did not permit Dr. Leidy to extendhis Observations in this direction, for we know howexhiaustive sIIclsia treatise wouIld have been from hishands.

Inistead of writing a discuirsive essay upon Dr.Leidy's book, already done by inany brillantwriters, whiichi, withi a work so puirely technical,seems the least profitable inethod of treatinig the sub-ject,we propose to take ouir readers thirouigh the book,acting the part of a friedtily guide, truistinlg by theai( of tweinty-two illustrations we hiave reprodlucedfor this purpose, niot ontly to do justice to the workin quiestion, bIut to convey to those wlho have not

I

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ANALYSIS OF WATER,

The trouble attendiing the iflakinig of analyses ofwater is considerable, and may accouniit for the reltic-tance of clhemillsts to imiake st:lch inivestigations iunlessun(ler sp)ecial or(lers.As the valtei of stich analysis of the water supply of

cities is great, especially at a timite when tle sulbject isreceiving so much attenition, we gla(dly welcomle sontic

valuable work accomplished in this (lirectioni at New-

ark, New Jersey, by I)r. Herman H. C. Herold, ofthat city, and l)lace(d at the disposal of "SCI ENCE."As l)r. Heroldlhas miia(le his calculations both for

grains in the imp)erial galloni, and( also accor(inig to

the metric system, we reproduce bothi in tabuilar form.

TFo this record is added the analysis of water from aNew York well, also made by Dr. 1-erold, and de-scribe(d by him at page I3 of this Journal, formiingpart of No. 2, issuied Jtuly oth last.

'I'lie inference I)r. Heroldl (draws after imiakinig theseanialyses, is that relatively the water from the Ilassaicriver standls at the hela( of the list, as being the miiostfavorable as a water suipply for Newark, in comparisonwithi that obtained fronm (driven wells.

Still the Aqueduct Water (Passaic) is not in asaltistatory condition, its imipserfections being (dute to

imipl)rities (lerived froIn the city of Newark itself, andlniot from Platenrson andl othier towns above it, as theruin of twelve imiiles wouil(d oxidiz.e suich orga'nic matter.Trhe results of ani analysis of the a(qiue(diuct water of

Newark City, Made by I)r. lIerol(d in the month ofJtinie, as coml)are(d with the results of the analysismiale in Mlarch, slhows a (leci(ldtd (leterioration in theconi(lition of thevwater dIutringt the time between thetwo l)eriods. Tlo a ver,great extenit this maiy be cx

plained as being a resuilt of natural cauises. Ih)uringthe initerval we sutfferedi fromii a prolon,ged droulght,the lowlands being thoroughly (drained; aI(I conivertedinito p)ols, the tlood-tide, flowing- falrthier ill) theriver than is uisuial, carried witlh it muitich of the impuri-ties of the city which ar-e emiptied into the river. 'T'hiedlistaince being shotrt,these iiulptirities di notli ave

ade(lqulitate oppontittity for oxygenatioii ant.destrilction.As will be seent 1, a cotnilp;lnson of thle followingtables, the amiiounilt of soli(l residuie, 6.688 grains pi)eriil)eriail gallon, is abotu,t dotible tihat obtainied by theformiier aialysis, wihichi shlowedi onily 3.147 grainis periml)erial gallon. T'lhe amiouniit. of organic imiatter hasincreased 24 timiesi, or 0.957 grainis against 0.378grains of the forimer analysis. A still imiore alarimingiintcrease is fonid in the chiloriic, o.636 grainsto0.211grains, fouinid in the forimier analysis-an inicrease of300 l)er ctit.

I )r. lHerol(d also states that his views regar(ding theadvantages of securing a wvater suipply for cities fromilriuingilit, streamils is strenigthieniedl by ftirtlher examiinia-tionzof the quiestioni and(1 everyday e.xqerience. What-ever organic mnatter imiay find( its way inito a ruiniiiiiigriver is necessarily largely (liluite(l. In the constanitchlange of position andi, grea.-t increase of suirfa.ce it isexposed to tile o(-gei olothe air anl also to that ilnthe water ; the plants along the bottomi andti sidels ofthe streamii are suire to absorb a certain 'proportionanid by these mneans, if the water is only given fareniotugih to tlow, the miiatter conitainiied in it cannot buitbe nieuitralized( and( to a very great extenlt (lestroyed.'I'hie great advantagte to cities in being supI))lied fromisuicii a souirce is niow genierally) conice(led l)y all autlhor-ities wlho have miiade the sutbject of hygiene a study.

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DE1PARTMENT OF' A(GRICULTURE.,

At a time when thle English (Government apiears tobe awakening to the necessity of systemnatically bring-ing the light of science to bear on the various impor-tant agricultural l)roblems whichi are continuallyforced upon public notice, it is an agreeable task toexamine the reports of the l)epartment of Agricultureat Washington, and to note the I)ractical usefulness ofthe work there taken in hand, an(I the thorotughnesswith which it is l)erformed.The recent relports refer to onie of the most inmj)ort-

ant suiccesses of this l)epartment, that of obtainingcrystalizable suigar from imiaize plants, which miay begrowni inimost sec(tionis of the Uniite(d States. Con:-gress at once apl))rc(iated the valtue ol this discoveryandt (lirected thle Commissioner of Akgrictutltutre to fur-liisls a rel)ort givinIg all the iniformIlationi inl hiis p)o%'cr ill

regar(l to the mianitfacttiure of stugar fromi sorghlll, its

cost, thle character.and exlpnse of the nachinery nietces-1 '

sary, together with statistics of the consumption andproduction of sugar in the United States and al mattersbearing on the subject.

In the reply, which was made seriatim, we learn thatthe Department has thirty-two varieties of sugarproducing sorghums and millet plants, all more or lessvaluable, according to the varying soils, climate, culti-vation, seasons and process of manufacture. Fromthese they have selected four, which in their ol)inionare best adapted to the ends in view. The most usefulofthese is theNinnesota Early Amber, the juice ofwhichis said to granulate more readlily than other varieties. Itripens early, yields bountifuilly an excellent quality ofsyrup, and the farmers who have raised this variety ofcane record their experiences as showing it to be betterthan any other variety. 'T'he Department of Agricul-ture commiends it for use in the Northern part of theUnited States in latituldes above Chicago.

Below this latittude the lVhite Liberian Cane may beplante(d as auixiliary to the Early Amnber, while in thelatitudes of St. Louis an(d the region south of it,Honi(duras Cane shouild be a(lde(1 to the other twovarieties, thus exten(dinig the season for working thecane many weeks beyond the period that could beutilized, if but one variety were p)lanitel. 'I'he C(hineseSorgo Canie ripens about two weeks after the EarlyAmber.

As the imiethio(ds employed in imiakinig stigar fromtlhesc plants h.av been already described, we niee(l oiilyadd thlat experiments 1)) tile chlenlist of thie I)epart-mecnit (liuring tihe last two years have (leimionistratedl thlatthere is practically little if a;ny ditferenice in the juiceof the several varieties; that thcy all I)ro(luce sugarwhich (can l)e easily granulated, if the cane l)e taken attile l)roper season of growth, and( that the only impor-tant (iuestioni yet to be (letermine(l is as to the varietythat will yield the largest amiount in a given soil and(climiate.

W\e uni(lerstan(l that onily "ita ftir mieitsure- ifSuccessS" has atteni(le(I the mlanufactutre of sugar, in themanner inow un(ler (lescril)tion, by farmers on a smiiallscale, anid we cannot too strongly en(iorse thesensible a(lvice which has been tendlered, that farmersshotuld merely convert the julice of the stalks into asyrruj), and( that large central mills be established wlherethe syrutp) miiay be converted b)y )roper vacuum p)alnsand(1 cenitrilugals.

''l'hese central ilmills wollutl hlave the samne relatioln tothisi ind(utstr) that the grist mills of a neiglhborhoodbear to wheat ain(l corn.

'[he miiaking of suigar enitails a process re(quiringconsi(leral)le l)ractice and(1 exl)erience, an(d we are notsurl)rise(l to find that farmers find many difficulties inthe way of sulccess, and it will certainly pay thembetter to sell the syrul), to be converted uinider thelirection of experts. We uinderstand( that in theWesterni States a gallon of dense syrtup weighing, say13 pounds, cani be )ro(luced for i60 cenits (Possiblyless). This, if p)rop)erly managed, shoul(d yield 6 to 8pound(s of sulgar, and, if landle( b)y the centrifuigal,may be sel)arated at a fraction of one cent lper lpound.

it thlis meVtlho(lod co-ol)peration is carried out, weseiteno rea;son wh1y the 2,ooo0oo,ooo, pounds of sugaraniually) tisetl in the Utinite(d States slhoutltl niot begrown and manlufactrved withinl its boundaries and bynative ildtltlstry.

V

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P'rocecdling% of 'Scinilic Siicielies will lbe recoirled, lint the distracts4

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AMERICAN ASTRONO'MICAL WORK.

The progress of science in the United States canI-not be better illustrated thani by a brief review of theastronomical work now in progress, and the instru-ments at the command( of those making observationsin this country.

Taking as ouir atuthority the " Report oni Observato-ries,"itpullislhedl by the Smithsoniani Inistituitioni, and theAnnuial Recor(l" iprcpared 1)by Professor l'Alward S.

Hol(leni, of the U1. S. Naval (O)bservatory, Washing,toll,we find( that in sevenitecen States Astronionical (O)b)sr-vatories are located, varyin, in (legree ot ilnlixortallvefrom the National Observatory at %%V,ashingtmn, to thepossessor of a two-inch a(c1romnatic telescope of itsowner's own make. 'I'he work (lone wvith thie latterinstrument being most instructive as sloowingg how

mucl really good scientific work can be done withlihiitedI means wlhen dlirected l)y initelligence well ap-plie!d.

'1'hle State of New York r anI boast of twelve obser-vatories, 'Michigan fotur, Pennsylvania three, Mlassa-chuisetts, Connecticut, Olhio, Missouri, Iowa, eachtwo, and( Tennessee, California, Mississippi, 'Min-niesota, In(liania, Kiansas, Illinois, 'Marylandl have eachonie ol)servatory. It will tlhuis be sect whlat an im-m11en'se territory, is covere(l by Ametrican astronomiiers,raningm fronit the slhores of the Atlanitic to th'e PlacificCoast, andltl 1'romii the tropiical reg'ions. of the Gulf ofMexico to) I.ake Superior oni the No'ortl. Mlanlly ofthiese ol)ser\atories are sil)l)lied witl re(qiuisite ap-pli;wmces of the miiost pertect description, while all,witil ole exception, hiave at least a gootl achlromaticaIstrollomical telescope.

For the benefit of those wlho dlesire to l)r(omiote as-tronomical researclh, we mtiay state that the singli e:x-(-eption we. refer to of ani ol)servatory withiout a tele-S(Pl)e, is that of the Ohio State Observatory, the(lirector of which is Plrofessor R. W. McFarland, wlhost;ates that he " was tryin, to get the auithorities to (1osolthling," app)arently withl poor resuilts.

A\mongr the largest equatoriails directed nighltly tosmr\v) thle hevenlyi) bodies mli'ay be mentioned the great6-inlch inistrumlent, by Messrs. Alv\-a-n Clark & Sons,

ait the Na\val Observatory at W\\;silington, uiner thechialrge of lPro(ssor Asaphli Hall (\\who hias alrea(lymiiadle stuch important discoveries witlh it), assisted byIPro|fessor I dward S. I loldlei ; the I)Darborn Obser-vatory at Chicag*o posse5ssCs an i 0 -inch etiquatorial(Alvan Clark) i larvard ULniversity eml)lo)s a i5-itichequatorial 1) Mertz. ; the Allegheny Observatory,PeinsYlvania, has a 13-inclh inistrumiiienit (Alvan Clark)the Morrison Observatory, Glasgow, Miss;ouri, uises a12 .-illCIl inistrtumiienit (Alvan Clark) ; Professor LewisSwift at Roclhester, New Y'ork, hals charge of a i6-inch e(jtiatorial (Alvan Clark) ; the lady P'rofessor ofVassar College, Poughkeepsie, hias ani excellenit e(quia-torial of 123-inch (Alvan Clark), while lastly, l)r.Heniry D)raper at Hfastings, N. Y., ownis a 2-inchinistrumienit, also b))y Alvan Clark.

'T'his powerful battery of astronomical telescopes ofthle lhighlest excellence might seemii to be sltifcienit forone niatioin, but the niationial spirit of .American eniter-prise appears to be strongly iniftuse( inito this greatbranch of scienitic researtch, for new astronomiic altelescopes ofm,amm.,othl1proplortionandii extqtiisite lper-fection are nowX in1 Course of construction for ULnite(States observatories, which11, in the Ian1(ds of the ableastroniomiiers rea(ly to receive tlhcemi, will doubtless add(to their alrea(ly well-carnied( fame and(1 the prestige ofscience in this couinitry.

I-

102 SCIENCE.

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THE annual session of the American Associationfor the Advancement of Science has been most bril-liantly opened in Boston. The intellectual force nowconcentrated there will soon l)e flowing through allthe channels of knowle(dge. Our columllns next weekwill contain our reporter's accouint of the l)roceed-ings, an(l will be enriched by ani address, in fuill, ofthe dlistinguiislhe(l retiring P'resident, Irofessor GeorgeF. Barker, whose learning an(d devotion to Sciencealone placed hini in that elevated position. We havealso obtained valuable and interesting papers by Pro-fessors Agassiz, Hall of WVashington, and other distin-guished participants, which will duly appear.

MR. PAGET Hicos, the well-known English electri-cal engineer, now in Boston, has given his opinion,through the New York IIeriti/ (August 27), on thedurability of electric motors and their actual return inwork. As the general intro(luction of Edison's elec-trodyramo-machine is being anxiously looked forwherever a constant supply of cheap power is neces-*sary, it beconmes of the first importance to consumersto know how long the new eingines will last. MIr.Higgs' positive statement of their length of life willno doubt confirm many snmall manufacturers in NewYork in their intention to profit by this convenientsource of power, which, rumor says, will soon be gen-erally placed at their disposal. Mr. Higgs has runsome of the older and less perfect electro-motorssince 1867, and finds them to-day in perfect condi-tion. As the fruit of his own experiment and obser-vation of the work of the most experienced Europeanelectricians, Mr. Higgs emphatically denies that thereis any extraordinary loss in using them to comimunii-cate power at a distance.

WVi drew attention to an edlucational schemewhich has been recently inauguratetd at the 'aris Ob-servatory for the l)papose of training young astrono-mers. It nay be initerestinig in this connection toknow that Plrofessor Stone, of the Cincininati Obser-vatory, has for a num)ber of years been, quietly butsuccessfully pursuing a plan in almost every resp)ectidelntical with that miore recently inauigurate(d in Paris.A smnall nuimber of selected gra(lutates are admittedlas stti(lenits at the Observatory, pu"rsit a systeimaticcouirse of stu(ly in theoretical and( piractical Astroniomiiy,and(luplon its sutccessful completion receive a post-gra(Ituate diegree froii the authlorities of the University.

'lihe couirse of stu(ly carric(l oni at the l'aris Obser-vatory is (lescribe(d in ScImNcE, Auiguist I4th. If thereare other Observatories in the Unitedl States offeringthe same facilities as those initiate(I by PlrofessorStone, we shall be glad1 to lhear from those who cangive authelntic intformation.

WrE are not surl)rised that uniiversal regret is ex-pressed at the loss by the New York Fishery Comimilis-sion of their annuilal appropriation. It aipp)ears to beacknowled(ge( that the Commiiiiissioln was (ldoing, goodwork, atndt we trtust their presemnt (litlicuilties are buttemporary, and will be renwiovedl wliven the miiatter canbe consi(dered( by the L.egislature.

WVe think the Commissioners woul(d strengthentheir han(ds in efforts to obtain a renewal of theirapl)rol)riation, if they gave some attention to thecoarser kin(ds of fish, the sup)p)ly of which appears tobe practically unlimited at our very doors, an(d yetfor unaccountable reasons is retailed at exor'bitantprices, even averaging that of meat.

Fish is a natural food l)rodluct for the poor of citiessituate(l on the coast, but the dealers comnbine tomake it an exl)ensive luxury, by limiting the supply.WVe are even told that they destroy it, rather thaneffect sales below the prices they have arbitrarily fixed.

There appears to be little eincouragement for theLegislature to grant al)l)rol)riations to increase thesup)p)ly of fish and( lower its l)rice, if the (lealers incomiibiiiatioi halave finally the plowvr to limliit the supplyan(l to create an artificial value.As one of the New York Fishery (Commissioners is

himself one of those who are most largely interestedin the sale of fish, his knowledg,e on the subject mustbe considerable, anid he would certainly promote theinterest of the Commission by assisting to remove theevil of which we complain. WN'hile it may be a good workto loa(l the table of the el)icure witlh choice fish, itshould be more satisfactory to restore to the poorerclasses an article of food wlhichl naturc has suppliedwith such a bountiful hand,

SCIENCE.


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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 188.

THE ADVANCENIENT OF SCIENCE.

We cordially conigratiulate the managers of the Amer-ican AssociAtVION FORr.TE AIDVANCEMENt' OF' SCIENCE,oni the very tlhorouighi stuccess wvhicli lhas attended itstwenty-ninth annuial mieeting, leldk last week at Bostoni.We lhave in this issuc dlevoted niearly the wlvole

of our space to chroniicling its p)rocee(dings, an(l we

(lraw special attentioii to the masterly address of theretiring l'residtent, Professor Geo , F. Barker, whiclwe Present in ftill.

''l'he address. of welcome (lelivered b)y thie venerable

Plrofessor lVilliami B3. Rotcrs, L. L. D)., will also b)erea(l witli interest; hie traces tlhe history of the Assocciationi froimi its crad(le, wlhenl it was called( the Asso-

ciation of Amiiericani Natutralists and(1 Geologists, toits hiighi position at this miiomiienit, wheni, as hlehopefully said, it muay be eveni fairly on itsway to overtake tthe B3RrI'S1iI AssocIA'T'rN, whlichi lhasa roll of miemiibershlip) of 3,500 p)ersons, aii(I an inicoImleof $12,5oo, ani(l at the samiie timne i,ooo life members.

Th'lec success of the I)resent mi eeting, and(I the a(dli-tion of nearly six hiund(re(d inew meml)rs, wouild seemii

to warranit the m10ost l)rilliant anticipations for thefuittire of the AssociatioI ; ani(d if its members followthe excellent a(lvice of P'rofessor Rog,ers, ani(l (lo wlat-evcr is in their l)owver to " (Ijuicken scientific thotght,to acctiumitulate scientific facts and( inivestigate scicn-tific laws," an(l generally to a(lvanice sciecice, thoresuilt miust elevate this Association to a positionseconid to no other in the civilized world.

WVe are also remiind(led by Professor Rogers thatwlhile the c(hief fuinction of the Association is to ad-

vance the progress of science; the term a(lvance-

mcnt necessarily implies (liftfsioni, it wouild, therefore,

aplpear an a)l)rol)riate imomiieit to sIpeak of the valuieof this Jouirnal in this coninectioIn. In addition to

ouir report in this issIue the ad(drcsses of Plrofessor

I09

Hall, of Washington, and Professor Agassiz willbc published in ftull. Of the two hundred andeighty papers rea(l before the Association, somewvill bue pul)lished l)y uts vetrtifint, commencing nextweek witi that of MIr. Alexand(ler Gralham Bell oii hisniew inistriumiienit, the h'liotolphone, ililustrated witlhtwelve dlrawings, l)lacedl at our (lisl)osal by Mtr. Biell;antl of thie otlher l)al)ers, we hop)e to give extracts ofthel most iml)ortant.

If, tlhen, the adlvancemient of scicnce necessarilyimplies its diffuisioni, we miiay, with juistice, claiim forthis journal some credit in tihe great work, as IlrofessorRogers said, ini sowinig the seedls of science as., widelelyats possilde throug1i the worldl, wakinig up in all quar-ters those latent spirits, whiose inborn talent andl tei-deIncies will lhereafter blossoim andI frtuctify in scienitificresults.

ANIERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCE.MIENT OF SCIENCE.

The twenty-ninth mceting of this Association met atBoston, MIass., on thc 25thl of last month, under the presi-dency of Professor Lewis 11. Alorgan, of Rochester, N. Y.

Professor George F. IBarker having called the meeting toorder, and introduced thc President elect,- the proceedingscomimenced by an address of welcome from Professor Wil.liam It. Rogers, L. L. D., President of the MlassachusettsInstitute of Technology. After a few preliminary remarks,Irofessor Rogers continued as follows:Trhe Aierican Association for the Advanceinent of Sci.

ece htas ncvcr yet held a iLiectinig in thiis city of Franlklin,anldt I mnay say, also, thle city of itowditcl, not to men,.,tiolnthel long linie of' otlher scientific worthlies, )roninent am11on1gwhiom is ouir great instructor, otir adlopletd citizen), LouisAgassiz. It seems a fitting place for suchi an association toconvene. Its spirit, its institutionis, its history, its hlabitsand sympathiies, all favor sucih a reunion between its citi-.zens and the advocates and votaries of science. It was mygood fortu'ne, if it is a good fortune of any man to be ableto datc back his life for a long period of years, to havebeen familiar with the cradle of this institution in the formin whichi it first presented itself as the Aissociation of Ameri.can Naturalists and Geologists. This, however, was notby any means the earliest congress of science assembled inthe world. The origination of this thioughlt of a parlia.nicntary annual meeting of scientific men see:ns properlyto belong to a great German philosopher and speculator (?),who as early as 1S22 organized the German Association forthe Advancement of Science. For eight.or nine years thisexample was not followed. but in 1S31 lirewster, aided bylBroughlian, establishled the great lBritishi Association forthe Advanceiiient of Science, which we are to regard asthe parent inistitution from whiichi we have sprun-g. ThislBritish association, miecitig in thie ancienit city of York in1831, had its annual assemblings for a series of years in alltihe gre- t capitals and some of thie secondary cities in GreatBritain. Faithfully admilinisterinig to the nieeds anid stimllu-latiiig the energies of scientific inquiry, andl publ)lishing itsannual solid (quarto, which is a library rep)resenting theprogress of pIhysical and niaturall scicnce of that time coin-paral)le to any that cani be presented on the shelves of anycollectionk of books in the: woald. Now this lBritish asso-ciation is holding. to-day its fiftieth annual mecting; andnow, in the afternioon of its assembling, I can imagineclearly in imiy ninid's cyc some of those great dignitaries ofscience that are thiere assembled. I can think of Sir JosepiIlooker, of Sir WVilliaim Tlhomsoni, of Iluxlev, of 'lIyndal,of Balflouar Stewvart, anid of all the great worthiies that illus-trate physical. imatheinatical an1d niatu;ral sciciice for the lastgencration; anid as I look back oni the records precvding

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solving the natural corollary to their great proposi-tions. But Edison has an advantage in the pursuit.His employment of the varying electrical conductivityof carboon allows him to introduce any amount ofreserve power for meclhanical l)pirposes.

It is mu11ch to be regrette(d that E.(dis)n can not findlei'stre oiron) the lpractical applications oft his scieniceto tuirnl hiis aattenition to those l)robleis wlhichi he is so

eminivenitly), capable of solving. We vividly recall somieexpl)riments in thiis (lirection whliel he told us ofduring the Spring of 1878, while on a visit to hislal)oratory at Mlenlo lPark. He allowed( a beamof liglht to fall oni the suirface of a (liaphragmconn11ected withIhis carbon buitton, in the hope thatby a surface and(l miolecular action, it would( be l)ossi-bMe to tranismiiit its mlotioni to a receivin,g diaplhragm,wilere a simiiilar miiolecular. tension would(I resuilt in therel)ro(luction of the original vibrations. A faint halois sai(I occasionall) to lhave suirrounlde(d the (diap)hragm.WeC couildk not buit believe this (Itie to the excite(l im-

ag,inationi of Mr. EdMison, for at the time hie was en-

thusiastically engaged in testinig tlhc, wondrouscap)acity of thle tasiimieter, whiich hie was soon to usein eclip>se observations on thle D)raper expedition.

Mr. Alexand(ler GJraham lell, wlhose contril)btions -le also trie(d to observe the eftect of a beam actinlgto electric scienice have been recognized at lhomiie anldl on tihc diaphragm of a phoniogr,aph, wiose cylinder re-abroad to their fuillest value, h;as wvritteni a paper oni Vol%ved at eniormous speed. hopin, a linie of phosphor-lhis latest inventionm, thle PhotolhollC, wVhicI we rel)ro- escence might arise fromi the tinifoil wEere it camie in(luce an(l abundantly illuistratt. (oita(ct withi the neele. Ml r. Edison saidlhe em-

It is a beautiful application of the telephone.to the loed the lirect action ot the light (in the last case),registration of the miechaninalaction of eletricityset JilI)reierence to using, electricity as a me(liini for it,inI Imlotionl b)y ligit ; btit it is nlot (as the world was becauselie feare(d there c.xisted a (lilterence betweenlead to suppose 1y some ill itiforiimed jouirinalist) a i1- tee vibrory l)erio(ls of lilght and(1 electricitY, al-thlod of transmu1111tilng, lig,it pulsations inlto eletriCal thoutheir velocity 'as nearly the same. For

ones, and1 thnchagling, thevsbaas:4ai;i into light,l. la similar reasoni hie sought to realize the in'stani-A beamn of light is reilected upon a m.irror diaphragmii, tancouis translation of light by linig, his motogra)h,wlhichi is set ill miotioni by the voice or otlherwise; theile )referenc to the netictelephone which for thisconcentrated ray is thieni retlected so as to af'fect a purpose is valueless, owing to the timle requirt&l to

piec' of seleniuimi ini a telepl)hnic circuiit, whic),by c irge adl discharge the ironi core. Blit the imiostits varvin c ltuctivitv, acts interiittei tly tile interestin, of tilese experiments is to come. Hliedliap)hrgi- of tle telepholel, alld thus ini the usiulal thlbr'W al betanI o(Iflamp light oni a smalllmirror, fast-way reprodluces thie sounild. T11w insitriiuimet is simii- eiiLd to al tuningfor, and reflected a ray upon a stril)plicity itselt' but tllh resilts are of the highest 1o)01pular of hI1d rubber ini the tlsimaeter, the buttotn of thean(l scienitificinlterest. ;latter behin, in circuit with a telel)hionie anid battery.

'I'liat it is possible for even the ray of a star to ()1 setting the fork in motion, the lissajotis figurepro(dtuce a mechaniical effect, was (lemionstrate(l when cu1sed a movemillelt of the rodl, which restiltetd in theEodisoll usedl lhis 'T'asimiieter for im;easuiringf the waves reproductioi of the imutisical note.of radtl;,iant energy of Vega. Wl'e tholghlit hlell haId lint all these pretty ex)erimeilts are but intro(diuc.solved the problem,tupon which Edison was at work tory to the more subtile tjtiestionl, iow to tranislatewheni lie became in-terested( ini the perfection of lhis lighit through o thier form-s ofmrotioni back inito light.electric light, but ouir hope has ntot beeni realized. W\e wisil a. hearty rivalry between the two discomerers'h'lle subject, however, is onie of extreii interest, for Messrs. 1e11 and Eldisol will udt lth tieldls ofanid it is niot strange for the discoverers of the two stciienice (like those of trade) yieldl best fruiit wheinteleplollic systems to be simultaneously engaged ill fetilized by competition.

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PROFESSOR AL.EXANDER AGASSIz's address, de-

livered in S-aunders' Theatre, Cambridge, wlhich weprint in ftill on another page, mutst be considere(done of the most important events of the great Bos-tonl meCtinlg.

In hiis positioin as Vice-President of the BiologicalSection niothiing could be more appropriate thanthe expressioni or hiis views upon the (lirectionwlhich mo(lein biological research is taking. Ani-mated by lIis own experience an(l convictions, hiisidl(dress was a deliberate anld able attack upon theprevailing tendency towards too rapid generaliza-tioni-a tend(lency whichi lhas beeni inicreasinlg (lutringthc last fifteeni years, anid is clearly the outgrowthof the intenise desire of mo(lern biologists to breakdown each anid ever-y barrier wlhiclh obstruicts ouir

view in the history of dlevelolpment. Natural anid'lauidable as is the desire to leave nlo stone tutilrnie(dini otur kntowledtlge of the relationships of the dlifier-enit branclhes of the animiaial kinigdom, it can onilyresult in the obstruction of futuire investiga.tors if itis niot kept strictly withlinl the limliits of the trutlh.Phliylogenietic inqutiries add greatly to the zest ofstiu(ly, buit shloldi nlot b)e carried so fiar as to hiam-

ler or obscure the real eni(l in view, whlichi is, ofcouirse, truth anid precisioti of statemet, witli thlelinie sharply (lefined betwecl wlhat is actually seein

ain(I that wlhicih it is iniferretl ouighlt to be seeni.

Prof. Agassiz base(d his conclutsiotns upon hiiscomprehlenisive stu(ly of tl e sea-urchin. Statingas a premiise the iow wvell-knlown fact that inl thieir

embyological (levelopment the inodlerni for-ms repeatthe stages tlhroughii which their ancestors passe(d infossil history, hie carefully traced thle lparallelism1l ina nutimber of imio(dern andl fossil forms, givinig an

outline of lhis recenit stuldy. 'T'he resuilts have beeiiin all cases in positive confirma;ltion of the above

premise, and slhow the very close affiliation of theoldest and most recent formus, in general clharacters.Btut wlhile the sea-uirclhins, witlh a comparatively

small number of existing species, and with a com-paratively complete fossil record, offer a temptingfiel(d for speculation, Prof. Agassiz denied his rightto group the genera into anything like a completegetnealogical tree. '" If," he concluded, " when wetake one of the most limited groups of the animalking(lom, ve fin(d ouirselves engaged in alhopelesstask, wlhat miutst be the prospect should we attackthe problem of otlher classes or groups of the ani-mal kingd(om, whiere the species ruLn into thousands,while they number only tens in the case we haveattempte(l to carry out? Shall we say 'ignora.biimuls' or ' imiipavidi progrediamus,' and valiantlychase a plhanitom we cain never hope to seize?"

It was hardly to l)e expected that such ani attackas this wouild pass unnotice(l, an(l in fact, one ofthe features of the imieetiings of the Biological Sec-tion was a delbate growving ouit of it, vliich tookplalce oni the following day. Prof. Cope had beenreading a;n able paper upon the suiccession of theextinct Feli(lde, pointinig to the mo(lifications of theteetlh as a basis for formingia complete geneticserics. At the close of hiis paper he calle(d Prof.Ag.assiz's attention to the fact that here, in the catfamily, was an instance lea(ling in quite ani oppo-site direction to tliat wlhich Prof. Agrassiz hadassumen(l in his ad(iress the (lay before. An inter-estinig discussion followed. Prof. Agassiz said hedid niot object to the groupinig of genierai inito linesof (lescenit wvlere the structuiral clharacters weresuflicienitly homllolgous, btit lhe did obj1ect to regard-inig suclh affinlity as jtistiIying the initrodtuction ofhypotlhetical liniks into otlher parts of the clhain,and lhe did not see that the modifications of a singlecharacter, the teetlh, warrianited the phylogeneticconiclulsionis wvhich Prof. Cope had just reached.Prof'. 1iui-t Wildir a(l(led thiat, inl his ownI sti(ly uiponthe pectoral miuiscles ot the (log and othier animals,hie lhad founiid the fallacy of hasty generalizationtor genietic inifeir-ences, (irawn fromii the mutsclesalonle, wouil(I wi(lely (liifler fr1omi the facts of actualrelationship. Prof. Cope rel)lie(l that in suichquestionis all milst ad(miiit tiat (liflerent values shiould)e assiglle(l to (lilerient patrts of the animnal frame,anlm among the hard parts, of course, he ranked,first, the limbhs, tlheni, hie said, came the teethi. Injustification of his arrangreent of the extinict catsinto two linles of dlescent fiom a common ancestor,hle said that the com)lication of the brains coIfir-m-edl the hiistory told l)y the teethi. Prof. Agassiz em-plhatically repeated lhis statement of the day beforeanid( the (lisciussioni close(l. Ve hiope this ad(dresswill b)e wi(lelv circulated and rea(l ; if receive(d inthe spirit in whiicih Prof. Agassiz inltend(ie(d it, itseffect will be admirable. The reaction friom thetlhcory of special creation is riuinninig strongly inevery quiarter, ant(l in a day whilen we finid ingeniiouss)eculations advanced eveni in small imiemiioirs,every one imiust admit the necessity of aimore con-servative spirit. TlhetrC is no (langer of goitng initothe ol(1 and opposite extreme, nor (loes Prof. Agas-siz's a(l(lress encouira;ge the return imovement. It isa re-statemnent of the ol(1 piece of a(lvice-do notattempt to run before yotu are sure you can walk.

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AN article in the North Americax Review,over the signature of Edison, confirms our editorialremarks, ma(le on the ioth of July last, respectingthe true conidition of h1is system of electric illumin-ation.The course of Edison has been consistent, and

from first to last he haseml)nhatically stated thtat theresuilts arrived at last Jatnuary practically demon-strated the success of his system for the ends inview, and that nothing remainedl to be done but toimprove hiis lamp andl genierator, to bring bothto as ticasr a stalte of perfectioni ts a lonig seriesof exhlustive ex)erimellts woul(d l)ermit.Of course, Ed iso20 has ailso hade1 to miai*ster tlhe

ClIorilotls mls1s of (letails iliCidleit to tile l)racticalwotking of hlis electric Ilamp oitna large scale lorgeneral ulse, antdl that hie hias ficcompl)hislled bothtasks within a year must be a matter of astonisli-ment to all who have any conception of the workdone; but Edison seems born to overcome diffi-culties that appall other men, and the fertility ofhis mental resources appears unbounded.

In the dlisctussioni of sicienltilic questions affectingveste(l initercsts, imI)partial treatmenit atntd justice tothe ininovator are lost sighit of. Better things, lhow-ever, might have been expected from some of thosewho hlave misle(d the public in regard to thismatter. Un(der the belief that Edison's electriclamp was a faiiluIre, thlousaiids of (lollztrs lhave beenlost by those who hatve invested their money inelectric liglt companiies- which halve tried to forcesystems of lighting, funia(lunmenXltatlly wronig in prin-ciple, and.{ ridicuflouisly ti,,rit for geniera-ll ililuiminttingpIlrlose:..

'Edisorn is one fact wllich places the sincerity ofEdison above reproach; he lhti leIlt the merit of hissystem of electrical illumination to assert its ownsupremacy with the public, and has nteither para-ded his light in great cities, nor. gone on a lectur-ing tour, as other eminent inventors have done;and lastly, he has spent thousands upon thousandsof dollars in perfecting his system.On his system of electric illumination Edison has

staked his time, money, and reputation. He nowstates that he has succeeded. Let those who arewise accept the situation.

-We see by a notice in a recent number of theVeterinary Gazette that a French palaeontologist hasdiscovered the osseous remains of an extinct speciesof horse at one of the "paleolithic stations" in hiscountry. The species resembled our recent horsemore closely than any other fossil species, but the re-markable feature was noted that the so-called " splintbones" (the lateral metacarpals) are separate and dis.tinct from the great metacarpal or "canon bone,"'while in the modern horse these are co-ossified for thegreater I)art of the length of the former. It thusconstitutes a coinnecting linik between the Hipparionatn(d 1.quis genera. 'l'lh ulnber of fossil remnlllanitsdiscovere tl ilnIdicatedtleld t over at tlntlred tioSualldallillAal5s /I dI l)wriilletl ill tliat lovallit, and the expla-nation gi-J cn for tIis acVcmlmlltitiolI is ihat a lairge lr.lof anilma\s, scize(d with thiat panic thiat hiorse-lherdsare liable to, rushle( over a p)recip)ice and(1 were thuiskille(d en msse. A fuller accotint is promise(l inKo)snos, the journal from which the notice is taken,and we will refer to it in due time more fully.

There appears to be an tICieasy feeling in cer-ttitl Englislh scientific circles; the complaint isopenily miadle thltt tlhe recogniitioni of scienice (whencomparetd witih that receivetl fromil society, by theliberal arts) is inadequate, and( ctills for an im-mneliaite reme(ly. Contributions, to be leviedfrom the State, atid distinctions to be conferredby Governlment or the Crown, aire suiggested, andone writer proposes that UCew life peeragtes slhouldl becolnferred ont cnliinellt scielltific miieil, thle titles beingentlowed withi thie saiklarly of at junlior lortd, whiicil, webelieve is abotut live or lei tliou-sata (lollarts a

year; tihe seIlectiont in somie causes to 1be mnatde from

the Ilol(lers of certalini otlices, stuelh as tile Miaster ofthe Miint, the Astronoimer Royal, or the Presidentsof the Royal Society and 13ritishi Association.

THE AUGUST PERSEIDS, 1880.

IIV EnDWIN IF. SAWYIKR.

The annuval dlisplay of Atlgiist meteors occulrringduring the first hlalf of the miointlh, uwith a strong imax-imum on the gth ald( iotlh, hias been watchetd for thisyear witlh the usuial attention of miieteor observers, anda successful series of observations lhave been ob-taine(l.

Althouigil little iml)ortant iniformiiation has beenadded( to ouir present knowletige of this well-knownmeteor stream, yet its Ilcettlating intensity from )yearto Year is an iliIl)trilant cleIietmet to rceord.

''lher restilIts of the ol)servations so far as hecardfromii ind(licate tliat the lisplay as olserve(l this yearexceedledi but sliglhtly in Initenisity the shiower as re-cor(led last year, whel, insteaC of a nmaximunii dlisp)layas anticipated being ol)served, the slhower proved tobe a very meagre one, in fact, representing a mini-mum phase of its retuirn. Thlus the existence of an

eight-year period for this slhower, as suspected andpointed out by Dr. Phiipson,* appears to lack con-firmation.

* See his *ork entitled " Meteors, Acrolites and Falling Stars," page's.

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WF. are l)lease(d to reiiark soime l)rospect of renewedastronomical activity at the D)earlborn Observatory,Chlicago. ThIis inistitutioni was, for a lperiodl of miorethan teni year's, in possessioni of the lar-gest refract-ingtelescoIpe in existenice-thle olbjcct glass of which lhasani apertuire of eighiteeni and( one-half inchies. Th'legreat telescol)es whichl hiave since be'en built,anid are niow in process of conistructioni, havethie apparent effect of dwarfmng the Chicago tele-scolpe, whiichi, at the timie it wvas miadle, was agreat advanice oni every thing that hia(l precededit. Thlere seemis to be the best of reasoni for(loubtinig, however, whether any) othier inistrumienit atItresenit in existenice is suirely, suiperior to thie Chicagorefractor for efllicient astronomiical work. M u4. S. WJ3'Ni~,distingu,tishied for hiis researc,hes ini douible

stars, speaks, with authtlority !in thiis matter-- I kniowof nio object, faint or otherwise, which hias l)een seeniat Washiing,ton or elsewhere, that canniot be seeni per-fectly, here [at Chicago] ani(l accurately measuredc(."Professor N.wcoMi:i, ini hiis ' Uraiiani and( NeptumianSyStem1S, InveCStiga,'ted With the 26-inch Elqiiatorial of thleU nite(l States Naval O bserv-atory, Washuingtoi," r-e-miarks that Aridi anid UIinhbricl, the innerll SaIttlute4s ofUranuis, "are visilble onIly whenl tile atinlosphere isvery finle, and( are thien dilicuilt objects,' an(l consi(lersit very (loutifuil whether these objects have ever l)eenlseen withi ani apertuire so smiall as twelve incheis.I)irector Houmi, of the I)earborn Observatory, statesthat near the timie of the plainet's opplositioni, thecse satel-lites cani rea(lily be seeni and mieasuired, uniller or(Iiinaryatmosl)heric cond(itions, wvithi thle Chicago telescope.If, as is (Iluite l)ossil)le, the Chiicagro refractor shiould(prove to be quiite as effective in actuial observationi assomie of the larger telescopes of a later (lay, we shallhiave aniothier of those instanices frequetialy forcedIup)on the astroniomier, whiereini his comlputation of theadequacy -of a Iparticular inistrumiient (loes niot tally'withi its observational effectiveness. Elvery astronomner,thieni, must regret that so competent ani inistrumienitmuiist, through lack of end(owmienit, be lying miainilyidIle, or, at the miost, only) emplOyed by) those who areable to turni it to s(cintitifc- ol,servationi withoutPecuniary comnpenisationi. 'Ihei valuied work of M1r.BJURNIIAMI Withl this inistrumencit, ini the (lisco%very anrdobservationi of douible stars, is well knlowni. Professor

IHo'UGH, in, connection with Professor COLBERT, con-duicted a series of observations of Jupiter at the lateOpplosition. Owving to the discordanice ini the deter-miniiationis of thec ellipticity of the p)lanet's disk fromobservation, their attenitioni was giveni to a niew deter-miniiationi of this (quantity, withi these resuilts:Bly I'rofess-sr I-louGII......... i-16.23B3y Professor Comanicr .... ... .... x-16.73

Theli English Nauitical Almianiac uses the valueI-I3.7 1, wh'ile thle value i-i6.40 is adopted in theAmierican Ephemeris. WNithi the samie magnifyinglpower, 638 (liamieters, the absolute polar and equia-torial (liamieters of the lplanet were observed to be,for the mieani distanice of Jupiter fromi the Suni:

POl-AR. EQL'A'L.By Professor IIOUGII .............36'.319 38'.70Biy Professor ColBEr'l.............36-.o3o 38'.31

Assuminiig a solar p)arallax of 8'.8i, the mieasuires ofP-rofessor Houoii give for the equatorial diamieter90,570 miiles, and( for the l)olar dliamieter 85,ooomiiles.

Me.1asures of the ang(le of position of the northi edgeof thie equiatorial belt shiow that it hiad the same (lirec-tioni aroundi( the enitire circumnferen-ce, and( that this(lirection (exactly parallel to the planet's equtator) w~asmiainitainie(l trug101houit the enitire opp)losition. Verycoimp letc mieasuires of the apparent latitud(es and(widthis of the several comptonents of thie belt system ofJupiter were also miadle, the great redi spot co-inicidinigvery niearly with onie of these belts. Th'le redutcedmelasuires of applarent latitud(e sliow v-ery, clearly thatthie belts wvere arranged symmectrically oni eithier sidleof the equtator, thiree being in the northierni and( thireeinl the soulthern hemciisphereV of J upiter. Th'le rep)ort onithecse observat ions is accomjpaniedI withi wood-cuitsshowing the redI s'pot, the belt systemn, and, to soimeextenit, the struc-ture of the great equtatorial belt.IFrom the observations of this sp)ot, Professor Couuii."r-hias comipuited the timie of r-otationi of the planet oniits axis hle finl(ls it to be 911. 55m.1 34.2aS., (littlerinigaibout eig,ht seconds frontt the value hitherto cosleredi the iniost p)101babl e.M icromet ric' measuires of the dliamecters of' the fouir

satellites of J ulitewr we-re imadle oni three iuighits, theresutin(ig valuecs lieing, at mecan (listance of the planet:

I.I' .114

.IL0".980

Ill.V.778 V.-457

Theli actual diameters of the satellites given bythecse measures are 26i0, 2290, 4i60, ai-d 3410 mliles,rest )ectiv-elv,.

lBut the stiperior (Itiality, of the object glass of theChicagro refractor is imore effective withi suchi objectsas the satellites of U'ranus; miicromietric observa-tionis were secture(l as follows:

Of Aridl, oni fouir niighits.Of Umibriel, oni onie nighlt.Of Titamia, onl eighlt nighIts.Of Oberon, oni seven niighits.

And thiis, notwithstanding that the observations werebeguin late in, the opposition, anid were interrupte(d byani unuisuial amiounit of cloudyi) weather. WNe shiouldlike to see thle suiperior light-gathering power of thiisobject glass tuirne(l toward sy-stematic figo ring of tilefainiter nebuke.

WVe miay, mientioni the mieridliani circle of the IDear-

t66 SCIENCE.

born Observatory-a fine instrument constructed bythe celebrated REPSOLDS, of Hamburg, and which mustlhave few e(quals in this country. It must be the oc-casion of serioius regret that such a splendid piece ofmechanism is p)ut onily to the task of the mere deter-mination of time, when it is a(lC(juate to the deter-mination of the exactest sort of fund(lamental star-positions. We may be permitted the hope that thecreation of a new fund l)y the citizens of Chicagomay ere long contribute to the very possible restult ofplacing the J)earborn Observatory on a p)ernianentfooting as one of the first institutions of the kind inthis country.

The Royal D)anish Aca(lemy of Scienices has re-cenitly ottere(l alprize of320 crowns for the best (lis-culssioIn of the tlheory of the accidenital errors of aclock. 'T'hese errors imiay be (livi(le(I into two classes,those arising fromii errors in the time observations andc1those depending uI)oln the(quiality of the clock. 'T'heselatter in turn may be (livide(l into those dependingUpon the irregtularities of the rate of the clock and(those whiicIh are indepen(lent of the rate. 'T'lhe (lis-cussioii mulst iniclud(le a practical mietlhod of (letermiin-ing the value of each of these kin(ds of I)rol)al)le errorsin(lep)endent of the others.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THIIE AD-VANCEMIENT OF SCIENCE, I88o.

(Cidti,gmation ojOaphers read.)

ON PATENT' LAWS AS A MEANS FOR THEADVANCEMIENT OF SCIENCE.

By PRoF%. B. S. Ih,itRicK, of Washington, I). C.

TitE. proper aiim of sciencc was defined to be thenmakingof discoveries. rihe discoverer of a new mlineral, a newplant, a new law of nature, or a new worltl, has no proprie-tory right in hlis discoverv. The lhonor :nid tlistin:ction heobtains is lhis rewird. 'lie discovery, tlhen, cannot be thesubject of a patent. T'hie Ilws of natture, the p)roperties ofmatter, thc plysical forces-, tlte laws of their generationand goverinimeniit, are like the eartih, the air, the wvater, thecoilinioll property of al. Protperty in the fornir, as in thelatter, is created h)v enactnint litit in civilized commuiiiini-tics the reason for the lxav is that somlethlinsg hals heena1dded to what was given by natiure. 'TItec land has beenfeiced, p)loughed, plaited, or butildings placed upon it.That gives tite foundattion for proprictory' right, and publicpolicy re(luires that this be recognized, and Civil, imunliiici-ial a;(I cmitno)n law does tihis in the case of thle landicl, thec air,and the wvater. '1'lt piatettt laws do the saimiie w'hen iscov t ics,the lprol)ertis of msaltter, the forces, the laws whichlilgovernltlhemi, ate titade to take the shape of tiseftil inventiois. 'rlteiuvention wilich tlhe intventor crealted is secicued tolin as hIis piropterty for a pLeriodl aIt least. litatllote the 1laivs themselves. It is tlte r1eflex action., ofthle in.ventor tha;,t actst;t(oadvance scientce. Ill strait ionswvere givenl 1 etferrlig to Waitts stemil enlgitte ill ;advane-inig otlt klnoiwledlge of the l;aivs o,f hea;t; thle teltegulph iltgiving alliilnlniense. devll,pte to th S0,iev o.,f nia1gnet-isIl aitd elct(ricity; atnd itow% tltc teleploAne andl otlter kill-dred itiveitions, scrve to psttl ouir knowledge ittto thealr-tlcst and ottteriiiost borders. The probation given by tle

patent laws enable the great host of investigators to carryon their researches, and insteadof bccoming a tatx or bur.den to the commuitv, they hell) thtemselves anid bear aftill share of the ordinary burdens of society. Referenicewasmande to Wheatstone, iessenter, 1'erkiii, Graib, SirWilliam Thompson, and others in Etirope, and to IMorse,Page, lhenry, (;Gae, Hell,E'dison, an(d mianyv other ntetn.bers of our assiwciationi, mieit who have greatlv advatIedscieince, and havv received of the rewards wliich flow friomlthe operation of patent laws.

THE MINIEAN RATIO OF OXYGEN TO NITRO-GE.N IN TIlE ATMOSIPHERE.

By PROrFsSOR E. W. MVoki.i:v.In the afternoon l'rof. E. NV. 'Morley presented the fol-

lowing remarkable conclusions from experiments: Whlenthe air at a given place is cold and the barometerhigh,there may somnetimes be a vertical descent of cold air.Samples collected at suclt tintes are more likely toappreach the composition of the ttpper atmosphere thianthose collected at otlher times. If tltere be any cauisewliich tends toproduce an excess of nitro-ent in tlte upptratmosphere, the average per cent. of oxygett inmnany samplescollected as mentioned, will be lower than that of otlhersammples. 'Iherefore, to determine wletlher thlere be anyditerence in the composition of the lower and upperainmosphlerc, Plrofessor Morley collecte(d saitmples (if airdtiring each time of untistial cold and highi barometer froitiSeptentber, 1878 to April, 1479. In 1578 the averageamotintof oxygen in thiese was o. if per cerit. lelow that ofother samp'es. In 1874) the average was 0.12 Per ceit.lower. Careful revision fails to detect any source of error.Professor Morley wAs led. tliheefore, to presutme that theuipplCr atmosphiere, is acted on by a cause tending to re-ntove part of the oxygen, a;nd to pursuei the inqtiiry bymeans of a scries of ldaily analyses in duplicate of air forsix nionithis, and a comparison of the results of analysiswith tthc tltrice daily maps of the United States SignialService. lie finds a deficiency of oxygen at times, antottlv at the times, vhen avertical desceint of air at or nearthe place of collectioin ma' be inferied with a fair degrecof probability from these itiaps, anid somiietiittes ai deficiencywheltet a ert ical dIes'cenit may be regat ded as reasonablycetrtaitt.

MAXI'MA AND MINlNIA TIDE-PREDICTINGMACHINE.

Bly Wm'u.i.%N1 FRIRRII.L.

This machine is merely prospective as yet, and is designcdto indicate, by means of indices on its face, the times atdheigltts of hiigh and low water for any tide sta.tion. Thesehave been determined heretofore by means of laboriouscomputations. The mathematical principles upon whichthe proposed macntine is based, and also the internal struc-ture of the machinc, are both very complex, and no idea ofthtem can be convenienitly given here. TIte face of themachine is to be 20 inclhes by i6 inclies, and the depth oftlhe case 6 or S inclIes. The face contains an lIour circle toinches in diaimeter. an(ld a lunar and solar index turningaround the samle centre with sliglttly dilferent velocities, theone pointing out the lunar timc aned the otlter the solartime elapsed from the tiitme of ain assutitied epoch, as tbefirst of January. Thiere is also an index moving vertically,indicating)(Ite lheiglhts of highi and lowv water. Thec machineis designed to stand upon a desk, atnd lhe power is tblc lefthianid applied to a cranik on thmc sidle, Iaving thc riglht littidfree to recor(d the resutlt a- read frottm tlte ace of thltc itacltine.'[lie crank is tttrined uinitil tlte liuniar iitldex cotnes ill coil-juiniction wvitit the tipper or positive ettd of a teedle, ;alsoin motioti, wvltet the solar index indicates thtc titme of hlighwater and the vertically ntoving index tile lieiglit of highwater. The saitte for low water wlheni the lower index coittes

I

SCIENCE.


PROaRESS.


PtLlSlllSI) A 1'


P, 0. Box 3888,

SAw'IMANt\', OCT"101§1EIR 9 M8o.

Two or three weeks atgo wve coml)lained of thecoldiness of Britisih writers in neglecting to recoginizeanid acknowvledge the fuill scientific valuie of Biell's andIEdison's (liscoveries, and wve con(leiinied, imiore l)artic-ularly, tleir omiiission fromii Gordon's illistratedI cata-logue of recent advanices in electrical science, *whichhad theni jiust appeared in Lolond. Tro (lay, afterhaving rea(l a fotir coluimnipean of eulog, and( encoin-ihinm on P'rof. Bell and(I hiis Photophone, in the lastnuml)er of we i ake a cand(li(l onfes-

sioll, that, in or(der to arrive at the real estimi;ate of anAmiiericani discovery in tihe average I'nlish mind(, it isindisl)eisalde that the ' In,lishi * iticisn

sioulil(l first be (Iawni.''l'he concluding paragraph of this article r;ea(ls as

follows: WWho (an say) to wlat great fiel(ds of science

this one discovery of lProf. Bell imiay not lead, fields ofresearch niot limiiitedI in locality to this eartlh, but

reaciniilg to the l)lanets, and( to the fartlhest limlits ofvisible stellar space. It is 1)) a beamll of light that the

miio(lerin astroniomiler is able to analyse the chemical''coInstituitioIn of the fartiest stars an(1 nel)lihe, ani(d isenabled to (letect ani(l to (leal wvithi mietallic vap)orsthrou,gh (listances of tlhouisand(Is of miiillionis of mi ies as

suirel) as in lhis own laboratory, wiho. after Plrof. liell'sexl)eriments will Ihave the hardihood to attirim that

sound(Is takig, p)lace in the far ott re,ionis of the uni-verse mi1ay not onie (lay be heard on the earthi, and(new fiel(ds of acoustical astroniomy), ma)y not be opened

to the intelligence of miiani. When such a timiie arrives,the thought of the p)oet will be clothe(d witlh tile trutlof the fact, that I,ight is the voice of the stars."

In the same straini whichi excites Ewlgincering to this

traniscei(lenital flight of fancy, may wve not also hope,i'n the fuiture, to catch the whisperings of Venus as

shle waltzes amiionlg lher heavenfly companions, and(1 ifwe (lare to reach so far in- our aspirations for the per-

fection of the Photophone, nmay we not yet be able to

17

hlear the reflections of light, mixed with heat, whichAMars, an ardent admirer of old, throws to that splen-did lmninary as they near each other? It. is alsotriue that Mlr. Edlison lhas helped to begin that sort ofbusiness; for d(id he niot, lonig since, catch thewarmith of the coronal l)eanms, wlhenl the stuni with-drewv behind fair Luna's s(creen, an(l (lid(n't MIr.I oc-kyer (who was tlhcre) tell tIs all that hap-penled ? Let uls niot, lhowever, go too far an(l a(dmiiitthat the era hlas arrive(l whlich Gulliver predicte(l,wlhen he disc-rihed the p)rocess of the p)hilosopher ofI.al)uita wi'o extracte(d sun)beamiis out of cucumbers.

I;/riniow'ru sldowlle know that the Photoplhone ishut a silnple miachine for registering lhat waves thath)aveC illmi lged upon a itpece ol' hard rutbber, and thatthiese w-aves, or ilginlly set ill moiltionl ly tile voice,whenii m1a;lde to act on anv' imaterial exI)ansil)le byheat, will rel)ro(luce, miore or less effectually, the origi-nal iimotion which gave them birth. Such an instru-mieint is the 'I'asimiieter, wlhicih Professor Bell hasstril)l)e(l of its swaddling clothes an(l mniade to talk.

CONSIDERABI.E alarm hias been create(l among thoseinitereste(l inl horse fleshi by certain rel)orts circulatedregar(ling a niew so-called epizootic anmong horses.WN'e lhave been at somiie p)ainls to collect reliable dititaconcerningr this miaitter, and(i have found, as we anitici-lpated, tilat its iml)ortanice is greatly exaggerated byenterprising relporters of (laily l)al)ers. W\'e have 'be-comle satisfied of the fact that the (listeml)er n0ow pre-v'ailing in New York, has inothling in comm1111oni withi theepizootic which was suich a memorable featuire of theyear i873, and( so severe a onL that har(dly a carriagecouil(d be seeni oni ouir streets, while but few of thehiorse-car lines were able to keel) their conveyancesrunning, with aniy regilarity.

Veterinarians are accuistomiied to exp)ect a more orless severe en(lenmic of catarrhial trouibles amongr horsesabouit the first of October of every year. '1'hle horseis very liable to atmlospheric infltuences, far more sothani the hliuman species, an(d the changes in the weatlheroccurrinr ibout that tim1e sutifce to l)roduce an appa-renit el)i(lemic of catarrlhal trouibles among0 thiem. Insom1e yers few, in otliers many hiorses are affected;the present year the number lhas been so large as totemp)orarily initerfere with business, but this is excep-tional.

'l'he (lisease lasts but a fewv days, the main trouibleis a bronchitis associated with a slight catarrh of thenasal nmuicus membrane; for a period of from twelveto forty-eight hiouirs there is also a febrile (disturl)ance.'T'hse h1iglhest temperature recor(le(d by a veterinarian,fromi an observation of ftully onie tlhouisan(d cases has been

I~~~~~~~~~8 SCIENCE.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~io6jQ Fahrenheit The disorder is not. fatal, it hardlyrequires any treatment even; only in debilitated orvery old animals, or such as are overworke(d by inhlu-man owners, may fatal complications arise. Fewdeaths have taken place; a veteriinarian in York;iUllewlho has visited stables containing an aggregate of athousand affectedl horses, has hadl buit a single (leatlh,that of an animial over(lriven while convalescing, an(in wliceh pulmonary conigestioi restilte(l.

'T'lhere is as )et io l)roof that the atfcctionl is con-tageous; it is ratlher en(lemiiic thani)idelpdeic. TI'herap)idity withi wlich 'it hlas stuIccessively appeared inBoston, New York and Chicago, speaks more in favorof an atmospheric cause than of transmission by con-tagion. A Boston microscol)ist asserts that bacteriaor micrococci are active factors in its transmission, buthe makes the statemilenit, rathier as an inferenice, tlanon the basis of observation. T'lie samiie veterinarian,to whom we owe the commiuiniilicationi of several factshere mentioned, tried( to inioculate his owni horse withthe disease, l)y intro(ducing the (lischiarge(l matterfrom sick hiorses inlto its air passages, an(l failed inthis and otlher experimients of the samiie kin(l. It isalso observe(l th;at the in(lemiiec has appeared miiorefrequecnitly andtI allf'ctedImt'orehlorses in lar,ge, wellvenitilate(d stables, il wh11{ich thle inlulence of olutsidecchanges in the tetmperature is quickly felt, thantu iclose an(I confinie(d qiuarters wlhere the air is, if moreimpure, warmer, an(l thle oscillations of thle olutsi(deteml)erature less suddenly ma(le manifest thani in theformer.As far as this city is conicerned, the ,acme of the

en(lemic is l)ast, an(d owniers of lhorses frightenie(d by)sensatioinal reports in the dtail)y I.al)ers are recoveringthieir wonted(lcoinposure. If it hlas (dlone n1othin;|g elsethe distemper has taullghlt the olle lesson, that whenii ahorse is ill, the policy of gettinig as m-iuchw1ork otit ofhimii as l)ossible is, inot to speak of its' barbarity, ex-cee(lingly short-siglhted, for no vigorous animiials haveperished in this endemic, excep)t stuchi as those inwliose case this "1 penny wise, pound lfoolishl" idleahiad1 bteen *carriel ouit.

PROFESSOR EDWARD C. I'1CKERING, of Camiibri(Ige,descnrbes a novel celestial object observed by.himi onthe 28th of August last, wlhich p)resented a fainit con-tinuous spectrum witlh a bright ban(d near each end.Clouds interfered, and barely permnitte(d an identifica-tion with Oeltzen 1768I, or a position in I880 ofR. A., i8h. Im. 17S. ; 1)ec., 2I' I6'.The object miglht be mistaken for a temporary star,

like that in Corona in I863, and the ban(s assumiiedto Correspon(l to the Hydrogen lines C and F. Pro-fessor Pickering appeare(d to be unable to determiine

whether it was a nebula, a mass of incandescent gasresembling a nebula in clharacter but not in constitu-tion, or whether it was a star with a vast atmosphereof incandlescenit gas of a nmaterial not as yet known touis. h'lie discovery of this object, in hiis opinion,greatly inicreases the ditlictulty of distinguishing be-twecul a star and( a p)lanetary nebuila.

T'lhe observation was ma(de on thle 24tl of Augustanlsl descriled on the :2d of September, )utt in conise-qenl1vlce of thle fact that Professor lPickering senit hiscommunication, to a foreign journal, tlhree thousiandmiles away, it was thutis the second(I week in. Octoberwhen it (anme before the Amiierican public.

SCIENCE IN FRANCE AND GERMANY.Dr. C. K. Akin has written a series of letters from

Pesth to Professor G. C. Stokes, Secretary to the RoyalSociety, wno was one of the Royal Commission onScientific Instruction. These letters are (lated 1870, butare now published for the first time by The 7ournal of$Sciene, London.

In whatmay be called a supplemental communicaLionI)r. Akin describes the condition of the most prominentscientific institutions in France and Gernmany. Ihisremiiarks on the system of centralization, an(d abuse ofthe authority of those who protess an infalliibility inrespiect to the human mind wil 1 be read with interesit.

Ile states that these scientifilc magnates, thle recognizedauthoi ity" in Germany., instead( of reindelrinig etncour-agemilent to stu(enlits, p)ositively cl;eck atidi, impede a%ll

progress outsidc of their owvn circle, keel) out new milenwvith noveliideas as long as possible, so as to hold theirown sway.

But we will leave Dr. Akiin to make his own state-ment:

o The Frenich Aca(lemy is in some respects similar tothe Royal Society, and the points in which it differsfrom the litter are not, in myopinion, to its a(dvanitage.In the first place, the membenrs of the Acad(lemy aresalaried )y thle Government, hut their emiiolumiienits arenot suiicietit to live upon1 or to keep themi, so to speak.in working order; nor do they perform any spefiecservice to Science or the State for the money. TheAca(lemy,next, is divided into a certain numl)er of sec-tions, according to the several branches of science, andthe- number of members in each section is strictlylimited. As that subdivision is invariable, while therelative importance of the sciences is tluctuiatinig, theabuse has crept in ol clecting members inito a wrongdivision. On the otler hiantd, sucl a procee(ling niotbIeing always p)ractical)le, hlighlyl) dist inguiskht:d men areextluted(l from *the Xcad(leniy for manyy)ears if theirprolper sections happen tobe full ; 'Wil e if, from thedearth of cultivators or acci(lents of mortality, the nuni-ber of vacancies happens to be great. the stan(lardl ofadmission is considerably lowere(l. 'I[he Academy pub-lishes weekly its proceedingsbr -Comtes Rendlus,"which, from the celerity and regularity of their publica-tion, are a valuable means of conveying rapid infor-mation; on the contrary, its transactions or M1Iemoires"are issued in a very irregular and dilatory manner.The practice of examining and( reporting upon commu-nications submitted has fallen into alnmost completedisuse ; andl the prizes, which are in a consi(lerablenumber, are in a great part awarded upon the anti-quated principle ot putting forth questions. I have thusrapidly drawn the most distinctive features of the French

.lys SCIENCE.

SCIENCE. 8

SCIENCEA WEEKLY RECORD OF SCI

PROGRESS.

JOHN MICHELS, Edito

I't(lLIi1iED1 Ar1

229 BROADWAY, NEW YOR

P. 0. Box 8838.

SA\ Ul'1t1).,% Oc-rOl:izt .16 i88c

anid endowcd by the munificence of HNH. II.* \\'WARNER, an enterp)rising miierchanit of Rochester, and(* ncltitle(l, froim its fouin(ler, the Warner Observatory.N T I AuIAliotit $50,000 will he exp)cnded in the construction

of the ol)servatory proper, aan(l the connected stric-tLure. The Messrs. CLARK, of Cambridgeport, arenow makin, a lar", refractiing telescope (aperture of

r. the ol)ject-glass, sixteeni inclies) for this ew o0l)serva-tory. We' reg,ret tlhat, in the l)rol)osedi coistruic-tioni of this edifice, the archiitect slhould(1, ill somliemecasuire, have resorted to the former sy)stem of build-in, observatories-that of momnting the great tele-

scope up"m a pir of masonry built higi up fi'roll theSurface of the ground. A series of properly coitldtctedexperiments will ustulfly inldicate, however, whetherthis miietlho(d is fire fromii objection in any) p)arti(cular'ca. X'I' iiote a coinnectcdl contrivance-hitherto

WVE: have for several 'ears enitertainiedI a favorable unknoxvn in astronomy-a lissenger-elvatir to theopinion regarding the advisability of establishing a flnoorwofth d rone. We shissllexprcss tle haope thatwell equipped observatory for the almost exclusive the abundaince of new devices with which this niewurpiose of astronomical discovery. ( )ne has only' to olbservatoty is to lie supipilied may not lie marllkctd, as

recount the laibors of American astroniomlers (luring a i fruetly the case, I y a les mutifood tr-lbrief teril of years to remark the great a(lvanceiiientnt ncal work tlai is performed iin observatories ofof their scicnce, whichlias resuilte( fromi thedlirection like capacity, wlere nothing is for convenience and;

(t energy towar(d this end(l. Professor BoND)'s (diSCov-erv (f a niew satellite and(I a dusky ring to the planet h

Satturn ; Mr. IBURNIImAl'SivelS-knoXv discoveries of -niew double stars ; the (liscovery of the companion of A lecture on "* M icrophysiology' " was recently (Ie-the bright star Siriuis by Mr. AIXNAN (". CL.ARK ; tih livere beforc the Pol)ytechnic Association of Newdiscovery of fifty or sixty' smiiall laiinets between MIMars Vork, 1)) lierson having an uienvialile reputationand(l JuI)iter by' I)r. l'i:imRs ani(l Professor W\!ATISON; f'Or mi;akinig extravagant assertions oni scientific quties-the ind(lel)enlent (liscovery of thiree or fouir comets 1)) tiois. It h,as been wie(lyl reported by the l)ulblicP'rofessor Swiv-' ; the dliscoveries of intra-Mercurial press and(I we notice that a claimii is miiadle that theplanets, at the timiie of the eclipse of 1,878, liy I'rofes- origin of Bacteria and iminuite f'orms of life iln thle at-Sui,-W!AT\SO N aInd SWIm' ; the extraordinary dliscover)' mlloSphL-re has lien discoveretl y1) (the lectiurer.of the two satellites )f Mars 1)) I'rof'essor I I Ai. ; tfie It walis also assertedl at the same tiiiie that micro-Irilliant Slpect-Oir(olicoic disciAiverieS bV 1). II:xl scol(irgailislls can lie devloped ill tile llaltrattryD)RAPER (if thle existeilce of' oxygen in the suin, amdtl of undertondtlitious which exclude atlmlollpieric contact,the inhierenit lheat of the planet jupiter-arc rec'alI(l at a fact in direct contradiction to the exhaustive experi-onice. A\ e might add greatly to the list without (lifti- mienits of lynInall and(l othiers.culty'; lbut that is niot nec'essary for the suilpport of the 'l'he lprolblems thlius professed to lie solved have (Ie-belief that astronomiiers have not (liscvered all;tlere fiel the intelligent research of such meicn;as IHIuxley,is to4 discover in the solar system even, althoughi tieir D)allinger, Beale, Sanderman ani Blastian, aitldel 1)lalbors have been 'ery' ardulios, andz1 tilhir melalls of the lutist povwrfuill and perfect (ilbjctives o1 tainalle.research miiost lpowerful. We shtill ble inclined to 'l'hie present aIssertitins to thte contrairy will, tierefore,predlict a stientilic record tif great importance and lie received wvith himor by' tihse acqmallnited itli thleursefuilness for any observatory of highi instruinentl subilject, if tile limcilief cauised 1)) sutich reckless state'Ca;Iacity', which shloildl set out tlmpjin a linve of svste- m1)(.n1ts be not considered.in1:atic ilbserva';tion, withi ref'erelce to) astOInilli'cal tlis' 'he announcemet made at tilhe same time of thec iverv simpily'. It is glm;ttif'ying, thet' ;ire, to le'arn1 dcivery,I iy'th Ivlectltri, oif';lanew\lf'i1 oifobjective,hillt tile new Observatory, inoiw iln pl-oce's.s of vi'tc Ilhevxtetltl (a;1 heatiilln if'which im't il1estimetioin at R iclimster, N. Y., wmiild seetmk to le piievelt liiiiit t it't le g1liG ilug p'm-cl tf' 11inicrscopicaldetdicated to t his sort of work. P'rof'essor I.cwls" oljct-tives, reqt uirks Wtit a p;assilg nlot ie.

\.ivi', of tlhat place, hais, we believe, 'been in 'I'llis iiitlividual appears to have fl.le inlto tIe errorstalled thet life dliroctor of thait in1stituition, constructing of supposing that thle excellence of' a microscope is

i.89

Igo SCI ENCE,

to be (leterininie(l b)y the greatness of its mnagniifyinig

power. Oni the contrary that inistrumiient mutst be

considere(I the miost etficienit whichl rend(ers the (letails

of an olbject l)ercel)tib)le witih the lowest power. D)e-stinictniess of dlefiniition,l by whiichi is mieanit the

powver of rendering all the minu'itte Iinicainientsclearly, seeni, is a quality of greater importance thani

miere magnifying lpower. I ndeed, wvithout this qutality,

miere magnifying powver ceases to hiave aniy value.

At present there is ani honorable Comlpetitionbetween Spenicer and( Tolles. of America, IPowell and(

Lealend, of England, and( Zeiss, of Germany as to

wlho shiall p)roduce the niiost perfect inicroscopial ol

jectives ; amid( it wotmld lie a (dilficult matter to decide

w hlich of' thecse I'i s mossesses thle greatlest mer-iit inl

WOrkmanship. Zeiss, wvithi his oil immersion system,

miay, have obtained the credit o)f a teiiplloary advani-

tagre, but simiiar formis of ol)jectives are niow being

mianutfactuiredi in thlis and( othier coutrttiies with suiccess.

'I'hiese miakers are bringing to b)ear oni thieir wo-(rk

all the miost recent (discoveries in op)tical science, andt

if any advance is miadle in the magnifying power of

objectives, we shiall exp)ect to find( it lproducedl by)suich skilledI opticians.

P~AL.EONTOLOGICAL RESE.ARCHES.

B3Y Pkom:'. HLENRY S. W11.LIAMS, Ph. 1)., coamell Lniveisity.

Genesee Slate. Fauna, and Flora of Station xxxiv. di.. H. S. W.

Oni the easterni shiore of Cayug'a Lake, N. V., niear

the hcadl, is a finie exposure of the boundary strata o)f

the Hamiiltoni and Chemuug lperiods. Carefuil examii-

nationi hias been miadle of the upp~er part of thie Gen-

esee slate as it occuirs in Burdick's Ravine, the face

of thie highi fall. (Stationi xxxiv. It. S.-W.) Here

the lowest P)ortagre sand(stonie lies about 6o feet above

the suirface of the lake, andt thle characteristic CGeneseeslate follows immediately tinider it. '[hle followinig

sl)ecies w~ere obtained in the slate between fouir ani(lfive feet below the sand(stonie stratumll, forming thie

base of the Portage groupl:Discina( /odens.is, 1I m.-abundant.Disainai Iruneata, ha/I- frequtenit.

Lil,,uhru/ spittu/a/at, I /in.,

Luingula ementcirint'-(of rVanutxemi's Rep't, btit niot

Conrad's species). See beyonid.

Tnt'u/adij/es (S/i/b/al() jissmee//a abutndant.(See beyonid).

L 'hrm'hu/ s pui v/rieisli/uis, I'ti/i.

Ort/nwe.rs.-.-( subuflatuim?)4n,boc'e/ia zun/wbztah, COn.

Avicul'a speccosar, IIa//l.

Implressionl of lpart of &miatiesiih./1'/r,ds, M/Ie(( well miarkedI formts.Th'Iis fiatna hias several initerestinig formis ini it.'I'hec recuirrenice of 'Marcellus formis noticedI by

Hall, inl GeOl. 4th J)iSt. N. Y., p). 222, i843, is seento I)e miore marked than was ob)served by him.

'ruei i'/M111-1/i/ce Jisslirc//Ilr, Halli, may prove to heS/i'/w/At (IZes.) btut if -~o, the same formi is repeated in~the Genesee slate fromi the Marcellus shiale.

It is dIitticutlt to lbe satisfiedl withi the recognitioui ofthis formi as 8/vliola, sinice annuliiatedl formis occur to-gethier wvith thle smioothi onies, and( except in the annuii-lationis'are iiot to be sepiarated troni the trite ViAPr/i/formis. '11ll shiells ar-e very frail andt cruishingi mayaccount for the lonigitudlinal folds -in part. as it dotes inlSome of thle )r-tloceratithe.

'Il'is f'act, is i'ot iced bIw I azll inl the* M arcellu1S fi innis(in llu11strationls Dc)r. F'ossils, Il'. X\\vi.) and' thle -pv'ailing formi, I" g.1 4, is the pre\-ailiigt formn in theGenlesee, and( among the specimenis juist collected theannuliiatedi forms dlo not dtiffter in suze from thle smootihonies, and( thle latter are ofteni larger.

D/isc-i~ia bledosis, I'd//. occurs ini abundance, andt wvithisonict variation, but the forim called I). Irullea/a, It. isdistinct and (loes niot show 'gratlatiomi inito thie former.Still this is also dlistinict fronii the ILimmgla which Vanl.-uixemni figured, but dlid niot describe inl Geol. ofI .d

l)ist., N. Y., p. i68, fi. 4. Vanuxenm refers the

spiecies to Conrad's I.iuni/a driedii/lg, whichi is C%vi-dentlv a miistake, since Conriadl's species. L'. vww/c/lrdita.is fromt thie I lelderberg, uiounitaini, in limiestone, andi is43 inich long11 (see GeoL. Rep't. N. Y.. tS -9, p). 64). 'Iheispiecies foundi( in association withi L. spa/ida/ti is necarly5millemtres log and( 3.3'.... broa(l, andt thecria

margini is broadly, evenly roundi(ed, and( niot attenuiatedlas in sp//iu.

I.spa/u/a/a, I aui. is niearer the size figuiredl by 1)othHall and( Vanuxem (froml 4 to 4.5 .....) inistea(I of ap-proaching 7.51"111( inich) as stated by Hall inl thle de-scril)tion (Pal, of N. V., VOL. 4. 1). 13). Th'lese are ofthe or(liniary, size of I.ilugu/ spai/tidait, i iin. as theyhiave been observed bv the authtlor. 'I'heliuc ut,c(t'/lfi'*tii- (of Van. niot Coni.), is distinguishe(d froniithleDisc-inat /rum'a/ati bY the absence of the ind(enitationi ortrnaion,an the extenisioni of the miargin beyA:mnd

thle ti11mb, as wvell as othier chiaracters niot as easilyobserved.

I'1'he ('h1onletes foundlt is distinictly the ( 'horn/cds //I(PUOof II all, an1d no(t c/c'. St ill this may prme aivariety of-scfik,'r upon furlithler studyl) ; thle two- occur

togethier in the MIosco(w shiales andt Marcellus. andi inother strata of the Hamilton.

Only) a singfle specimen of Avc/pccfar/swasfounld, but thlis (listinict and chiaracteristic.

O.r

SCIENCE. o

SCIENCE :A WEEK LY RECORD OF SCIENTIFIC

PROGRESS.


PUBLISHIED AT


P. 0. Box 8888.

SATURDAY, OCTOBE3R 23, 1880.

THE recent discussions on the proposed interna-tional cop-.yright hiave serve(l to (Iisl)Iay the prejudicesan(d aninmosities of those enaave¢d in the controversy,rather tlha;n a true exp)osition of the actuial l)rincil)lesiilVolVC(l.

It is niot difficult to (liscover that uiilder the plea ofmiiainitaininlg the rights of auitlhors, leadling-u)ll)lishinghoutses on 1)oth si(les of the AtlaItic are iimani(eomvringfor a " literary treaty " whichlshall restult in their owinbeneifit only.

lIow little the a;uthior has at stake as a resuilt of alltllis agitationi imiay be gathiere(d fromil a statemilenit byonie wvho writes on the suibject, p)erhlaps not ill the in-terest, but unidouibtedly und(ler the patronage, of one ofthe largest New York publishing houises.He says: " If the author's interest in a book is rep-

resenited by io per cenit. the l)publishler's interest isrepresente(l by go per cent." It is not, therefore, sur-prising to find( these champions of atithor's rightsfeebly contendinig for the l)rotection of the works ofliterary men, buit stronigly unite(d to sectire a monio-poly of the blusiniess interests involve(l.

'[he American l)ublishers who previously were unwill-ing to conce(le to foreign autilors eve¢n their " ten percent. interest,"tgive at lengthi a tar(ly consenit to acopyright treaty, provi(le(l their " 9o l)er cent. inter.est " is maa(le secuire, ani(l their possession of the imion-o)oly renidered( im)regnabl)le by law.

'T'he New York 1Ik(Wdd, onl tle 4th of October last,stated this case as it now stanids witli ad(miiirable jud(g-miienit, ani(I we are gla(d to fid(I the l)owerftil influtiienceof this journal takinig groun(d which is in l)erfect ac-cord with the view we maintain on this imnportanitmatter. The Hferazld, says:

" The corner-stone of the proposed treaty is that protection in this country be given to Britishl autlhors on condi-tion that they rel)ublishl here within tlhree montlhs after pub-

licationi in Great Britain, and on thc further condition thatthe work be issued here by an American publishier. Onlike terms Britislh copyright is to be extended to Americanauthors.

" That this schemc would work to the profit of the larg-est publislhing houses in this country, if not of Americanplublishers generally, there is little reason to doubt. Itwould be a protective measure in their interest. It wouldcreate a monopoly in their favor. It would compel foreignauthors to coimie to theml or pay the penalty of piracy. Itwould have no material advantages for the great readingpublic in eitlher country, and so far from being favor.able to either British or Arn#rican authors it wouldwork against the best interests of both. It would drivebotlh, in order to get foreign protection, to deal with pub-lishers three thousatnd miles away, and to bear the expense,loss of time, labor, and inconvenience of republication.Still more burdensome and unjust would be the conditionrequiring the author to republish in the foreign countrywithin a short time after publication at home or lose all hisforeign rights and claims to protection."

No imp)artial rea(ler can peruse the above extractwithouit a(dmiittinig the justice of the writer's conclui-Sioi)s ; he rips off the thini (lisguiise whichi covers thisri(lictilotis treat), and(I re%veals the trie pl)urose ofthose eniginiceriing the mioveenicnt.

'I'hec intempl)rate langiage; employed by the organof somiie p)ul)lishing houses on this (ttiestion shouildl beniotedl. 'T'lie Elditor of IyWpdtr Science AiAnt/uly as-sails WVilkie Collins (wlho a(lvocates the onily rightprinc:iple of international p)rotection to literary prop-erty) withi uncalletl for severity ; hie is called "a comil-mion-place scold," anl(l hlis teml)erate andl forcible arti-cle on the suibject is termed " a blast, which did notamouint to muchl," antd as " a l)ererse and unhelpfuluitterance." Was it in good taste for the same writerto tell AMathiew Arnoldl that "he was (levoid ofsense ?" But the conclusion of this article de-mand(s more thani a passing notice, as it conveys atlhreat, expressed in langiuage which is verysignificant considering the house froim whence thepublication cimanates, atn( may be taken in the light ofan ultimatumin from the publishing interests to their lite-rary patrons.

It mlay be remeimiibere(d that WVilkie Collins simplyasks that an auithor mnay possess ")by law (on condi-tions vithi which it is reasonable to comp)ly) the sameright of conitrol over his property in his book, in aforeigin couinitry, whlich the ;law gives himi in his owncottintry." T'his is what the New York Iferil/I advo-cates, andl we votiul conced(le to authors of all coun-trics.

h'lie Po,?pdar Science AfMontihy states that " if Mfr.Collins [and of course all other authors] has any ideaof getting it, he " had better l)ossess his soul in greatpatience," for he will assuredly have to wait a long timebefore he gets what he wants."

SCIENCE. 201

202 SCIENCE.

As the writer of this threat las no authority to (lic-tate such an order, or the power to enforce it, it miay besafe to assume that it was written un(ler tle instrtuctionof those who have the power to give it effect. 'T'o stuchIa menace there can be but onle reply; muinch as we de-sire to see justice donie to auithors anid their rights as-sure(l by international treaty, we would, withouit hiesi-tation, decline concessionis tlhus tenidered, an(I ham-pered with con(litions whiicih would destroy the essenceof the gift. We wotul(l rather counsel literary imien"to possess their souils in great l)atience," an(lcalmly await the (lay wlhen their a(lversaries' souls nmaybe possessed witli mo(leration and( justice, or p)ubl)licopiniion be sufliciently strong to secure for thiemii theirjust riglhts.

THE reported arrival at the port of New York oftwo male wioolly elephants of dwarfislh dimensionis,has resulted in a re(luest from a subscriber for auithen-tic informatioin regarding these strange animi als.

It was alleged that the elephants in (Iuestion werediscovered upon the Himalaya miiountainis, and thatthe hairy coverinig foulnd( upon their bodlies, and thegreat diminution of the natuiral size, were (due to thecold of tlat region.

T'lhe iniferenice to be (Irawni from suichi a (lescrip-tioni was, that the present sxpec imens were in amieasuire a retuirni to the extinc-t I'Y¢p/lisprimigcuus,the remiiainis of onie of which wvas foun(d at the miiouthof the river Lena in Siberia, with the flesh still -ila goacl state of preiervatioii, showing the skin cov-cred with hair.We finid that the new arrivals were not found on

the Himalaya mountains, but were pturclhased at theParah River, Mlalay Peninsula, after the shil) had leftCalcutta. 'T'lieir size is normal, for their age is notfour an(I six years; blut, probably, the smaller is abouttwelve months old and still feeds on milk, while thelarger specimen is about two years o1(l.

All younig elephants are covered with hair, whichafterwards falls off as they increase in age. T'heseanimials lhave this infantinie crol) of lhair somiiewhlatabund(lanit, but not to ani extent to create ainy especialwon(ler.As MIr. Conklin, of the Cenitral Park MIciagerie,

states, our knowledge of baby elephants is very limiiitedin this country, an(l l)erlap)s after all, the apparentexcess of hair oni thc Ilanks of these animals may benormal. The youing elephant, borni at Philadelphiaabout nine moniths since, hiad a similar Crol) of lhair,bIut not to the samiie extenit.

Dr. Spitzka, of New York, who has seen thieseyotung elephants, confirmis the opinion we have giveni,and(I states that they are not a new species or evenil a

variety; and he believes that the iair will eventuallydisappear, and even now fin(ds, on the larger specimens,bald spaces.

WVe do not desire to spoil the speculation oni theseanimiials by stating the l)rice at whichi they were soldon tileir arrival here, btut the multiplication table hasnot been withiout its use to create an artificial value.

ACCURACY IN THERMONIETERS.By recomimeileii(lationi fromii the Winclhester Obseva-

tcry, a bureau hlas beeni establishied at Yale Collegewitli the l)ractical view of accuirate verification of theseinstL iiamenlts. Aniy person may sei(l thierimiomiieters tothis instituitioin for the l)urpl)ose of haIing thleimi com-are(d *ith the stan(lard therimiomiieter, and(I any varia-

tion fromil the accuirate stan(lar(d will be recor(le(l. Forthe l)url)ose of (lefrayinig the expense of thiese coini-parisons, the following scale, of charges hias beena(lopted( for this verifi(ation F:or stani(lar(l miieteoro-logical thiermomileters, onie (dollar; for or(linary meteor-ological therimiomileters, fifty cenits; for or(inlary nmaxi-mum thiermometers, seventy-five cenits ; for or(diniaryminimium thierimiomiieters, seventy-five cenits ; for clinii-cal tiermometers, fifty cents. In case miiorc thaiieighit inistriuimlenits of onie kinid( are sulbmitted at thesamiie timiie, twenity per cenit. will be deduicted fromthese clharges. Cliniical thicrimiomiieters, in numbers oftwo (lozeni or miiore, wvill be veried(l for fotir (lollatrs a(lozeni. lor thierimiomicters of exceptional l)attern, theClarge will var)y according, to the chlaracter of eachiinstiriumilet. Comiunuications relative to thlis suibjectmay be addressed to L.eonard W'aldo, New 1laven,Conni.

THE ANTHlRtOPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WV,SII-IN;GTON.

'rlh Iacctmilation of 11i.atLri aItaWashington illustrativeof the several brancies of Anthropology, has drawn togethera large number of specialists in ('omparative Anatonly,Archa'ology, Ethnology, Linguistics, and Sociology. Formutual improvement a number of thCse genitlemenn hIaveorganiized ilme above-named society, witli IMajor J. W.Powell as President, Dr. Elimier R. Reynolds as Secretary,aniid Professor Oiis 'r'. mason as Correspondin- Secretary.TIme f.acilities wilichi thie Arimlly Miedical Museum and theSmithsonian Instituitioni, wvithl its lt reault of 1E.thnology, fur-niisli for tili preservation of valuiable papers obviate tilenecessity for a vohtilliillolls joulrn1al of tile "Society. Wehave made arrangee'llIltIs, howevei, to presentll abstractis ofCoim1111unications ndidIdiscissions on ithe %vcksuticcccitdingtht met''iilg, wvhich1 take place on theliil st and the thitld'luilsday 4f each immotll. The1v following is a:a osd of tleproccediigs of Ttiesday eveniniig, October 2otl:

'liheAlnitbropological Society Imect ill tile Smithsillolliall Imisti-tution, Major J. \V. l'owell in' the (C.hir. After the readingof thle lmlitalites tile followvilng paper-s were, communicated ;Note s on the Identily and I listoryof the Sliawano or Shaw-

live 1 jtulls," by (,C. Royce '" (Civilization,' 1by Mr. It. WV.I I mogl. 'Mr. Royce stated that lis paper Was an. introduc-toay tll;ot to a thorough stily of thle Shawuese, who werethit, lB(otlills ;and1 Isliiii1aclites of oull territorv al thle tiitmeof its llmst settllelets. [lie eall v liouni of tliese peopleC iss1lxtl(1zoued inl mystem v. After cuduitilly goilln ov%-er t1me11 suitrelations and oilier vatly hmistoties, tlle auithor concluiledwitlh tlie bold proposition that thc Massawvomacks, the: Eries

SCIENCE.

A WEEKLY RECORD OF~SCtENT

PROORESS.

JOHN MICHE.LS, EditoIr.

PUBiLISHED AT


P. 0. Box 8838,

IFIC

SATURD)AY, OCTOIOIER 3C, M8o.

SMNYTH'.S Celes/t!a Cyc,le in its dlay wvas probably

the most valutable companion wvhich hiad at that timie

been p)rep)ared for the uise of amiateuir astronomiers.

The second volume is kniowni as the Bcd,frrdt ('afalbiandI containis ani excellenit list of the miost interesting

dIouble stars, nel itLe and clusters, withi descriptions,

other v alu1able e p

lished, thtis Cadt/lt, ti was received with such favor

that the Royal A\stronomical Society beste.wed upon

its authtlor a goldI miedlal. In presenting the mnedal,thie presidlent of the Society, Sir G. B. Airy. called at-

tention to the fact that the original observati'ons upon

which the Ctdrti/ogiie was basedI had niot been l)laced

at the commiiand of the Society, and( hoped that suchlwouild be (lonie at no distant l)eriodl. A carefuil exami-

imationi of the Ci'-/ce niow show's that -it is fuill of inac-

curacies. Mlr. Buirnhiami called attenitioni to thecse

somie years ago, l)ut. the s'Ubject attracte(I no genieralattention uintil a paper by MNr. Herbert Sadler, a miemi-

ber of the Countcil of the Royal Astroniomiical Society,

ap)peared in the J/fwMI/hh A½/ices for january,

in whlichi Mr. Sadler uise(l language whichi miighit easily

be conistrued( inito a charge of (lishionesty, oni the l)art

of Captain Smythi. Thel wor(ls actually uisedi were as

follows

"I have thioughit it 'better, thierefore, as thie chiargeI hiave b)rought against the Redffordl ('IdIa/i)que is of 'a

very serious chiaracter, to lplace an asterisk agTainst the

symbol of the observer whose erroneous mieasuire

Smyth appears to have followved, so that anyone miaybe able to dletect thie souirce of Smiythi's error at a

glance in cases where hie hias presumnably copi~ed the

meiasuires of othiers."

Th'Iis criticismi raisedi a p)erfect stormi in the Society.

As Mr. Burnhiami hiad originally called attenitioni to

the inaccuiracies of the C'idce, he immni(liately set to

work re-observing the stars of the h'edfrto'i)rl tilogi,re,-and has published his resuilts in the jutne number of

the Al/hyX'Ofices. ThIis paperC conltains about 3,50

measuires of i148 stars, whiich hie hias comipared withi

the mieasures of Captain Smiythi. Mr. lBurrihiami dIivi(lesthese stars into two classes: Th'lose whiichi hadl and(

those whichi hiad not beeni carefuilly measured by any

othier observer up to the time of the publ'ication ofthle "1Cyc-le of Celestial Objects ;" andi conclud(es thatthe measures of the formier class are in the miain cor-rect, whilie those of the latter class are eithier rouighlyapplroximai,te or grossly inuaccurate ; in flict, are niotinicrometrical mieasuires at all in the ussual sense of thetermi. In explanation of the remarkable chlaracterof the "Cycle" mieasuires Mlr. Buimnham says:

"AVe knowv that the observations in the BedffordfObr/d/gue, whiich, so far as the (louible stars are con-cerne(l, couild hiave been easily miade in onie )errscattere(I over a series of years. It may, I thiink, befairly assumiedI that they wvere miadle in leisuire mo-mienits, withiout that care whiichi a more zealous andexlperienced observ'er wouild bestowv; with no dlefiniteidea of thecir Publication ani(I uise ; and( as an amiuse-mierit rathier thian as a seriouis astroniomiical work. IfweC a'ssumiie thiat %at the beginning the observer made itapracice, i easuing diouble stars, oif settinig thle

micromolleter. wires inl corac w'ith the previousmeasure of othier ol)servers, for the p)urpose of ideniti-ficationi, or for somie othier rea.son, and( withi the initen-tioni of miak-ing suichi chianges in the wires as the ap-pearan~ce of the object seemie(I to warranit, we have atonice a coml)lete explanlation of the very close agree-mienit withi othier mieasuires." ThIis exp)lanation seems-reasonable an(I iml)lies nio dlishionesty, on the l)art ofCaptain Smy-th.I

I nmmediately following MIr. Burniham's paper i-s onecby Mr. Knobel, whio Calls attenitioni to the fact thatthe miajority of these so-calledI mieasuires hiave a wveiglitiassignied, and( that Captain S: iyth rep)eatedly as-

serts that suchl are miere guiesses. Mr. Knobel ac-countts for mianiy of the (liscrelpancies in p)ositionanigl'es by errors in coml)utation.

Blothi of these inlterestinig lpap)ers give a pretty clearinsighit inito the /hdff'rd (l/e/,a,rjj.e and, althioug,h itis und1(oubtedlyN truie that thle princil)le upon whichi itsecuredl the miedlal of the Royal AXstronomical Societywas a wrong onec, as the Astronomer Royal showed atthe timie of lpresentation, still in its Iprep)aration Cap-taini Smnyth p)erformedI a uisefuil service, and( all loversof astronomy will be gladi to kniow that Mir. Chamn-bers is preparing a niew e(litioni whiich will embody theprogress of astronomiy upl to M8o.

"'l'mIE ITjnite(l States Fish Commiiission has completedits summiiier s work at the Newport Station, and itsp)arties hiave retuirnedi to WVashington. TIhe FishIhawkl, thle steamier of thie Commiiission, is now atWNilminiigton receiving the remiaind(er of its fish-hatch-.ing apl)aratus for uise dluring the winter.

The work hias been successfuil beyond any' expecta-tions. Amiong the acquiisitions of thlree (lays' work onthle edige of the Gulf Streami were fifteeni new speciesof fishes, one hundi(redI anid sevenity-five species ofmiolluisks, of wvhiCh one hunitdred andi fifteen were newto southlerni New E.ng'land, sixty-five niew to America,and] thiirty or miore undescribedl. Corresponding ac-qluisitions hiave been ma(Ie in othier branches of mnarinezoology.

213SCIENCE,

214SCIENCE.

THE next United States Congress will act on a bill,reported in the last Congress, in support of an Inter-national Commission to agree on standard te'sts forcolor blindness and stan(lard -requiiremenits for visuial'power in navies andI merchant mnarinies. Dr. R. joyJeifries, A. M., Of 15 Chestnut street, Boston, Mass.,will be glad to have public or private statistics orinformation in relation to thi-s subject.

'rhe attention of those initerestedI in Hygiene reformis directed to the Hygienie Conivenitioni anid Exhibitionof inventions, miechanical. contrivances anid pr~ocessesrelating to saniitary and( houisehiold econiomiies to behieldI at Wellesley, Mass., commencing Novemiber 3r(d,and enidinig November the 9thi.A most attractive prog,rammne hias been arraniged,

which reflects the highest credit oni those wlho hiaveorganiizedI the aranements. Tickets ain(l pr~ograninescani be obtained at the St. Nicholas Hotel, New Y'ork;Hotel Wellesley, WVellesley, INI aiss., or of the J`Axectt.tive CommIittee, .158 TIreIon0t Street, Bo0stonl, Ma.-ss.

4g

TIlE COMIET.11Th'lere are niow fouir comets visible withi a good tel.

escope, but nonec of thiemi can be seeni withi the niakedleye. 'I'hiey are all growinig fainiter, anid a'fter a fewweeks they will become inVisilile, ev,en in the miostpowerful telescopes.

Theli first is the onie discovered by Mtr. Schaurbeleat Anni Arbor, Michigan. 'thIis is in the miorninitg sky,andt its position for November 4 Will be:

A. R. h.li 8.) in. D)c'L. Southl=' 7' 33'.'Ihle second( is thie onie discovered by Mir. llartwig',

at Strasburg, Germany ; ani(I also, in(dePendenitly. onIthe nlext niighit by Plrofes'sor Harrinigtoni, of Anni Arbor,Mfichiigan. Th'le position of tilis comiet oni Novemiber2 Will be-

A. R. 81I. 2I .7 i1n1. Dccl. Northi 9' 59,.It is thouighit hy P'rofessor WVinmecke thailt thiis comiet

is a returni of the onie oftz5o6.'F"lie thiird is the coment discoveredr by Mtr. Lewis

Swi'ft, at Rochester, New York, oni October lo. 'Ihlisis a fainit object, and( its l)osition oni Novemiber 2 willbe nearly as follows:

A. R. = 22h. o.orm. Decl. Northi 34 15'No orbit of this comet hias been compulte(l,

Thei fourth comet is thec one with a per-iod( of sevenland( a thtird yecars, and( ktiowti as ['aye'S, Ihaing beenldtiscoveredl by NI.lay of Pais, in843. Tihe orbitof this comlet has beenl inivestiga-tedl inl an admnirablemiannier by Professor Axel Moeller, of Iun,Sweden,$andt its mitt tion is itearl ats well know,i t sihtht of aphaint. 'The ej dtean-eris ItuIt-ishled by) P'rofesso r Nloeller.for thle preset-it reftiun is a11lmost exactl,1y corlrect, 'Ihlepositioti of this cohitet, for Novembelr I Wilt beV

A. It. h.i :, soiiSoth o4

Suteve th1is comeit is lasa gradisv anc fm-otn thechiun, i't is at fainit object, ev-en o)It the utlost ftoaloccasions. It will sooni be invisible e.xcelpt inl thlelarger telescopes.

WVashington, OCt. 28, 1BSo A. HALL.

ETHINOLOGY.*VRAUMItNTAKY NOTES ON TilE E-SKIMO OF CUMBERLAND)

soUN1,D.

By LuDWIG KumIm*.IN

Since whalers began to cruise in the C'umberlandwaters, they have found that it is decidedly to theiradvantage toiire boats' crews of natives to assist inthe calpture of whiales. They make good whialemen.

Whensuchcrew aresecued,they wise'ly counit in allof thecir family in the bargain, so that to secuire theservices of a crewv of seven mieni onie muist feedI thiirtyor miore. Wh'ilie wvorkiing for wvhalers, the Elskimno de.

p)en(d almiost whiolly oni the shipi for their foodi suIpl)y;as a consequencce, they are fast becoming,poIiOiihutersand( p)refer to loung"e arountld a vessel ani(l pick upl suichs(ral)sas offhr thenmselves rather than to strike out forthtenselves a-nd live hidi'lepndently- anid in compa-rativeC

As to) meals., or reguliar mieal-timies, they eat whenthuniigry, if they have any)thinig. 'hyalway,s eat in themiorning before goinig ouit to huniit; but the principalmieal is in the evening, on thecir retuirn. When supl.I)liedl withi rations by) the ship)s, they ofteni have thecirregular mecals aboardl; buit thiis does in nio wise hindi(er'themii fromi taking thecir usiual ev-enhitg allowance ofraw mneat wvheii they' return to) thecir hu'tts.

Th,at the I'skitito possess conisideral)e Immers ofabhstinence caninot b)e disputed ; but it is not so

reinairkalile after all, for thiey certaitnly htave hiad ampleexperience iin this dfirec-tioni. That they aire able tohiea-r tettporary or suistained exert ion better thian thewhites. is dotilAfitl. They are acclinmated andt haveclot ltiig hoiitedl ito the climlate, atittl readily adapta them.stelves to the rud(e shielter of a sniow%-ban,k, if niece-ssary;but give a healthy whtite miani as goodm cIot hes, and( liewill stani(l as muichi fatiguie, andI perhaps miore.

Whilie huniting wvitli the Eskimio, we ofteni had our

nioses and( faces frozeen, wheni the coldl did niot seem toaffec-t the Eskimo in the leaist ; buit when it camie to atram throu)igh thie sno)w aill day long, few of thiemi wouildstanlt I "itay bietter tha-n we cudSome have0 judiged theiir powers' of endlurance fromn

thei manner in which they, will foillowv their game butit Seetis ito uts that it is rather theit wvonderfui patmetite,for we! have kniown th%em to follo)w animal tracks for a

woeday, w1wtn we co)itfcss wec could not discovwerthle fithite-st tiace of a track, exceplt at b )ing distances(10

at hrt, lIlt)' wll tiscoer mny tatesof anlimlals finltht'liow 13tlmitawhit titanm wouldi Ip.S4 by aitd itot

ntmtice, W\ men itou,'eiig e-lither mottth itte or water,they) mIAke tile jokmini tte I mySliti It, etls)' sta,ges, tl'Iit

ialuietin (1 ji o( ttie I1,,itcdl Statecs Nati-n- I Mtta~eum. Contribuited totile N.atu'rd Iiiitory oif Arc tic Amieriac., made in~ cunmection with the11ow.iate l'olar Expedition, 1877-78.

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SCIENCE. 225

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A WEEKLY RECORD OF SCIENTIFICPROORESS.


I|' t-1.ISI hlA) A 1'

229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK

P. 0. Hocx 3.8 8H4.

SATlUJI{)XAY, NOVEIMISIR 6, 88o.

of a "Plea for the Mletric System in Microscopy,"showed the master lhand of an accomplished writer andearnest worker.

Dr. Ward's address was of a most practical nature,and(I wel adapted to insl)ire enitlhtusiasmi ; he (dweltupl)o the many instances in wliicih the valuie of themicroscol)e 11ad )een demionstrated, and(1 recalled theniany field(s for niicroscol)ical work still ftill) open anidrecognized, Iut)tet uliocul)iel, and(I concluded byshowVingt that i i(croscopl)ic.al stiu(ldy iight be miiadle niotmla source oplileaslire to ourselvess, but an effectiveaid to S%citec alland humanit).

I'[he thiird anuiul miecting of this Society hield( underthe l'residency of I'lrotessor IL L. SImith, of G;eneva,N. Y., was full) rel)orted in this jouirnial oni tllhe 5tlof September last.

As a lprofessionlal niicroscol)ist Professor H. L.Sm4ith1, the second(l resident, has so dlistin,guislhed him-self, that his reputation as ani autlhority oii the Diato-inacea and(i other allie(l formus, is lnot colnfille(d to this

D)UKIN; the year I877 thie Microscopical Sec('tio of coltillent, but acknowi(dged whlerever suichi stud(liesthe Ind(lianal iohs I .ccum of Natural I iistor) adl(lressed(l are intel i gently 1 umrsueda letter to the variouxs Microscopical Societies tlrouighi- 0On referring to our report we findl that Professorout the United S;taltes, r<equesting expressions -of tlheir Smlitith con,ratulated the Society on its progress, andviews toucling the (desiral)leness of a National C(on- the imieeting a(ljotirnie(l hopefully, after having clecte(dventioni of the mictroscolists of the (ountry. for the as P'resi(ldent for the inew year Mr. J. D. Hyatt, ofpurpos of takig,tlhe necessary steps to form a Na- our (itv. a genleman eminiiently qualified to oCCUPytionial Association for tie l)romiotionl of the progress the (hlair of hiis predecessor.of microscolpical science, and(I for tlhe benetit and(i ad- Suchl bein, the hiistory and l)resent standin, of THEvanitage of all concerned thicreini. A.mE:RIC.xN SoCI(:TV oF 'MICRoSCOmisms, we notice with

Favorable replies lhaving been received,'l'im.: NATIoN- some surprise that the celitor of the nrImeican.ifi)nthl/yAl. MlckcRoSCmVmCA. CoNGREss, plursilalmt to a call, imiet JJ1r-ii;sc'pib ./Jauru.d, in lhis issiue for Sep)tember last,at the Coutrt lhouise of hi(liimalnaolis. Indiana, Ion the miakes a l)rol)osition, to give this Society a ctmie,u

tlh osf Augur,llst, m 878. grace, byrg1)> proposing that the Societyshiall (lisorganize,At this convention nearly fity) genitlcimieni, rei)resenit- and(1 its members joini tile Association for the Advance-

ing thl Microscoplical Societies of tlle lTite(d States, menIcIt of Scienllc.deci(ld(e b)y a resoltition, naniiiously lplssedl, thlat 'I i 'I'he reasonis for such action are state(l to be as fol-IS 1mi: mu.m: 1DT HiAVEi. A NATIONA.L oRG;ANIZATION FoR lows: m. '['lhe Society has not received the suil)l)ort of'1T1K PR{OMOTO1N O1 MICROSCIlCAL. SCmXIVNCE." microscopists. 2. 'T'lhc officers of the Society have

'I'lihis 'T' A.\ RICAN SOCIETV OF MICRlOoscoIlsTs been) iliexperienced meni, whlo hlave niot (lirecte(l itwas ca1ll(e inito life, und(1er the presidency of I)r. R. IL. prolprly. 3. A siul)pose(l necessity createI b))y theW'ar(l, of 'l'roy, N. Y. It imiet a second timiie at Ih,if- writer, thiat this Society miu1st mlect at the samiie placefalo, N. Y., ons tllhe 4th of Augtust, 1879, and( thiridly and timlce as the A. A. A. S., it being thein inifered( thatat De)troit, Mlil!igan, oni the 2ist of ;Au,gus,t last. as tih laitter So(iety has a sub/seel/In of microscopy,

It miiay be p'ossilde that the explectations of soIlle theirearises the (litficuilty of hlaving two imiecting;oson thepersons in regard to tihe tuseflil restilts of this Society saeill suibject siliultaneously ; thierefore one slhotildI behave niot been fulfilled; if such a feeling exists, we are abandoned, the l)reference being given to tle Amier-niot aware of its hlaving been exl resscd ; for our l)art ican Society of Microscop)ists for suich act of self-we conrratulate '11'Kp: A^mERICAN Soci; 'r oF MICRO- sacrifiCe. 4. Cani the American Society of Microsco-SCOPisTS 11u)pon the resuilts so far obtained.and1 feel sani- Iists siowv aniy reasoni wily it shiouil(d exist ? If it can-giniiie for tile goo(d work it may' accomplishi in the not, the iniferenice is ol)viols.futitire. 'l'lIis ilestioni hIaving, been raise(l in a jouirinal (le-

'I'lTe address of the first l)resident, I)r. R. II. W\ard, voted to microscopy, andtl by a g'entlemian who forimiedwas a miio(lel of its kind(l. I'lihe longl, extract we rave onie of tile original Comimiiiittee of Organization, it ap-fronm it in - SCIENcE " for July 3 I, last, unider the title pears onily courteouis to the writer, to direct the atten.

SCIENCE. 225

226 SCIENCE,

tion of microscopists to the subject. We suggest that

they should give sonme expression of opinion, if they

desire the integrity of this Society. For ouirselves, weshiall stronigly sup)port thie miainitenanice of the Amier-

ican Society of Microscopists, on-accounit of ouir (he-

ci(ledl faithi in its uisefttllness, and( niecessity for its ex-

istenice, ant(I for the reason also, that noe real cauise has

beeni showni for its dish)amln(mn.

Takinig the charges of the ed-itor of Amfiericanalin the order p)resented,

we wouldi say : ist. That wve hiave the authtlority of the

late Presidenit, Professor H. L. Smiithi, that the Societyhtis receivedl suifficient support to miake it a suiccess.

2d. That the Society has beeni unexcep)tionally fortui-

nate in the selectioni of officers, that they hiave p)rovedthemselves to be experienced mieni, and( haeve "(directedlp)rop)erly." 3(1. Th'lat the Society dloes 'ot (leemi it neces-

sary to mieet in conijunictioni withi thle A. A. A. S., andt

hias voted down all resoluttionis for so doinig. 'Ihle-asser-tionl to the conitrary is thierefore perfectly gratuitous,

and the fact that those whio pr~opose it, also miadle it a

reasoni for breakinig upl the Society, hias the appearance

of a dlesire to leadl the -Society to stichi ani end(. 4thl.Thie demiand( miadle upon the Society' l)y onie of its

memibers, to shiow cauise why) it shiouild exist, appears

slighitly l)resump)tuous anid ill-timiedl. As -a suiggest ion

bi/tire the establishmienit of the society it might hiave

had somec weight, but aft-er the thiird annuiial mieetinig,an(I the congratulationis of its Presi(lent on its sucecess,the p)rol)osition is u-nseasoniable.. We wouild remindiithe e(litor of the An/erlean ifo'nI//ly JMierasestipica1_Jt)/rntal, wheni he'chialleniges the Amiericani Society of

Microscop)ists to shiow the raiisent ti'etre for its exist-

ence, that fifty delegates, representing the microscopists

of the.United States, in his presence passed a resolu-

tion in the followingr wor(Is e ti/il/k it ciesirtalle to)

have at XiVaiontil Olgan/izafionm ftr I//c' portilntioil of

Afeocpital Sciel/ce." W%e conisiderthiisa coniclusiv,e

answer to the l)resent querest, and( to all othiers whio

ini fuiture raise suich a (juiestioni.

The article we hiav'e referredI to states, that "1if the

Amiericani Society of Microscopists dloes niot dlecidle to

meet niext'year in coniventioni wvithi thie A. A. A. S., at

Cincinnati, Itaiit Il/clnext meefin~g woifllie its last." As

the writer also states, that if it does so mieet, the

necessity will arise for it to be." isorganiize(l, and as

one of thiese alterniatives is inevitable, the fate of the

society would appear to be sealedl.-As we believe these difficulties to be purely im-

aginary, we. are ready to gran-t the American Society of

Microscopists a long term 'of existence, and a fututreof utility anid p)rogress. If any of our readers are of a

contrary op)inion, ouir coluimns are open for an expres-

sion of their views.

LAW ACCORDING TO WHICH THE METALS,

AND THEIR ORES, CAME TO, OR NEAR

TO, THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.

fly PEov. RiILIARI) OWE-N, MI.D., I.L.D).

In the abstract of a paper rea(l l)efore the A. A. A.

S., whiichi appeared in the issuie of "SCIENCE" for Selp-

tember 25, 8So, alluision -was miadle, in the closinigparagr-aph, to the connection lbetwcen the law of land.

I'orniiniig and that of mUet.-Oliu developmenit.lVe might reasonably expect that the mietals re-

juiiriig tempijeratures from 2000 degrees to over 2500

deg,rees IF. to mielt thiemi (suchi as-iron andt gold) would

be the first to solidify, as ouir earthi cooled ; anid thiere-fore miore likely, to exist amiong oldler rocks thani suichimietals as zince, lead' aildI tini, whiichi mielt at a corin-

paratively low temlperature ; and( conisequtently couildnlot becomie solidI unitil the earthi's cruist hiad cooledi to

773 (legrees, 61i nI42degrees,th

ing Ipoints resp)ectively of these metals. Such we find(

to be the fact. F'urthermore, Faraday dtemionistratedthat all substances, when suspended freely between,the jaws of a pow)~erfull horseshioe magnet, would lplacethemselves eithier the samie as iron

and so mie other mectals, the sa mieais bismuth and numnerolls other botlies ; ani(l the mag-

nietismi developed, for the timie being, in that hiorse-shioe magnet, may b0e, ai.(l often is, p)rodIuced by pow~-er-tul cltirrets of electricity.

It has been p)rovedl that th'ere are constantly cuir-renits of elect.ricity paussing in the earthi's cruist, chiieflyin ani opposite dlirec-tioni fromi thie earthi's revolution,

p)erhaps thierefor-e o1peratiflg miainly) in causing a freelysuspended nieedle to p)lace itself at right anigles to the

iplane of those so-calledi cuirrenits.It se-emis thierefore, fuirthier, niot unreasonalble to ex-

p)ect that mietals, wheni abouit to solidify, if free to

p)ermecate cavities in all dIirectionls, shouildI assumie, rela-

tively to these cuirrenits of electricity, respectivelyeithier a paramagnetic' or a (liamnagnetic p)osition. Suichseemis in realit-y to have been the case: Ironi, mianiga-nese, p)latinum, nickel, cobalt (and( probal)ly othier

p)aramagnetic bodies, but timie hias niot p)ermittedl this

latter investigation) will be founid chiefly occupyingniorthi anid southtl belts, corresp)onding pretty generallywithi mieridlianis, whiile gold, silver, coppier, tini, lead,zinc, antimony, bisimuth anid othier dliamagrnetic bodlies

will be foundi( in east anid wvest. belts, somietimies on

regular parallels, of which the terrestrial niorthi lpoleis thle (centre, solfietlmies In east and( west curves, havingy

onie or- othier of the Continental toci (pointed out in

the law of -land-forming) as thieir cenitre. 'I'lie appa-

renit law, thien, briefly formulated, miay b-e ithus ex-

p)ressedI:zylte p amag//,rnetic incter/s, ii eo s.dfl,-, tirranLt'ted

lla1e /c's e5v, aloiiig norIh tant1 soutli ble/s,- usua//j' uceirrttiit median lint tf eac/h Cointinet'n, ainti ere ftiniii in:ti/ter roicks ats well as nezt'er. Dim efrmetarlsatre mnost eto/noneinl It' be ftiniin in lie/Its, notl neceesstrrilyco)In/iei//5ii, bhut ru/nnhn;r n11/til, ol, le-ss etut tindt r4est,

el/ti excepyt per/haps ini tI/it -asi if gori/t, silier t:ndeieP-

I Although lead is found someti,eees in siluirian and carboniiferous rocks,yet Dr. Dana ,hows (at page 148 f his Mlanual cif 'Mineralogyc that suchis not its true age. Speckitig of (Galena, he says: In D)crby-.hire, Eng-land, the deposits conitain fos,sils of pernsiain rocks, showing that, althoug~hoccurring in subc.crboniferous limestonie, they were much later in origin."

SCIENCE.

SCIENCE :A WEEK LY RECORD OF SCIENTIFIC

PROC R ESS.

JOHN MICHELS, Editor.'

I'l .L I'Sl1 I) Al

229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK._ ~~~~. . _3) .-~

SV., ,),\_'Y, N0 \V II':1.1<R 3,1I80.

At the request of Col. \W. A. Ross, of Etngland,we publish hiis opeii letteir to P'rtofebssor Sorby,wiho was Presid(ient of the Cbemical Sectioni ofthe Br3itishi Association recettly, wvhlen that body

(Ieclinie(I to perillit a p)alper, p)repared 1)by C0ol.Itoss, to h)e readl.

('ol. Rtoss forward(le this patper to uis, anid we

publisled( it oni the 16th ultimzo, so that tlhose whl0odesire to judge of the propriety of its r-ejectioni, mayforlm1 tleir o WUll opillioll.A wr-itert in the last number of the C'ic,jictal

A'cvs, of London, a journial \vell able to appreciategoo(d chemical work, wvho gives Col. Rtoss credit

fo-r Ihis intcresting, anid valuabe chemical re-

scalrchies" oilers inl detail all instance ol thieirlutility,an({1aclacnovwledges that C(o). Ross's tw o \vorks

J la,,anual f li/o /i/ ,1 , 4'sAs, 1mi )'roi g;,

the standard English authmii'ities oin this branch of'analytical chemistry. It a)ipeirs to be a strangestate of thinls wvhell sucll a nmlln must contendagayinst a system of repression and b)itter anta-gonisill froil those follo%viii thle samille linle ofiiv-cstig"ati()llis, alld vou'l' seem inicom prelieisible

if' similar cases wveie not codtiniual?ly coming to

tile sulifalce ; thietreatmenlt of' Prof. Mo)hr, an.d othier

instances mieiitionledl in Dr). Akin's lettei, wvhiclmrecCnlt!y apj)pealrCd ill " Scm NxcE," noVCever, gives a

key whiichi solves imiuchi of the mystery.We are niot pl)repare to otfel opinOionl iii re-

ga,r1l d to tlie (lisplite hich gave rise to the letter of(ol. Rtoss to Professor Sorbv, but the mlere fact of

;t man suggesting " )oric or phosphoric acid as a

ltli(id menstruum, instcad of borax or mi)icrocosin-icsalt," hardly appears to justify this o(stracism froImitihe society of scieintists, Iuiless stuich an innovationis an in(lictil)le oflenise. XVe have heard of the coni-sequenices of speakimi, dlisrespectfully of the EqJUa-tor, but we shouldIhave tlhou(ghlit tlhalt the conduIt1ctof a man wlho inisists on uising, Ian aluiniiiiumplate " instead of " sticks of messey and obscurilig

237

clharcoal," would arouse the compassion, ratherthan the resentment of his fellow chemists, if hebe in error.

Seriously, we regret any obstruiction to Col.Ross's workl; 'vhen we conisider that the stutdieshvliich hle so ably (lescribes may be conducte(d with

all))aratuis costinig onily a few slhillings, and that re-sulits of the hiiglhest order in analytical chemistrymay be arrived at, wlho cannot (lesirp to see en-cotura"gemnciit extenid'ed to such a practical scientificpiirsuit? NVe a(lvise Col. Ross to quietly contintuehiis work, and cease to notice any ipiparent opposi-tioii; ii'l e is ignorel b)y aidhowridi, let him on hiisl)atrt ignore authorfy, and truist to the sterlingmierit of hiis work for its uiltimate vindication ; histimie is surely too valuable to devote to a uselesscorresp)ondence.

\\We published, in ouir issuic of thie 23rd tilt., a p)aperb, )r. (G'eore W. Rachel, Chilinilr for tle late lro-I;CSS)r Frie(lrich Mlollr the lhonor of first puiblishingthe loW ac(cel)ted princilde of tl' ('eus1servat/ion (f

';:c;%i. I.ike the orig,inal article of 1'rofcssor Mohr(nI" 771w A.\ ure, fwJIIt,hich was at first decline(d byl)plishers, this j1ist tribute to his memiory, l)enne(l byD)r. Rachel. was (lenIie(l a(dmission to tlhc pages of thesEicilitic montllies. To-day we publish a later con-tribution tromii thie samae source, ill wlich a biographi-cal sketch of the late Flriedrich Mohr is presentedl tothIIe real(delrs of " SCIoNC L." 1)) I )r. Raclhel, who lhas comIi-piled it from] original papers lplaced( in lhis han(ds fortile piurpose, by tlle truistees an1(l famiiily of Molhr. Theauthor hias accomplished his task with fi(lelity andiiioeriatioi, ani(d the authentic recordlhe presents ofa litf of utility and self-sacrifice will (loutiless be readwithi initer-est 1b)y ouir rea(lers. In tihe IJ'/'ldurie.Y ce

.1.'h//I/r for J ily Ilast, a slhort sketch of the life of lPro-fe;Sor Miolir "'1s prodluced, written 1)) I)r. FredrickI loffian. of New York. 'T'hie essay was brief. WN'eare not aw;are of the extenit of the miaterials which wereat the comimiidian of D)r. Hotffman, who, wiliie givingthe hiichest Ipraise to Mohr for his high chiemilical at-tainiileints. Inale the briefest reference to his (laim ofmiakinr the great discovcry of the Consi'v-t/i)an ofA/1;iT'r;, whichmiuitst forever linik lhis niamtie withi phy-sical scienic.

.A nictin, of the National Aca(lemy of Scienceswill bc hlci(d at C(Altumbia College, New York, com-mencin, on 'T'ucsday, the i 6th of Nov-ember. Wetruist that the P'rcsident, IProfessor William B. Rogers,wt'ho is at present sick, imiay recov-er sutfficienitly to pre-sidle at the niceting. As yet onily seven l)el)rs haveregristere(l.

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SCIENCE :



PCiA.lSlIhi) AT a


cal and mathematical science. This is the firstgreat want. But again, the Signal Bureau hascgrowvi, tinder Genleral NIYER'S vigorous adminis-trationi, to be a vast machine, composed of manyparts-oficers anid men-and controlling many in-struimeiits. Ior example, tlle many military tele-grap)h lines of the \West, several thousand(ls of milesin length.

Aga,;in, the service imuiist lookl not only to theContinianice ol)eolCe at hlomlie and abroad, btit tothe contitngenicy ot' a \var in \whclih trained signialmliell Mma bie anited. '1'he militairy post of FortW\hiipple. Virginiia. is- enitirtely dlevote(d to the train-

P. 0. Box ~3833lug 01 tule enlisted mien0ot tu ilmgnal service tortlheir variedl dutties as meteorological ol)servers,

=____________. . . ~ signal mentan military! telegraph iiien1, directlySAT''URDA).\Y, NOVEM11E1R, ISSo. tundler theclhare of officers of the alrmly, Nvhlo tlhCm-

selves become tamiliar witlh these variedl anI iin-

THE SIGNAL SERVICE. l)ortaltit (luties.The'I se a:n(l otlhCer obvious reasonis make it plainThle qulestionl of thle al)lointmllenit of' a Chief Sig- thialt, if the proper scienititc eiliciency of the Weather

nal Officer in the room of the late General M'YFlt B can l)e maintained it will be highly advan.is immedialtely interestingt. It is a question xvlichj t<tageous to keep the Signal Office whlere it now is,hlas a (lirect bearingt upon the scielntific activitY of . c. as ani important Bu3rewau of tile War Depart-the country, as well as uiponi the inore important wentand( more practical matter of making accurate At present three (litlerent plits are a(lvocatedweather forecasts, and (lisplaying storim sign.ls for- for the filling of the existing vacancythe benefit of comilmer ce. FIIRST, The appointmient of a coloniel of the line

Thie first and gyreatest uise of the WVeather Bireau ih h h eet~~~~~~~~~~'|\'l l;s lliltl experienelC 111 tle plalins, a11i(I to wlilom

is to make itself valuable to ev'ery in(lividual in thle t B G cItiie BSlrigadier G'enlerl s'> c(lilili ssion. wotil(I b)e a

Uniite(d States, throtui accurate andplropll)t pre- f Gr t~~~~~~~~ittill" r -\;Iewld; Gienerals 11AZ;E-N aii(1 XMILEs ;1re(lictiotis, and(1 thlius to julstifN the annliul;al expendituire menioned in tis C')IL'Ctioii.of nearly $i,ooo.ooo. At present about So peSr T

. SFc.-COND '1' appo)finitmlent of sotiie o)fficer wliocenit. of the predictions aire fultilled, w-hiich is a fair has learned the art of aliuistration during ourshowing-indee(d, a verv cre(ital)le onle. I\Iost un- , o

*., , . , ~~war, by) conimanin:gzli( lair,re bodiees of troops, aIndpreju(lice(d persons, familiar with the routintie of the cllhose (dties and stiu(lies sinlce the wvar hlave beenSicnia;l Service, willl admlit thlat Genieral Nl51.X t hadtL'~ of .1 . tlsol'ttO lit tlietii foi) tiiis pOSitiOnl: Geileralscarried the Ceicienicy ot the service about as far ias oI a o MSfOr tipotio GEneal

it couild,have been carried unii(ler an ()rijatillCOMTOC, \\AtREN and POE, of'~~~~h Ell-i lleerl8ls, ar1c ol' thils C;lassi.like hiis owni ; and the countr,t'y may feel contilfdet th En

that, vwhoever is appointed to suiccee(I him, tile use I'iiin o, The al)pointment of a scientific civiliainfulness ofrthe Signall Service aIs a Weather Buireaul, meictcorologist, as P'rof. Loomis, Prof. Clevelandthat is to l)re(lict stormns for the benielit of coin- Abbe oi Dr. D)anicl Draper.metCe, acgricuilture, etc., will not be greatly ditniin- Two facutilties are re(quired in the person to beishe(l. ''lhe l)reselit rlolitilne is so well established )oitcd First, lhe mutist bean able adliministrator;that we may be siile frt soimie timile at least, of the anditl seco:.d lv, hie miul-st be cap)able of uin(lerstanin(Iiigsame proriciency. alld diiectil g scihutitiic ilnvetigattiolls.

Btit meteorologists know that this percentage can If the ap)l)ointment is made fiomii the first classbe inicrease(l. To (l thiis, scienititic investigation named above, it is lilkely that we shall haive goodmuist be cairr-ied on in various ways, an(l by comipc- adjolminisitration, and tlhat the present efliciency of thletent persons. The vast material no%v' accuiliateildted service will be maintained, but that no advancesby tile 13tBreaut must he examine(l, dliscsse(l, and(I will be made. It is dlitlicult for the necessary for-the laws--emipirical and other-deduced. This war(d steps to l)e ina(le ui(ler the (lirection of mencan only be (lonie und(ler intelligent anid sympathetic in middle life, now first called ulponI to examine anddirection, by metn traitned in thie methods of physi- Iapprove of the methods of physical science. If the

SCIENCE, 249

SCIENCE. ~~~~~~~~26Ibers of the Society for unity of pturpose and action;

sci; I 1E~NCi;E13 : lihe gives excellent reasons for keeping the Societyintact and maintaining its indlependence and free.dom; but if the peaceful work of the Society canbe continueid only by the sacrfiice of the opinions

PROCRESS. of the m.ajority to those of the turbulent minority,then he is willing to let the sacrifice be made.In a word, Dr. Ward says, cease the squabbling

JOHN MICHELS, Editor. and1el get to work-._______ We (qiuite cndloirse Dr. XVard's advice, and are

equally in(lifferenit resp)ecting the name of the orga.PUILSIlNU-) A-1 nlizatioi ; the reasons lie gives for not amnaralmnating

229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. with the A. A. A. S., will catrry convictioIn toP. o, Hox 88ss1 those not itfluienicedI by personal or petty conisi(ler-

ationIs. WVhy slhotol(d the Society cancel its freedom.SA'IL'RI)Y.,N'OVEMi.N:i;R47, i88. of' action, becomie a miiere sub-sectiolL of another

Societv, and b)e hampered witlh a set of rules and-- ~~~~-- ~iregrulations wlhichi -are most un(lesiral)le, and( from

The e(litorial on the American Societv of Micro- wlliclh tllere canI lie no escape?scopists has called fortlh a reply from Professor e mit addthat the A. A. A. S. is becomingIlitchzcock,whlo, ats edlitor of thleAmerican A t/y zalreadv overloaded witlh its sectionis and sub-sec.Alicroscopira? 7ournal, publicly raised the qt(es- tions,.an-d if thc work to be (lotei at its meetingrstiol of the neces-sity for the (lissolultion of the Society. increases a1t thepresettratio, tle resources of thePvrofessor Ilitchcock now .states that when lie spoke .Society to perform it in a week will he very lheavilyof the Ia(lears Ieing incompletent, as a cause of the tajxed(.want of success ifthje Society, lie li(l iot refer to the VWe findi no fautilt withi Professor Ifitcicock forP'residelnts whlo h1av;e 1held( oflice, bult to somle Peol)le, thle article lie I)Cl)are(l, as lhe evidently is bult theWhom111 he2des nlOt name', who wereC active inl the or. mouthl)iece of' maniy memnbers of the Society, a,indgalization of tle Society. rather (give hiim credlit for hiis candid uitterainces.

XVe acce)t this explanation, as it remo\oves all This uni(lelrcturrent of restlessniess is as ol( as thecnneces:sary personal qtuestion fiom the (lisculs- Society, and it is as well tlhat lie has giveti publicsin, allthough it is not clear why mention 51)0111( expression to it; we, hiowever, truist tlat lie will ad-be made of tihese (deliniquienits ovow, if the Society milit the force of Dr. Ward's reasoning, and as Editorha;ls nevter be^ebii inl thleir j)ower. of a MIicroscopical Jo.irnal, endeavor to uise lhisOthier minior reasois may now l)e (lrol)ped, as iniluenice to restore fuill hiarmony to the Society,

P'rofessor Ilitchicock states thia.t hiis objection to and reminiid those whio prefer the stub-sectioni ofthe Societ) is fundaimental, and does iiot alone rest the A. A. A. S. to the American Society of Mic.onl thle si(le issue.s lie escribed so fully. roscopists, thnat no iill)e(linient exists to the grattifi-In another por-tioni of tiis issuie we publish a state- CatiOn oftheir wishes; two ourses are open to them

mIent l)eaiing on this inIatter, wlicl will apt)pear inext tey can iiiake use of either of tie or even-, . . Ite a i.k ie fcile-o iesocieties,orennioitti in the /oJririCm l ati-a/i-st, an1 a(vancebt . both.shiect of whiichl his beel kindly furnisledl to uis.This i.s writteii by Dr. It. IL. Wamrl, of T'roy, the 'l nosE iiitfirst l'resi(leint of thie Society. Dr. WVar( l)uits tile (cliltry will ICsIse ill lhis uisual. clear and(I forcible manner, an(d illn,tle Re-ethe silmpj)le merits of the case, fromt;a scientific point ced I)r. Clharltof view, are stalte(l withi precision. olog) in tile

It tnow appears that iiearily lhalf of the delegates, Dr. Stowell iwhio created the Society, were opp)osed to its o:gani- 1876, has beczation as a separate body ; a part of these hlave siiice Practical Phiformed a " cabal," and like the original inhabitants tal)lishedI atof thle Cave of Abdullahi, are restless and (lisconi- anlatoim'y antlttented, (letermined(l on the destiruction of the Society, Stowell lhas .ratlher thllan. to promote its suiccess. logical lectuiDr. Ward atithoritatively calls upon the mem- vations anid

ciestedI in the progress of P'hysiology il tlhislie glad to learn that, at their recent ilmeet-ltSof the UJiversity ofMiSchigan appoint-cs 11. Stowcll Assistant l 'rofessor of Ph)ysi-

I )epartincnt (if Mic(linie and(1 Suirgery.is a -rad(uate of the Inistituitio.l, an(d sin(ceecn in charge of a flourishing laboratory of) siologv aii(l I I istology which was tlhen es-the suggestion of the veteran p)rofessor ofLI physiology, Dr. Corydon L. Ford. D)r.also been 'delivering p)art of the phiysio-rcs, ani(d lhas m;lade sonie initcrestitig obser-experiments. B. G. W.

SCIENCE. 26i

SCIENCE. 271

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. A. i. The laws of ;nertia apply to aerial as well as to[Tlie ttitordoesot hol himsef ressolid bois,nyin a less degree.[TheEditrdos nt hod hiselfresonsible for ojiniotfs exfresset bde,ol

by hisecorres,4ondents. Vo notice is takenof anonymois co,,ninuvni- 2. The vibration of air may be made apparent to thet-ations.] ear or the eye, wvithin the limits of their perception.

3. These limnits are not throughout coincident.To the Editor ~~~~~~~4.The perception by eye and ear simultaneously is

It seems to me that the editorial article coincerning thle only possible within the: limits of coincident percep-Amierican Society of MNicroscopists, whiichi appeared in tiotis."SCIENcE-" on pageC225, so far as itrelates to what I hiave pre- Thierefore to expect that what is popularly' calledpresumed to wvrite elsewhiere, is likelv' to pilace mci in at false d,i.,telposition 'before your subscribers. I will niot ask for thtesonrcltnofvbainyther,hud

spae tat oulhenecssay t dicus th meitsof he be concomitant w~itli the perception by the eye', IS cvi-(luetion sutice t tosaythat wit may oters,~ (entlv absurd in all caises exceept withiin the limiits in

(itistili ;sitric it t) ai,that wili m ny thes, Iwas'In-clinied to regard the proposition to formi a National Oir-ani.i which those perceptions enincitle-otherwise vibrationzation of 'Microscopists withi disfavor fromi the tirst', not woutld always be heard, whent seeni.owving to any feeling of opposition to suich an organization, 13. i. Air in the uni(listurbcdI etnjoytment of iner-tia willbuit I)urely fromi considerations of expediency. Youri re- never vibrate.miarks, however, wvouild lead onie to suppose that I had 2. It mnay however be made to do so, by applyingniade a direct criticismi of the otricers of tile society,, SVhiciCl dynamic power or rner!y', eithier miuscular force, mechan-is not the fact. The only wvords I have wvritten thazt cotild ical force, electricity, heat. etc., as in the drumi, siren,poi)ssibily t)e construed to suich a meaning, are thecse N''W thunder, shami-whistle, or wvhAt is popularly called thehave regarded the establishmient o)f thle s0cietv as a worthy "ke tIe singing."whoehadenotbthes ntecesarnycidtceby afe 'edr 3.rhe vibrating air miay then be apparent to thewliohadiutthe ecesarysupjport fr-oml microscopists neVsof s--t ern,o ehggenerally to inisore its suiccess, nior stulhcienit experience to neye gh,eai,orfli.dlirectly'it properly.' I have nothing to) i-etraict hlti if an 'Thlerefore it is the IEFFECT, of a disturbing cause, andexplanation is nec.essary, I have onily to say that mny lan1guage mabetui(lihrojcivyoruletvytrugwas intenided to apply to those who wvere imost active ill anv of those lpercep)tions.forminiig the society in the beginniing, inot to) the ofticeirs who We listeni to the soun'I of the bell -what we perceivehave sinice beeni elected. Nevertheless, to qutote agrain friom by thie ear is the vibration of air, the exciting cause ofmyi a-rticle, I wrote Onice moic wve dlesire to say, in oider wvhichi is the eniergy, wvhichi set the bell in motion. Thethat i10 peso miay' misuinderstand uis, eithier wvilfully or bell itself being the mechanic-U vibrator and resonator-otherwise, that we are niot moved by aysri fOli05 thle loudness oh' the soundi results tromi the mannertioul to) theC AMCinc rica Soc-ie'ty of Mi crooSCOpistS. Te ot appl) ing the energy-what nlitlsiciatns sometiines(nursewich I st onl doae eaisei eio o t c.ill thle '' miodle of attack,'' and dlo we wish to kniow

that it would be hencticial to both oi-anlizationls, is that the terlto xsigb we h nryadtevbaAmerican Society shiouil(d(isbialid and its miintoncmr uiiiiit in?Althti eesr, /0nsteo,/u Scatwithi the A. A. A. S. It iS true tha-t thiiS ld.u1 has meIt With

i ouehsfrua .. lzt"-ir',i rpr

opposition fromi the Society, hut if I ircad the signis ariigit, i ouehshrua i. ht"eeg slrlirthe ame esoutio todo tis,whic wa indgnatly, voted tional to the squ -ire of the velocity," velocity tn this

dlowni at Indianapolis, wsill be miore carefully considlered if case ben stenubro iations p)cr seconid.otfered next year. So the v'ibrations of' the hiarmionic serit:s being related toThe questioni that presentst itself to nins mind is niot :Can the funidamentital as the \% hole numbers, the energy nec-

thec American Society, of Microscopists he made to exist as essary to prodluce this series increases in the ratio of thean independentt organization, by thle eflb'rts of a few enithu sqluare roi,t of the vibrations. The resistance necessarysiastic nineinicrs ? hut it is rathier :Can research with the to over-comei this inicreasingr etiergy is peculiarly attestedmiicroscopie he fosteired lwtter lbv suich ani organoization, or bytelpoftecre st.toy- thle suhi.section of the A. A. A. S. ? Theli iiiicrostcolk is a1scidn harmonic series, ntepeucino han inistrumenctt that is usedl in many hiainches o)f sciilitific dt0 JOHtN IH.RiiIiLFs.stu(dy, but microscopy is not the tiiaiie Of any sciuii ct. .local inicroscop)ical society\ ay ideed, b)eila,Ia celitti e of at- i,\,BWSIK `P,-& 3 S

traction of scicintitic meni generally, hobt it is douht foil if anational microscopal society cani ever prove' suificiently at-

F T

tractive to induitce its members to travel hialf way across the IN NiiVo (i ANPtNMNAtFA iSiEicontinent to attend its mneetings. Respectfully, ELECTICoITY OBiSERVED IN tiENoR-i'i OF T'iliE SAiIARA.-

Nnw YoR,Noov'mbe'r i, ISS. l~. lii ~ii't)tK. L. Aiiiat1 has observ-ed that inl tropical countrieis the electricN i-1\v YOK,Noemberi j,iSS(. IIV IC CK. plienoininia of the atiiisphleric stratumn in contact with thke4" ~~~~~~~~soilaire iiiore dlisti net thanl inl coddei Climates.

TO the Adda,tw q~f Scetflee'Vol. i, No. ito, of the I lunmbolt lUbrary, is an essav' on III'tt ~ IlF, v AoIDCn'oN.FANtt'1The Thieory of Sound in its Relation to Music "by l'rof. Ni I. I.- 11ipltntksasollia-itoudtakO

IPietro lila5erna, of the Royal University. of RZomie. it is a in edlicinle phial hiodd ing at out 2;'o o. ., Into this phiial areinter-spersed wvithi illustrations andi demnonstrations of. inleasu red 50 c.c. of thle Saniple oit oil, and 1(x) c.c. oif alco-a very interesting character, and wvritten in a popul ar l'taL) C di. n r4dop ftntteo tumiericmianner. are added. Theli pihial is thiemi coi ked amid vioolently shaken.Every musician mnust feel the touch of a kindiredi soul T[le phtial is thicmo placed tumider a Modoir's burette convaiming

as the subject reachies the historic-o] phase, wvhilst the asoltutioomi Of 40 grins, pure SoKid.1um hydrate per litre ofcriticisms, on national influence uponi mtusic, are very uln- ivat er. As 40) gromis. so)da satuirate 2S2 of toleic acid, ic.c.partial and indeed beautiful. Th'le teml)erate scale is of thle hioIjuid, cointaliningr 0.04 gril. soda-, corresPonlds toreterre(l to. in too scourging a manner, which should o.2'-S: gu.Of o)leic aicid.If nte at cdha ob erathier be ap)plie(d to the thogmatic assertionis of would-l)e- tlziodtu ohc smohir cotiuv h la

musicins whhavefailedto acuaintthemseves sith he liquidt is carefimhhy dmopliicdl into ilthe phiiah, wvhiich isnsicintifi truhs.aefie t cuitthmevsw

shiaken. Whien a iceti coloim atiooni appeam s it is co)rketh,scientific trutlis. ~~~~~~~agitated for a comnsidemahihe timiue till the s ellow color rcaipThe essay is verv useful as the stepping stonie to a pears, thie alcohioo hiavimig extiacted ai ft tshi qtintity o)f acidvery much involved subject, and mnay perhaps be en(torsed tout tof toil. These opieratioms aire comnimiitied tiiitil thle redas a wvhole, with the exception of wvhat follows andI the color becomes perimu.inent. Thie noumb)er tof c.c. atid theconsequences entailed thereby-namely the conclusion fractioni of a c.c. conisumied are theni muoltiplied by' 0.2a2at which he arrives that "vibration is the CAUSE and grnins., in order to tind the quantity of oleic acid present insound the EFFECT," in reply to which, note as follows: the sainple examinied.

SCECE 7


PROCRESS.


PUBLISHED AT


P. 0. Box 8888.

SATURDAY. DECEMIIBER 4, I88o.

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.We consider it due to those subscribers whlo have favored

us with their subscriptions, previouis to the publication ofour club rates, that they should have the privileges of thelist. They can therefore send us suibscriptions for any ofthe publications named at the reduiced do'ublc rates, less$4, the subscription price of " SCIFNCE."

Since the publication of the club) rates last weck, ve

have received rates from the proprietor of 7Tw Amrencan7tunzal of Sience and Arts, the terms of wvlhich are $6 a

year. The club rate with ScuI-NcE. will be $8.5o per annum.

EARNEsr advocates of a hiigher order of eduicationnow regardI with satisfactioni the l)roslect of the estab-lishlimeilnt of a State University in Tlexas upon a souind,financial basis.As early as [839 public lanid amounting to fifty

leagues were (ledicated to found a university for thisState, and wlhen comimissioners were appointed to

locate the city of Austin, forty acres were reserved,and forever (levoted as a site for the University ofTexas.

For twenty years the matter remainied in abeyance,but in i858 an atteml)t at organization was maade, theLegislature passing an act for the immediate estab-lishment of the University, and one hlundre(d thouisand(Idollars were al)l)ropriated from the State Treasury forthe purl)ose. The approach of the civil war led to a

second postponement, and a thlird attempt in i866was equtally unsuccessfuil.The l)resent l)rosl)ects for the fuiture of the Univer-

sity of Tlexas are very encouraging, to those wlho desireits early establislhmiient and successful organization.Professor Oscar H. Cooper, in an article in the Jnler-

national Revicw, gives the following information on

the subject, which will be read with interest:He states that the constitution adopte(d in 1876

supersedes all previous legislation and is the organiclaw of the State. Its provisions concerning the Uni-versity are wise and generous. It directs the Legisla-

*ture to inaugurate the institution as soon as practica.ble, secures to the funds all previous appropnations,directs that only the interest on the funds shall beused, and adds to already growing resources one mil-lion acres of the public domain-a territory consider-ably larger than Rhode Island. It prescribes theobject of the University to be " the promotion of liter-ature and the arts and sciences," and incorporates asa branch of the University, for instruction in agricul-ture, the mechanic arts and sciences connected there-with, the State Agricultural and AMechan.cal College,already in 1871 under the federal appropriation forsuclh institutions.

It requires that the location of the University shallbe determined by a vote of the people of the wholeState, and directs that a College or branch Universitybe established anid maintained for the instruction ofthe colored youths of the State.

Tlhuis the policy of past legislation has been sacredlyto guard. and. freely to augment the resources of theUniversity until they became ample for foundingan instituition worthy of the name. About half of theland donation to the University has been sold forabout $500,ooo, and the procee(ls have been eitherinvested in five, six, or seven per cent. State bonds, orheld in ten per cent. land notes.

The sum of $ioo,ooo, appropriated to the Univer-sity in iSS was l)orrowed by the State, and in i866was rel)laced by five l)er cent. State bonds. The in-vested fuinids tlherefore amouint to nearly $6oo,ooo,and( 1)b the sale of lanids are steadily increasing. Theaccrue(d interest will, at th-ie end of the present year,amounlt to more than $200,000, and the annual inter.est on the invested capital exceeds $40,ooo. The un-sold lands are worth at present $1,5oo,ooo. Theendowiment funds, buildings, grounds, etc., of thedelepartment of Agricultuire an(l the mechanic arts arevaltued at $400,ooo. The University of Texas isworth, thlerefore, exclusive of $200,000 accrued inter-est, $2,500,00o, and this su.perb endowment is enhanc-ing in value with the growth of the State in wealthand population. Few even of the most famous insti-tutions of the world began their career on so generousa foundation, and neither Harvard nor Yale was sowealthy at the completion even of their first century.The people of Texas are said to be now showing a

keen interest in the question of education, and, nolonger contented with these magnificent provisions forthe future, demand the immediate execution of thescheme, the Governor no doubt expressing the popu-lar wish, when he stated "I am opposed to waitinglonger."The probability that the University of Texas will be

alrnost immediately organized has already called for

273SCIENCE,

SCIENCE.


PROGRES.S.


PUBLISHED AT


P. 0. Box 8838.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER II, M8o.

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.Ve consider it due to those subscribers who have favored

us with their subscriptions, I)revious to the publication ofour club rates, that thieY should have the privileges of thelist. They can therefore send us subscriptions for any orall of the publicationis named at the reduced double rates,less $4, the subscription price of SCIENCE."

Since the publication of thie club rates last veek, we

have received rates from thie proprietor of ie/i' Am.4oerican7ournal ot Science and(i Arts, the terms of which are $6 ayear. The club 'rate with SCIENCE vill be $8.50 per annum.

THm Report of the United States Comimissioner ofIE.(duication, for the year I878, has just reaclhed us, andas but twenity days intervenes before I88I will mliakeits debult, the first impression on opening the voltumeis that it is alrea(ly somiiewlhat out of date. WN'e be-lieve that the cause of (lelay in prinitinig this an(d otherrel)orts is attriblutable to the slow action of Congressin making the al)l)ropriations for printing, and we trustthlat in future the Commlissioner imiay have facilities forpuLlishing his report at an earlier (late, as botlh itsvalue ai(I interest are mu.:h dimiinislhed b)y its beingcirculated two years after the facts recor(le(d havetranspired.

Thus, the first linle of the report lamentinig the ex-

istence of the financial depression, is read with impa-tience in these boominiglt times. WVe conigratuilate theCoimmissionier on the fact that "the assault oni thebulwarks of society, by ignorant, uinfortunate or un-

principled persons," has niot been so (lestruictiveas was anticipated. Society at least suirvives, notwith-standing the action of those '" who wouild moodify our

present freedomii of conscience, an(d of thosc whiowould establislh a distinctioni of classes with a view toa l)ermanent aristrocracy, or practice soimie formii ofdestructive communiiism." These gloomiiy politicalforebodings, whlich hardly appear to come within the

ranige of Educational Statistics (in the absence of the

catastrophy in(licated), may now be read without

alarm, and we feel tempted to suggest the proprietyof publishing official prophetic utterances, whileanticipations may yet " lend enchantment to the view."The Commissioner of Education makes a strong

appeal to public opinion, that Congress may be in-fltuenced to place more a(lequate means at his dispos-al to carry out the duties of his office. " Called uI)onby thouglhtftul e(dtucators in aniticipation of perils, fromwhiichI it was hoped he might afford relief or safety, andin the nmidst of ignorance on the onie hand and indiff-erence or oI)l)osition on the other," he complains thathe is nlot fturnislhed with either the quarters, the assis-tants, or the money necessary to (1o the work required.

'To enable the Bureau of Education to perform itsnational fuinctions satisfactorily, witlhout the co-opera-tion of volunteer aid, which has in the past enabled itto accumulate information, the C(ommissioner wishesCongress to comply with six requests, which he makesin the following order: First, a sufficent force of com-I)etent anid trained meni and women; Seciond, proper(juarters; Thtirdt, a library lhaving everythlinlg printed onthe stubject of education; FourIth, a collection of edu-cationial ap)pliances, the character of whichl is described;Fitfth, al)l)rol)riate means of receiving anid collect-ing informationi in regard to eduicational systems, in-stitlutions anid miiethods; Sivth, meanis to arrange all thisinformiiationi, puiblish it, or communicate it to the edu-cators of the country.

WN'e fear the Coommiiissioner has somewhat weakenedhis case by showinig his ability to present so ample areport witlh the meanis already at lhis command, but wetru.st that any substantial aid that hie really stands innee(d of will not be witlhheld. The concessions hecalls for appear quite reasonable and essential to lhisoffice, and his success in obtaining themii will probablybe controlled by his albility to prove that such is thecase.

''lhis Journial, representing one of the highestbranclhes of education, naturally desires that a NationalBureau, for collecting edlucational statistics, should beproperly sul)porte(l by the nation, so that no lack ofmiieans at the comnanid of the Commissioner shouldjustif) an inade(quate a(lminiistration of the office.

\Ve have made a few selectionis from this report,chiefly relating to scientific schools, and a few factsthat appear of special interest. These will be foundin anotlher columnln.

T'HIE EI'SONI MINERAL WATER OF MIISSOURI.By PROF. CIIAS. E. WAIT.

A shallow well recently sunk within three milesof this place yields a minieral water which prom-ises to be a valtuable addition to the list of salinepurgatives. A sample of this water was taken

SCIENCPI. 285

SCIENCE.

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A WEEKLY RECORD OF SCIENTIFIC'PROCRESS.


I't-'ILSH :I) AT


P. 0. Box 3S38.

SATrU DI).\,DVlCl,-M101:R i8, i880.

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBIERS.WNe consider it duec to those subscriberrs who have favored

us with their subscriptions, previouis to tihe publication ofouir citil) rates, that thiev slhouild have the privileges of thelist. They can therefore send uis subscriptions for any orall of thie publications namedl at thle reduccd doitble rates,less $A, tile silbscriPtioll price o SCItFNCEt."

Siince tile publication Of tle citiub rates last week, we

hlae received raltes frioti ttle l)rlo rictor of iT'h .lm .'r.

7toJ/d */ .S;'iScic. anl dr/ the tvnins (of which are $i(6 a

C;ar. The cltib rtae wvith, sci.n. t: will e per atilitltil.

The material ai( giv en to scientific stuidlents by the

fotitidation of tweity fellowships, eacih yieldinig five.;hu ndred (loll ars, at the Johtis Hopkins University,al)pears to have beeni attended withi thle best results,

a.ndI the roll of fellows, nIow pUblished, shiows thatthe lhonor, thlius secuired, has nlot been a mnere emiptytitle, for the majoirity have been selected to receive

p)ermanent anid attr;active posts in ditler enit )alrts ofthe cotintrv.The system of fellowslhips at this Unliversity'was

inistituted for the purpose of affording, to youiing menof talent, from any place, an opporttuniity to continitetheir stut(lies in the Jolihis hlopkinis Uniiversity, whilelookint, forwar(d to positions .as professors, teachers,

indl investigatots, or to othier literary and scienltificvoc.ationis.

The appointmiients have not been imna(le as rewards

foI- g,ood work alireadly (lonie, btut as aids anid encouir-

a;gemiienit to grood wor-k in the futuire, thius stimulilat-inog the stuident to fitrther progress, an(l Ibecomincgthe steppilng stone to an honorable, ititellectual ca-

reer. Althotughl candidates for any of the tllree

cy from the institution where he received instruc-tion, with recommendation from those who arequialified to speak of his character and attainments.He is also expected to submit, orally or in writbncr,evidence of his past suiccess in study, and of hisplans for the tuture, togetlher with samples of hisliterary or scientific work. Thus tlle examinationis in a certa;in extent competitive, but niot with uni-form tests, nor by formial qutestions and answerssubmnitted to the canididate.We find that the number of candlidates has

been very large, and it is feared many wererejected wlhose acquirements were really superiorto those selected. We are iniformed by the author-ities of the University that suclh a result ma) arisein cases where candi(dates rely wlolly oni testimo-niials from their teachlers, witlhout presenting suchevideleces of their owIn work as we have stated tobe essential; anid itn consequience the professors,forwant of adequate knowle(dge, have been compelledto pass over many candidates whose merits were

un1(loutbtedly of a highl order.We nientioni thiese facts, antd trust that in the next

year the warning we now give may prevenit manydisappointments. Candidates should also noticethat applications slhould be made prior to MayI3, ISSI.As evi(lence of the valuie of securinig suchi a fellow-

slhip, we may state, that of the forty-six studeents whohave left the Un iversity vithi that honior, tweenty-eighit have gone forward to hionorable positions, asin'structors in colleges or othier institutioins of a Ihighorder; tzwo wvcre attached to the Uniited StatesCoastsuirvey; two, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, atNew York; four are enigaged in the application ofscience to practical wvork; two are phiysicians, oneati attorney-at-law, and four are still pursuing theirStu(lies abl)road.

It is obvious that gradtiates residing at Balti-iimore- hlave great facilities for making knowntheir powers to the appointing board, but an exam-ination of the list of those wlvo have been success-ftil. slhows that residlence at a distance is no bar tothe appoinltmenit, provi(ledl a(lequiate evi(lence ofclaiims be presenite(l.

learnie(d professions are not excluded, the plreference is Ti'lhe Smithlsoliani Inistitutioni hias received fromii thegiveen to those youngrimncii wio are desirouis of becom- Vienniia Academy the announcement of the discovery,ing, teachiers of scienice and( literature, or wlho have by L. I'einile, at Copenhagen, oni the i6th of I)e-(leterminie(d to (levotc thieir lives to special branches cember, iSSo. at six o'clock, of a small bright comietof learnincg which lie ouitsidle of the ordinary stu(lies in uS lhouilrs 49 miiinutes right ascension and(l io dlegreesof the latwyer, the physiciani, and(I the minister. 30 nllites north declination, Iith a daily motion ofAs ani intro(luction, the candidate miust suibmit 5 mlillnItes iln righ,lt as.ension an(l 4 minutes north.

his college (liploma, or othier certificate of proficien- WASHINI'ON,N December 17. i8Xo.

297

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P. 0. Box 3888.

309

:MNIr. Kirkman translates the foregoing into "plain Etolish," or as Professor Tait rather profanely asserts,"stril)s it of the tinsel of high flown and unintelligible

F l C; laniguiage," thus:F

" Evolution is a change from a nohowish, untalka-bouitable, all-alikeness, to a somehowish and in-general talkabouitable not-all-alikeness, by continuoussomlethingelsifications anid sticktogetlherations."

Mr. Spencer claims that the explanation of themeaning of the word " Evolution " is a formula,IProfessor Tait calls this "a definition ;" hience thedifference of opinion, the latter assertinig it to be not amere (quibblle of wor(ls, but that all inlj)ortant scien-tific (listinction is involved, to wlhichi the attention of

-- xel UltDAV, I)l.CI'S113ER 25 1880 the scienitific worl(d is directedl.SATU!RDAY, D).CENIBER 25, 1BBo* 'T'he perusal of a commuilitnicationi fromii Professor

=-. Asaph Hall, of Washington, which will be found inNOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. this column, will greatly assist those who desire to

AVe consider it duec to those subscribers wvho have favored solve the (quiestion. Professor Hall does not enterIts with their subscriptions, previous to the puiblication of o any (letailour clul) rates, that tlhv slhoiuld have the privileges of t nit s of the controvers, but offers "anlist. The' can tlherefore senid us subscriptions for any or i//lwusr¢tion/ " wlhiclh appears to strike at the root of theall of thte publications named at thei reduced double rates,les;s $, thec subsc>;eriptlionl al)rie of Scf" f;zNc>;,'.i' iatter in dispte.

We'e thlinik thlat Mr. SIpecer miiay rest satisfie(d witil'ktwi,ssoR I. .i,, in a recentl ntimber l,u,,,, applying thle term 4/;inition " to lhis form of wortls,l ROFl-.'SS(R '1'Al 1, thi ; r8c-m' mimlss)er of Xa;tuZ@(#

directs a t for 1w the rtle priesented( b l'Professor Hlall, it is cvi-.Nov. 5, iSSo), nlircsts attltsity' det nly streiiiof(lICitly sitralining al polint to assei-lt tha;t inl tlieiii we find(l" a

Ierfect definiteness ot language in all scientific work. a o t a* f<olwlutz " tis;iti tlat wordl in tlle salile seiise as whenWant of definiiteniess," hle says, miiay arise fromii frua, ui thatla vor ith s e nes e

habitual laziness, but oftenier in(licates a (lesire to we sl)eak of the la of grvtationappear to k.o where,knowlede By the law of gravitation astronomiiers are able toappeaC;r to k;mo%V Whlere knlowlve(e is iiot."'. .

It is also claimied(I that scientific writers, eveni of thle )rtlilt thlositions of known celestial bodies fourpreentday, have nlot that clear comprehension, years before thl event, and(I I'rofessor 'I'ait asks if Mr.

which is essential, of what is subjective and thit Spencer, wvith his hi fornmiula can predict, fouir yearswh-1iiChi is objecitive, afwlathus mujchtconfusio arises,t before hlan(l, the political and social cIanges which%%-1iich is olbjectives, a;1 lszltist; liiitcii confisions arises.TIo uise l'rofessor Ta-t's own language, oti;onily w ill lappen ini the iistory of 1Emrope.s0)1r1ce of information in p)lvsi(al sciiencei the evi-denlew of our seinses. 'o initerlpret trtlvy this evidlence, \N ,l.l sl'n.XrON.%064-i11 is alwz-l iftW-c;,t alld1 of1tell %O loll- mlisitlead.ws im1pe lI regard to lh controversy between Pr'ofessoring,is; onev of' the talskssex t I efwe realson. It nis t!'ily ll ;lantI NIr. I Ierlwt Spenicer, I be,gtlo ollfer the fol1w tile aid of reasoll thlait w\e (can diistillnglishl 1)etWee lowming illulstrationl. 11 \e tuke 1v chantce the thirceWlhat is physically ob)jec(tiv-e andl whiat is merl)ely stibl)- nutmbers 1, i , t,;, and1( form thlel'l Squtiares, \wC havejective. Otitside ust thire is no such thing as noise (J -= l

or b)rightness ; these nio miiore exist in the acr-ial and(I 1)-' 144etliereal milotions, whlicll are their objective cauise, (13)-16)qtlmn does l)ainl in the projectile w1iich exel)rience lhas Now take the numbers Xwitl tihe figures in an in-tLtight uis to avoid, 'l'o arrive at the obrje(tive l)point vertedl order, ani(l we hlav-e,o' IProfessor ;Tait's article, w\e ma-ty state that it in1- (IT)'- 121\voI\es a dlisagreemtent between hlimiiself and M r. l1cr- (2 I -- 441b)ert Spencer, as to thie real meaniiig of certain wonis,andl1l tihe propriety of imaking ulse of thiemii on occaj- We see thi.at tllt figtire'S of the sqltiares are also invert-sibuis wlicl are miienitioed(l. ed(l; atnl this holds ini the case of three conisec:utive

In*oneof his ~vorks, Mr. Spencer .tates t Illlnumbers. We intfer tlherefore thlat this is a generalh;otieo is fMro nefncotereta law in the formation of stluiare numbers. Argtmments\olution is a clane fromll ali int.lefinie, inZoliernlt Of this kindtl imiiglht have an extein(lete application in

h fogeity, to a teinite heterogenellity, throumghl coln- otfs 1,r)anches of scien(e b;It if we make ftirtlhe-linlnotisdiffe'reuf;lli>at ft5a mid mlegrat ii f" ~titiiiiatlXi;{ \\'ft S }5o0ff lind(I IiiminmeSew\t'r'lmeptiolls to otmi-

SCIENCE. 321

SCIENCE:

A WEEKLY RECORD OF SCIENTIFICPROC RESS.


I'tIiLISHED AT


P. 0. Box 8838.

DECE1"t,\2,It 31, I880.

NOTICE To SUBSCRIBEFRS.WVe considcr it due to those subscribers who hlave favored

us with their subscriptions, previous to the publication ofour club rates, that the' should have the privileges of thelist. They can tlherefore sendl us subscriptions for any orall of the publications namned at the. reduced diuble ra.tcs,less $4, the subscription price of '

We' hiave stu(liouisly avoided occupying the pages ofthis jouirnial with )ersonal reference to its progress, butthe (onclulsion of thle first vollumile appears to be an

appropriate nmomiient to offer a fewv words oni this suib-ject, an(I to acknowledge ouir ol)ligations to those,who by their sulb)scriptions or literary contributions,hlave aided in miking " SCI1.N'CE a suicccss.A-selection frolii the letters akddresse(d to uis by sci-

eltihic investigators, app)roving of the management ofthe journal, or containing,congrattilations for thefiutiure, would fill tle pages of this number ; haviln,gonly a columinii at ouir service, we maake but one refer-ence, which appears to epitomize all previouis com-

Imnuniication1s.

In a letter recently received from the last PresidentOf thle Association for the Advancement of Science,Professor GEORG.E. F. BIARKER, are these wor(ds:

I take this oLpportunity to congratuilate you on the

sIcCess of " SCIENCE." 'I'lie numbers whiiclh I haveseen have been cre(litable to all concerne(l."

\\'itlh thlis testimon to the sta(lin, of the jouirn:alfromii so severe a critic anl olle so eminiiently cal)alleof forming an ol)inion of whiat a scientitfc journalslhouild be, we might he well content to rest. but beingfull'v avare that better resuilts may be attained, ouir

iuniremiiitting efforts in the futuire will be (lirected tosecuire a still higher stan(ldarl, anid imior-e perfect devel-

(1menllt of tIme variouts (dlplartmInemts.We wotll(l remind specialists, wio (lesire to scC cer-

tain, branchies milore fill)l represented in. SciE FScPE,"how mulcll mybe Iccomplished 1))y in(lividiual efforts.

As an instance, we may refer to our astronomical de-partment, which already reflects the high attainmentsan(l esprit tie corps of those following this line of re-search.

Twenty-six weeks only have elapsed since ouir firstnumliliber was issued, of which period the first half wasa time of recreation and rest. when few were withinreach of ouir annouincements; it is therefore a subjectof congratuilation that in so slhort a time our pagesshow a vitality in(licative of a journal which has ex-isted yvears rather than a few weeks.

It is a pleasure to find( on ouir subscription list theinames of so imiany rel)resentative scientific men, bothof the Utnite(d States and Cana(la, while all the leadingUniversities an(l Colle,es of this couintry receive"SciENCE" througah members of their faculties. Thisjouirinal is also now cirecilating in England, France,GCerman)' an(I Italy.

WVe have placel several pages weekly at the serviceof the Smiiithsoniiani In,stituitioni, ani(l are willing to in-*rease the numniber of our sheets as the matter awaitspublication. This offer hlas been so far accepted, thatarrangements are in progress, by whiclh the difficulty ofcompilation may be overcome.We have demonstrate(d that a really scientific week-

ly jouirnal can be condtucted( witlhouit conflicting withthe old established mionthilies, wvhicii halve their specialfiel(d of ulsefuilniess, an(d when the e(litor of the A.iER-ICAN JOURNAL. oF SCIExcr (Which may be consideredone of the instituitions of this country) sent us hisgo(ldwislhes for stuccess, we accepted hlis grecting in allsincerity.

England, Franice, Germiiain) and Italy, have each theirrepresentative weekly scientific journial. Is there anAmerican scientist with so poor an opitlion of the sci-cntific work of his country, or of his fellow workers,as to tllinik the same convenience for the United Statessuiperfluouts ?

"SCIEN.CE" has received a welcoime and strong sulpport far beyond the expectations of the editor; btut itmulst be apparent to all that the personal co-operationof every scientific man, in the future, will not only in-sure thie permanency of the publicationi, btut incteaseits usefulness an( value; let all, then, wlho are inter-este(l in the promlotion an(l a(l'ancemiient of scienceinl thle U nited Staltes, wletlher professionally engagedor as studlet, or amiiateir, feel that one and( all are in-

j ite(l to assist in the work.T'lhose who are ac(Iquainted witli jouirnalism imutst he

aware that the capital employed in this enterprise has1 been adv-ancvd for the best interests of science rathertlhan for sl)eculative purposes. h'lie editor, therefore,

i i makinig this appeal for general co-operation, feelsthat ie mayd(o so without daniger of misinterpretationofr his illotiyes.

ivem - science · science. science: a weekly record of scientific progress. john michels, editor....

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