J2Q 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



In some informal remarks at the meet- 

 ing of the American Folk-lore Society, Dr. 

 J. W. Fewkes gave the results of observa- 

 tions among the Zuni Indians at Pueblo, 

 which go to show how the traditions of the 

 tribe survive in a kind of dramatic represen- 

 tation by dances. He thought that many 

 historical events could be traced by making 

 a careful study of the dances. 



The trustees of the American Museum of 

 Natural History have just opened a collec- 

 tion of the woods of the United States, gath- 

 ered under the direction of Prof. Sargent, 

 editor of Garden and Forest, and presented 

 by Mr. Morris K. Jesup. It is nearly ex- 

 haustive, and represents four hundred and 

 twelve species, including nearly all trees that 

 are large enough to be considered of com- 

 mercial importance. Attached to each spe- 

 cies is a small colored map showing over what 

 areas in the United States the wood is found, 

 while near by are water-color drawings of 

 flowers and fruit of the species, in nearly 

 natural size and colors. In another hall arc 

 cases of specimens in economic entomology, 

 illustrating the work of insects injurious to 

 forest trees. 



The latest attempt to solve the " smoke 

 problem " is the scheme of Mr. Elliott, of 

 London, for condensing the smoke in water 

 and recovering the by-products. The smoke 

 is drawn from the chimney by means of a 

 fan into a tank of water in which revolving 

 stirrers arc moving ; by these the products 

 of combustion are churned up and arrested 

 and condensed in the water. When the wa- 

 ter is fully charged, it is drawn off, and the 

 tank is filled with fresh water. The charged 

 liquor is to be afterward treated, and the by- 

 products due to the combustion of the coal 

 are to be recovered. 



According to a paper of Prof. John 

 Trowbridge, the discharge from a Lcyden 

 jar is not a single act, but is a series of os- 

 cillatory movements back and forth till an 

 equilibrium is reached. The oscillations take 

 place in -rmnioTFo of a second. 



A gigantic pendulum a bronze wire, 

 a hundred and fifteen metres long, with a 

 steel globe weighing ninety kilogrammes at 

 the end has been suspended in the Eiffel 

 Tower, for the purpose of demonstrating visi- 

 bly the motion of the earth. 



A leprosy commission has been dis- 

 patched from England to India, which, after 

 an investigation of one year, is expected to 

 report concerning the desirability or other- 

 wise of encouraging the voluntary partial 

 withdrawal of lepers from among the non- 

 leprous population ; of enforcing the com- 

 plete isolation of all lepers ; and of enforc- 

 ing the isolation of certain lepers. It will 

 also report on the best methods of accom- 

 plishing whatever may be decided upon. 



The. California Museum Association of 

 Sacramento offers a prize of two hundred 

 and fifty dollars for an invention to utilize 

 the rise and fall of the tides, giving not less 

 than three horse-power for six hours ; also 

 two hundred and fifty dollars for an inex- 

 pensive device to improve the hygienic con- 

 ditions of the air in rooms. Inventors to 

 retain all rights. Plans should be sent in 

 by April 1, 1891. Full details on the mat- 

 ter can be obtained by addressing J. A. 

 Woodson, president, Sacramento, Cal. 



Du. Chaei.es A. Oliyer has described, in 

 the Transactions of the American Ophthal- 

 mological Society, a system of tests, and the 

 apparatus required, which he has devised 

 for detecting color-blindness in railway serv- 

 ice. The first test consists in matching 

 wools, being a modification of the Holm- 

 gren method ; the second requires the recog- 

 nition of squares of bunting in a series of 

 black boxes at one thousand yards distance ; 

 and the third is like the second, except that 

 illuminated colored glass is used instead of 

 bunting, and the test is conducted at night. 

 A spectacle-frame is also used in which 

 different glasses can be inserted so as to 

 produce the light effects of various sorts 

 of weather. A number of advantages are 

 claimed for the system. 



In a paper in the Society for the Pro- 

 motion of Agricultural Science, Prof. Manly 

 Miles remarked that the interdependent bio- 

 logical relations of different farm crops and 

 of the soil microbes that find favorable 

 nutritive conditions in the vicinity of their 

 roots appear to be as important factors in 

 farm economy as the chemical constitution 

 of soils and crops, and the conditions of soil 

 that influence these relations are of great 

 practical interest. The applications of sci- 

 ence to agriculture will be best promoted 

 by investigations concerning the life histo- 

 ries and relations of these microbes. 



OBITUARY NOTES. 



The French aeronaut, Eugene Goddard, 

 died at Brussels, November 9th, in the six- 

 ty-third year of his age. He was famous for 

 the numerous and daring ascensions which 

 he executed in Europe and America. 



Mr. James Croll, LL. D., F. R. S., author 

 of Climate and Time, and other important 

 works in cosmic science, died December 15th, 

 in the seventieth year of his age. He was 

 of humble birth and without scientific train- 

 ing, but "by sheer force of intellect" and 

 by ability and industry he raised himself to 

 a prominent position among scientific think- 

 ers. His Climate and Time has received 

 great attention, and his works on Oceanic 

 Circulation and Stellar Evolution have been 

 widely read. He had been suffering for 

 several years from a painful disease. 



