52 



THE AMEKICAN MONTHLY 



[March, 



it moves through the barrel toward 

 the month of the gun, and finally 

 ejects it at a speed and with a 

 power that would not be safely 

 attained or even approached by a 

 line powder that would burn more 

 rapidly and communicate its im- 

 pulse more suddenly, and perhaps 

 with destructive force to both ball 

 and barrel. But before the grains 

 are fully burned, the rapidly de- 

 creasing advantage gained in this 

 way becomes more than counter- 

 balanced by the resistance to the 

 ball by continued contact with the 

 barrel. Therefore the barrel is 

 never made long enough for the 

 powder to. wholly burn before 

 leaving it, and some of the burning 

 grains must in all cases be thrown 

 out as projectiles along with the 

 ball. In using large charges and 

 coarse powder some grains also may 

 be thrown out that have not 

 been ignited at all. The shorter 

 the barrel, other things being equal, 

 the more will this happen; as it 

 will, also, in the case of the pistol, 

 where the charge is generally less 

 than in the rifle, but the flash is 

 greater because the barrel is short- 

 ened more than the charge is 

 diminished. 



( To be contimted.) 



EDITORIAL. 



This number will be sent to 

 many persons who are not sub- 

 scribers, but who are known to be 

 interested in scientiflc studies. We 

 hope that a large number of these 

 will send us their subscriptions, 

 especially the physicians, to whom 

 the JouENAL will certainly be of 

 great value. It costs but $1.00 per 

 year, and the subscription-list must 

 be a large one to make our enter- 

 prise profitable at such a low price. 

 We consider that the success of our 

 undertaking is already assured, and 



have to thank the microscopists of 

 the country for their very generous 

 and early support. 



o 



We take pleasure in announcing 

 that we have established an Agency 

 for the sale of American and Foreign 

 Scientific Books and Periodicals, 

 and that we are prepared to receive 

 and to promptly fill orders for books 

 and magazines of all kinds. 



Spring Collections. 



The warm days of spring are fast 

 approaching, and they afford the 

 microscopist who will visit the 

 ponds and streams, a great variety 

 of living objects. Perhaps this is 

 the best season of the year for gen- 

 eral collecting ; many forms of 

 plants and animals are just awaken- 

 ing into life, after the cold days of 

 the winter months, and the student 

 can learn much about the early 

 stages of the growth of objects 

 which, in their more mature condi- 

 tion, are familiar to him. 



We urge all who can, to begin 

 their collecting now — as soon as 

 they receive this number, for it is 

 already late enough — and to share 

 with others the pleasure which their 

 " finds " will certainly give them, 

 through the Journal. 



To the novice in collecting, a few 

 words of advice and a few sugges- 

 tions about what to look for and 

 where to find it, will be acceptable. 



It is advisable to choose a clear 

 day, for the sunlight seems to lure 

 the little animals from their hiding- 

 places, and brings them near the 

 surface of the water ; and many 

 plants will also rise into view. 



It is difficult to give directions 

 for collecting, since there are so 

 many different tastes to be gratified ; 

 but if Alg£e are desired, they may 

 be looked for along the shores of 

 ponds, either floating free on the 



