76 
POPULAR SCIEITCE NEWS. 
[May, 1S90. 
twilight. During llie latter half of the month it 
rapidly approaches the sun, andpasses inferior con- 
junction at midnight on May 29. Venus is also an 
evening star, and is getting far enough away from 
the sun to be easily seen. During the first half of 
the month it is very near Mercury ; at the beginning 
of the month about 2° south and 2° west, or nearly 
vertically below as they are setting. Both are then 
moving eastward, but Venus is moving faster. 
Their time of nearest approach is the morning of 
May 10, when Venus is rather less than 2° south of 
Mercury. By May 15, Venus will have receded to 
about 4° east of Mercury, and will be above and 
to the left as they are seen soon after sunset. Mars 
rises in the southeast a little before lo P. M. on 
May I, and at about 7 P. M. on May 31. It is in 
the constellation Scorpius, and is retrograding rap- 
idly. It is about 4° north of the bright red first 
magnitude star Aiitares (Alpha Scorpii), and during 
the month moves from a position 5*^ east of the star 
to a point 3° west. It comes to opposition on May 
27, — that is, the earth lies between it and the sun, — 
but, on account of the eccentricity of its orbit, it 
does not attain its nearest approach to the earth 
until June 4, soon after midnight. Our distance 
from the planet is then about 45,000,000 miles. The 
next opposition, in 1S92, will be much more favora- 
ble than this, as the earth will then be several mil- 
lion miles nearer the planet than it will be at this 
one, perihelion and opposition of the planet being 
much nearer. However, this opposition will be bet- 
ter than the average. Jupiter rises at about 1.30 A. M. 
at the beginning of the month, and at about 11.30 
P. M. at the end. It is in the constellation Capri- 
cornus, and moves slowly eastward during the 
month until the last day, when it becomes station- 
ary. Saturn is in good place for observation in the 
western sky during the evening. It crosses the 
meridian, about two-thirds of the way to the zenith, 
at about sunset on May i, and two hours earlier on 
May 31. It is still in the constellation Leo, near its 
brightest star, Regulus {Alpha Leonis), a little to 
the north. It moves slowly eastward, less than 1°, 
during the month, and crosses the handle of the 
Sickle between Regulus and Eta Leonis. It is in 
quadrature with the sun on the morning of May 18. 
Uranus is in the constellation Virgo, and passes the 
meridian at about 11 P. M. on May i, and at about 
9 P. M. on May 31, about halfway irom horizon to 
zenith. At the beginning of the month it is rather 
less than 2° north and 3° east of the first magnitude 
star Spica (Alpha Virginis), and during the month 
moves about 1° toward the star.. Neptune is too 
near the sun to be seen, and is in conjunction on the 
morning of May 25. 
The Constellations. — The positions given hold 
good for latitudes differing not many degrees from 
40° north, and for 10 P. M. on May i, 9 P. M. on 
May 16, and 8 P. M. on May 31. Canes Venatici is 
in the zenith. To the south, on the meridian, are 
Coma Berenices, Virgo, and Corvus. A few of tl^e 
most northerly stars of Centaurus are on the south 
horizon. In the southeast is Libra, and below it, 
just rising, is Scorpius. Bootes is high up, east of 
the zenith, and below it are Hercules and Ophiu- 
chus. Lyra and Cygnus are low down in the north- 
east. The principal stars of Draco are above, at 
about the same altitude as the pole star. Cassiopeia 
is on the north horizon. Perseus and Auriga are 
setting in the- northwest. Ursa Major is high up, 
near the zenith, most of the stars being west of the 
meridian. Gemini is near the western horizon. 
Cancer and Leo follow, above, to the left. Canis 
Minor is below Cancer, near the southwest horizon. 
M. 
Lake Forest, III., April 5, 1890. 
Correspoqdeiice. 
firie/ commnnirationa upon suhjecta of ncientijlc interest 
toill be welcomed fruin aity quarter. The editors (Jo not veces- 
sarilji indorse alt views and statements presented by their 
correspondents. 
COCO, CACAO, AND COCA. 
Editor of Popular Science News: 
The Druggist's Bulletin for January, iSgo, con- 
tains a review by Dr. Henry H. Rusby of my article 
on " Coco, Cacao, and Coca" which appeared in the 
Popular Science News for September and Octo- 
ber, 1889. As Dr. Rusby here takes occasion to 
give some notes upon the subject, based upon his 
own observations in South America, I have pre- 
pared the following summary of his remarks, believ- 
ing that the readers of the News would be glad of 
additional information coming from one so qualified 
to speak on these matters. 
Apropos of the origin of the word "coco" he 
says: "And this reminds us that all through Cen- 
tral South America, where the Cocos nncifera is 
unkriown, all kinds of large shell fruits, like the 
case of the Brazil nut and the monkey-pot, are 
called 'cocos.' The savage tribes decorate their 
temples with pictures in feathers of these fruits, and 
to them also the name 'cocos' is applied. While it 
is probable that this term was introduced by the 
Spaniards, and applied by them to these native 
fruits because of their similarity to the true cocos, 
yet it is not impossible that the name is native. A 
strikingly similar word is 'coto,' applied to the large 
red howling monkey, because of the large spherical 
cartilage in his throat, which gives him the appear- 
ance of having a goitre, or 'coto.' The same term 
is applied to the cartilage itself." 
In speaking of the cacao, Dr. Rusby calls atten- 
tion to the fact that the chocolate family contains 
also the kola-nut (Cola acuminata, R. Br.), which, 
although known to but few besides botanists and 
pharmacists in this country, "is to vast tribes of 
Africans as important, almost, as tobacco or coffee 
are to us, or certainly as the mate to the Para- 
guayan, or the coca to the Bolivian." It may be of 
interest to add that this plant, whose seeds are so 
highly valued as a condiment by the native tribes of 
Guinea and their descendants in South America, 
contains a considerable quantity of the alkaloid 
theine. The reviewer continues: "Mr. Sargent's 
reference to the occurrence of this tree [cacao] jn a 
wild state in the Amazonian forests, recalls vividly 
a personal experience of the writer, when he was 
once lost for an entire day in a vast forest, whose 
smaller trees were mostly, of this species. Qiiite a 
number of species of theobroma, we may mention, 
occur wild in Brazil, and one which we encountered 
produces white seeds. While on this subject, we 
will put in a plea for the correct pronunciation of 
this word, which is very nearly ca-cow." 
Dr. Rusby strongly dissents from the generally 
accepted view (adopted in my paper) that it is the 
alkaloids contained in cacao and coco which have 
chiefly recommended these plants to man. His 
conclusions, based upon a long study of the coca- 
plant, are to the effect that the Indian does not 
value the coca-leaf chiefly for its cocaine, but for 
other volatile constituents; for he habitually rejects 
leaves which are not sufficiently fresh or well pre- 
served, although their percentage of cocaine may be 
very slightly or not at all reduced. We might also 
correct the statement that the leaves are packed as 
soon as dried. They ordinarily, if not invariably, 
lie for two or three days in the coca-house, in order 
to go through the process of ' sweating,' before it is 
considered safe to pack them." 
Yours very truly, 
Frkd'k LeRoy Sargent. 
THE CHIGGER. 
Editor of Popular Science News: 
Among the many instructive things contained in 
your issue of February, my attention was called to 
the article by H. M. Whelpley, Ph. G., on the Lep- 
tus irriians. -The claim is there made that "this 
human parasite is confined to the Mississippi Val- 
ley." I would beg leave to state that I have met 
with it in the sandy scrubs of New Jersey in great 
abundance and in unmeasured voracity. Prof. 
Whelpley's description of the insect and its habits 
is quite in accordance with my observations made 
in 1S65. Qiiite a number of unacclimated persons 
suffered to an extent requiring medical care, as the 
lower limbs were affected with an erysipelatous 
eruption of many days' duration. The most efti- 
cient means of help was in removal by point of 
needle or knife, and the next was in the free use of ' 
an ointment of lard, kerosene, and salt. 
D. I.NCiRAM. 
COLTON, CaL. 
' LITERARY NOTES. 
Essays of an Americanist, by Daniel G. I?rinton, 
M. D. Published by Porter ,.^- Coates, Philadel- 
phia. 
The mysterious pre-historic history of our own 
country is a most interesting subject," and is all th^ - 
more fascinating on account of the very little that 
is actually known about it. The barbarous soldiers 
in the armies of the early Spanish conquerors, and 
the bigoted priests who followed them, seem to have 
systematically set about destroying all books and 
records which could throw any light upon the origin 
of those civilized or, at least, semi-civilized peoples 
who formerly occupied South and Central America, 
Mexico, and the United States. In this collection 
of essays, by one of the highest authorities on 
American arch;eology, there is much valuable infor- 
mation about the ancient Aztecs, Toltecs, and 
Mayas, the Mound Builders, and so-called American 
Indians, and, in fact, all the diflerent races who are 
supposed to have formerly inhabited the western 
hemisphere. Particular attention is given to Amer- 
ican languages, and the mysterious picture-writings 
and hieroglyphics of Mexico and Central America, 
some of which are translated, and the probable 
meaning of others discussed in a way which will 
undoubtedly throw much light upon their future 
decipherment. We have read this book with ab- 
sorbing interest, and can cordially recommend it, 
either to the general reader, or to the professional 
student of archicology and comparative philology. 
Fort Ancient, by Warren K. Moorehead. Published 
by Robert Clarke & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Price, 
$2.00. 
Another valuable work which may well be read in 
connection with that noticed above, is Mr. Moore- 
head's descrii)tion of Fort Ancient — one of the old- 
est and best preserved monuments of the Mound 
Builders of the Ohio Valley.- The fort has been 
carefully surveyed, excavations made at promising 
points, and an immense amoimt of information 
obtained regarding the builders, date of erection, 
and probable uses of the structure. Mr. Moore- 
head considers it to be not over nine hundred years 
old, and, in his own words, "Fort Ancient is a 
defensive earthwork, used at times as a refuge by 
some large tribe of Indians; and at intervals there 
was a large village situated within its walls. In 
the inclosure ha\e been found pottery fragments, 
bones, arrow-heads, flint chips, burnt stones, ashes, 
etc. In time of peace the tribe, numbering about 
30,000, spread out in the contiguous river valleys. 
Fort Ancient was the citadel to which they could 
fall back in case of extreme danger. It possesses 
nothing of a religious nature, nor anything emblem- 
atic, like the Serpent Mound and the Opossum 
Effigy." The work is fully illustrated by photo- 
engravings made from views taken on the .spot, and 
no one interested in that mysterious people, the 
Mound Builders, should fail to read it. 
Pamphlets, etc., received: Remarks upon Extinct 
Mammals of the United States, by Dr. R. W. Shu- 
feldt; The Cause of Death from Chloroform, by H. 
C. Wood, M. n., and. H. A. Hare, M.'D. ; second 
supplement to Creation, by Wni. Andrew; The Cra- 
dle of the Semites, by Daniel G. Brinton, M. D., 
Media, Penn. 
