40 
POPULAR SCIENCE I^EWS. 
[March, 1891. 
sor Guttenberg's course in mineralogy. We have 
a very fair collection, consisting of from 900 to 
1,000 mineralogical specimens, 500 zoological, 60 
eggs, 50 fossils, and 100 specimens of American 
algse. Our mineralogical collection includes most 
of the common minerals and rocks to be found in 
this vicinity, and also some which are very rare— 
as mountain leather, a sijecimen about 12"X14", 
and being a formation of asbestos. This was 
found at King's Bridge, New York, in the exca- 
vations for the North River Canal, between two 
strata of rock. It has the appearance of newly 
tanned leather covered with sand, is very flexible, 
and is rather hard to tear. We have also speci- 
mens of meteoric iron ore, crystals of silver, lace 
silver from Colorado, moss agate, and specimens 
of almost all the gems — the diamond included. 
Two of our most highly prized specimens were 
found in Massachusetts, being geodes about six 
inches in diameter, the inside covered with beauti- 
ful quartz crystals. Our zoological specimens in- 
clude shells from all parts of the world, most of 
the common insects of the vicinity, a porcupine- 
flsh, saw-flshes' saws, alligators' heads, and the 
like. We also have a fine microscope, and a large 
aquarium which we keep stocked with insects and 
reptiles. Our meetings are held at our President's 
room, 85 Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn, where we 
intend to hold an annual exhibition. — O. Doer- 
flinger. Sec. 
934, Bourbonnais Grove, 111., [A]. — Our Chapter 
has adopted as its special local name, " The Mivart 
Scientific Association of St. Viateur's University." 
Our first work was to procure a stereopticon cost- 
ing $76.50 — quite an expensive undertaking, but 
not regretted, for it has afforded us much instruc- 
tion and pleasure. We now have seventeen active 
members, and the following oflJcers : 
Director— Rev. J. Bender, C. S. V. 
President^A. F. Dldler. 
Vice-President— Charles Brady. 
Secretary— M. Lenmai-tz. 
Assistant Secretary — M. Fortln. 
Treasurer— G. McCann. 
Censor— G. Carlon. 
The authorities of this institution kindly promise 
to provide cases for our specimens. — M. Lenmartz, 
Sec. 
935, Sycamore, 111., [A]. — I have just returned 
from Colorado. I ascended Pike's Peak, visited 
the " Garden of tlie Gods," and Manitou Mineral 
Springs, securing fine mineral specimens. Our 
Chapter collects shells, minerals, and Indian rel- 
ics. I had a pleasant visit with the Secretary of 
the Chapter at Colorado Springs, who has a fine 
collection of minerals. Six of the boys who used 
to belong to our Chapter here, now live in Colo- 
rado Springs, and during my stay there we took 
many trips together to points of interest. At 
Austin Bluffs we found agates and topaz. — Vernon 
Allen, Sec. 
941, Avondale, N. J., [A].— Owing to serious 
and prolonged illness, our work has been inter- 
rupted. Our membership continues the same. 
During the summer we added materially to our 
herbarium and to our collection of minerals. After 
our enforced rest we have now started in with re- 
newed interest. — M. C. Van Dien, Sec. 
942, New York, N. Y., 
several students of the 
of the nineteenth ward 
athletic club, under the 
quois Sporting Club." 
February 1, 1890, when 
was also a member of a 
[Y].— On March 24, 1888, 
German American School 
of this city organized an 
title of the "Young Iro- 
This club continued until 
one of its members — who 
New York Chapter of the 
A. A. — suggested that we should form a Chapter 
of your Association. The proposition was agreed 
to, and we were enrolled as German American 
Chapter, No. 942, (Y), New York City. Thus 
ready for work, we applied to the Board of 
Trustees of the German American School for 
rooms in the school building, which were granted, 
and where we have held our meetings since the 
organization of this Chapter, clear of all expenses. 
Our original membership was seven, but it has in- 
creased until we now number thirty, viz., seven- 
teen active, — of whom the ages vary from four- 
teen to seventeen, — eight honorary, and five cor- 
responding. We have held twenty-one regular 
meetings and one special meeting. We belong to 
the New York City Assembly, and our delegates 
have attended every meeting, and our Chapter was 
fully represented at the exercises of the last con- 
vention. Of the four regular meetings held every 
month, the first is devoted to general liusiness, 
the second to the animal kingdom and astronomy, 
the third to the vegetable kingdom and biology, 
and the fourth to geology, mineralogy, chemis- 
try, and physics. At these meetings lectures and 
treatises are delivered by the members, and occa- 
sionally we have debates. Of the lectures and 
treatises delivered the following are a few, viz. : 
"History of the A. A.," "Nature," "Mounds," 
"Diamonds," "Dissection of a Lobster," "Intro- 
ductions to Botany, Zoology, Biology, and Geol- 
ogy," and "The Solar System." Four of our 
members are taking Professor Guttenberg's course 
in mineralogy, and five Professor White's course 
in botany. Several botanical and mineralogical 
expeditions have been made, and we were obliged 
to appoint a committee to investigate about a cab- 
inet, which will report at our next business meet- 
ing. — Kichard P. Kent, Sec. 
950, Swarthmore, Penn., [A]. — Last year we 
had regular, well-attended, and interesting meet- 
ings, our attention being given principally to 
ornithology, entomology, and mineralogy. In 
our study of entomology we have endeavored to 
collect specimens of moths, the larva; of which 
are destructive to our shade and fruit trees. One 
satisfactory result of collecting cocoons during 
the season of leafless branches and keeping them 
until the moths developed, was observuig for our- 
selves the diflerent habits of the male and female. 
The females deposit their eggs before attempting 
to fly. This leads us to the conclusion that gath- 
ering the cocoons is the surest method of saving 
our trees, as well as getting fine, uumarred speci- 
mens. Our collection in mineralogy has been 
steadily increasing, and now includes specimens 
of most of the minerals found within a radius of 
six miles. This is in the Philadelphia belt and 
includes serpentine localities, so that we have a 
great and interesting variety. A fine cluster of 
andalusite crystals is one of our latest additions, 
and is highly prized, as we had been told that this 
mineral was exhausted in this region. Our Presi- 
dent is a member of the Corresponding Geological 
Chapter, and is deriving much benefit and pleas- 
ure from the circulating reports. We have a valu- 
able addition to our library in more than sixty 
volumes of the Geological Survey of Pennsylva- 
nia, including geological atlases of all the coun- 
ties, Professor Lesley's Dictionary of Fossils (il- 
lustrated), and two volumes of plates of the " Coal 
Flora of Pennsylvania and Elsewhere." We have 
too much work to do not to feel alive and in good 
spirits. — Mrs. Ellen C. H. Ogden, Sec. 
, 979, Chillicothe, O., [A]. — Our principal work 
has been in botany. We have made a list of Kosb 
County plants, excluding grasses, sedges, etc., 
and find that we have about a thousand varieties. 
W. W. Franklin has completed several lists of the 
birds of our County. We have greatly enjoyed 
the year, and find great pleasure in the work of 
the Association. Hardly a day passed during the 
summer without finding us together, analyzing 
flowers or in pursuit of birds. With best wishes 
for the success of the Association, we remain 
Chapter 979. — .John Ruhrah, Sec. 
«♦» ■ — — 
CHAPTER ADDRESSES, NEW AND 
REVISED. 
So. of 
No. Kame. Members 
760 Jamaica Plain, Mass. A 4 
Francis P. Larisli, 1 Roslyn Place. 
S51 Newark.N.J. A 226 
Prof. George C. Sonn, 2!) Clark Street. 
443 Toronto, Canada. B 4 
Alex. E. Hamilton, 57 Harbord Street. 
100 Hartford, Conn. B 12 
Miss Anna Westcott, 195 Sigourney Street. 
87 NewYork.N.Y. B 53 
W. T. Demarest, 339 W. 27th Street. 
«♦> 
Thk following are to be added to the list of 
those Chapters and members that agree to reply 
promptly to all correspondents : 
Chapter 12, Forreston, 111. Specially interested in geol- 
ogy, mineralogy, botany, and entomology, and particularly 
glad to hear from meml)ers between the ages of eleven and 
lifteen. Mrs. C. M. Winston. 
A. T. Huntington, 74 Chester Avenue, Chelsea, ilass. In- 
vertebrate zoology. 
— — ■ i^f ■ — 
A NEW HELPER IN CHEMISTRY. 
It gives us pleasure to announce that Mr. Mar- 
cus Benjamin, 15 W. 121st street, New York City, 
has united with our Association, and offers his 
assistance to any who need it in the department 
of chemical technology ;— for which specialty, by 
the way, he writes the articles in Appleton's An- 
nual Cyclop;edia. 
»♦» 
AVILL NAME YOUR BEETLES FOR YOU. 
Bloomfield, N. J. 
I WILL determine Coleoptera for any member of 
the A. A. under the following conditions : 
1. That postage for reply and for return of 
specimens be sent. 
2. That a number he attached to each speci- 
men, and also a note giving the locality where 
found. 
3. That corresponding numbers be attached to 
duplicate specimens in their own collection, if 
possible; as in some cases, through accident in 
the mails, 1 may not be able to get the specimens 
returned in good condition. 
I prefer to identify specimens from New Jersey, 
and should like to correspond with New Jersey 
collectors. Ralph Hopping. 
-♦♦> 
The .Iapanf.se Filter Paper now so com- 
monly used for cleaning objectives and eye-pieces 
is manufactured on a large scale in Japan, under 
the name " Usego ; '' it is yellowish white in color, 
and has a silky lustre. On the one hand, it is so 
thin the finest writing can be read through it, and 
on the other hand, it possesses an astonishing 
toughness, i. «., is only torn with ditficulty. Mi- 
croscopically examined, it is seen to consist of 
bast fiber, the threads, which fonn an irregular 
net-work, being exceedingly thin-walled. By 
comparison with other papers. Dr. Uloth was able 
to identify it as derived from the shrub Wickstrmmia 
canescens, which grows in the mountain forests of 
Middle and South Japan. This plant is related to 
the Mezereons of Europe, and belongs to the same 
natural order. 
