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271 



Eskimo Throwing-Sticks. 



I SEND you herewith a drawing of a throwing-stick which 

 was brought to Washington by Captain John Kodgers, U.S.N., 

 of the V'iiKciines, who explored the Behring and the Arctic 

 Seas from 1850-55. 



In my paper on the " ThrowingStick " (Rep. U.S. National 

 Museum, 1S84, pi. vi. ), this is figured a.« the Rodgers specimen, 

 locality unknown. Subsequently, M. Adrien de Mortillet 

 produced in the Revue MeiisiieUe de I'Eiole d^Anthropologie 

 (viii. p. 246) a figure of a similar apparatus. Since then ^ir. 

 Walker Clark, of Edinburgh, Scotland, has sent me photographs 

 of the same type from the Edinburgh Museum, and apparently 

 associated with Beechey's explorations. 



Dr. Kranz Boas calls my attention to specimens of the same 

 type in the American JIuseum in New York. The U.S. 

 National Museum has also similar objects collected by Mr. Jas. 

 <». Swan and the Rev. Vincent Colyer. 



I have ascertained, by searching the records, that Captain 

 Kodgers touched at Unalashka and collected specimens at that 



^)lace belonging to Kadiak, Cook's Inlet, and Prince William's 

 Sound. Putting all the information together it is now my 

 opinion, confirmed by that of Dr. Boas, that all of these 

 examples are from Prince William's Sound. This belief is 

 confirmed also by the fact that these are the only Eskimo 

 throwing-sticks which show carving in relief on the back. They 

 seem to be all made of hard spruce, and by their markings to be 

 allied to those of the more elaborately carved specimens from 

 Sitka in the British Museum, the United States National 

 Museum, and elsewhere. The front or top side of the specimen 

 has a fine ivory point for the butt end of a delicate sea otter, 

 barbed harpoon, and a shallow groove only half its length. The 

 finger pocket docs not extend quite through to the top side. 



Otis T. Mason. 

 U.S. National Museum, Washington, June 25. 



The Salaries of Science Demonstrators. 



The enclosed fable, possibly from a missing edition of Kings- 

 iey's " Water Babies," seems to have some remote connection 

 •with the heading that has been affixed to it. O. J. L. 



An aggrieved tadpole once found its way as a deputation to 

 !Mother Carey, and complained as follows, at first reading from 

 a document, but afterwards becoming more eloquent and 

 expressive : — 



" We, your industrious and not unworthy subjects, desire 

 10 lay before you our wrongs. We cannot get out on to the 

 land and attend meetings as the frogs do, and consequently we 

 get no flies ; yet it is we who do all the work of the pond. The 

 frog only looks in now and then ; and even if he had a master- 

 mind (which he hasn't), his visits would have no effect. He 

 rroaks, that's what he does ; he sits on the bank and eats flies, 

 and he croaks, and so he gets listened to. As for us, we are 

 ireated no better than sticklebacks or minnows ; why, there's a 

 Moated travelling newl, who gets twice as much as we do. It's 

 ill because you old fogies are accustomed to croak yourselves. 

 It's all " 



"And what prospects have the minnows and sticklebacks?" 

 here interrupted the dame. " When do they hope to leave the 

 pond and gain advancement ? " 



" Why, never, of course ; they've got all they'll ever get, 

 and too much at that," grumbled the tadpole. 



" And do you also intend to remain in your present condition 

 always ? " 



" Not I ; I intend to become a frog, and hop about, and 

 attend meetings, and catch flies, and make a noise in the 

 world." 



" Ves ; and, meanwhile, you wouhl like these desirable ap- 

 purtenances of the frog state diminished ? Remember your 

 whole pond is but a recently banked-up affair — on rather 



NO. 1395, VOL. 54] 



sandy soil, and the margin is narrow ; it might run empty 

 unexpectedly, you know." 



"I don't care," ejaculated the tadpole; " cut off the water, 

 and then we shall all be on dry land together ; anything better 

 than the present inequality." 



"Very well," said the dame ; " I know some creatures in a 

 state of probation, not long out of the egg, who actually have 

 to pay for the privilege of practising their future career. How- 

 ever, your wish that one of the recently-dug supply channels 

 shall be stopped, so that your pond may run dry enough to let 

 you also touch solid land as your predecessors have otherwise 

 done, is so simple and easy to carry out, that perhaps it can be 

 managed. Fare thee well." 



A Curious Rainbow. 



Whilst enjoying a general survey of the sky this evening I 

 was giving my attention more particularly to an expanse of 

 brilliantly white cirrus cloud, unusually complicated in its 

 detail, when, at 7 p.m., a small inverted rainbow suddenly 

 became apparent along the front margin of this cloud (now 

 approaching the zenith from W.S.W.). 



The bow, at first, just spanned the width of the cloud upon 

 which it was projected, but as it increased its length a little at 

 its " left," or south-western extremity, and as the cloud drifted 

 slightly to " right," or north of eastwards, the bow was at last 

 wholly projected upon a background of (apparently) clear blue 

 sky. This last effect was extremely beautiful ; the bow being 

 so brilliantly coloured that it would, I think, hardly have 

 escaped my notice, even if I had not first seen it upon the back- 

 ground of white cloud. 



There was a perfect sequence of all the prismatic colours 

 from the red, below, to the violet, above — and the curvature of 

 the bow was remarkably rapid —and extending not more than 

 about 2° in length. 



It remained visible for about 5 or 7 minutes. 



If any one can furnish me, through the medium of your 

 columns, with an explanation of this peculiarly beautiful 

 phenomenon, and in language that can be " understanded of the 

 people," I shall be greatly obliged. C. O. Stevens. 



Barnet, July 12. 



Effect of Lightning. 



On Tuesday, July 7, a violent storm passed over this district, 

 and three balls of fire have been reported. Two trees were 

 splintered, and two sheep were struck by lightning on the 

 downs. 



One sheep was not seriously injured, but the other was killed ; 

 on being struck, both sheep turned over on their backs. The 

 one fatally injured was struck on the top of the head, the 

 lightning passing down the animal's right jaw on to its breast ; 

 here it divided into three, and passed down both fore-legs and 

 under the stomach. The course of the lightning on the wool 

 was like the track of a red-hot poker. After death the aft part 

 and belly of the sheep were greatly distended, as if with air. 

 The blood appeared to have rushed from the head to the rear of 

 the animal at the moment of death, for, on skinning the sheep, 

 the neck part was found to be destitute of blood, whilst a con- 

 siderable amount of blood was under the skin of the back, as if 

 blood had escaped to that position. The sheep's mouth was 

 distorted by being drawn aside. Close to the sheep's fore-feet 

 a hole was made in the ground by the lightning, about the size of 

 a quart jug. WORTHINGTON G. SMITH. 



Dunstable. 



A Brilliant Meteor. 



I HAD the pleasure on Friday evening last, the l6th inst. , of 

 observing a brilliant meteor from a point about half-way 

 between the towns of Blaenau and Llan Festiniog. The time 

 was 9'I0 p.m., the sky quite clear, and not dark enough for any 

 stars to appear. The meteor appeared almost due south of my 

 position, the length of its path being an arc of about 20°, dis- 

 appearing a short distance above the horizon, and lasting about 

 four seconds. \'ery little trail could be seen, as it was practically 

 daylight. The colour appeared of a bluish tinge, and the meteor 

 appeared to become brighter in the middle of its path. 



C. H. H. Walker. 



County School, Blaenau Festiniog, July 19. 



