230 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1288 



colonies arising from the tracks of flies walk- 

 ing across the gelatine, etc. 



The method consists of placing the un- 

 covered Petri dish against photographic paper 

 in a dark comer of the laboratory, bringing 

 forward into the light, and returning to a 

 dark comer for development and fixing. I 

 have had very good results by using Azo hard 

 X exposed to a medium light for five seconds. 

 Good results can also be obtained by using 

 blue-print paper exposed to bright sunlight for 

 forty-five seconds. This paper requires less 

 care in handling in the light and only water 

 for fixing but must be fastened to the Petri 

 dish by spring clip or gummed label to prevent 

 moving diu-ing the long exposure. 



The result of this direct photography is a 

 positive; that is the white bacterial colonies 

 on the Petri dish appear white on the print; 

 not black as they would on a negative. Care- 

 ful comparison of the direct prints with 

 ordinary photographs made from a negative 

 shows no loss by the shorter method. 



A. A. Cope 



SHELL-SHOCK IN THE BATTLE OF MARATHON 



To THE Editor of Science: Herodotus, de- 

 srcibing the battle of Marathon, 490 B.C. (Book 

 VI., section 117), says: 



The following prodigy occurred there: an 

 Athenian, Epizelus, son of Cuphagoras, while 

 fighting in the medley, and behaving valiantly, 

 was deprived of sight, though Tvounded in no part 

 of his body, nor struck from a distance; and he 

 continued to be blind from that time for the re- 

 mainder of his life. I have heard that he used to 

 give the following account of his loss. He 

 thought that a large heavy-armed man stood be- 

 fore him, whose beard shaded the whole of his 

 shield; that this specter passed by him, and killed 

 the man 'that stood by his side. Such is the ac- 

 count I have been informed Epizelus used to give. 



Is this, perchance, the first account of 

 "shell-shock"? 



Dean A. Worcestee 



THE AURORA OF AUGUST 11 AT BURLINGTON, 

 VERMONT 



On August 11, at approximately 10 p.m. 

 (E'n "Siunmer" Time), the aurora borealis, 

 as seen in Burlington, Vt., appeared as follows: 



On a cloudless night with a nearly full moon, 

 and east-west band of light, from horizon to 

 horizon, increased in brightness as each end 

 broadened northward. The zenith became 

 brilliant violet, an inverted bowl of shifting 

 color. Practically the whole sky was bright: 

 and especially just above the northern horizon 

 intensely white rays shot up toward the zenith. 

 Near the violet center, pale pink and green 

 occasionally showed. The lights lasted for 

 several minutes, lingering longest near the 

 northern skyline. Jean Dickinson 



WILL THERE BE ANOTHER AURORA ABOUT 

 SEPTEMBER 7-8, 1919? 



The intensity of the magnetic storm and 

 the brilliance of the aurora of August 11-12 

 would indicate a disturbed region on the sun, 

 the next presentation of which, opposite the 

 earth about September 7-8, may produce an- 

 other aurora. Such was the case April 4-6, 

 1918, following the brilliant aurora of March 

 7-8. 



Chaeles F. Brooks 



QUOTATIONS 



LABOR AND SCIENCE 



Are the great industrial countries moving 

 in a vicious circle? The manifesto of the 

 American Federation of Labor, which we 

 publish [reprinted from Science] in another 

 column, takes this view, and moreover, sug- 

 gests a remedy. There is an "ever-increasing 

 struggle of the workers to raise the standard 

 of their living." Hitherto this has implied 

 increased wages and shorter hours, or less pro- 

 duction at higher cost. But now the "limit 

 has been reached after which the average 

 standard of living can not progress by the 

 usual means of adjustment," by which are 

 meant strikes, politicians' promises and public 

 subsidies. If bankruptcy, moral and financial, 

 is not to ensue, production, says the manifesto, 

 must be increased by research and by the 

 utilization in industry of the results of re- 

 search. The vital necessity of scientific meth^ 

 ods is clearly and cogently stated. In an age 

 of steel and telegraphy, of aseptic surgery and 

 of preventive medicine, of Mendelian breeding 



