January 20, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



117 



Its diameter was 80 miles as it approached 

 Barbados, and 170 miles after leaving St. Vin- 

 cent. The actual storm center, in which the 

 force of the wind greatly increased, was only 

 35 miles in diameter until St. Vincent was 

 passed, but after that the strength of the wind 

 extended to 170 miles from the center. The 

 diameter of the calm vortex was not less than 

 four miles. The storm was accompanied by 

 very heavy rainfall, the amount at St. Vincent 

 being about 14 inches in 24 hours. In Barbados 

 11,400 houses were swept away or blown down 

 and 115 lives were lost, and in St. Vincent 6,000 

 houses were blown down or damaged beyond 

 repair, and 200 lives were lost. 



PROBABLE STATE OF SKY ALONG THE PATH OF 

 THE ECLIPSE, MAY 28, 1900. 



Pkofessoe F. H. Bigelow, in the Monthly 

 Weather Review for September, considers the 

 probable state of the sky along the path of the 

 total eclipse of the sun. May 2S, 1900. His 

 conclusion is as follows: "It would be much 

 safer for the eclipse expeditions to locate their 

 stations in the northern portions of Georgia and 

 Alabama, upon the southern end of the Appa- 

 lachian Mountains, where the track crosses ele- 

 vated areas, than nearer the coast line in either 

 direction northeastward toward the Atlantic 

 coast, or southwestward toward the Gulf coast ; 

 on the coast itself the weather is more unfavor- 

 able than in any other portion of the track." 

 Professor Bigelow's paper is illustrated by means 

 of a chart. 



notes. 



The November number of Climate and Crops, 

 Illinois Section, in commenting upon the statis- 

 tics of losses by lightning in Illinois during 

 1898, says : "A survey of the reports shows a 

 very marked increase in the loss of stock due 

 to the wire fence, and the urgent need of fre- 

 quent ground wires in those in use.'' (See 

 note in this connection in Science, Dec. 2, 

 1898, p. 785.) K. DeC. Ward. 



Haevaed TJniveesity. 



CUBBENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. 

 THE OLDEST SKULL-FOEM IN EUROPE. 



In the Centralblatt fiir Anthropologie (Heft. 4, 

 1898) are some abstracts touching the skull- 



form which is believed to be the oldest in 

 Europe. It is represented most perfectly by 

 the remains found at Spy. The characteristics 

 are : uncommon length, moderate width, very 

 limited height, retreating forehead, prominent 

 but depressed supra-orbital ridges and narrowed 

 post-orbital diameter. Dr. Fraipout argues 

 sharjjly for the genuine ancient character of the 

 Neanderthall skull, and Dr. Schwalbe does not 

 regard that found at Egisheim as a good type. 

 As for modern examples simulating the Nean- 

 derthal skull the latter asserts that, while they 

 may resemble it in one or another point, they 

 never present the group of inferior criteria 

 which characterize its measurements. 



THE SUPPOSED ' OTTEE. TRAP. ' 



Dr. Eobeet Muneo in his excellent work. 

 Prehistoric Problems, has a chapter on a curious 

 object found in the peat bogs of Europe, from 

 Italy to Scotland and North Germany. He has 

 recently supplemented that chapter by an article 

 describing further examples. {Jour. Boy. Soc. 

 Antiquaries of Ireland, September, 1898.) 



The object is a thick board or plank, two to 

 three feet long, in the center of which is an 

 oblong aperture four to six inches wide, closed 

 by one or two valvular doors. The purpose of 

 this arrangement is obscure Dr. Munro argues 

 that it is an otter or beaver trap, while others 

 have explained it as a boat-model, a sluice-box, 

 a float for lines, etc. 



The suggestion which I would offer for its use 

 differs from any I have seen. It is doubtful 

 that the valves could hold firmly an otter or 

 any such animal. The purpose for which it 

 would be entirely suited would be that of the 

 inlet to a fish-weir. The valves, opening in- 

 ward, would allow the fish to enter and would 

 prevent their exit. Similar, though not iden- 

 tical, devices are in common use. 



ANTHEOPOLOGICAL STUDY OF FEEBLE-MINDED 

 CHILDEEN. 



In a supplement of the 48th annual report 

 of the managers of the Syracuse State Institu- 

 tion for feeble-minded Children, Dr. Alex. Hrd- 

 licka presents an anthropological study of a 

 long series of these unfortunates. It includes 

 their family conditions, the supposed etiolog- 



