218 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 215. 



able paper is already in the hands of the printer 

 and will soon be ready for distribution. (2) 

 ' Variations of Indian Corn when brought from 

 New York to Texas,' Professor H. Ness, Agri- 

 cultural and Mechanical College of Texas. 

 The experiments here described were begun in 

 1896 at the suggestion of Professor L. H. 

 Bailey, of Cornell University. Corn, of the 

 same varieties, was planted at Ithaca, New 

 York, and College Station, Texas ; comparative 

 notes taken, and the results carefully tabulated. 

 (3) ' An Analysis of the Factors determining 

 the Geographical Distribution of Plants in 

 Texas ' (read by title), Dr. William L. Bray, 

 University of Texas. (4) ' Note on the Descent 

 of Erythronium Bulbs into the Soil,' Professor 

 O. C. Charlton, Baylor University. (5) ' A Re- 

 view of Bulletin, No. 151, of the United States 

 Geological Survey,' 'The Lower Cretaceous 

 Gryphseas of the Texas Region,' by Robert T. 

 Hill and T. Wayland Vaughan, Dr. Frederic 

 W. Simonds, University of Texas. 



The recent publications of the Academy are : 

 'Applications of Non-Euclidean Geometry,' by 

 Dr. George Bruce Halsted ; Address before 

 the Academy, by President L. S. Ross ; ' The 

 Essential Differences between Man and Other 

 Animals,' by Dr. S. E. Mezes ; 'Pedagogical 

 Notes on Mensuration,' by Arthur Lefevre, 

 C.E. ; 'Science and the State,' by the Presi- 

 dent of the Academy, Professor T. U. Taylor. 

 Feedeeic W. Simonds. 



philosophical society of wrashington. 



The 494th meeting of the Society was held 

 January 21st, at 8 p. m. , at the Cosmos Club. An 

 informal communication of an exceedingly inter- 

 esting character was given by Surgeon- General 

 Sternberg on Radiographs, accompanied by the 

 exhibition of some remarkable photographs by 

 the X-Eays. The lirst regular paper was by Dr. 

 L. A. Bauer (read by Mr. J. F. Hayford, of the 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey), the subject being 

 ' The Decomposition of the Earth's Permanent 

 Magnetic Field.' This paper was an attempt 

 to resolve the Earth's permanent magnetic field 

 into component ones physically interpretable 

 The normal distribution of the Earth's magnet- 

 ism is defined as that which can be regarded 

 i^s resulting from a uniform magnetization about 



a diameter inclined to the rotation axis. The 

 normal magnetic components (northerly, east- 

 erly and vertical) are next computed for 1800 

 points on the Earth's surface between parallels 

 60° N. and 60° S. These are then subtracted 

 from the observed values and thus the residual 

 components are obtained. With the aid of 

 these is mapped out that portion of the Earth's 

 magnetism which cannot be referred to a uni- 

 form magnetization (or to equivalent effects) 

 about a diameter inclined to the Earth's axis. 

 The residual field consists mainly of two trans- 

 verse magnetizations, one magnetic system lying 

 in the northern hemisphere, the north end at- 

 tracting pole being east of the south end at- 

 tracting pole, and the second system lying in 

 the southern hemisphere, the direction of 

 magnetization being the reverse of the former. 

 Striking coincidences manifest themselves be- 

 tween the characteristics of the residual field 

 and those of the diurnal variation field as de- 

 termined by Schuster. The foci of both fields 

 lie near parallels 40° (N. and S.) As the author 

 is conducting other related investigations, he 

 refrains from drawing definite conclusions un- 

 til these investigations have been completed. 

 The second paper was by Mr. C. F. Marvin and 

 was a description of the apparatus employed at 

 several Weather Bureau stations during the 

 past summer for the purpose of making a pre- 

 liminary survey of meteorological conditions in 

 the upper air. The results obtained from these 

 investigations are now being classified and 

 worked up. A special form of Hargrave cellu- 

 lar kite was employed and controlled in flight 

 from a convenient form of hand windlass. The 

 automatic records were obtained by means of a 

 special kite meteorograph, of the author's de- 

 sign, and adapted to record the temperature, 

 pressure and humidity of the air and wind 

 velocity. The meteorograph was attached 

 firmly to the kite. Its weight, complete, was 

 2.1 pounds ; that of the kite, about 8 pounds. 

 E. D. Peeston, 



Secretary. 



THE ANTHEOPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASH- 

 INGTON. 



The 284th regular meeting of the Anthropo- 

 logical Society was held Tuesday evening, Jan- 



