270 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 216. 



larger species being a little more than 1 inch 

 long by half an inch broad, and must be looked 

 for closely where locusts are laying their eggs 

 or his presence may not be discovered. Both 

 the mature insect and its larvae feed vipon the 

 eggs of the acridian in large numbers. These 

 beetles belong to the genus Trox of the family 

 Scarabxidx. Ordinarily they feed upon- dead 

 animals and animal matter more or less desic- 

 cated. How they have developed the habit of 

 feeding upon locusts' eggs is a mystery. Still, 

 it might be imagined that the steps from a car- 

 rion-feeding habit could develop that which the 

 insects now possess. In a country where hun- 

 dreds of dead animals are left scattered over the 

 pampa to decay, these insects have become plen- 

 tiful. The eggs of the locusts are covered with 

 a frothy exudation that soon becomes strong 

 smelling and attracts the beetles, who devour 

 them." Under date of December 6th, Consul 

 Ruffin, of Asuncion, writes that among the 

 worst pests with which Paraguay is infested are 

 the grasshoppers, which are almost as large as 

 small birds. The name of locust is given them, 

 but they are more like what we call grasshop- 

 pers. A government commission to study the 

 question of their extermination has been ap- 

 pointed, and in the last few days a law compel- 

 ling everybody to help kill the grasshoppers or 

 pay a fine of $20 paper (equal to about $2.76 

 gold) has been passed. The young ones, unable 

 to fly, are killed, the method being to drive 

 them into a long trench and cover them up. 

 The grasshoppers, sometimes for a whole day, 

 obscure the brilliant tropical sun in their flight 

 and make it appear as though the weather were 

 cloudy ; they also impede railroad trains. 



The Weather Bureau ofiice in New York 

 City was moved on October 15, 1898, from the 

 Manhattan Building, No. 66 Broadway, to the 

 American Surety Building, No. 100 Broadway, 

 , about two blocks farther north. The monthly 

 Weather Eevieiv gives some details in regard to 

 the old and the new offices. The office quarters 

 in the Manhattan Building consisted of four cir- 

 cular I'ooms, one immediately above the other, in 

 the tower that rises to an altitude of about 88 

 feet above the main roof and 355 feet above the 

 curbstone on Broadway. Communication be- 

 tween the four rooms was by means of a central 



spiral scaircase. The barometer was in the 

 first or lower room. Owing to the presence of 

 the tower and the general configuration of the 

 roof it was necessary to give the anemometer, 

 wind vane and thermometers a much greater 

 elevation than would be afiforded by the ordi- 

 nary supports. The thermometer shelter sup- 

 port consisted of a skeleton framework of iron, 

 high enough to give the thermometers an eleva- 

 tion of 54 feet above the main roof. Ac- 

 cess to the shelter was secured by means 

 of a spiral staircase, the iron newel of which 

 extended upward about 34 feet above the 

 top of the framework as a support for 

 the wind vane and anemometer. The last- 

 named instruments were thus placed at an 

 elevation of 326 feet above the curb, but 

 still some distance below the top of the main 

 portion of the tower. This station was thus 

 occupied from March 15, 1895, to October 15, 

 1898. The office quarters secured in the Amer- 

 ican Surety Building consist of five rooms en 

 suite on the twentieth floor, the next but one to 

 the top of the building. The roof of the build- 

 ing on which the instruments are exposed is 

 almost flat and there are no projecting towers 

 or chimneys on the building itself or surround- 

 ing structures to obstruct the free sweep of the 

 wind. The barometer is at the same elevation 

 as in the Manhattan Building. The heights of 

 the instruments above the Pine street curb and 

 the roof are now as follows : 



Instruments. Above curb. Above roof. 



Feet. Feet. 



Barometer 276 



Thermometer 313 11.0 



Anemometer cups 345 43.5 



Wind vane 322 19.8 



Eain gauge 305 3.2 



The Boston Society of Natural History, in 

 order to meet a considerable loss of income due 

 to the lower rate of interest now paid upon 

 conservative investments, and also that the ef- 

 forts of the Society may keep abreast of the new 

 demands arising from the growth of the metro- 

 politan district of Boston, needs additional mem- 

 bers. From the statement sent with this ap- 

 peal we take the following facts regarding the 

 Society : The Boston Society of Natural His- 

 tory was founded April 28, 1830, for 'the en- 



