April 21, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



591 



rain-cloud symbols, gaming implements, water- 

 worn stones, puma paws and other objects. 

 The imitation of an ancient ladder which stood 

 back of the altar was called a sun-ladder, and 

 was interpreted as a symbolic aid to the sun, 

 who is supposed to be weary at the winter 

 solstice. Through sympathetic magic he is 

 thus supposed to gain strength to mount the 

 sky from his home at sunrise. 



These altars at the winter-solstice ceremony 

 in Hano made it possible to know something of 

 the character of the ancient Tewan Sun and 

 Snake worship, of which little has yet been re- 

 corded, although this pueblo stock has been, and 

 still remains, one of the most important in the 

 upper Rio Grande pueblos. Possibly studies 

 of secret rites in the estufas of the latter will 

 bring to light the characteristics of their winter- 

 solstice altars, but it is also possible that these 

 altars have been abandoned, in which case the 

 survivals at Hano, described by Dr. Fewkes, 

 have value in a comparative way, as indicating 

 the nature of Tewan altars in mid-winter. 



Mrs. Olive Eunis Hite presented a paper on 

 'New Mexican Folk-Lore,' in which she de- 

 scribed the environment of these people and 

 showed the influence it had upou their super- 

 stitions. Their belief in the ' Hombrecito,' or 

 little brown people, was widespread, and it was 

 considered lucky to see one of these creatures, 

 who were visible to the ' pastores, ' or shepherds, 

 only. Of ' las brujas,' the witches, there is less 

 said, and that little with many ' carambas ' and 

 audible supplications for the intervention of ' la 

 Santissima Maria.' 



Discussed by Drs. McCormick, Fewkes and 

 Kober, Professor McGee, Dr. Wilson, Mr. Pierce 

 and Miss Alice C. Fletcher. 



J. H. McCormick, 



Secretary. 



GEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE AND STUDENTS' GEO- 

 LOGICAL CLUB OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 



Students' Geological Club, March 14, 1899. 

 Mr. A W. Grabau reviewed the paper which 

 Professor Shaler has recently published on the 

 Geology of Cape Cod (18th Annual Rep., U. S. 

 Geol. Surv.). The speaker did not agree 

 with the view advocated by Professor Shaler, 

 that the topography of lower Cape Cod, from 



Orleans to Highland Light, is mainly erosional 

 and scarcely modified by ice action. But he 

 held that the orientation of the valleys, the 

 character of the slopes, and the presence of 

 typical kettles all over the cape, indicate that 

 mo-st of the material of Cape Cod is of glacial 

 origin. 



Geological Conference, March 21, 1899. Mr. 

 F. M. Buckland gave a paper on ' Winter 

 Changes about Fresh Pond.' After briefly re- 

 viewing the literature on the expansion and 

 contraction of ice on water bodies, he described 

 some of the effects of these agencies on the 

 shore of Fresh Pond during the past winter. 



Mr. J. B. Woodworth presented some results 

 of field observations on ' Moen's Cliff" and the 

 Maars of the Eifel. ' The Cretaceous and Pleis- 

 tocene beds of the island of Riigen, off" the coast 

 of Germany, and Moen, off" the coast of Den- 

 mark, show a disturbance which is comparable 

 in degree and character to that in the Creta- 

 ceous and Pleistocene of Martha's Vineyard. 

 H. Credner attributes this deformation to the 

 shoving action of an ice sheet which was im- 

 mediately previous to the last. A few other 

 geologists favor purely orogenic agencies. In 

 neither case has conclusive physical evidence 

 been found. The lantern views, which are 

 recent accessions to the Gardiner Collection, 

 illustrated this deformation and related fea- 

 tures, and the Weinfelder and Gemiindener 

 Maars near Daun. 



J. M. BOUTWELL, 



Recording Secretary. 



TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB, FEBRUARY 28, 1899. 



Professor L. M. Underwood presented a 

 paper on ' Species confused under the name 

 Aspidium juglandifolium,' discussing the charac- 

 ters and geographical district of the forms re- 

 garded by him as distinct species, eight in all, 

 constituting the whole number attributed to the 

 genus Phanerophlebia. He remarked in con- 

 cluding that it would be unsafe to describe new 

 species without consulting the valuable collec- 

 tions of ferns in Europe, and especially at Kew. 

 The paper will appear in the Bulletin. 



Miss Alice Lounsberry then exhibited the 

 very valuable collections of flower paintings by 

 Mrs. Ellis Rowan, which constitute the origi- 



