632 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 175. 



In tBis case the comparison of the flash- 

 spectrum with an ordinary solar spectrum of 

 the same dispersion seemed to the writer, and 

 to nearly all who made the examination, to in- 

 dicate that the former was simply a combination 

 of the spectrum of the chromosphere with a re- 

 versed Fraunhofer spectrum. In the region of 

 the spectrum covered by the photograph only 

 one conspicuous Fraunhofer line is missing from 

 the flash, and there is no difficulty in plausibly 

 explaining such an absence, or in accounting for 

 the other considerable discrepancies of relative 

 intensity. It is to be hoped that astronomers 

 in general may soon have the opportunity to 

 study some of these new photographs for them- 

 selves. It is interesting to note that a little 

 later in the evening Mr. Evershed showed pho- 

 tographs of the violet region of the spectruni, 

 made only eighteen seconds after totality ; and 

 in these, ' apparently every dark line of the 

 Fraunhofer spectrum ends in a short bright 

 line,' just as it should on the accepted ' revers- 

 ing layer theory.' Clearly the matter cannot 

 yet be regarded as settled. 



In a very real sense the eclipse observations 

 are still going on — in the study, measurement, 

 ■comparison and discussion of the photographs. 

 These records, authentic and permanent, will 

 probably in time supply such data as will war- 

 rant an authoritative decision of the question. 

 Very likely, too, they will go far toward the 

 solution of some of the other 'pending prob- 

 lems ' of solar physics, and quite possibly they 

 will present new ones still more perplexing. 

 But the complete and final report cannot be ex- 

 pected for some months yet. 



THE PHILADELPHIA ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN. 



The annual meeting of the Board of Directors 

 «f the Philadelphia Zoological Society was held 

 on April 28th. The report of the Secretary, 

 according to the account in the Philadelphia 

 Ledger, stated that there are now 1,981 mem- 

 bers, of which number 1,330 are life, 360 annual 

 and 261 perpetual. The record of admissions 

 to the gardens shows 173,999 during the year 

 ending February 28th, which is an increase of 

 S69 over 1897. In addition to these, 125,000 

 tickets were issued for the pupils of the public 



schools. The receipts from gate admissions ag- 

 gregated $23,908. 



The report of Treasurer Henry T. Coates 

 shows total receipts of $38,359.11, including 

 $10,000 appropriated by the city ; the expenses 

 amounted to $38,191.35, leaving a balance of 

 $167.76. The sum of $3,806.30 was spent for 

 for the purchase of animals. 



There are now in the gardens 1,019 living 

 animals, including 339 mammals, 421 birds, 238 

 reptiles and 21 batrachians. The total number 

 of specimens received during the year was 735. 

 Among the more important acquisitions is a 

 rare species of whip snake, received from Her- 

 bert Browne, of Tucson, Arizona. 



On April 23d two young West Indian seals 

 were purchased in Pensacola, Fla. The report 

 states that, although the existence of a peculiar 

 species of seal in the Caribbean Sea has long 

 been known, no detailed description had been 

 given of it until very recently, and no living 

 specimens have been secured until a schooner 

 was sent out last spring for the purpose of cap- 

 turing some, which it finally effected off" Yuca- 

 tan. It was hoped that observations might- be 

 made upon the habits of this almost unknown 

 species, but, unfortunately, in all the cases the 

 animals were with difficulty induced to take 

 food, and lived but a short time. 



A male dromedary was purchased in Balti- 

 more on the 2d of November, and a few weeks 

 later a female Bactrian camel was received. 

 The original stock of camels of both species, 

 which had been for many years in the gardens, 

 has now entirely disappeared, due largely to 

 continued inbreeding. 



The principal loss by death was the male 

 orang 'Chief,' November 3, 1897. This ani- 

 mal was received at the gardens November 16, 

 1893, and was, perhaps, as fine a specimen of 

 his kind as any which have been exhibited. The 

 autopsy showed the animal to have been in 

 such complete health that the accidental nature 

 of his death was greatly to be regretted. It is 

 worthy of note that, while it has more than 

 once been pronounced by high authority to be 

 anatomically impossible for the orang to main- 

 tain an erect attitude without touching some 

 means of support, this animal was I'epeatedly 

 observed walking about his cage in an abso- 



