June 10, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



809 



of detail would require something like this : 

 549.8, 551.35, .4, .49, .71, .751, .762, .763, .78, 

 .79, 552.11, .13, leaving out entirely the part 

 relating to paleontology. Translating these 

 numbers we have: 549, mineralogy; 549.8, 

 combustible materials, coal ; 55, geology ; 551, 

 physical structure of the globe ; 551.35, erosion ; 

 551.4, physiography ; 551.49, hydrography ; 

 551.71, pre-Cambrian ; 551.751, Carboniferous ; 

 551.762, Jurassic; 551.763, Cretaceous; 551.73, 

 Tertiary; 551.79, Pleistocene; 552, lithology ; 

 552.11, acid rocks ; 552.13, basic rocks. 



This is by no means an esceptional case, and 

 there are many papers in this bibliography 

 which require just such an analysis to give any 

 one a satisfactory idea of their scope and char- 

 acter. 



The attempt to classify our scientific knowl- 

 edge by rows of figures will fail to meet the 

 requirem€nts of the average student. Any 

 system, whatsoever, based on such a principle 

 will require considerable effort to become suf- 

 ficiently familiar with it to be readily employed, 

 and it will be necessary to use it frequently in 

 order to retain it in the memory. The average 

 geologist will find it extremely inconvenient to 

 fulfill either or both of these requisites. 



F. B. Weeks. 



TJ. S. Geological Suevey. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 

 American Chemical Journal, June : ' The Ac- 

 tion of Zinc on Copper Silicide:' By G. deChal- 

 MOT. When molten zinc is added to melted 

 copper silicide the two metals combine and the 

 silicon separates in a crystalline condition. 

 ' On the Colored Compounds obtained from 

 SodicAIcoholates and Picryl Chloride:' By C. L. 

 Jackson and W. F. Boos. A number of com- 

 plicated compounds have been isolated and 

 studied. On the ' Action of Orthodiazoben- 

 zenesulphonic Acid on Methyl and Ethyl Alco- 

 hol:' By E. C. Franklin. In these experi- 

 ments the alkoxy reaction alone took place. 

 The only effect due to increase in pressure was 

 an increase in the yield of the alkoxy product. 

 The action of nitric acid on the amides was also 

 studied. ' On the Taste and Afiinity of Acids:' 

 By J. H. BliSTLE. In a series of experiments 



the author found that those acids which were 

 stronger had the sourer taste. ' The Action of 

 Nitric Acid on Tribromacetanilide:' By W. B. 

 Bentley. The author was unable to obtain 

 the nitric product described by Remmers. ' Re- 

 searches on the Cycloamidines, Pyrimidine De- 

 rivatives:' By H. L. Wheelee. 'Some Double 

 Salts Containing Selenium : ' By J. F. jSToeris. 

 ' On Phenylglutario Acid and its Derivatives:' 

 By S. Avery and Rosa Bouton. ' On a-Methyl- 

 /3-Phenyglutaric Acid : ' By S. Aveey and M. 

 L. Fosslee. J. Elliott Gilpin. 



The American Journal of Science for June, 

 which completes Volume V. of the 4th series, 

 contains as its first and longest article an ac- 

 count of the stratification of the electric dis- 

 charge in Geissler tubes, with a theory of their 

 cause and an account of some experiments made 

 to test it. There are short articles on geolog- 

 ical and mineralogical subjects by Messrs. W. 

 Lindgren, H. W. Turner, J. H. Pratt, H. F. 

 Bain and H. S. Washington. Mr. R. G. 

 Leavitt describes a psycrometer, and Mr. L. C. 

 Jones the action of carbondioxide on soluble 

 borates. The number concludes with an article 

 by Dr. F. H. Bigelow, reviewing his recently 

 published bulletin of the Weather Bureau on 

 solar and terrestrial magnetism in their rela- 

 tions to meteorology. 



Appleton's Popular Science Monthly for June 

 contains a portrait and sketch of Andrew 

 Cromhie Ramsay. Professor Heilprin continues 

 his account of aspects of nature in the Sahara, 

 and Dr. G. A. Dorsey describes a cruise among 

 Haida and Tlingit villages of the Northwest 

 coast. Professor D. R. McAnally writes on the 

 Roman highways, and Dr. W. L. Howard on the 

 physiology of strength and endurance. There 

 are two articles on scientific education and an 

 article by Professor W. H. Hudson on veracity. 

 In so far as the Monthly is ' timely ' it has the 

 courage of its convictions and publishes an ar- 

 ticle on ' Peace as a Factor in Social and Polit- 

 ical Reform ' and an editorial entitled 'A Vic- 

 tim of Militarism.' 



The publication of a monthly Eevista di 

 seienza biologiche under the editorship of Pro- 

 fessor Enrico Morselli is announced. It pro- 

 poses to cover somewhat the same field as the 



