896 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 729 



various other examples were enumerated by the 

 speaker as evidence that man's house building 

 runs also in architectural grooves. Lower types 

 of man are less capable of invention and innova- 

 tion than those of greater development; and as 

 birds are still lower in the scale, the persistence 

 of avian architectural types for ages is not in- 

 compatible with the idea that birds' labors are 

 not automatic, but are governed by intelligence. 

 Mr. Wells W. Cooke read the third paper of the 

 program, on " The Earliest Migration Records in 

 the United States." This will be published in 

 The Auk. M. C. Maesh, 



Recording Secretary 



THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 654th meeting of the society was held on 

 November 7, 1908, Secretary Burgess presiding. 

 The following papers were read: 

 An Electrical Resistance Method for the Rapid 



Determination of Moisture in Grain: Dr. L. J. 



Bbiggs. 



The speaker briefly reviewed the lack of uni- 

 formity in grain grading due to the moisture 

 content of the grain, and the effect of moisture 

 upon the method of grain shipment. The methods 

 heretofore used in ascertaining moisture content 

 of grain were briefly described and the importance 

 of a rapid method was pointed out. The speaker 

 had recently applied the electric resistance method 

 to the problem. It was found that the same 

 specific resistance gave the same per cent, of 

 moisture within a limit of error of 0.3 per cent. 

 A curve was exhibited showing the relation of 

 the percentage of moisture content to the loga- 

 rithm of the electric resistance. The results 

 showed three noteworthy things : ( 1 ) all the 

 varieties of wheat tested in the investigation 

 gave about the same amount of moisture for the 

 same specific resistance; (2) the high temperature 

 coefficient; (3) the relation of moisture content 

 to the logarithm of the resistance. 



By this method the moisture content can be 

 ascertained in about one half hour, whereas by 

 the methods heretofore usually employed three 

 days were required. 



The paper was published in the issue of Science 

 for December 4. 



Some New Measurements with the Gas Thermom- 

 eter: Dr. A. L. Day. 



This paper will be found published in full in 

 the American Journal of Science for November, 

 1908. R. L. Fabis, 



Secretary 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 

 N0ETHEA8TEBN SECTION 



The eighty-seventh regular meeting of the 

 Northeastern Section of the American Chemical 

 Society was held on Friday, November 20, 1908, 

 at the Technology Union, Boston. Reports of the 

 treasurer and secretary for the year just closed 

 showed the section to be in prosperous condition. 

 The annual election was held and the following 

 ofiicers chosen for next year: 



President — G. N. Lewis. 



Vice-president — Franklin C. Robinson. 



Secretary — Kenneth L. Mark. 



Treasurer— Hermann C. Lythgoe. 



Councilors — J. F. Norris, W. H. Walker, L. A. 

 Olney. 



Executive Committee — S. W. Wilder, Karl 

 Langenbeck, W. L. Jennings, F. E. Gallagher, 

 A. G. Woodman. 



Professor Henry Fay, of the Massachusetts 

 Institute of Technology, addressed the section 

 upon " The Effect of Manganese Sulphide upon 

 Steel," having particular reference to the failure 

 of steel rails. The appearance and properties of 

 manganese sulphide in steel were discussed and 

 it was shown that under certain conditions this 

 substance may cause dangerous weakening of the 

 finished rail. The relation of this material to 

 fractures which had occurred in rails in use was 

 clearly shown by an interesting set of lantern- 

 slide photographs. The properties of manganese 

 sulphide were studied and its melting point found 

 to be 1,162° C, and its specific gravity after 

 fusion, 3.966. It was suggested that in conse- 

 quence of the difference of its specific gravity, and 

 that of steel, better separation of the sulphide 

 may be obtained by keeping the melted metal in 

 the ladle for a longer time after adding the ferro- 

 manganese, and before pouring the ingot. 



Professor Franklin C. Robinson, of Bowdoin 

 College, addressed the section upon " Some Chem- 

 ical Facts and Fancies." The speaker related 

 numerous personal experiences as an expert on 

 the witness stand, and advanced certain views as 

 to the proper attitude of the expert in court 

 trials, particularly in criminal cases. He espe- 

 cially deprecated the theatrical or pompous atti- 

 tude, sometimes assumed by the expert, and as- 

 serted that usually a better impression is made 

 upon the court and the jury if the witness keeps 

 himself somewhat in the background. 



Fbank H. Thobp, 



Secretary 



