11 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVI. No. 933 



and formalin, and on alkaline soils with zinc chlo- 

 ride and copper sulfate. These fungicides seem to 

 leave a slight residue in the soil which protects 

 reinfection. This protection sometimes fails. 

 Rather complicated watering methods are neces- 

 sary in the west to prevent chemical injury to the 

 germinating seed by fungicides which leave resi- 

 dues. Further work is required to place any of 

 the treatments on a firm economic basis. 



The twelfth annual business meeting was held 

 on Wednesday, October 30, 1912. Oilcers were 

 elected as follows: 



President — ^W. W. Stockberger. 



Vice-president — 0. E. Ball. 



Recording Secretary — H. L.. Shantz. 



Corresponding Secretary — C. L. Shear. 



Treasurer — F. L. Lewton. 



The executive committee reported an active 

 membership of 108. 



W. W. Stockberger, 

 Corresponding Secretary 



THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 



At the meeting of the American Philosophical 

 Society, held October 4, 1912, a paper entitled 

 ' ' Some Tick-transmitted Diseases ' ' was read by 

 Professor G. H. F. Nuttall, M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D., 

 F.E.S., of Cambridge, England. After referring 

 to recent investigations dealing with the etiology 

 of Eocky Mountain fever he gave a summary of 

 our present knowledge of piroplasmosis in cattle, 

 dogs, horses and sheep, and of certain differences 

 exhibited by the parasites {Piroplasma, Nuttallia, 

 Thisleria, etc.) causing the diseases grouped under 

 the name of piroplasmosis. Spirochaetal infections 

 in man and animals were considered as well as the 

 life cycle of the parasites (Spirochcetes) in the 

 bodies of the ticks which convey them to the verte- 

 brate host. The economic importance of tick- 

 transmitted diseases was pointed out. 

 On Restorations of North and South American 



Tertiary Mammals: W. B. Scott. 



The method of making restorations of the ex- 

 ternal appearance of extinct mammals was first 

 discussed, and it was pointed out that the popular 

 idea concerning the feasibility of restoring an 

 extinct form from a few scattered bones was 

 entirely erroneous. Only skeletons that are prac- 

 tically complete can be employed to advantage. 

 Given such skeletons, it is not difficult to build up 

 the muscles, and thus to determine with much 

 accuracy the general form and proportions of the 

 animal. The uncertain factors of hair and color- 



markings were then considered, and it was shown 

 that a reasonable approximation to the truth may 

 be reached even in these matters. Lantern slides 

 of some forty unpublished restorations of mam- 

 mals from the Tertiary of North and South 

 America were exhibited. 



The following is an abstract of an address 

 on ' ' Electrons, ' ' given before the society at Phila- 

 delphia on Friday, November 1, by Sir William 

 Eamsay, K.C.B., F.E.S.: 



The actual existence of electrons in motion has 

 been conclusively demonstrated; the mass of an 

 electron is not far from one 1830th of that of an 

 atom of hydrogen; and as the mass of an atom 

 of hydrogen is now known with fair accuracy, that 

 of an electron is nearly 0.8 X 10"^' gram. Elec- 

 trons in motion are negative electricity; they con- 

 stitute a form of matter, which, at present, has 

 more claim to the term ' ' elementary ' ' than have 

 most of the ' ' elements. ' ' Indeed, metals must be 

 regarded as compound bodies, of which one com- 

 ponent consists of one or more electrons; these 

 electrons are, as a rule, not very firmly attached, 

 as is evident from the generally easy oxidation 

 of most metals. Non-metals are also composed 

 partly of electrons, not so easily detached. The 

 ' ' combination of elements with each other ' ' con- 

 sists in the shifting of one or more electrons from 

 the more metallic to the less metallic element; no 

 doubt it will some day be possible to give "struc- 

 tural formulae" to the elements, showing the rela- 

 tionship in position, or in directed motion, between 

 the true elements, and their attached electrons. 



The word "electricity" has a dual meaning; 

 it may mean first an assembly of electrons, sta- 

 tionary or in motion; or second, waves in the 

 ether, produced by the stopping or starting of 

 electrons in motion. The motion of electrons con- 

 stitutes one factor of electrical energy; wave- 

 motion in the ether can be used as a means of 

 generating electrical energy, by employing the 

 waves in making electrons move. 



Progress in man's command of natural forces 

 has been made by learning how to direct and 

 control the motion of masses — in other words, by 

 acquiring a knowledge of mechanics; progress in 

 the future will consist in acquiring the power to 

 control and direct the motions of electrons. This 

 has already been largely achieved by electric con- 

 trivances; it is, however, only by the use of con- 

 crete ideas regarding the "material" used, viz., 

 electricity, that the progress of invention and dis- 

 covery can be hastened. 



