August 24, 1883.] 



SCIENCE. 



253 



line and the management of the batteries. The cost 

 of the line, therefore, to each farmer, would be, say, 

 &7.>, which might be distributed over ten years. Mr. 

 Nipher stated that in several loc-jlities the farmers 

 will undertake it just as soon as the information can 

 be furnished them. At the stations the lines could 

 easily be made to terminate in the store of some mer- 

 chant, who is anxious to secure the trade of the peo- 

 ple on tlie line. This can be done at once in Missouri. 

 The only thing necessary is for the state to appro- 

 priate a small amount of money to supply the pereons 

 and instruments for observations, rain-gauges, etc. 

 The two things necessary to make it successful are 

 information as to rainfall, aud time of beginning and 

 eudin>; of rains. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



— The next meeting of the American association 

 for the advancement of science will be held in Phila- 

 delphia, probably during the first week in September, 

 1884. At the session in Minneapolis last Tue>day, 

 the following persons were chosen as officers for the 

 Philadelphia meeting; President: Dr. J. P. Lesley, 

 of Philadelphia. Vice-pre.-idents: .Section A (mathe- 

 matics and astronomy), Prof. H. T. Eddy, of Cincin- 

 nati; B (physics), Professor John Trowbridge, of 

 Cambridge; C (chemi.-try). Prof. J. W. Langley, of 

 Ann Arbor; D (mechanical science), Prof. R. H. 

 Thurston, of Hoboken; E (geology and geography). 

 Prof. N. H. Winchell, of Minneapolis; F (biology). 

 Prof. E. D. Cope, of Philadelphia; G (histology and 

 )nicroscopy). Prof. T. G. Wormley, of Philadelphia; 

 H (anthropology), Prof. E. S. Morse, of Salem; 1 

 (economic science and statistics), Hon. John Eaton, 

 of Washington. Permanent secretary: Mr. F. W. 

 Putnam, of Cambridge. General .secretary: Dr. Al- 

 fred Springer, of Cincinnati. Assistant general sec- 

 retary: Prof. E. S. Holden, of Madison. Secretaries 

 of the sections: A, Mr. G. W. Hough, of Chicago; 

 B, Mr. X. D. C. Hodges, of Salem ; C, Prof. R. B. 

 Warder, of Cincinnati; D, Prof. J. B. Webb, of 

 Ithaca; E, Prof. E. A. Smith, of Tuscaloosa; F, 

 Prof. C. E. Bessey, of Ames; G, Dr. Romyn Hitch- 

 cock, of New York; H, Mr. W. H. Holmes, of Wash- 

 ington; I, Mr. Charles W. Smiley, of Washington. 

 Treasiirer: Hon. William Lilly, of Mauch Chunk. 



— A course of eighteen special lectures will be given 

 next ye.ir to members of Johns Hopkins university 

 on topics relating to instruction in the higher insti- 

 tutions of learning. They will be informal lectures, 

 connected only by the general purpose of helping 

 advanced students who are looking forward more or 

 less definitely to the work of teachers to become 

 familiar with the principles and methods followed by 

 other persons, and with the results whicli have been 

 obtained in different types of educational establish- 

 ments. The following are announced : — 



The present state of university and collegiate in- 

 struction in this cotintry, by D. C. Gilman; Recent 

 observations on educational foundations In Europe, 

 by D. C. (Jilman ; Natural and ethnic history of arith- 

 metic, by J. J. .Sylvester; The educational value of 



grammar, by B. L. Gildersleeve; The future sphere 

 of classical philology, by B. L Gildersleeve; Educa- 

 tional value of the study of chemistry, by Ira Rem- 

 »en; What to teach in biology, by H. Newell Martin; 

 One lecture by H. A. Rowland; The observational 

 element in mathematics, by C. S. Peirce; The o pri- 

 ori element in physics, by C. 8. Peirce; The naice in 

 education, by H. Wood ; Modern methods in the 

 study of history, by U. B. Adams; Methods of com- 

 parative philology as pursued to-ilay, by M. Bloom- 

 field; The new impetus given to the study of Latin 

 by the application of the historical method, and by 

 the study of inscriptions, by Minton Warren; Hy- 

 giene in collegiate training, by E. M. Uartwell; 

 Rhythm and education, by G. Stanley Hall; The 

 educational value of specialization and original work, 

 by G. Stanley Hall; The uses of libraries in educa- 

 tion, by D. C. Gilman. 



A course of nine lectures specially designed for 

 college students will also be given, as follows: — 



The choice of a profession, by D. C. Gilman; The 

 light which biograpliy throws on college life, by D. C. 

 Gilman; Reading as an auxiliary to study, by W.Hand 

 Browne; The right use of translations, by C. D. Mor- 

 ris; Historical fiction, by H. B. Adams; The English 

 universities, by J. Rendel Harris; Recreation, by 

 E. M. Hartwell; Mental hygiene, by G. Sunley Hall; 

 Science work, by Ira Remsen. 



— The Imperial meteorological observatory of 

 Japan has established a telegraphic weather-service, 

 and at present receives reports from twenty-two well- 

 distributed stations. No forecasts are yet attempted, 

 although it is the intention to make them as soon as 

 sufficient experience will justify the step. Tri-daily 

 maps and bulletins are, however, prepared. It is 

 interesting to note that but one telegram is received 

 each day from the several stations. This is sent by 

 the aid of a cipher, which consists of a simple com- 

 bination of figures, not of words, as is the case in the 

 cipher used by the XT. S. signaU-service. The daily 

 despatch is the equivalent of about eight words, and 

 contains all the usual meteorological data for each of 

 the three preceding observations. 



— The Meteorological council publishes the results 

 of rainfall observations at three hundred and thirty- 

 six stations in Great Britain, made without interrup- 

 tion from 18('>() to 1880, under the supervision of Mr. 

 G. J. Symoiis. The monthly means are given for 

 each year, for each period of five years, and fur the 

 whole fifteen years. No discus^ion of the observa- 

 tions is made, though it would seem that valuable 

 conclusions could be derived from them. 



—•Mr. V. T. Chambers, an entomologist well 

 known for his studies on the Tineina, died at his re>i- 

 dence in Covington, Ky., at two o'clock on the morn- 

 ing of Aug. 7. During the afternoon_of Aug 6 he 

 had a stroke of paralysis, and died from Us effects. 

 He was fifty-two years old on that morning. He was 

 a constant contril)Ut(>r to the (nniulinn mlnmoioiiint 

 and many other entomological journals. In the Bul- 

 Irtin of ilie U.S. geological survey there are .■■everal 

 papers from his pen: viz., the Tineina of Colorailo; 

 notes ou a collection of tineid niuths made in Colo- 



