540 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 37. 



Fletclier says, but simply a 'spear-bearer,' is what 

 our crilicisra was intenJed to convey. 



Althoush it may be true enough that 'prior to the 

 time of Pliidias, coiossoi statues, when not of bronze, 

 were acroUlhit, our criticism was directed to the 

 autlior's broad assertion, which entirely ignored the 

 existence of §6ava.] 

 Writer of thk notice of 'Human peopoktion.' 



Geology of Philadelphia. 



Will Professor Henry Carvill Lewis state where the 

 term ' hydro-micaslate' is used by H. D. Rogers, or 

 in that portion of the report on Chester county writ- 

 ten by the undersigned? 



The word occurs seven times in the Lancaster 

 county report; but in every case except the italics on 

 p. 10, which the reference on the ninth line below 

 shows to be a misprint, it is used in the sense de- 

 fined in my criticism, and not as an equivalent for 

 hydro-mica-schist. As his defence of the use of the 

 other terms alluded to does not meet the objections, 

 no further remark is necessary. 



Pebsifor Frazep.. 



Sept. 28, 1883. 



The chinch-bug in New York. 



We have the chinch-bug (Blissus leucopterus Say) 

 in New York in formidable numbers. Its appear- 

 ance with us is of great interest, as hitherto the 

 only record of its occurrence is that of Dr. Fitch, 

 who, several years ago, saw three individuals of it 

 upon willows in the spring. I had never before met 

 with it in our state. Dr. Harris, you will remember, 

 mentions having seen one example in Massachusetts. 

 By' some manner it has been introduced here, and I 

 can think of no way so probable as that it has been 

 brought in a freight-car from the west. 



Tlie locality of its occurrence is in St. Lawrence 

 county, the most western of our northern counties. 

 As it was for some time thought that the insect could 

 not live north of 40° of latitude, this seems a strange 

 locality for its first appearance. 



Its operations were first noticed in a field of tirao- 

 thy-grass last summer, but the depredator was not 

 then discovered. This summer the infested area had 

 largely extended, and, upon a more thorough search 

 being made, it was found in myriads — could be 

 scooped up, it is stated, by handfuls— among the 

 roots of the living grass bordering the killed area. 

 In the fields infested, the timothy, June, and ' wire 

 grass ' are completely killed, so that they are suc- 

 ceeded the following season by thistles, weeds, and 

 patches of clover. So far, it has not attacked wheat 

 or corn, of which, however, very little is grown in 

 St. Lawrence county. 



I have just visited the infested locality, and I find 

 it to be a very serious attack. It is rapidly extending 

 to other than the two farms upon which it was ob- 

 served last year, and it in all probability exists in 

 many places where it has not yet been detected. 

 Great alarm is felt througliout the district invaded, 

 as the timothy-grass is the foundation of the grazing 

 interests of that region. Clover, owing to the sever- 

 ity of the winters, cannot be grown to any extent. 

 The most threatening feature of the attack is, that 

 it has continued to increase, notwithstanding that 

 this year and the preceding have both been unusu- 

 ally wet in northern New York. Garden-crops were 

 killed by the heavy and continued rains; grass is ly- 

 ing in the meadows, which could not be secured ; and 

 so cold has the season been, that fields of (5ats are 

 still unharvested. All writers have concurred ii\ stat- 

 ing that the chinch-bug could not endure cold and 



wet seasons, and that heavy rains were invariably 

 fatal to it. It really seems as if the new-comer was 

 destined to be a permanent institution in the state. 



The farmers are aroused to the importance of do- 

 ing what they can to arrest ami repel the invasion. 

 I have recommended that it be fought with that valu- 

 able insecticide, kerosene-oil, emulsified and diluted; 

 and, if generally used the ensuing spring, I have 

 great faith in its proving efficient. 



J. A. LiNTNEU. 



OlUce of the state cntomologiBt 

 Albany, Oct. 9, IbSS. 



Ziphius on the Neiw-Jersey coast. 



A telegram was received at the Smithsonian institu- 

 tion on the 3d inst. from the keeper of the life-saving 

 station at Barnegat City, N. J., announcing the strand- 

 ing of a large cetacean at that place. Professor 

 Baird immediately despatched the writer and a prep- 

 arator from the museum to take charge of the speci- 

 men. On arriving at Barnegat City, I immediately 

 perceived that we had to do with an example of an 

 aged female of an interesling ziphioid whale; and, 

 when the skull was cut out, it became evident that 

 the animal was of the genus Ziphius. The specimen 

 measures 19 feet 4 inches in length, and was appar- 

 ently of a light stone-gray color, darkest on the belly. 

 This disposition of color is utiusual in cetaceans. 

 The species is probably Z. cavisortris. 



Mr. Palmer and myself succeeded in making a 

 plaster mould of half the exterior, and in cutting out 

 the complete skeleton. 



The genus Ziphius has not, I believe, been hitherto 

 recorded as occurring in the north-western Atlantic. 

 Frederick W. True, 



Curator of mammals. 



U. S. nsitional museum, 

 Oct. 11, 18;3. 



THE DE LONG RECORDS.' 



The voyage of the Jeannette. The ship and ice jour- 

 nals of George W. De Long, Lieut. -commander 

 U.S.N., and commander of the polar expedition of 

 1879-81. Edited by Ms wife, Emma [Jane 

 Wotton] De Long. 2 vols. Boston, i/ou^/i(on, 

 il/i^^/n, §• Co., 1883. 12-1-911 p., illustr. 8<=. 



The voyage of the Jeannette, owing to its 

 connection with a great news])aper, has become, 

 in its general featm-es, familiar to all. The 

 courage, endurance, and patience with which 

 the members of the partj' met pain, peril, pri- 

 vation, and even death, will alwaj's remain a 

 conspicuous example of manly qualitj". This 

 expedition, however, was unique in several of 

 its features, which should be taken into account 

 in any judgment rendered upon its results. 

 It was not an expedition for scientific research 

 in the arctic regions. It was not seientKically 

 planned. It had, so far as can be learned 

 from the documents, no programme. Of its 

 members, but two, a civilian and a seaman, 

 had had anj- experience of an arctic winter ; 

 none had made any serious study of the physi- 

 cal conditions of the polar area ; and, without 



^ For the woodcuts illustrating this a 

 deUcd to the publishers of the work, Me 

 &Co. 



