698 



SCIENCE. 



n''oi,. II., No. 42. 



paleozoic formations. A list, by'Dalla Torre, of the 

 generic names given to Hymenoptera during the 

 decade 1869-79, appeared in Katter's Entoinologische 

 nactirichten of last December. 



— The Humoristicke Hull/ of Prag for Oct. 27 con- 

 tains an excellent large portrait of the late Mr. Bar- 

 rande. We shall publish one next week. 



— The mathematical magazine conducted under 

 the name of the Analyst for the past ten years, 

 by Mr. J. E. Hendricks, will be continued under 

 the editorial charge of Ormond Stone, professor of 

 astronomy, and William M. Thornton, professor of 

 engineering, with the title, Annals of mathematics, 

 pure and applied. The numbers will be issued at 

 intervals of two months, beginning Feb. 1, 1884. In 

 scope the journal will embrace the development of 

 new and important theories of mathematics, pure 

 and applied; the solution of useful and interesting 

 problems; the history and bibliography of various 

 branches of mathematics; and critical examinations 

 and reviews of important treatises and text-books on 

 mathematical subjects. The office of publication will 

 be at the University of Virginia. 



— Dr. Macgowan recently sent a communication 

 to the North China herald on the art of making lumi- 

 nous paint in the celestial empire. The Chinese, says 

 Dr. Macgowan, used powdered mussel-shells instead 

 of oyster-shells. The method seems to be ancient. 

 Tlie emperor, Tai Tsung, who flourished towards the 

 «nd of the tenth century of the Christian era, received 

 a picture which was luminous by night. The picture 

 represented, by night, a cow lying within a fence; 

 while, by day, the cow appeared as browsing outside 

 of the enclosure. His Majesty asked for an explana- 

 tion from his ministers, but they were no better in- 

 formed than he. At length some one informed the 

 emperor that the effect was produced by mixing 

 Southern-Sea pearl-paste with a pigment which at 

 night became luminous, and that the day-picture was 

 made of a powdered reef-stone. In after-ages the 

 picture was attributed to the genii, whilst some de- 

 nied its existence altogether. Dr. Macgowan shows, 

 by extracts from a Chinese writer of three centuries 

 ago, that the tradition of the art had not died out. 



— The meeting of the Philosophical society of 

 Washington, held Nov. 10, was devoted to the con- 

 sideration of geologic subjects. Mr. Edwin Smith 

 exhibited a seismographic record obtained in Japan, 

 and described the system of observations conducted 

 by Professor Paul. Capt. C. E. Dutton read a paper 

 entitled 'The volcanic problem stated,' and Mr. W. 

 J. McGee made a commimication on the ' Drainage 

 system, and the distribution of loess, in eastern Iowa.' 



— John T. Short, professor of history at the Ohio 

 Stale university at Columbus, died Dec. 11, after a 

 long illness. He was especially well known for his 

 researches in the history of Central America. His 

 ' North- Americans, and their early history,' passed 

 through many editions. 



— The papers read at the meeting of the Biological 

 society of Washington, Nov. 16, were by Professor 

 Lester F. Ward, Mesozoic dicotyledons; Mr. C. D. 

 Walcott, Fresh-water shells from the lower carbonif- 



erous, with exhibition of specimens; Mr. Frederick 

 W. True, Exhibition of a unique specimen of a West- 

 Indian seal, Monaehus tropicalis Gray; Dr. C. A. 

 White, Persistence of the domestic instinct in the 



cat. 



— An unpretending but useful little paper has been 

 lately published as Bulletin no. 5 of the Illinois 

 state laboratory of natural history, by N. S. Davis, 

 jun., and Frank L. Rice. This i^aper contains concise 

 descriptions of seventy-four species and sub-species 

 of North-American batrachians, and fifty-four of rej)- 

 tiles, found east of the Mississippi. Analytical keys 

 to the families and genera are given, but no synony- 

 my. The classification and nomenclature are those 

 of Professor Cope's Check-list, and the descriptions 

 are in great part compiled from writings of the same 

 author. There is, however, evidence of considerable 

 study of specimens; and the collector of reptiles in 

 the region covered will find this catalogue very con- 

 venient. 



— A boy fourteen years of age was fishing at 

 Tomioka, Nizen, Japan, recently, when his right arm 

 was seized by a large octopus with two of its tenta- 

 cles. His cries brought succor as he was being dragged 

 into the water, and the tentacles were cut. The lad 

 reached home; but his arm seemed paralyzed, and in 

 five days death ensued, probably from shock. 



— H. Schallibaum recommends a mixture of one 

 volume of collodion with three to four volumes of 

 oil of cloves, to secure microscopic sections in i^lace 

 upon the slide. The oil is evaporated over a water- 

 bath, after which the sections may be stained, etc. 

 An advantage is thus offered over Giesbrecht's shel- 

 lac method. The full directions are given in the 

 Archiv/iir mikroshopische analomie (xxii. 689), 



— Four mummies Iiave been obtained from the 

 Aleutian region for the Berlin museum. They are 

 in a good state of preservation, and are believed to be 

 of great age. 



— M. A. Dumont has submitted to the Paris acad- 

 emy of sciences a suggestion for increasing the irri- 

 gating waters derived from the Rhone by regulating 

 the discharge from the Lake of Geneva. This project, 

 recommended by the Geneva commission, involves 

 the expenditure of about £180,000, and the creation 

 of a hydraulic force of 7,000-horse power, by which 

 the level of the lake at high water might be reduced 

 by at least 0.60 m., and the minimum discharge of the 

 Rhone at the outlet increased by SO mc. per second. 



— The science of forestry has hitherto been much 

 neglected in England: but the Athenaeum states that 

 the proposal to hold an International forestry exhibi- 

 tion in Edinburgh during the summer and autumn 

 of next year has been taken up with much earnest- 

 ness; and the sum of £3, .500 has already been ob- 

 tained as a guaranty fund, without any direct appeal 

 to the public at large. Besides specimens of forest 

 jjroduce, implements used in forestry, fungi, rustic 

 work, etc., there will be a collection of illustrations 

 of trees, scenery, forest labor, and the like, along 

 with books, maps, and reports bearing on forest 

 history, surveys, and the geographical distribution 

 of trees. 



