no 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 30. 



based on brines and gypsum. Whether 

 an oil field lies under the surface is a ques- 

 tion which only the explorations of the 

 future can solve. J. F. Kemp. 



Veroffentlichungen cms dem Koniglichen Museum 



fur Volkerkunde. Berlin. 1895. 



The above named publication by the 

 Miiseum of Ethnography in Berlin appears 

 quarterlj^ in large folio form, and consists 

 of special studies by experts in some of the 

 lines of anthropologic science. 



The last number, Band IV., Heft 1., de- 

 serves separate mention for the valuable 

 contributions it contains to American arche- 

 ology. It presents three articles, each of 

 which is a model in its way. 



The first is a descriptive catalogue of a 

 collection of idols, fetishes and priestly cere- 

 monial objects from Zufli, collected and ex- 

 plained by Mr. Frank Hamilton Gushing, 

 and now deposited in the Berlin museum. 

 It is illustrated with 26 drawings inserted 

 in the text, and the purposes of the objects 

 with their mythological associations are 

 accurately set forth. 



The second article is by Dr. Carl Sapper, 

 on ' Ancient Indian Settlements in Guate- 

 mala and Chiapas.' It is accompanied by a 

 most useful map of Chiapas, Tabasco, Guate- 

 mala and part of Honduras, giving the lo- 

 cations of the ancient native towns, caves 

 containing remains, rock-drawings and lo- 

 cahties deserving further investigations. To 

 this are appended 20 plans of ancient ruined 

 cities within the area mapped, a number of 

 them entirely new, others more accurately 

 drawn than in previous publications. 

 Among them maj' be mentioned the famous 

 Iximche, the capital of the Cakchiquels ; 

 Sacabaja, a city of the Quiches ; Los Cuyes 

 in the department of Huehuetenango ; the 

 rock-inscriptions of Zacualpa in Chiapas, 

 and others. This archaeological study will 

 be of great use to future investigators. 



The third article is an interesting study. 



by the eminent Americanist, Dr. Carl Seler, 

 of a series of vases and similar objects 

 brought by Dr. Sapper from Guatemala. 

 It is illustrated by 104 drawings inserted 

 in the text, and the subject is elucidated by 

 the thorough acquaintance with the litera- 

 ture of the conquest which the author al- 

 ways has at command. A number of these 

 vases are decorated with hieroglyphs of the 

 form characteristic of the Mayan tribes. 

 Some of these the author identifies with 

 others in the manuscripts and sculptures, 

 and suggests explanations for them. He is 

 inclined to believe that such inscriptions 

 indicate that the vases were manufactured 

 elsewhere than where they were found ; an 

 opinion which will not hold, in view of the 

 large number of sherds bearing glj'phs ob- 

 tained from the southern Mayan territory. 

 This essay is a most important contribution 

 to the study of the Mayan hieroglyphs. 

 D. G. Brinton. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



THE ASTRONOMICAL AND PHYSICAL SOCIETY 



OF TORONTO. 



At a meeting on June 11th the follo\\'ing 

 notes on mass and temperature in the solar 

 system were read by Mr. A. Elvins : 



I have long thought that a relation ex- 

 ists between the masses of the heavenly 

 bodies and their temperatures, the heat 

 rising as the mass increases. Mercuiy is 

 too near the Sun to be observed with much 

 chance of success. Venus is somewhat 

 better situated, but its brilliancj' is so great 

 that it is a difficult object to observe ; its 

 atmosphere, however, often shows dark 

 patches, which I think may be openings 

 through the general mass of clouds which 

 seem to envelope the planet, reflecting light 

 from their outer surface. Like the earth, I 

 think it has polar caps of snow ; I have seen 

 a bright sjjot at the north pole on several 

 occasions during the past fortnight, and 

 similar observations have been previously 



