592 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. n. No. 44. 



reality of the asserted diflference in pitch, be- 

 cause with these locustarians, at least to an un- 

 trained ear like mine, differences in distance 

 and consequent sharpness of tone (which latter 

 Dr. Gould specifically mentions) are accom- 

 panied by an apparent difference in pitch, which 

 is lost on similar approximation. If Dr. Gould 

 can find two choirs equally loud and distinct, or 

 equally distant and free from intermediate ob- 

 structions, accompanied by a real diflference in 

 pitch, he should report his further investiga- 

 tions, and further determine precisely what in- 

 sect is the source of the orchestration. 



Samuel H. Scuddek. 



a naturalist in mexico. 



There has recently appeared a small volume 

 by Mr. F. C. Baker under the above title which 

 purports to be an account of the expedition of 

 Yucatan and southern Mexico sent out by the - 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 

 1890, under the leadership of Prof. Angelo 

 Heilprin. It is based presumably upon the 

 author's notes and recollections of the trip. 



As a member of this expedition I consider it 

 my duty to correct several inaccuracies in Mr. 

 Baker's statements, and especially to call atten- 

 tion to the manner in which quotations ha-ve 

 been made from the scientific reports of the ex- 

 pedition and other works without a word as to 

 the source of the information, leaving the reader 

 to infer that it is the work of the author. In 

 the preface it is true we are referred to the Pro- 

 ceedings, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1890-9-5, 'for 

 full accounts concerning the scientific portion of 

 the expedition,' but the author does not ac- 

 knowledge any assistance from this source in 

 preparing his volume and makes direct quota- 

 tions without the slightest comment. His his- 

 toric account of Yucatan is drawn from Ste- 

 phens' 'Incidents of Travels in Yucatan,' "Vol. 

 I. , Chap. iii. , as a comparison will at once show, 

 many of the phrases being identical. 



Turning to page 80 of 'A Naturalist in 

 Mexico,' we find an account of previous meas- 

 urements of Mt. Orizaba. The source of this 

 can easily be ascertained by referring to Prof. 

 Heilprin' s paper on the subject Proc. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. Phila., 1890, p. 253-254, as the fol- 

 lowing quotations will show : 



BAKER. HEILPRIN. 



In 1796 Ferrer, by means ; Ferrer in 1796, by means 

 of angle measurements of angle measurements 

 taken from the Encero, ; taken from the Encero, 

 determined the height to determined its height to 

 be 17, 879 feet. Humboldt , be 17, 879 feet. Humboldt 

 a few years later measured a few years later measured 

 the mountain from a plain, I the mountain from a plain 

 near tlie town of Jalapa, ' near tlie town of Jalapa, 

 and obtained 17,375 feet, and obtained only 17,375 

 He observed, however, | feet, but lie observes with 

 that his angles of elevation ' characteristic caution that 

 were very small, and the i his ' ' angles of elevation 

 base-line dilBeult to level, i were very small, and the 

 etc. j base-line difficult to 



I level," etc. 



Professor Heilprin very properly places Hum- 

 boldt's statement in quotation marks, and re- 

 fers in a footnote to his source of information. 

 Mr. Baker, however, takes Heilprin's statement 

 bodily and Humboldt's with it and uses no quo- 

 tation marks nor reference whatever ! The rest 

 of the account is similar to the above example, 

 but Mr. Baker unfortunately credits Dr. Kaska 

 with making his measurements with a ' ther- 

 mometer ' instead of a barometer as stated by 

 Professor Heilprin. 



Immediately following the consideration of 

 the height of the mountain Mr. Baker gives us 

 an account of the birds observed at San Andres. 

 This he has taken directly from my paper Proc. 

 A. N. S., Phila, 1890., p. 213, though it is pre- 

 sented without any acknowledgment or marks of 

 quotation. The following example is sufficient : 



BAKER. I STONE. 



The difference between The difference between 

 the birds of San Andres the birds of this vicinity 

 and those of Orizaba 4,000 and of the town of Ori- 

 feet below, was marked, zaba 4,000 feet below, 

 Only three species were! was at once apparent, 

 common to both localities. Only three species were 

 Nearly all the species be- 1 seen at both places. * * * 

 longed to northern genera. 1 Nearly all the species be- 

 In the town the only longed to more northern 

 birds observed were the genera. * * * In the 

 House Finch, Blue Gros-! town itself the only birds 

 beak and Barn Swallow, ! observed were the House 

 etc. I Finch, Earn Swallow and 



I Blue Grosbeak, etc. 



While accompanying the expedition mainly 

 as a conchologist, Mr. Baker did render valu- 

 able assistance in collecting birds. The scien- 



