636 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 45. 



quantity of dried muscular fibres obtained vmder 

 the following conditions : The geological hori- 

 zons known as the ' Kowak clays ' and the 

 ' Ground ice formation, ' from which mammoth 

 remains have been obtained on the Arctic coast, 

 especially at Elephant Point, Kotzebue Sound, 

 appear to be represented in the river deltas of 

 the northern coast of the peninsula of Alaska. 

 Here, near the mouth of the Naknek River, in 

 the spring of 1894 the freshets cut away the 

 clays until the falling bank revealed mammoth 

 bones in the newly exposed portion. The spot 

 was visited by the natives who obtained mam- 

 moth bones and a large quantity of fat which 

 they used in greasing their skin boats. The 

 quantity is estimated at 300 pounds. A little 

 later the locality was visited by Mr, W. J. 

 Fisher, who reports that the cavity in the bank 

 of frozen clay still retained something of the form 

 of the body of the mammoth, and under the 

 organic debris, bones, etc., at the bottom, he 

 obtained a piece of the fat in good preservation, 

 which he presented to Mr. Dall, who now ex- 

 hibited it. Mr. Dall recalled that at Kotzebue 

 Sound, in cavities of the ground ice, he obtained 

 what he believed to be dung of the mammoth, 

 still having a strong ammonieal smell. It would 

 seem that the present carcass had been more or 

 less demoralized before it was imbedded in the 

 clay, as no mention is made of the existence of 

 hair or skin in connection with the remains, 

 only of disintegrated muscular tissue, bones 

 and fat. 



Dr. Warden Stiles spoke briefly of the pro- 

 posed memorial to Dr. Rudolph Leuckhardt 

 and of the steps taken by the recent Interna- 

 tional Zoological Congress in regard to the 

 adoption of an international code of nomen- 

 clature. 



Dr. C. Hart Merriam spoke on the American 

 Shrews. From a study of about 2,000 speci- 

 mens he recognizes 60 species and subspecies, 

 11 of which are restricted to southern Mexico 

 and Guatemala. Of the total number, 18 belong 

 to the genus Blarina, 2 to NotioHorex and 40 to 

 Sorex. The latter genus is subdivided into the 

 3 subgenera usually recognized — ifia-osorex, 

 Neoaorex and Atophyrax, 



F. A. Lucas, 



Secrelanj. 



THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF ST. LOUIS. 



The first Fall meeting of the Academy was 

 held at the Academy rooms, Monday evening, 

 October 21st. Prof Francis E. Nipher made a 

 donation to the Academy of his new volumne 

 on 'Electricity and Magnetism.' 



Prof. Wm. Trelease read a paper on ' The 

 Gases Produced by Certain Bacteria, ' by L. H. 

 and Emma Pammel. 



President Green made mention of the death 

 of Prof. C. V. Riley, one of the former Presi- 

 dents of the Academy, and announced that he 

 would appoint a committee to prepare a suitable 

 memorial of Prof Riley's death. 



A. W. Douglas, 



Recording Secretary. 



NEW BOOKS. 



Elements of the Mathematical Theory of Electricity 

 and Magnetism. J. J. Thomson. Cambridge, 

 The University Press. New York, Mac- 

 millan & Co. 1895. Pp. vi+510. $2.60. 



An Introduction to General Biology. WiLLIAM 

 T. Sedgwick and Edmund B. Wilson. Sec- 

 ond edition. New York, Henry Holt & Co. 

 1895. Pp. xii + 231. 



Elementary Physical Geography. Ralph S. 

 Tare,. New York and London, Macmillan 

 & Co. 1895. Pp. xxxi+488. 



Charles Lyell and Modern Geology. T. G. BON- 

 NEY. London, Cassell & Co. New York, 

 Macmillan & Co. 1895. Pp. vi+224. $1.25. 



Missouri Geological Survey, Vol. II. Chaeles 

 R. Keyes. Jefferson City. 1895. Pp. 405. 



Elements of Geometry. Geoege C. Edwards. 

 New York and London, Macmillan & Co. 

 1895. Pp. xii+293. $1.10. 



Science and Art Drawing, A Complete Geometrical 

 Course. J. Humphrey Spanton. London 

 and New York, Macmillan & Co. 1895. 

 Pp. xiv+582. $3.25. 



Reconnoissance of the Gold Fields of the Southern 

 Appalachians. Geoege F. Becker. U. S. 

 Geological Survey. 1895. Pp. 85. 



Catalogue of the Marine Mollusks of Japan ivith 

 Descriptions of Neiv Species and Notes on Others 

 Collected by Frederick Stearns. Heney A. 

 Pilsbry. Detroit, Frederick Stearns. 1895. 

 Pp. vi-i-196. 



