660 
varieties published as pamphlet brochures or as 
short papers in journals difficult or impossible of 
general access, as, for example, in such out-of- 
the-way places, from the standpoint of scientific 
literature, as Chile, Brazil, Jamaica, or Trini- 
dad, are a positive detriment to science, because 
very few will ever be able to consult the origi- 
nal descriptious and very possibly the author 
himself often fails to receive a copy of them. 
This is all bad enough, but much worse is the 
use for publication of new species, or new facts 
and notes, of local daily or weekly journals of 
all sorts, such as The Jamaica Post, Tri- Weekly 
Budget, Daily Gleaner, California Fruit Grower, 
Rio Grande Republican, Southwestern Farm and 
Orchard, Manhattan Kansas Industrialist, Cali- 
fornia State Board of Horticulture, etc. In one 
number of the California Fruit Grower, for ex- 
ample, and none of the titles given are fanciful, 
no less than seven new species of scale insects 
are indicated, including crawti and greenti, noted 
above, and this as late as 1897. 
This matter has been gone into perhapsalready 
fully enough, and in fact the writer regrets the 
apparent necessity of continuing the discussion, 
hoping as he did that his first article would serve 
the needs of thecase. If any ‘running amuck’ 
has been done, it is in the hasty publication of 
half-digested studies, as illustrated by the con- 
sideration of the single species given above. 
C. L. MARLATT, 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. 
THE first regular meeting of this latest comer 
in the brotherhood of societies was held at 
Columbia University, Saturday, October 28th. 
A preliminary meeting in June elected officers 
and decided some details. 
It is proposed to hold four meetings annually, 
simultaneously with the American Mathemat- 
ical Society, which also meets at Columbia 
University. It is hoped that the two societies 
will codperate and benefit each other. At the 
same time the new society is pledged to co- 
operate with Section B of the American Asso- 
ciation for the Advancement of Science. 
On Saturday last the mathematicians ad- 
journed to hear the opening address by the 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S.° Vou. X. No. 253. 
President, Professor H. A. Rowland, who 
handled the great questions which confront 
the physicist of to-day in a most interesting 
manner and elicited frequent applause. 
After business discussion several papers were 
presented. 
Professor Rowland described experiments 
which failed to demonstrate an ‘ ether-wind’ 
or a movement of the ether with moving mat- 
ter, which would be of extreme interest if found. 
Professor Pupin showed a method of rectify- 
ing alternating currents by an electrolytic cell 
and battery. 
Professor Webster gave a semi-popular illus- 
tration of the propagation of an electromagnetic 
wave in the ether, and deduced the formule. 
He also showed and explained a curve-tracing 
top. 
The meeting was eminently encouraging. 
Some thirty or forty working physicists were 
gathered together, representing fifteen or six- 
teen leading universities and colleges, and all 
seemed agreed that the new society was needed 
and would be a success. 
The next meeting will be held at Columbia 
University between Christmas and New Year. 
The present officers are: H. A. Rowland, 
president; A. A. Michelson, vice-president ; 
Ernest Merritt, secretary ; W. Hallock, Treas- 
urer. W. H. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 
By the will of the late Judge Charles P. Daly, 
the American Geographical Society, New York, 
receives $5,000 for the founding of a medal to 
be given for distinguished geographical services. 
A PRELIMINARY meeting of the members and 
fellows of the American Association for the Ad- 
vancement of Science resident in or near New 
York City was held at Columbia University on 
October 24th,to make preliminary arrangements 
for the meeting of the Association to be held in 
New York during the last week in June, 1900. 
The business transacted included the election’ 
of an executive committee as follows: Pro- 
fessor J. J. Stevenson, Chairman, Professor J. 
McK. Cattell, secretary, Mr. Geo. F. Kunz, 
treasurer, Professor H. F. Osborn (entertain- 
ment), Professor N. L. Britton (excursions), Mr. 
C. F. Cox (transportation), and the general 
