NovEMBER 17, 1899. ] 
The method enables the determination of the 
degree of hydrolization of the sodium carbonate 
in soils and soil crusts containing this com- 
pound. It was shown that an accurate deter- 
mination of the amount of sodium carbonate 
could not be made by titrating directly with a 
standard acid, two reactions taking place with 
the formation of the acid carbonate in varying 
quantities and furthermore the probable exist- 
ence of acid carbonate in the soil adds to the 
difficulty of such a determination. It wasshown 
that acid potassium sulfate is free from these 
objections, the reaction taking place with quan- 
titative exactness according to this equation : 
Na,CO,+ HKSO, = NaHCO, + NaKSO, 
both substances indicated in the right member 
of the equation being neutral. It should be 
borne in mind that acid sodium carbonate al- 
though a neutral substance towards indicators, 
quite rapidly and readily inverts with the 
formation of the alkaline normal carbonate, so 
that a reasonable degree of speed must be used 
in making the titration. 
Details of the practical application of the 
method with examples from practice, were 
given, and it was shown that in ordinary prac- 
tice the method was easily capable of an accu- 
racy indicated by a probable error of less than 
0.02 of 1 per cent. 
The last paper was read by Dr. H. W. Wiley, 
and was entitled, ‘The Fifteenth Annual Meet- 
ing of the Association of Official Agricultural 
Chemists, at San Francisco, July 5-7, 1899.’ 
Mr. Tassin exhibited a specimen of calcium 
chlorid which he had obtained from a muck 
soil found in Utah. The soil occurs as an in- 
erustation between Salt Lake City and Salt 
Lake. 
Dr. Bolton exhibited a bibliography of thal- 
lium compiled by Miss Martha Dunn and re- 
cently published by the Smithsonian Institution. 
He called attention to the work done in Paris 
by Jules Garcon, who has published a biblio- 
graphy of the ‘ Chemical Technology of Textile 
Fibers,’ and a pamphlet entitled, ‘Resources 
of Bibliography of Chemistry.’ The latter 
consists of a list of chemical bibliographies. 
WILLIAM H. Krue, 
Secretary. 
SCIENCE 
737 
ONONDAGA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
THE September meeting was devoted to orni- 
thology. Mr. J. A. Dakin spoke on the subject 
from an economical standpoint, and expressed 
the belief that the slaughter of birds for orna- 
mentation is a chief factor in the destruction of 
farm crops by insects. Dr. W. M. Beauchamp 
considered forest denudation and changed food 
habits a more important factor. 
Principal J. D. Wilson spoke on the study of 
birds from a naturalist’s rather than a collec- 
tor’s standpoint, citing instances of familiarity 
between birds and their human friends and also 
his own experiences in taming young wild birds 
and studying their habits. 
Mr. A. Perrior read a paper on ‘The Oneida 
Lake Heronry.’ In the tall trees of a sub- 
merged swamp at the north of Oneida Lake 
about five hundred pairs of Great Blue Herons 
(Ardea herodias) congregate annually at the 
breeding season. The nests are two or three 
feet in diameter and composed of half-inch 
sticks lined with finer twigs. Frequently two 
or three, and occasionally four, nests are built 
in the same tree, and are used indefinitely, be- 
ing repaired from year to year. Mr. Perrior ex- 
hibited specimens of birds and eggs and also 
photographs taken among the tree tops. 
At the October meeting Professor Hargitt 
spoke on the recent appearance in the county 
of the periodic Cicada septendecim, Riley’s 
Brood No. XIX. The visitation lasted only 
about a month, was confined to parts of the 
towns of Onondaga and Dewitt and less dam- 
age was done than anticipated. The English 
sparrows were observed to feed greedily on the 
Cicadas, migrating in large numbers to the 
woods southeast of Syracuse. The brood is 
probably growing smaller in this county. Dr. 
Beauchamp confirmed the rumors of the Onon- 
daga Indians feasting on the Cicadas and called 
attention to the restricted area of visitation, 
the Cicadas being confined to the central towns 
of the county. 
Mr. H. W. Britcher spoke briefly on ‘ Pro- 
tective Habits and Resemblances of Onondaga 
County Spiders,’ and exhibited a number of 
live specimens illustrating the cases cited. 
H. W. BRITCHER, 
Corresponding Secretary. 
