26 
Molybdenum in the Electric Furnace,’ Charles 
L. Sargent; ‘A Method for the Rapid Deter- 
mination of Carbon in Steel,’ Robert Job and 
Charles T. Davies; ‘Determination of Iron in 
Magnetite Ore by the Specific Gravity Test,’ 
Joseph W. Richards; ‘Irregular Distribution of 
Sulphur in Pig Tron,’ Randolph Bolling ; ‘The 
Composition and Analysis of London Purple,’ 
J. K. Haywood; ‘Detection of Foreign Color- 
ing-matter in Spirits,’ C. A. Crampton and F. 
D. Simons ; ‘A Rapid Method for the Detection 
of Aniline Orange in Milk,’ Hermann C. Lyth- 
goe. 
THE December number (Volume 7, Number 
3) of the Bulletin of the American Mathematical 
Society contains: ‘ Report of the October meet- 
of the Society,’ by the secretary, ‘On Linear 
Dependence of Functions of One Variable,’ by 
M. Bocher ; ‘Report on Groups of an Infinite 
Order,’ by G. A. Miller ; ‘A Review of Ewing’s 
Strength of Materials,’ by Dr. Chas. Chree; ‘A 
Review of Scheffer’s Differential Geometry,’ by 
J. M. Page; ‘Notes’ ; ‘ New Publications.’ 
Popular Astronomy for January opens with an 
illustrated article by Miss Caroline E. Furness 
on the new ‘ Photographie Catalogue of North 
Polar Stars,’ which has just been published 
from Vassar College Observatory. Professor 
Kurt Laves continues his discussion of the 
‘ Adjustment of the Equatorial Telescope,’ and 
Charles P. Howard his account of the ‘Total 
Solar Eclipse.’ Professor Francis E. Nipher’s 
‘Positive Photography with special reference to 
Eclipse Work’ is timely. Professor Herbert 
A. Howe, director of Chamberlin Observatory, 
of University Park, Colorado, begins his series 
of articles on astronomical books for the use of 
students. Professor Asaph Hall contributes a 
note on multiplication showing some peculiarly 
symmetrical results. The department of As- 
tronomical Phenomena announces the eclipses 
of the coming year, and gives much space to 
news of comets, asteroids, ete. The number 
includes the usual general, spectroscopic and 
variable star notes, and W. W. Payne’s second 
article on ‘The Figure and the Attraction of 
the Earth.’ 
Nature announces that the Anthropological 
Institute will issue an anthropological journal 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Von. XIII. No. 314. 
to be entitled Man, which will appear monthly. 
Special attention will be given to the data con- 
cerning the origin of those forms of civilization 
which have become dominant. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 
THE 330th meeting was held on Saturday 
evening, December 15th. 
F. A. Lucas exhibited the under portion of 
the skull of a large specimen of the gar pike, 
Lepisosteus tristoechus, showing fracture and 
repair of the sphenoid. He stated that this 
was a good example of the fact that many ani- 
mals could successfully recover from very 
severe injuries, since in the present case the 
breaking of the sphenoid must have entailed 
severe injury to and deflection of the entire 
cranium, and yet recovery had taken place. 
C. W. Stiles spoke of ‘Some Tropical Parasites 
that may be introduced by our Returning 
Troops,’ saying that the present conditions in 
China where troops were gathered from many 
parts of the world were particularly favorable 
for the interchange of parasites that were ordi- 
narily confined to certain areas. The condi- 
tions in Manila were also favorable for attacks 
of parasites and their subsequent introduction 
into this country. The speaker described the 
various species of parasites that might be met 
with, their structure, mode of reproduction, 
the manner in which they entered the system 
and their effect upon it, illustrating his remarks 
by diagrams. But one or two of these species 
it was pointed out, were really to be appre- 
hended, and as most of them were taken 
through the medium of drinking water, the 
danger could be almost entirely obviated by 
boiling the water. 
E. W. Nelson presented a paper on ‘The 
Caribbean Seal,’ saying that while this was the 
first seal met with by the early explorers of the 
New World, and was an animal of considerable 
size and former extensive distribution, it was 
one of the least known of North American 
mammals and not accurately described until 
1884. The various accounts of this seal, from 
the time of its discovery by the sailors of Co- 
lumbus up to the present time were briefly no- 
