FEBRUARY 8, 1901.] 
alyses were recorded for deep wells in Mount 
Vernon as well as analyses from the Cedar 
river. The wells were all more than 100 
feet deep, the albuminoid ammonia running 
as high as .088, free ammonia .084, nitrates 
1.38; the latter amount of nitrates was 
found in an artesian well which supplies 
the city of Mount Vernon and is 330 feet 
deep. 
Dr. J. B. Weems and Mr. J. C. Brown 
presented a paper on ‘The Influence of 
Chlorin as Chlorid in the Determination of 
Oxygen consumed in Water Analysis.’ In 
this paper attention was called to the large 
amount of chlorin as chlorids in the deep 
well waters of the State. Naturally in the 
determination of the oxygen consumed in 
these waters there is a question of inter- 
est as to the effect of the chlorids in the 
potassium permanganate solution. The ef- 
‘fect of chlorin in the form of sodium: chlorid, 
in amounts from 5 parts to 1,800 parts per 
million of water, was investigated, using the 
Kubel, Schultz, Tidy or English, and-the 
Association methods. 
Another paper by the same authors 
considered the chemical investigation of a 
well which was the probable cause of an 
epidemic of typhoid fever. 
Dr. J. B. Weems and Mr. H. N. Gretten- 
berg presented a paper on ‘ A Study of Some 
Cotton-seed Oils’ in which the analytical 
results of nine samples of cotton-seed oils 
were given and the results compared with 
the usual standards for oils of this class. 
Professor Alfred N. Cook discussed the 
‘Diphenyl Ether Derivatives,’ being a sum- 
mary of our present knowledge of the sub- 
ject, as well as some original work on the 
diphenyl ether derivatives. 
Zoological papers were presented as fol- 
lows: Professor H. M. Kelly, ‘ Notes on the 
Time of Sexual Maturity in Certain Unios.’ 
He believes that the period of sexual ma- 
turity does not always recur every year. 
Professor H. W. Norris in a paper on a 
SCIENCE 
215 
‘Combination of Chromic Acid, Acetic Acid 
and Formalin as a Fixative for Animal Tis- 
sue,’ gave excellent results for fixing mam- 
malian tissues—in some tissues better re- 
sults than he has been able to obtain with 
any other fixing fluid ; it is especially good 
for glands and mucous epithelium. It is 
not satisfactory for nervous tissue. In his 
paper on the ‘Morphology and Function 
of the Amphibian Ear,’ Professor Norris 
stated that in this transition class of verte- 
brates, the Amphibia, the organ of hearing 
originated from an organ of equilibration 
which latter function is always retained. 
Professor H. EH. Summers presented a 
paper on the ‘Generic Synopsis of the 
Nearctic Scutelleride and Cydnide.’ Pro- 
fessor HK. D. Ball presented a monograph on 
“A Review of the Tettigonide of North 
America North of Mexico.’ Of the 500 or 
more described species the great majority 
are found in the region between Mexico 
and Brazil. Seven genera are represented 
in America north of Mexico. 
Bacteriological papers were presented as 
follows: C. H. Eckles, ‘A Comparison of 
Media for the Quantitative Estimation of 
Bacteria.’ It was noted that ordinary pep- 
tone agar is not suitable for the develop- 
ment of a large number of bacteria, espe- 
cially the lactic acid species. Both lactose 
gelatine and lactose agar gave much better 
results than either peptone agar or peptone 
gelatine. L. Russell Walker, in a paper 
on ‘Sewage Disposal,’ with special reference 
to the number of bacteria found in the 
sewage and effluent of the Iowa State Col- 
lege sewage plant from September 1, 1899, 
to September 1, 1900, stated that it was 
found that the percentage of gas-produc- 
ing bacteria was greatest in the manhole 
and least in the effluent, while the number 
in the tank lies between. LL. H. Pammel, in 
‘Notes on the Bacteriological Analysis of 
Water,’ gave the results of an examination 
of the water supply of the Iowa State Col- 
