228 
includes a new honey locust from Texas and 
eight new species of Crataegus. Mr. Theo. 
Holm contributes an ‘ Anatomical Study of Eri- 
ocaulon decangulare L.,’ from which he con- 
cludes that this genus and its allies are some- 
what unique among the monocotyledons. Mr. 
B. M, Duggar, of Cornell University, records 
the results of ‘ Physiological Studies with refer- 
ence to the Germination of certain Fungous 
Spores.’ The number closes with the usual 
book reviews, notes for students and news 
items. 
THE February number of Popular Astronomy 
contains an article by R. G. Aitken, of Lick 
Observatory, on the ‘Orbit of Sagittarii,’ ac- 
companied by a plate of the orbit; the second 
part of Mr. How’s article on the ‘Best 
Astronomical Books for the Use of Students’ 
takes up historical and biographical works in 
detail; J. F. Lanneau contributes notes on 
the eclipse, and Asaph Hall a note on 
‘Clairaut’s theorie de la figure de la terre.’ 
J. K. Rees, of Columbia Universitory Obser- 
vatory, presents a full report of the observa- 
tions on the November meteors during the 
years 1898, 1899 and 1900. An abstract is also 
given of the article by Kretz on the ‘Star 
Coma Berenices’ and a full account of the re- 
cent reports of the Board of Visitors of the Naval 
Observatory. An article by Professor W. W. 
Campbell shows how the observations of Eros 
will determine the sun’s distance from the 
earth and a résumé of the scientific progress of 
the nineteenth century closes the general de- 
‘partment of the number. In addition to the 
usual notes a new department is opened which 
gives news of ‘ Double-Stars, their Observa- 
tions and Observers.’ 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 
SCIENCE CLUB OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 
WISCONSIN. 
THE December meeting of the Science Club 
of the University of Wisconsin was addressed 
by Dr. C. R. Van Hise on the topic, ‘The 
Harth’s Story of the Ore Deposits.’ This ad- 
dress, which was delivered to a large audience, 
treated in a briefer and simpler manner a 
subject which has recently been given an ex- 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Von. XIII. No. 319. 
haustive treatment in addresses before the 
American Institute of Mining Engineers and 
the Western Society of Engineers, and which 
under the title, ‘Some Principles controlling 
the Deposition of Ores’ has been printed in the 
Transactions of the first-mentioned Society. 
The thoroughness of Professor Van Hise’s in- 
vestigations, which, starting on different lines, 
have converged upon a common point, set to 
rest many hitherto controverted questions and, 
from an application of newly determined prin- 
ciples in the fields of physical chemistry, applied 
mathematics and soil physics, as well as in 
geology, there has been evolved a theory of ore 
deposition which is both logical and in accord 
with obseryed facts. The theory may be said 
to be grounded on two important earlier inves- 
tigations: one by Van Hise, showing that at the 
moderate depth of 20,000 meters all save the 
smallest cavities must close in even the hardest 
rocks, whereas in most rocks they must close at 
one-half that depth, and one onSlichter’s elabor- 
ate investigation of the flow of underground 
waters, an investigation which has been con- 
siderably extended by Van Hise. 
From the first-mentioned study it follows 
that the circulating waters, which it is almost 
universally admitted deposit the ores from so- 
lution, could not have come from below the 
depth of 20,000 (or perhaps 10,000) - meters. 
The excessive friction of liquids moving in 
capillary tubes, and the consideration that 
probably 100,000 times as much liquid as ore 
must be transported seem to exclude the 
possibility of ascensional currents below this 
level, thus restricting their circulation to the 
thin outer shell of the earth’s crust—the zone of 
fracture. This requires that the circulating 
water shall be of meteoric origin, and the fun- 
damental premise is made that the motion of 
the waters is a result of gravitative stress. 
Water flowing under head from one point to 
another through a homogeneous medium will 
utilize the entire cross-section (indefinitely ex- 
tended), though the major portion will pass by 
the shortest route. If vertical fissure planes 
exist in the course of the liquid the lines of flow 
will be deflected so that above a certain point 
they will enter the fissure ina downward direc- 
tion and below another point they will be di- 
