MarcuH 22, 1901.] 
held to be the physical basis for the high type 
of ability shown by both the Seguins in the 
use of language. CHARLES H. JUDD, 
Secretary. 
SECTION OF ASTRONOMY, PHYSICS AND CHEMIS- 
TRY OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY 
OF SCIENCES 
A REGULAR meeting of the Section was held on 
March 4, 1901. The annual election of officers 
of the Section was held, Professor William Hal- 
lock being elected Chairman and Dr. F. L. 
Tufts, of Columbia University, Secretary for 
the ensuing year. 
The first paper was by Professor R. 8. Wood- 
ward and Mr. J. W. Miller, Jr., on ‘The 
Elastic Properties of Helical Springs.’ This 
was part of an investigation now in progress 
and the details will be published later when the 
investigation is completed. 
Dr. F. L. Tufts then read a paper on ‘A 
Photographic Study of the Air Movements 
near the Mouth of an Organ Pipe.’ In this 
paper the author described experiments in 
which he applied the ‘method of striz,’ simi 
lar to that used by Toepler, C. V. Boys, R. W. 
Wood and others, to the study of the vibrations 
within an organ pipe. The pipe used had sides 
made of plane parallel glass plates. The tongue 
of air at the mouth of the pipe was made visible 
by using air mixed with alcohol vapor which 
changed its optical density. The vibrations 
and air currents within the pipe were made 
visible by the introduction into the pipe of 
small jets of illuminating gas. The intermit- 
tent illumination used was the spark between 
magnesium ribbons from an induction coil. It 
was found quite easy to adjust the rate of in- 
terruption of the coil so as to produce a strobo- 
scopic effect, and thus the movements of the 
tongue of air in the mouth of the pipe and the 
vibrations and air currents in the pipe could be 
readily followed. ; 
The same method was also applied by the 
author to study the behavior of unignited jets 
of illuminating gas when acted on by sound 
waves. The paper was illustrated by a num- 
ber of photographs of the phenomena observed. 
WitiiAM S. Day, 
Secretary. 
SCLENCE. 
469 
THE LAS VEGAS SCIENCE CLUB. 
THE third meeting of the Science Club was 
held February 12th. Mrs. Cora W. Hewett ex- 
hibited shells of Pyramidula strigosa varieties 
depressa, Cooperi and major, which she had col- 
lected between Mora and Penasco, N. M. It 
was remarked that, though occurring together, 
the depressa and Cooperi forms did not appear 
to intergrade. Miss Mary Cooper exhibited 
numerous species of New Mexico Mollusca, in- 
cluding Ashmunella thomsoniana portere from 
Manzanares Valley, a new locality. Mr. T. 
D. A. Cockerell exhibited and discussed a num- 
ber of shells from a pleistocene deposit at the 
Arroyo Pecos, Las Vegas. The shells ap- 
peared to be all of living species, but he had 
found in the deposit part of the jaw and a 
tooth of a species of Microtus which, judging 
from the enamel pattern, was clearly distinct 
from any species now recognized as living in 
America. Mr. Cockerell also exhibited speci- 
mens of a wax-scale, Ceroplastes sinensis, Del 
Guercio, received from the Agricultural School 
at Portici, Italy, with the information that it 
was infesting lemon trees at Chiavari, Italy. 
It was supposed that the insect reached Italy 
from China, but it was very close indeed to C. 
mexicanus, Ckll., a species not uncommon in 
Mexico. 
T. D. A. C. 
OTTAWA FIELD NATURALISTS’ CLUB. 
Av the last meeting of the Club held at 
Ottawa, January 29th, the following papers of 
special interest to geologists were presented : 
Observations on the Crows’ Nest Pass. By Mr. 
JAMES McEvry, of the Geological Survey of 
Canada. 
Mr. McEyry spoke of the geological struc 
ture and economic resources of the Pass and 
illustrated his paper by means of lantern slides 
prepared by Mr. J. Keele. 
Explorations in Baffin Land. By Dr. ROBERT 
BELL. 
This paper gave a graphic résumé of the re- 
searches carried on by Dr. Bell and his party 
along the North Shore of Hudson Straits and 
in the interior of Baffin Land. Numerous 
lantern slides illustrating the geological struc- 
