Aprit 5, 1901.] 
hydroids, ten of which have never before been 
described. 
J. J. Lister presents an extended report on a 
peculiar hard white organism found growing on 
dead coral in thirty-five fathoms of water. It 
was made up of acontinuous skeleton of solid 
polyhedral elements penetrated by a system of 
anastomosing canals; these were lined with 
soft tissue and were open to the exterior. The 
soft tissue contained here and there what seemed 
to be large unsegmented eggs and other masses 
which had the appearance of parenchymular 
larve. Taking all these peculiarities into ac- 
count, the author believed the organism to be a 
sponge, but of so unusual a structure as to justify 
the erection of a new family for its reception. 
The species is called Astrosclera willeyana, and 
the family Astroscleride. 
A series of embryo mound birds and one 
hatched nestling are reported on by W. P. 
Pycraft. The feather tracts of the embryo and 
the nestling plumage are described in detail. 
The birds are able to fly almost upon hatching, 
and this has led to the idea that they were at 
once provided with adult plumage. Pyeraft 
points out that their plumage is not adult, 
though it is also not true nestling down. 
S. J. Hickson and I. L. Hiles report on cer- 
tain of the octocorallia, two species of Stolonifera 
and twenty species of Alcyonaria, three of which 
are new. The Xeniide are described by J. H. 
Ashworth. Of the sixteen known species of 
soft corals belonging to this genus, Dr. Wil- 
ley’s collection contained representatives of 
four, as well as material upon which the descrip- 
tion of a new species is based. 
G. H. PARKER. 
The Austin [Texas| Dam. By ‘THomas U. 
TAYLOR. Water-Supply and Irrigation papers 
of the United States Geological Survey, 
No. 40. Washington, Government Printing 
Office. 1900. Pp. 52, pl. xvi. 
In this publication Professor Taylor, of the 
Engineering Department of the University of 
Texas, gives an account of the inception, 
pbuilding, and failure of the ‘Austin Dam,’ a 
municipal undertaking for the purpose of con- 
trolling the water supply of the Colorado River. 
The first foundation stone was laid May 5, 
SCIENCE. 
545 
1891, and the disaster, due to an unprecedented 
flood, occurred April 7, 1900. 
As remarked by Mr. F. H. Newell, in his 
letter of transmittal, ‘‘There are many useful 
lessons to be drawn from the history of such an 
enterprise, for it often happens that failure is 
more instructive than success. Throughout 
the United Statesmany communities are now 
discussing the utilization of water power for 
irrigation and other industrial purposes, and 
they may be saved from mistakes or be led 
to adopt precautionary measures by a clear 
understanding of the causes of the disasters 
which have occurred through the neglect of 
certain precautions.”’ 
The scope of the paper may be seen from the 
following general headings : Introduction, 
Preliminary Projects, Construction of Dam, 
Leak under Head Gate, Flow of Colorado 
River, Economic Asp2ct, Silting of Lake Mc- 
Donald (the body of water back of the dam), 
Failure of the Dam. The illustrations are 
both numerous and excellent, some being 
from photographs taken immediately after the 
accident. 
Among the errors pointed out are the follow- 
ing: That the minimum flow of the river had 
been greatly overestimated, hence the power 
developed upon the completion of the dam fell 
far short of that hoped for; that evaporation 
asa factor had almost been lost sight of, that 
the engineers in charge of the work of con- 
struction (the dam cost $611,345.29) had been 
hampered and interfered with in the prosecution 
of their labors ; and that the geologic conditions 
prevailing at the site had been ignored. To 
these errors are attributed the failure of the 
enterprise to meet the expectations of the pub- 
lic and its failure as an engineering feat. 
While Professor Taylor’s paper is of the 
greatest interest to the engineering profession, 
there is much of value in other lines, as, for 
instance, the carefully conducted investigation 
of the silting up of Lake McDonald. 
FREDERIC W. SIMONDS. 
February 19, 1901. 
SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 
Tur American Geologist for January contains 
an article by S. E. Bishop on ‘ Brevity of Tuff 
