252 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. III. No. 59. 



plained the invariable deposition of metallic 

 copper to great depths as Pumpelly's, viz : 

 that it was effected by the reduction of copper 

 salts by the FeO in the universally present 

 chlorite. T. A. Jaggae, Je., 



Recording Secretary. 



ST. LOXnS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



At the meeting of February 3, of the Acad- 

 emy of Science of St. Louis, President Gray in 

 the chair and twenty -two other persons present, 

 Mr. Trelease exhibited several specimens, about 

 three feet square, of a curious silk tapestry, 

 taken from the ceiling of a corn storing loft in 

 San Luis Potosi, Mexico, by Dr. Francis Esch- 

 auzier, stating that he was informed that the 

 larger specimen had been cut from a continuous 

 sheet over twenty yards wide and about four 

 times as long. The specim^ens, of a nearly 

 white color, and of much the appearance and 

 feeling of a soft tanned piece of sheepskin, 

 were shown to be composed of myriads of fine 

 silken threads, crossing and recrossing at every 

 conceivable angle, and so producing a seem- 

 ingly homogeneous texture. Although speci- 

 mens of the creatures by which they are pro- 

 duced had not been secured, it was stated that 

 there was no doubt that these tapestries are the 

 work of lepidopterous larvse which feed upon 

 grain, the presumption being that they are 

 made by the larva of what has been called the 

 Mediterranean Grain or Flour Moth {Ephestia 

 Kuhniella). The speaker briefly reviewed the 

 history of this insect and its injuriousness in 

 various parts of the world, and quoted from a 

 report of Dr. Bryce, showing that in Canada, 

 where it became established in 1889, ' a large 

 warehouse, some 25 feet wide, 75 feet long, 

 and four stories high, became literally alive 

 with moths in the short course of six months. ' 



One name was proposed for active member- 

 ship. William Teeleasb, 



Recording Secretary. 



NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The fifth annual meeting was held in Lin- 

 coln January 2 and 3, at which a considerable 

 number of papers were presented. 



Dr. C. E. Besssy discussed the peculiar con- 

 ditions by which the Buifalo grass had devel- 



oped here on the plains from the nearly related 

 Gramma grasses ; and also the origin of the 

 present flora of Nebraska in general. 



Prof. C. D. Swezey showed by a comparison 

 of early rainfall records in Nebraska with those 

 of recent years that there is no evidence of any 

 progressive change of our climate eit'~er to- 

 wards greater rainfall or towards droughty con- 

 ditions. 



Mr. H. S. Clason presented facts dealing 

 with the primitive civilization in America as 

 indicated by the character of the ruins left. 



Prof. F. W. Card showed how much less im- 

 portant were the economic fungi of the West 

 than in the East, owing to our drier climate. 



Dr. H. B. Ward described some new and 

 little known animal parasites from Nebraska. 



Mr. C. J. Elmore described some fossil di- . 

 atoms from the State, and Dr. E. H. Barbour 

 gave some facts as to the occurrence of consid- 

 erable deposits of these organisms, such as give 

 promise of commercial value. 



Mr. G. A. Loveland presented an analysis of 

 wind velocity records in the State to show how 

 many hours a day the wind may be depended 

 on for windmill power. 



Dr. E. H. Barbour made a report of progress 

 on the peculiar fossil Dsemonelix, of which he 

 has now obtained a series of forms from succes- 

 sive horizons, indicating its probable genesis 

 and development. 



Lincoln, Neb., February 4, 1896. 



G. D. Swezey, 



Secretary. 



NEW BOOKS. 

 A New View of the Origin of Dalton^s Atomic 



Theory. Henry E. Koscoe and Aethue 



Hardey. London and New York, Macmillan 



&Co. 1896. Pp. ix+190, $1.90. 

 The Number Concept, Its Origin and Development. 



Levi Leonard Conant. New York and 



London, Macmillan & Co. 1896. Pp. vi + 



218. $2.00. 

 The Spraying of Plants. E. G. Lodeman. New 



York and London, Macmillan & Co. 1896. 



Pp. xvii -f 399. $1.00. 

 La Theorie Platonicienne des Sciences. Elie 



Hal^vy. Paris, Alcan. 1896. Pp. xl -|- 



378. 



