Febbuary 23, ISSo.] 



SCIENCE. 



85 



— A pharmaceutical journal in the German lan- 

 guage has just been started in New York by Dr. F. 

 Hoffmann, analyst to the State board of health. It is 

 to be published monthly ; and the January number, 

 which has just reached us, contains original papers 

 on Khus cotinoi'des, by Prof. K. Molir ; on The posi- 

 tion of pharmacy in regard to mysterious remedies in 

 North America, by Prof. Dr. Maisch ; a Rejjort of the 

 changes of the state of the pharmacopeia, by Dr. A. 

 Tscheppe, besides two unsigned articles. Eight pages 

 are given up to a monthly classified rundschau of 

 iJharmacy, excellently done. 



— Dr. S. M. Burnett spoke at the meeting of the 

 Washington philosophical society, .Jan. 13, on Refrac- 

 tion in the principal meridian of a triaxial ellipsoid; 

 regular astigmatism and cylindrical lenses; and was 

 followed by Prof. William Harkness on the Mono- 

 chromatic aberration of the human eye in aphakia. 

 Jan. 27, Mr. H. H. Bates read a paper on the Nature 

 of matter. 



— At a meeting of the section of mechanics and 

 engineering of the Ohio mechanics' institute, Jan. 23, 

 papers were presented on Governors and fly-wheels, 

 by Mr. James B. Stanwood ; The wastage of water, 

 by Mr. Thomas J. Bell ; Saving of fuel, and smoke- 

 prevention, by Mr. J. P. Kilbreth. A report on 

 Pumping-engines for piiblic water-supply was pre- 

 sented by John W. Hill, M.E. ; and Prof. R. B. 

 Warder made some remarks on The duty of steam- 

 engines. 



— At the Philosophical society of Washington, 

 Feb. 10, Dr. A. F. A. King read a paper on the ' Pre- 

 vention of malarial diseases, illustrating, inter alia, 

 the conservative function of ague.' Mr. E. J. Far- 

 quhar and Dr. J. S. Billings took exception to the 

 theories advanced. Capt. C. E. Dutton exhibited a 

 series of oil-paintings illustrative of the volcanic phe- 

 nomena of the Hawaiian islands. 



— At the meeting of the American academy of arts 

 and sciences, Feb. 14, the following papers were pre- 

 sented: Quantitative researches in photography, by 

 Mr. W. H. Pickering; Photography as a means of 

 determining the light and color of the stars, by 

 Messrs. E. C. and W. H. Pickering; The historical 

 hydrography of the west coast of North America, by 

 Mr. J. Winsor. 



— At the meeting of the Biological society of 

 Washington, Feb. 16, Dr. Coues' paper on zoological 

 nomenclature applied to histology was discussed, and 

 papers were read on Biology and classification, by 

 Mr. Newton P. Scudder ; On the structures of proto- 

 plasm and karyokinesis, by Mr. John S. Ryder; The 

 human fauna of the District of Columbia, by Prof. 

 Otis T. Mason ; Section cutting and mounting of hard 

 woods, with illustrations, by Dr. Thomas Taylor. 



— A lecture on the development of civilization was 

 delivered in the U.S. national museum by Prof. E. 

 A. Fay of the National deaf-mute institute, on Jan. 



26, before the students of the latter institution. The 

 gesture-language was delivered with remarkable ease 

 and grace. The audience was very attentive through- 

 out the lecture, and showed its appreciation of the 

 points made by the speaker, by nods and movements 

 of the fingers. 



— We learn from the, daily papers, that a proposi- 

 tion to abolish the geographical survey of New Jersey 

 is meeting with favor on the part of some would-be 

 economists in the legislature of that state. Apart 

 entirely from its scientific worth, it would be hard 

 to point out a state in the Union where the quiet 

 inexpensive work of the state geologist has been so 

 fruitful in economical value as here. 



— A course of ten lectures on zoology is being 

 given by Prof. A. S. Bickmore in the American mu- 

 seum of natural history, Central Park, New York, 

 on Satiirday mornings. The lectures commenced on 

 Jan. 20, and are almost wholly upon the higher ver- 

 tebrates, those in March being upon monkeys and 

 the different races of men. We understand the course 

 is very well attended ; but the small lecture-room is 

 a disgrace to such an institution if it contemplated 

 such courses at the outset. 



— In recognition of their scientific services at the 

 international geological congress held last year at 

 Bologna, the Italian government has created Prof. 

 James Hall of Albany a Commander of the ancient 

 order of Sts. Mauritius and Lazarus, and given Dr. T. 

 Sterry Hunt of Montreal the rank and decoration of 

 Oflicer of the same order. 



— The first half of the second course of scientific 

 lectures delivered in the National museum, under 

 the auspices of the biological and anthropological 

 societies of Washington, now completed, has met with 

 the most remarkable and flattering success. The au- 

 diences increased in size from the first; the number of 

 persons attending lectures far exceeding the seating- 

 capacity of the hall, and in one instance exceeding 

 two thousand. The first lecture by Capt. Clarence 

 E. Dutton, on Rivers, although brief and not illus- 

 trated, contained a clear, and in many respects ori- 

 ginal, exposition of the role of rivers in the great 

 drama of the globe. Prof. Otis T. Mason, who 

 delivered the second lecture on the 20th ult., took 

 for his topic The races of men, and gave a brief but 

 succinct summary of the present condition of knowl- 

 edge in this branch of anthropology. The lecture 

 was illustrated by busts and casts of different races 

 of men, from the museum collection, and by dia- 

 grams. Mr. George Kenuan, who was third in the 

 course, delivered an eloquent lecture on the Moun- 

 tains and mountaineers of the Caucasus, and was 

 listened to with closest attention during the two 

 hours occupied in its delivery. Dr. D. W. Pren- 

 tiss happily selected for his theme. Mesmerism in 

 animals, — a topic which, although attracting much 

 attention among French savants, is familiar to the 



