120 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 4. 



there are only a few small islands from which obser- 

 vations are possible. Mr. C. H. Rockwell, at the re- 

 cent meeting of the American association, suggested 

 the feasibility of sending an expedition to Caroline 

 Island, which is situated in latitude 10° south, and 

 longitude 150° west; and his plan has been adopted 

 by the committee. A small appropriation of $5,000 

 was asked from Congress to defray the necessary ex- 

 penses, and forms one of the items in the sundry 

 civil bill now under consideration, with little doubt 

 of its being granted. 



The expedition leaves New York to-day by steamer 

 for Callao, via Panama. At this point, through the 

 courtesy of the secretary of the navy, a man-of-war 

 receives the party, and conveys them to Caroline 

 Island. This is a small coral island, and said to be 

 inhabited by a few persons. It is near the central 

 line, and will give the observers a period of about five 

 minutes, or a few seconds more, of the total phase. 



The members of the party are as follows: Prof. 

 E. S. Holden of Madison, Wis. ; Mr. C. H. Eockwell 

 of Tarrytown, N.Y. ; Prof. C. S. Hastings of Balti- 

 more; Mr. E. D. Preston, U. S. coast-survey; Mr. W. 

 Upton, U. S. signal-oflBoe; and Ensign Brown, U. S. 

 navy. The party will be further increased by two 

 English astronomers sent by the Royal society, who 

 will join the expedition at Panama. 



The most important observations planned are a 

 search for Intra-mercurial planets, spectroscopic ob- 

 servations, and photographic work. The last named 

 is wholly in the hands of the English guests of the 

 party. Professor Hastings has planned the spectro- 

 scopic work, and will use a 6j-inch, a 4i'o-inch, and 

 a 2-J-inch telescope. The first named is fitted with a 

 grating for examination of the chromosphere before 

 and after totality, and with a large prism for special 

 study during the total phase of the outer corona. 

 The second is provided with a grating, and also a 

 single prism, and is designed for use in studying the 

 relative lengths of lines reversed just before totality, 

 and the limits to which the line 1474 K can be traced. 

 The smallest instrument has a 30° prism of flint- 

 glass placed before its objective, and is designed for 

 observing the relative heights and brightness of the 

 rings H^, Ho, H , H^j, D3, and 1474 K. 



The instrumental outfit includes, in addition, a 6- 

 inch telescope, a 4-inch and a 2|-inch polariscopic 

 apparatus, and meteorological instruments for study- 

 ing radiation and other phenomena. 



It is probable that tlie expedition will arrive at 

 Caroline Island the latter part of April. After the 

 eclipse the naval vessel will sail for Honolulu, from 

 which the party will return via San Francisco. The 

 Coast-survey observer carries a pendulum, which will 

 be swung at various points as occasion offers. The 

 chances of fair weather are very good, and the out- 

 look for the success of the expedition seems in every 

 "ay to be favorable. It is not known that any other 



expedition will be sent to observe the eclipse; though 

 a French expedition to observe at Flint Island, which 

 is near Caroline Island, has been planned. 



— The American members of the International 

 congress of electricians, which assembled in Paris 

 in 1881, were: Hon. Levi P. Morton (American 

 minister), Prof. G. F. Barker of Philadelphia, Major 

 D. P. Heap, U.S.A., Dr. Cornelius Herz, Lieut. T. C. 

 Maclean, U.S.N., and Prof. Henry A. Rowland of 

 Baltimore. 



The members chosen by the U. S. government to 

 represent them at the Electrical conference, held in 

 October, 1882, — of which an account is given in our 

 leading article, — were Prof. Henry A. Rowland of 

 Baltimore, and Prof. John Trowbridge of Cambridge. 



— Not a few of our younger scientific men will feel 

 a personal loss in the recent death of Hon. Paul A. 

 Chadbourne, president of the Massachusetts agricul- 

 tural college. Previously president of the University 

 of Wisconsin and of Williams college, earlier profes- 

 sor at the latter institution and at Bowdoin college, 

 an instructor in chemistry, materia medica, geology, 

 botany, zoology, and natural theology, he has been 

 brought all his life into contact with young men, and 

 has impressed them with his earnestness. Occupied 

 in too many and too varied pursuits to give his 

 strength to research, but possessed of native powers 

 and intuitive perceptions which would have enabled 

 him to accomplish much In such a field, he has yet 

 encouraged so many young men in the beginning of 

 their career, — men who to-day hold their own in 

 American science, — that his name deserves honor- 

 able mention here. He was a man of intense activity 

 and diversified talents; being perhaps equally known 

 as preacher, legislator, lecturer, and manufacturer, 

 but best of all as an instructor. He died in his six- 

 tieth year. 



— A course of seven free Saturday-night lectures 

 at the Cooper Union, New York, commencing Feb. 

 17, is announced as follows : Miss L. Von Finkelstein, 

 on Domestic and city life in Jerusalem; Rev. J. C. 

 Eccleston, D.D., on Columbus and his companions; 

 Dr. Samuel Kneeland, on the Sandwich Islands, the 

 land of fire; the same lecturer, on Iceland, the land 

 of desolation; Prof. H. L. Falrchild, on Animal self- 

 defence; the same lecturer, on Prehistoric man; the 

 last of the course by J. H. Wilson, Esq., on Spain. 

 All the lectures will be illustrated. 



— At a meeting of the American philosophical 

 society held at Philadelphia on Feb. 21, the subject 

 of glacial motion was treated by Professors Lewis, 

 Frazer, and Lesley; Prof. Lewis discussing the vari- 

 ous causes assigned for the extension and southward 

 flow of the great glacier. Prof. Frazer recounting the 

 observations of Messrs. Peach and Home on the 

 glaciation of Scotland, and Prof. Lesley giving an 

 amusing description of the rival theories of British, 

 glaciation urged by different geologists. ' 



