May 11, 1SS3.] 



SCIENCE. 



409 



INTELLIGIINOi: FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. 



GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. 



Departmeat of agriculture. 



Facts of interest in economic entomology. — Bulle- 

 tin 2 of the entomological division contains the fol- 

 lowing facts of interest: — 



The Chrysoinelid Graptodera carinata injured fuch- 

 sias by eating the leaves in September at German- 

 town. Peun. — During 18S2 the army-worm was re- 

 ported from Saratoga County, N.T., at the north, 

 to the Ked-river vaHey in Louisiana, at the south. — 

 The larva of Agrotis inermis is mentioned as cutting 

 down sniilax in an extensive flower-garden at Ger- 

 mantown, Peun. — The clover-leaf weevil (Phytono- 

 mus punctatus) was as destructive in Yates County, 

 N.Y., in 1SS2 as in 1881; and its spread into adjoining 

 counties was noticed. — Ej)hestia zeae was received 

 from New-Tock City, with accoitnts of damage done 

 by the larva to lozenges. — The description of the 

 curious work of a mite allied to Tetrauychus tella- 

 rius, found at Melrose Highlands, Mass., is given. A 

 large ash-tree was almost entirely covered by a filmy 

 web spun by this mite. — The little honiopterous En- 

 tilia sinuata Fabr. was sent from Franklin Falls, 

 N.H., as destroying the Canada thistle. — Isosoma 

 tritici was received from Columbia County, Wash. 

 Ter. — The fungus, Scorias spongiosa, upon the honey- 

 dew of Schizoneura imbricator, was sent from John- 

 son County, Tenn. — Twigs of Wistaria were received 

 from Hudson, C, which were bored by the larva of 

 Elaphidiou villosuni. — A letter from Mr. H. 6. 

 Hubbard, on the aid of spiders in th'e spread of scale- 

 insects, is given in full. — The seventeen-year cicada 

 appeared in 1SS2 in parts of Yates, Ontario, Living- 

 ston, and Wyoming Counties, iST.Y. — A mill at Lan- 

 sing, Mich., was overrun (November, 1882) by the two 

 beetles Palorus depressus and Laemophlaeus alter- 

 naus. — The natives of Upper Birraah use, as a remedy 

 for cotton insects, conjee-water; i.e., fermented rice- 

 water, with a little salt and the rind of a fresh 

 sqiteezed lemon thrown in. — Mr. William Plumer of 

 Lexington, Mass., advises the addition of a small 

 quantity of gum-arabic or glue and bichromate of 

 potash to insecticide solutions, in order to render them 

 ' water-proof,' or less readily washed off by rains from 

 plants or trees to which they have been applied. — 

 The effect of frost upon scale-insects is considered in 

 a letter from Mr. Joseph Voyle, of Gainesville, Fla., 

 who concludes, that, by unusually cold weather, 

 larvae killed, but not enough to be of service to the 

 hatcliiiig and development are retarded, and a few 

 tree. 



PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. 

 Astronomical observatory of Harvard college, Cambridge, Mass. 



The work at the observatory. — There has been great 

 progress in the reduction and publication of past ob- 

 servations. The catalogue giving the results of pho- 

 tometric measurements on four thousand stars is now 

 in the hands of the printer. 



Photometric observations of a hundred and eighty- 

 five eclipses of Jupiter's satellites have been made. 

 The search for objects with singular spectra has been 

 continued and carried on with more system than 

 formerly. At the last opposition of Mars, the satel- 

 lites were seen, and photometric measurements were 

 obtained which agreed with those made in 1877. The 

 results of the photometric measurements of various 

 points on the moon have been published in the Sele- 

 nographiaal journal, v. 57. Mr. Chandler has made a 



careful study of Sawyer's variable star, and has found 

 the period to be about twenty hours. The variation 

 of the light is about three-fourths of a magnitude. 



Professor Eogers has found it necessary to take a 

 prolonged rest from night-work, but will resume soon. 

 The results of his work in the last twelve years will 

 occupy three volumes of the Annals, and are being 

 prepared for publication. 



The measurement of the light of the stars visible 

 to the unaided eye was completed last summer. Over 

 ninety thotisand measures were made on about four 

 thousand stars. The effect of atmospheric absorption 

 has been found, for any altitude exceeding 15°, to 

 equal in stellar magnitudes one-fourth of the secant 

 of the zenith distance. This agrees with the result 

 of Seidel, the average deviation of the two determi- 

 nations not exceeding one-thirtieth of a magnitude. 

 An extended comparison of the scale of magnitudes 

 employed by previous observers has been made. A 

 reduction of the observations of Sir William Herschel 

 lias been effected, and has led to important results. 

 Their neglect hitherto has been partly owing to the 

 want of a suitable system of magnitudes by which 

 they might be reduced. Tliis want has been sitpplied 

 by the photometric measures at this observatory. We 

 have thus an accurate measure of the brightness of 

 a large part of the lucid stars of a hundred years ago. 



NOTES And news. 



The fifth session of the congress of Americanists 

 will be held in Copenhagen, Aug. 21-24, under the 

 patronage of Christian IX., king of Denmark. Dr. 

 J. J. A. AVorsaae, director of the museum of ethnog- 

 raphy, will be the president, and W. A. Carstensen, 

 general secretary. A prospectus of the meeting has 

 been published, and may be had from the president 

 or the secretary. Any one remitting twelve francs to 

 M. Tietgen, directeur de la Banque privee de Copen- 

 'hague, will be entitled to a ticket of membership and 

 a copy of the report. The subjects to be discussed 

 are as follows: — 



History and geology. —Discovery of America; The 

 Northmen in Greenland; Mexican calpuUls; Central 

 American nationalities ; Mexican and Peruvian mili- 

 tary systems; The Popol Vuh; Comparison of the 

 kingdoms of Cuzco, Trujillo, and Peru; Peruvian 

 divinities, Viracocha, etc. ; Migrations of the Caribs ; 

 Traditions of the deluge in America. 



Archeology. — Kjcikkenmoddings of Greenland and 

 elsewhere ; Sacred signs ; Religious and emblematic ■ 

 significance of idols, etc. ; Architecture of Peru. 



Anthropology and ethnology. — • Tribal synonymy 

 and cartography; Kingdoms of Cibola, Quivira, and 

 Tegnayo; Ethnology of New Granada and the Isth- 

 mus; North America and Central Asia compared. 



Linguistics and paleography. — Grammar of the 

 Eskimo compared with' that of other American 

 languages; Mexican languages and others comj^ared; 

 Decipherment of Maya inscriptions, and of quippos; 

 Peruvian languages, and others compared. 



