470 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 16. 



UVTULLIGHNCH FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. 



GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. 



National musetun, 



A new sperm-whale. — The Smithsonian institution 

 has recently received from Life-saving service No. 84, 

 at Spring Lake, New Jersey, a very valuable speci- 

 men of a pygmy sperm-whale of the genus Kogia. 

 This is apparently the first instance of the discovery 

 of a cetacean of this genus in the North Atlantic. 

 Five species have been hitherto described, — three 

 from the Australian waters, one from the Cape of 

 Good Hope, and one from the Gulf of California. 

 The recently acquired specimen differs from Kogia 

 Floweri, apparently the most closely allied species, 

 in having less incurved teeth, longer pectorals, a 

 higher dorsal, and the symphysis of the lower jaw 

 more convex below. It may be denominated Kogia 

 Goodei. 



The specimen has been photographed and cast, and 

 the viscera have also been preserved. The animal 

 proved to be with young, the foetus measuring about 

 three feet in length. F. W. True. 



Bureau of ethnology. 



Prehistoric remains in North Carolina. — Mr. 

 John P. Rogan and Dr. J. Mason Spainhour have 

 made some important finds of antiquities in North 

 Carolina. In one mound tliey found there bad been 

 sixteen persons buried, ten of them in stone graves 

 or cists, not of the usual form, but built up in a coni- 

 cal shape -of small stones, arched over, and closed 

 at the top. In nine of these the skeletons were sit- 

 ting upright. It appears, that before the burial the 

 ground, to the full size of the mound, had been ex- 

 cavated to the depth of about three feet; the bodies 

 were then placed in a sitting-posture, and the stone 

 tombs built over them. At the centre, a small round 

 hole had been dug some three feet deeper, a body 

 had been placed therein in a standing-posture, and 

 the tomb built up around it so as to cover the head; 

 the capstone being a large piece of steatite. Imme- 

 diately under this, on top of the head, were several 

 plates of cut mica. At one point in this mound 

 was found an oblong structure, 24 inches long, 18 

 inches wide, and IS inches high, built up solidly of 

 river-stones. No implements or other articles, ex- 

 cept a few broken pipes, were found in this mound. 



A short distance north of this was discovered a 

 triangular enclosure filled with graves, some of them 

 incased with stone, others not. In some of these 

 graves there were two skeletons, one placed above 

 the other; the lower one in each case being of small 

 stature, with very heavy flat stones placed on the 

 arms and legs. 



In one large grave were found ten skeletons, the 

 principal one with the face downwards. Under his 

 head was a large engraved shell; around his neck, the 

 remains of a necklace of large-sized beads ; at each 

 ear, pieces of copper; around each wrist, bracelets 

 composed of copper and shell beads; on his breast, a 

 piece of copper; at his right hand, two implements of 

 hammered iron; under his left hand, an engraved 

 shell filled with beads of various sizes. The other 

 nine skeletons were arranged around this one, extend- 

 ing in all directions; under two of them M-ere also 

 found engraved sliells. Scattered over the area were 

 found a number of stone axes, polished celts, des- 

 coidal and rubbing stones; a number of steatite 

 pipes highly polished, with bowl and stem of one 

 piece; also copper arrow-heads, plates of mica, graph- 

 ite, etc. 



These articles have all been received by the bureau. 

 The same parties have since opened another mound, 

 in which were found fifty-five skeletons, four or five 

 engraved shells, copper beads, a piece of hammered 

 iron, pots, cups, one tomahawk, a number of stone 

 implements, about a dozen pipes, mica, galena, etc. 



Department of agriculture. 

 Artesian v^ells. — The work under the department 

 for the sinking of artesian wells in the arid lauds of 

 the west, is going steadily on. A recent report from 

 artesian well No. 1, at Akron, Col., gives the follow- 

 ing state of affairs, — Feb. 23, a depth of 925 feet had 

 been reached with 1,063 feet of casing in, as follows: 

 100 feet of lO-lnch, 293 feet of S-inch, and 670 feet 

 of 6-inch.. The character of the formations has 

 been, 10 feet clay and gravel, 10 feet gravel, 10 feet, 

 of a chalky deposit, 50 feet conglomerate (sand and 

 gravel), 8 feet hard sand rock, 20 feet chalky rock 

 12 feet gravel and clay, 92 feet dry black clay, 10 feet 

 sandstone, 113 feet blue slaty shale, 570 feet shale. 

 At 50 feet a small amount of water was found, at 

 100 feet the water rose 15 feet, at 128 feet it rose 

 again slightly, at 355 feet there was a rise of 80 feet, 

 and at 540 feet the water rose again 305 feet. 



STATE INSTITUTIONS. 

 Ohio meteorological bureau, Columbus, 



Weather report for March. — The atmosplieric press- 

 ure was generally less than for any month yet reported 

 by this bureau. The jnaximum barometric height 

 (30.619 inches), the mean (30.060 inches), and th& 

 minimum (29.424 inches), are all less than the cor- 

 responding figures for previous months. Both the 

 maximum and minimum are reported from the lake 

 region, the former having been observed at Oberlin, 

 and the latter at Sandusky. 



The remarkable feature of the weatlrer for the 

 month was the extremes of temperature that were 

 recorded, and the unusually low mean for the whole 

 month over the whole state. This mean was 32.4°. 

 In a series of temperature observations extending 

 over periods of from six to twelve years, and fairly 

 well distributed over the state, the mean tempera- 

 ture for the month of March is found to be about 

 38°, so that the past month must be regarded as un- 

 usually cold. The extremes of temperature are even 

 more remarkable. A maximum of 75° is reported 

 from Ironton on the iSth, and a minimum of 17.4° 

 below zero at Wauseon on the 20th. This makes a 

 range for the state of 92.4°, which is above any pre- 

 viously reported, and one not likely to be reached 

 again during the year. The fall of temperature 

 about the 18th, 19th, and 20th, was extraordinary. 

 Wauseon reports the maximum daily range, which 

 was 55.2° on the ISth. This station has continuously 

 reported the lowest temperatures. During the past 

 four months the lowest i^oints reached liave been as 

 follows : — 



From this it will be seen that the temperature 



