472 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 16. 



management of the forests of the country, whether 

 private, or situated on the public domain. But as 

 such meetings serve to Iceep the general subject 

 before the public, it woflld not be fair to say tliat they 

 have not some value. Forest orators at these meet- 

 ings invariably deplore the want of an American 

 system of forestry, and declare that such a system 

 must be provided at once. We are not sure that 

 we exactly know wliat tliey mean by an American 

 system of forestry (it would indeed be an elastic 

 system whicli would be equally applicable to the 

 forests of Florida and Micliigan) ; but it is safe to pre- 

 dict, that, if our forests are ever managed under any 

 sensible system which will secure the greatest benefit 

 from them for the whole community, stich a system 

 win be reached through scientific investigation, qui- 

 etly pursued along lines of definite research, and not 

 by the teachings of enthusiasts who attend conven- 

 tions, and find it easy to tell us all about forests, and 

 what they do in Europe to preserve them. 



— At the meeting of the Wasliington anthropo- 

 logical society, held May 1, Mr. Albert S. Gatschet 

 gave an account of his recent journey to the Shete- 

 raacha Indians in southern Louisiana, near and on 

 the Gulf coast. Once these people were very power- 

 ful in this region ; but they are now reduced to a 

 handful, very much mixed, the younger ones even 

 refusing to learn the motlier-tongue. Many of their 

 old practices yet prevail ; but the innovation of new 

 ways and words upon the old gives a most instruc- 

 tive lesson upon tlie growth of civilization. At the 

 same meeting. Professor Cyrus Tliomas made a 

 report upon a map of mound distribution which lie 

 is preparing under the direction of the Bureau of 

 ethnology. The plan has been to collect and classify 

 from every available source the mounds enumerated 

 in each state where tliey exist. From these data the 

 map has resulted. 



— The mathematical section of tlie Wasliington 

 philosopliical society, April 26, heard the conclusion 

 of Mr. Kummell's discussion of alignment curves, 

 and Prof. A. Hall on Tlie determination of the mass 

 of a planet from the relative observation of two 

 satellites. May 9 Mr. M. H. Doolittle read a paper 

 on Infinitesimals and infinites, whicli gave rise to con- 

 siderable discussion as to the true meaning of these 

 terms. Mr. E. B. Elliott then explained the construc- 

 tion of perpetual calendars. 



— The Philosophical society of Washington, at its 

 meeting. May 5, listened to Mr. H. A. Hazen on Hy- 

 grometric observations, and Mr. E. J. Farquhar on 

 Dreams in their psychological relation. 



— The Natural liistory society of Toronto has just 

 elected as oflice-bearers for the coming year. Dr. 

 Brodie, president; Messrs. Pierce and Seaton, vice- 

 presidents; Mr. Williams, recording secretary; Mr. 

 Clare, corresponding secretary ; and Mr. Mosey, cura- 

 tor and librarian. The question of the usefulness of 



the English sparrow was brouglit up at the last meet- 

 ing by Mr. Henry Melville, wlio nr^ed tlie society to 

 petition tlie Canadian government to furnish such 

 material assistance as might enable the society to 

 secure practical results. 



— At a meeting of the Department of science and 

 arts of tlie Ohio mechanics' institute, held May 10, 

 Mr. George W. Bugbee read a paper on the Manu- 

 facture of small fire-arms, which was illustrated by 

 models and blackboard drawings; and Dr. F. Boeder 

 exliibited a method of purifying muddy water by 

 means of dyalized iron. 



— At tlie meeting of the Biological society of Wash- 

 ington, May 11, communications were made by Prof. 

 L. F. Ward, on some hitherto undescribed fossil 

 plants from the lower Yellowstone, collected by Dr. 

 C. A. Wliite in 18S2; by Mr. Frederick W. True, 

 on a new pygmy sperm-whale from the New Jersey 

 coast; and by Dr. Thomas Taylor, on Actinomykosis, 

 a new infectious disease of man and the lower ani- 

 mals, with exhibition of a portion of tlie diseased 

 viscera of a dog containing specimens of the fungus 

 Actinomyces. 



— The annual report of the North Carolina agricul- 

 tural experiment station is very largely composed of 

 the results of analyses of commercial fertilizers, and 

 of amateur field-experiments on their use. Some of 

 these have been previously published in the form 

 of bulletins, and have been noticed in our columns. 

 A few fodder-analyses are also given, among them 

 some of the by-products of cotton-seed and rice, an 

 account of which appears in anotlier column; and a 

 field-experiment with cotton is reported, giving tlie 

 interesting result that too heavy manuring with 

 nitrogen (on poor land) actually decreased the crop 

 of cotton, presumably by unduly stimulating the 

 growth of the vegetative organs. 



— A meeting of the United States naval institute 

 was lield at Annapolis on May 10, at which the prize 

 essay of '83 was discussed, and Professor Charles E. 

 Munroe read a paper on the^ Drying of gunpowder 

 magazines. 



— Mr. E. W. Nelson, who arrived in Washington 

 last week for the purpose of completing his report 

 upon the ethnology and zoology of Alaska, has suf- 

 fered a decline in health, and will be forced to re- 

 turn to Colorado immediately. 



— Dr. Tarleton H. Bean will go to London in June, 

 to be present at the Fisheries exhibition, and to pros- 

 ecute some important studies in iclithyology in co- 

 operation witli Professor Goode. He will probably 

 visit the principal museums on the continent. 



— The treasurer of the American committee of the 

 Balfour memorial fund acknowledges tlie following 

 subscriptions: Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, Pliiladelphia, 

 $2.5; Eoswell Fislier, M.A., Cantab, Montreal, SS; 

 Dr. T. W. Mills, McGill college, Montreal, $2. Pre- 

 viously acknowledged, .'B4S'i.2"'. 



