SCIENCE 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; R. S. Woodward, Meclianics ; E. C. Pickbeino, 



Astronomy ; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics ; R. H. Thueston, Engineering ; Iea Remsbn, Chemistry ; 



Joseph Le Conte, Geology ; W. M. Davis, Physiography ; Henry F. Osboen, Paleontology ; 



W. K. Beooks, C. Haet Meeeiam, Zoology ; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology ; C. E. Bessey, 



N. L. Beitton, Botany ; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology ; H. P. Bowditce, 



Physiology ; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; William H. Welch, Pathology ; 



J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology ; J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, July 13, 1900. 



CONTENTS: 



The American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science : — ■ 

 On Kathode Bays and some related Phenomena 



(I) : Peofessoe Eenhst Meeeitt 41 



Some Twentieth Century Proilems : Peofessoe 

 William Teelease 48 



The Structure and Signification of certain Botan- 

 ical Terms : De. Chaeles A. White 62 



Lymphosporidium Truttm, Nov. Gen., Nov. Spec, 

 the cause of a recent Brook Trout Epidemic: 

 De. Gaey N. Calkins 64 



Embryology of L'epas : Maueice A. Bigklow.... 65 



Ernst Sartig : Peofessoe R. H. Thurston 66 



Scientific Books : — 



Pearson's, The Grammar of Science : Peofessoe 

 Joseph Jasteow. Whipple on the Microscopy 

 of Drinking Water: Peofessoe Chaeles A. 

 Kofoid. Pozzi-Escot's Analyse Chimique Quali- 

 tative: Professor Edward Renouf 67 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Deformed Sterna in the Domesticated Fowl : F. 

 A. Lucas. Remarks of the Loess in North China : 

 Fred. B. Weight ; Poioer of the Eye : Hieam 

 M. Stanley 71 



Current Notes on Physiography : — 



Glaci^res or Freezing Caverns; The Old Ifoiin- 

 tains of Michigan ; Water power in North Caro- 

 lina : Professor W. M. Davis 73 



Botanical Notes : — 



Recent Books for Secondary Schools ; A Study 

 of Non-indigenous Plants ; New Species of In- 

 sect Parasites ; Physiology of Tobacco : Profes- 

 sor Charles E. Bessey 74 



Tlie Recent Solar Eclipse 76 



The Third International Conference on a Cata- 

 logue of Scientific Literature 77 



Scientific Notes and News 78 



I and Educational News 79 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor, Profes- 

 sor J. McKeen Cattell, Garrison-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



ON KATHODE RAYS AND SOME RELATED 



PHENOMENA.* 



I. 



Among the branches of physical investi- 

 gation that have recently shown especial 

 activity, few occupy a more prominent po- 

 sition at the present time than those that 

 are related to the electrical discharge in 

 rarefied gases. This is true not only be- 

 cause of the rapid development of the sub- 

 ject, but also because of the far reaching 

 importance of the results, and the influence 

 which they seem destined to exert upon 

 widely different branches of physics. When 

 I learned that I was to have the privilege 

 of addressing you to-day, it appeared to me 

 that I could not better utilize the oppor- 

 tunity than by briefly recalling the progress 

 in this subject during the last few years, and 

 calling attention to some of the results that 

 we may reasonably hope for in the future. 

 The whole subject of vacuum tube discharge 

 is, of course, too large to be treated in the 

 brief space of an hour. I shall therefore 

 confine myself to one of its more important 

 subdivisions, namely, the phenomena and 

 theory of the kathode rays. 



Of the many beautiful and interesting 



phenomena that accompany the electrical 



discharge in rarefied gases, certainly none 



has attracted such widespread attention as 



* Address of the Vice-President and Chairman of 

 Section B (Physics) of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science, given at the New York 

 meeting. 



