142 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 291. 



magma rich in alkalis, and closely related to 

 the nepheline-syenites. Hans Eusch discusses 

 ' The Last Stage of the Ice Age in Central 

 Scandinavia.' He offers a new theory of the 

 origin of the glacial lakes north of Christiana, 

 whose beaches occur in the upper parts of the 

 valleys to the south of the divide. In an ex- 

 tended article Buckley continues his valuable 

 discussion of the ' Properties of Building Stones' 

 which was begun in the number for February- 

 March, 1900. Editorial, Reviews, and a list 

 of Recent Publications close this valuable num- 

 ber with its varied table of contents. 



J. H. S. 



Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Elec- 

 tricity for June contains the following articles : 



' The Magnetic Observatory at De Bilt, near Utrecht, ' 

 M. Snellen ; ' Magnetic Intensity Variometers, ' M. 

 Eschenhagen; ' Einige Bemerkungen zur Messung der 

 Horizontal-intensitiit des Erdmagnetismus Mittels 

 desmagnetischen Theodoliten,' J. Liznar; 'A Possible 

 Cause of the Earth's Magnetism and a Theory of its 

 Variations, ' William Sutherland; ' Biographical Sketch 

 of Dr. William Gilbert ' (with portrait) ; ' Some recent 

 Contributions to Terrestrial Magnetism,' L. A. Bauer. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADE3IIES. 



THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



The Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy 

 of Science was held in the Chemical Lecture 

 Room of the University of Texas on the morn- 

 ing of June 18, 1900, President Simonds in the 

 chair. 



The program offered was as follows : 



1. 'The Nature of Jtistice, ' by Professor S. E . Mezes, 

 University of Texas- 



2. ' The Development of the Present Texas Eailway 

 System,' by R. A. Thompson, M.A., Engineer to the 

 State Eailroad Commission, Austin. 



3. ' Mind and Brain, ' by Dr. Edmund Montgomery, 

 Hemstead, Texas. 



4. ' The Relation of the Work of the Sanitary En- 

 gineer to the Public Health,' by J. C. Nagle, M.C.E., 

 A. and M., College of Texas. 



The following papers were read by title : 



1. 'Note on the Marte and Bluff Meteorites,' by 

 Professor 0. C. Charlton, Baylor University, Waco. 



2. ' My Experience vpith a Siphon Pipe-Line, ' by 

 John K. Prather, B.S., Waco. 



3. ' Fossils of the Fort Worth Limestone near 

 Waco,' by John K. Prather, B.S., Waco. 



4. ' Research Work done in Organic Chemistry at 

 the University of Texas,' by J. R. Bailey, Ph.D., and 

 Messrs. S. F. Acree, M.S., Louis Knox, Louis Kirk, 

 and Omerod Palm. 



In his paper on the 'Nature of Justice,' Dr. 

 Mezes undertook to base the conception of jus- 

 tice on the systems of legal justice of the most 

 advanced nations, in so far as these systems 

 are in agreement ; the ground for this position 

 being that the conclusions are thus made to 

 rest on a study of the best instances of justice 

 that can be investigated. It was pointed out 

 that there are three subdivisions to justice. 

 The first subdivision defines and forbids the 

 doing of wrong, either to private individuals or 

 to the public ; the legal basis here is the law 

 of torts and the criminal law. The second de- 

 fining the benefits that each individual receives 

 from others and from society, points out those 

 to whom return should be made for these bene- 

 fits, and requires that such return be made ; 

 here the legal basis is the law of contract, and 

 the little systematized law of the obligations 

 that arise out of relations. The third subdi- 

 vision deals with the proper procedure towards 

 those charged with injustice, and the just treat- 

 ment of the unjust, but how should they be 

 treated and who should take them in hand ; 

 here the basis is the law of procedure, and por- 

 tions of the law under the heads previously 

 mentioned. Otherwise stated, under the first 

 head the line is drawn separating liberty from 

 license ; under the second specification is made 

 of the individual's debts and of the payment 

 that honesty demands ; under the third pro- 

 vision is made for readjusting the balance that 

 injustice has disturbed. In conclusion the 

 speaker pointed out that justice requires each 

 man to consider his capacities, the deserts of 

 others, their needs, and all the other relation- 

 ships in which he finds himself, and then to do 

 his part as the particular social member that he 

 is. 



Mr. Thompson discussed the development of 

 the present railway system of Texas and illus- 

 trated by map and diagram the progress of con- 

 struction from the inception of the first line to 

 the present time. The first railway charter 

 was granted in 1836. The first road to begin 

 construction was the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and 



