312 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 373. 



Trinidad. A protective tariff on asphalt is all 



tliat is needed to increase the value of the 



Beamont residue. 



* * * * * 



The following is a detailed analysis of the 

 oil: Sp. Gr.=.912 — very heavy. Begins to 

 distill at 70°C. and boil at 150°C. : 



70° — 150°C. — 3.337% comes over. 



150°— 260°C. — 11.00 " 



260°— 300°C.— 19.00 " 



300°— 350°C.— 20.00 " 



Above 350°C.— 16.67 " 

 "The first distillate below 150° C. is what is 

 ordinarily known as the 'Benzine Fraction,' 

 and as noted is 3.33% of the crude oil; it 

 boils at YO°C. 150° to 260°C. is the illuminat- 

 ing oil fraction; 260° to 300°C. are the light 

 lubricating oils; and 300° to 350°C., heavy 

 lubricating oils, mixed with asphalt. The re- 

 maining 16J% is asphalt. As before men- 

 tioned, the amount of sulphur in the oil is the 

 greatest obstacle in the way of refining it. 

 When the illuminating fraction is refined, it 

 requires the use of a much larger percentage 

 of sulphuric acid, and the loss on refining from 

 treatment with this acid is much greater * * 

 than takes place with oils having a paraf- 

 fine base and very little sulphur." 



Professor Frederick W. Malley, of the Agri- 

 cultural and Mechanical College, presented a 

 paper on 'Factors of Progress in Insect War- 

 fare,' in which he indicated the lines of effort 

 and research among economic entomologists 

 at the present time and made a comparison 

 with similar work attempted twenty years ago. 

 He grouped the warfare roughly into four 

 great divisions : Insecticides, Cultural Meth- 

 ods, Parasites and Natural Enemies, and Cli- 

 matic Conditions. The whole discussion was 

 from the standpoint of applied entomology and 

 a plea was made for elementary instruction 

 along these lines in the public schools of the 

 State. 



Professor D. W. Spence, of the Agricultural 

 and Mechanical College, discussed the 'Effects 

 of Prolonged Exposure to X-rays on the Hu- 

 man Body,' showing their extraordinary ef- 

 fects, in some instances, in producing a disin- 

 tegration and diseased condition of the skin. 

 He himself had his hand in bandages covering 



a 'burn' of some months duration and not yet 

 healed. 



'A Preliminary Report on the Austin Chalk 

 Underlying Waco and the Adjacent Territory' 

 is the title of a paper presented by Mr. J. K. 

 Prather. The rocks of this formation within 

 thearea mentioned were described minutely and 

 their position in the great Upper Cretaceous 

 Series, pointed out. Reference was made to 

 the early work of Dr. Ferdinand v. Eoemer 

 and a list of fifteen characteristic fossils given. 

 Examples were also given of the vertebrate re- 

 mains found in this formation and attention 

 called to the fruitfulness of this field for in- 

 vestigation in that direction. 



Professor T. U. Taylor, of the Engineering 

 Department of the University of Texas, gave 

 an account of the 'Big Springs of the Edwards 

 Plateau' — the region bounded by the Colorado 

 River, the International and Great Northern 

 and the Southern Pacific railroads — showing 

 their fluctuation in discharge and offering an 

 explanation therefor. 



Mr. John K. Strecker, Jr., made a 'Pre- 

 liminary Report on Reptiles and Batrachians 

 of McLennan County.' In this paper are re- 

 corded many interesting and valuable observa- 

 tions extending over a period of years concern- 

 ing the life and habits of these little-known 

 species of animals. 



The closing paper, on 'Dr. Ferdinand von 

 Roemer, Father of the Geology of Texas : His 

 Life and Work,' was presented by Dr. F. W. 

 Simonds of the State UniversitJ^ Dr. Roemer 

 was born at Hildesheim, Hanover, in 1818, and 

 died in Breslau in 1891. In 1845 he visited 

 Texas and wrote the first account of the physic- 

 al geography and geology of the State. His 

 monograph upon the Cretaceous of Texas — 

 'Die Kreidebildungen von Texas' — appeared 

 just fifty years ago. 



Frederic W. Simonds, 



Secretary. 



University of Texas. 



the elisha mitchell scientific society. 



The 139th meeting of the Society was held 

 on February 11, at the University of North 

 Carolina. The following papers were read: 



•The Pressure of Light': J. E. Latta. 



