May 8, 1891.] 



SCIENCE. 



257 



— The United States Hydrographic Office reports that this 

 mouth, for the Urst time in several years, there is not a single 

 obstruction along the coast that is dangerous to sea-going vessels, 

 thanks to the work of the United States Steamship " Yantic," in 

 command of Commander C. H. Rockwell, U.S.N. The last 

 wreck destroyed was the schooner "Ada P. Gould," near Cape 

 Charles light-ship, April 11 and 13, and a final visit was paid on 

 April 24 to the scene of the collision between the " Vizcaya'' and 

 -" Hargraves," off Barnegat. The " Yantic" has been engaged in 

 this work for seventy-six days, of which thirty-six were spent at 

 sea. She has steamed and sailed about 3,000 miles and has 

 anchored in the open sea, in various depths along the coast, twenty- 

 two times. Six wrecks have been destroyed, one has been dis- 

 mantled, and a permanent danger mark erected ; many spars have 

 been blown up and set adrift, and five wrecks have been sought 

 for with care and reported as no longer existing as obstructions. 

 Thirty-three service torpedoes and seven exercise torpedoes have 

 been expended in the work, and no casualties or accidents of any 

 kind have occurred. The following is an extractf rom Commander 

 Eock weirs report : "Ofiicers and crew were carefully instructed 

 and prepared for this hazardous and important duty, and strong 

 wrecking crews were detailed from the best men in the ship for 

 the working boats. There was always danger of staving a boat, 

 and our boats received considerable injury and hard usage in this 

 way, but by practice the men became very expert, and were gen- 

 erally successful in avoiding danger. I take pleasure in com- 

 mending officers and men for their zeal and earnestness." 



— Capt. Petersen, of the Swedish bark " Eleanora," reports to 

 .the United States Hydrographic Office that between 7 and 8pm., 

 March 13, he experienced a submarine earthquake in the volcanic 

 region of the Atlantic west of St. Paul Rocks. The ship was 

 heading north-west, going about three knots, with a light easterly 

 wind and calm sea, when a noise was heard on the port side, like 

 a heavy surf, and almost immediately the sea began to bubble and 

 boil like a huge kettle, the broken water reaching as high as the 

 poop-deck. No distinct shock was felt, but after the disturbance 

 struck the ship she continued to tremble as long as it lasted. 

 After about an hour it ceased for an hour and was then followed 

 by another similar disturbance. A bubbling sound was all that 

 could be heard and the water appeared foamy, but it was impossible, 

 on account of the darkness, to say whether it was muddy. The 

 next day weather and sea were as usual. Position at 8 p.m., 3° 

 47 north latitude, 43° 03' west longitude. The region from St. 

 Paul Rocks to and including the Windward Islands is especially 

 subject to earthquakes, and reports similar to the above are often 

 received. In September, October, and November of last year a 

 number of shocks were reported, of which the heaviest was the 

 one at Barbadoes on Oct. 6, felt throughout the region between 

 Demerara and Martinique. On Nov. 20, a severe shock was felt 

 about 8° 45' north latitude, 40° 28' west longitude, aboard 

 the American bark "P. J. Carleton," Capt. Crosbie. The sea 

 became like a boiling pot, tumbling about in a seething mass and 

 greatly confused, and a grating sensation was experienced, as 

 though the vessel were going over a reef. Nov. 38, in 3° 00' 

 north latitude, 37° 00' west longitude, a slight shook was ex- 

 perienced aboard the British ship " Walter H. Wilson," Capt. 

 Sproul. 



— John Le Conte, professor of physics at the State University, 

 Berkeley, Cal., died April 29. Dr. Le Conte belonged to a family 

 distinguished for having many members who have been interested 

 in scientific work. He was the son of Lewis Le Conte, known 

 for his contributions to the physical sciences as well as a naturalist, 

 and was bornin Liberty County, Ga., inDecember, 1818. He was 

 graduated at Franklin College of the University of Georgia in 



838, and at the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons in 

 1841. From this city he proceeded to Savannah, where he began 

 the practice of the medical profession, but in 1846 he was called 

 to the chair of Natural Philosophy in Franklin College, which he 

 occupied until 1855. The following year he lectured on chemistry 

 at the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons, and in 1856 

 he was appointed Professor of Natural and Mechanical Philosophy 

 in South Carolina College, at Columbia, S.C. In 1869 he was ap- 



pointed Professor of Physics and Industrial Mechanics in the 

 University of California, and discharged the duties of that position 

 until 1881. From 1876 to 1881 he held the office of president of 

 the university in connection with his professorship. At the ex- 

 piration of that period he retired to the chair of physics, which 

 he occupied until his death. He was a brother of Professor 

 Joseph Le Conte, the geologist. 



— Dr. Joseph Leidy died April 19. Dr. Leidy was bom in 

 Philadelphia, Sept. 9, 1833. In 1344 he received the degree of 

 doctor of medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, but 

 soon abandoned the practice of his profession for more congenial 

 pursuits. From 1846 to 1852 he gave private lectures on anatomy 

 and physiology. In 1853 he was made professor of anatomy in 

 the University of Pennsylvania, a position in connection with which 

 he did the major part of his scientific work. Aside from his 

 work in anatomy he did much in zoology and paleontology. In 

 1884 Dr. Leidy was made director of the biological department in 

 the university. As an indication of the extent of his investiga- 

 tions it may be mentioned that his papers on biological subjects 

 number more than eight hundred. 



— Freiherr von Benko, captain in the Austrian Navy, has pub- 

 lished a pamphlet, we learn from the April Scottish Oeographical 

 Magazine, in which he calls attention to the singular fact that 

 until half a century ago the inhabitants of the Philippines were a 

 day behind those of neighboring countries in their reckoning. It 

 is easy to understand that the time on the meridian ojiposite to 

 ours must differ by twelve hours, but who shall say whether those 

 twelve hours are to be added or subtracted from our reckoning? 

 Practically this has generally been settled by the first discoverers, 

 according as they sailed eastwards or westwards. Legaspi, the 

 conqueror and colonizer of the Philippines, sailed to the islands 

 from the east, and brought what may be called the eastern date 

 with him. Later on, however, when the Pope divided the world 

 between the Spaniards and the Portuguese, giving the former the 

 half lying beyond a meridian passing 100 leagues west of the 

 Azores (afterwards removed to 370 leagues) the islands, owing to 

 the inability of navigators in those days to calculate the longitude 

 with any approach to accuracy, remained in the hands of the 

 Spaniards, and the date was changed to that of their American 

 possessions. But, in 1844, the governor-general of the Philippines 

 decreed that "considering it convenient that the mode of reckon- 

 ing days in these islands shall be uniform with that prevailing in 

 Europe, China, and other countries situated to the east of the Cape 

 of Good Hope, ... I ordain, with the assent of His Excellency 

 the Archbishop, that, for this year only, Tuesday, December 31st, 

 be suppressed, and that the day following Monday the 30th of the 

 same month be styled Wednesday, January 1st, 1845." That the 

 date has been made to conform with that of Eastern countries is a 

 circumstance not generally known, as Freiherr von Benko proves 

 by quotations from geographical authors and encyclopsedias, among 

 others Meyer's " Konversation Lesikon." 



— So far as is at present known, says Nature, the first person 

 who kept a record of the weather was Walter Merle. He did so 

 for the years 1337 to 1344, and his manuscript on the original vel- 

 lum still exists. Thanks to the courtesy of the officials of the 

 Bodleian Library, Mr. G. J. Symons has had this manuscript 

 photographed, and reproductions of the ten large photographs, 

 with a full translation (the original is in contracted Latin), some 

 particulars as to Merle, and a list of the subscribers, are to be 

 given in a handsomely printed volume. Jlr. Symons wishes to 

 call attention to the tact that no one will be able to obtain a copy 

 who does not apply for one before May 1. Except ten copies re- 

 served for subscribers too distant to apply before that date, not a 

 single copy in excess of those subscribed for will be printed. 



— Mr. William Beutenmtiller has recently been appointed 

 curator of the department of entomology in the American 

 museum of natural history in Central Park, New York City. 



— Mr. C. H. Tyler Townsend has just taken the post of ento- 

 mologist at the agricultm'al experiment station at Las Cruces, 

 New Mexico. 



