September ii, 1891.] 



SClExNCE. 



'51 



sonall}' relied on this alone, and have recnoimended this proceed - 

 inpc tomany patients. When facing a cold east wind, or breathing 

 quiclily the night air, I never quite close my mouth, but purposely 

 keep the lips a trifle parted, and at the same time curl up my 

 tongue towards tlie roof of my mouth until the tip reaches as far 

 back as the soft palate, and I gently press the arched under surface 

 of the tongue in some degree against the hard palate (a little prac- 

 tice soon makes this easy to do). The cold air then, as it enters 

 the mouth, strikes against the under surface of the tongue, as well 

 as the floor and sides of the mouth, and is made to pass in a some- 

 what circuitous manner between the sides of the tongue and the 

 buccal mucus membrane of the pharynx, being thereby warmed 

 in its course, so that by the time it reaches the larynx it is nicely 

 rid of chill, and does not excite cough and catarrh. At the same 

 time a certain quantity of air, of course, finds its way through the 

 nasal passages to the chest, and it is obvious that a larger quantity 

 of cold air can be effectually warmed by this method of procedure 

 than by relying on either the nose or mouth alone. That the 

 large blood-supply of the tongue renders this organ an excellent 

 air warmer must be obvious to all. 



The Sense of Taste in the Larynx. 

 For many years it has been known to histologists that the spe- 

 cific end-organs of taste, nameiy, the taste-bulbs, occur on the 

 l^osterior or inner surface of the epiglottis, but up till now the 

 physiological proof of the existence of the sense of taste in the 

 epiglottis has not been forthcoming. Michelson, according to the 

 British Medical Journal, Aug. 8, under Langeudorff's direction, 

 made a number of experiments, which show that the inner sur- 

 face of the epiglottis is endowed with taste. A Schroetter's 

 laryngeal sound, tipped with a solution of quinine or saccharine, 

 was introduced into the larynx, and the drop of the sapid sub- 

 stance was cautiously brought into contact with the inner surface 

 of the epiglottis. Positive results were obtained, which were con- 

 trolled by the sensation — electrical taste — known to be produced 

 by electrical stimulation. It seems, therefore, proved that a part 

 of the nerve fibres passing to the larynx are nerves of taste. 



sible to produce a like effect upon small floating rain particles ? 

 The concussion from a lightning flash usually results in an imme- 

 diate downpour. By all means let those who have experimented 

 come forward with the results. William A. Eddy. 



Bergen Point, N.J., Sept. 5. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



*** Correspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The writer^s name 

 is in all cases required as proof of good faith. 



On request in advance, one hundred copies of the number containing his 

 communication wilt be furnished free to any correspondent. 



The editor will be glad to publish any queries consonant with the character 

 of the journal. 



An Upright-Walking Lizard. 



I REMEMBER reading, some time ago, a report of the discovery 

 of the fossil remains of a large lizard-like creature which must 

 have walked upright on its hinder limbs. The saurians which 

 made the footprints found in some sandstone formations probably 

 walked in the same manner. But it may not be generally known 

 that at least one existing species of lizard habitually runs erect on 

 its hind-legs. This little fellow I noticed, in May, 1891, on the 

 Mojave Desert of California, between Mojave and Death Valley. 

 He is about one foot in length, of color varying from pale yellow 

 to orange. His forward limbs are short and slender. While 

 feeding, he holds his food in his fore-paws, much as a squirrel 

 holds a nut. While seeking food, or resting, he remains on '' all 

 fours," but on starting off, especially if frightened, he rises on his 

 hinder legs and runs away very swiftly, the action of the legs 

 having a ridiculous resemblance to those of a small boy " in a 

 hiirry." I have seen one of these lizards run in this manner for 

 thirty or forty yards. C. W. Kempton. 



New York, Sept. 8. 



The Application of Concussion to Suspended Mist. 



Professor H. A. Hazen's recent criticism of the rain-making 

 experiments seems well-timed. As Espy made important addi- 

 tions to the theory of latent heat as applied to the uprising moist 

 air in cyclones, would it not be well to try the experiment of suc- 

 cessive concussions upon suspended mists. If very small drops of 

 rain collect upon a window pane any sudden jar will cause the 

 small drops to coalesce into large drops. Then why is it not pos- 



AMONG THE PUBLISHERS. 



The S. Carson Company, San Francisco, have just published 

 " Forensic Eloquence," by John Goss, a treatise on the theory and 

 practice of oratory as exemplified in great speeches of famous ora 

 tors. 



— D. C. Heath & Co., Boston, have issued "A Brief Spanish 

 Grammar," by Professor Edgren of the University of Nebraska. 



— Professor W. S. Chaplin, professor of engineering at Harvard 

 University since 1880, has been elected chancellor of Washington 

 University of St. Louis. 



— The Tragedy of the Caesars " is the title of a new work by the 

 Rev. S. Baring Gould that Methuen & Co. have in the press and 

 hope to issue shortly. It will be illustrated from busts, gems, 

 cameos, etc. 



— Houghton, Mifflin, & Co. will publish on the 12th the first 

 two volumes of the new large-paper edition of the works of Oliver 

 Wendell Holmes; and a new cheaper edition of 8. P. Langley's 

 " The New Astronomy." 



— Major Wissmann's new book of African travel from the Kongo 

 to the Zambesi, in the years 1886 and 1887, which he calls " M\ 

 Second Journey Through Equatorial Africa," will be published in 

 England by Chatto & Windus. The volume will contain a map 

 and nearly a hundred illustrations. 



— Messrs. Macmillan & Co. intend to publish soon a series of 

 popular sketches on the history of astronomy from the earliest 

 times to the present day, in the form of a volume containing three 

 courses of lectures on astronomical biography by Professor Oliver 

 Lodge, F.R.S. The work will be fully illustrated, and will bear 

 the title '• Pioneers of Science." 



— The assiduous biographer of Dr. Johnson, James Bos well, 

 would certainly approve of the devotion of his own biographer, 

 Mr. Percy Fitzgerald, who has written a "Life of James Boswell," 

 which is to be published shortly by D. Appleton & Co. Mr. Fitz- 

 gerald has made a book full of anecdotes. It will contain por- 

 traits of Boswell and of Dr. Johnson. 



— Charles Scribner's Sons have in preparation a series of concise 

 biographies of the men whose systems have marked successive 

 stages in the progress of education, from Aristotle to Dr. Arnold. 

 It will be edited by Professor Nicholas Murray Butler of Colum- 

 bia College. Mr. Thomas Davidson will undertake Aristotle; J. 

 G. Fitch, Pestalozzi; J. Courthope Bowen, Froebel; Professor 

 Butler, Horace Mann. 



— The recently completed fifth edition of Dr. M. Foster's well 

 known -'Text-Book of Physiology" will be followed at once by 

 the appearance of a sixth and cheaper edition of the work in 

 parts, carefully revised throughout by the author. The addition 

 of much new matter to this edition of the book will permit of 

 taking out a copyright on the American edition, which is to be 

 published by Macmillan & Co. 



— Roberts Brothers will publish soon a new volume in Miss 

 Wormeley's series of translations from Balzac's works, entitled 

 " An Historical Mystery," being one of the " Scenes from Political 

 Life; " a complete edition of Burnand's " Happy Thoughts," and 

 the first American edition of the same author's " More Happy 

 Thoughts;" the third volume of Renan's " History of the People 

 of Israel," treating the subject from the time of Hezekiah tiU the 

 return from Babylon; and " Four and Five," by Edward Everett 

 Hale, which is a continuation of the " Ten Times One " series. 



— The aim of " The Transition-Curve Field-Book," by Conway 

 R. Howard, C.E. (New York, Wiley), is to furnish plain, practical 

 rules and examples for guidance in adjusting and locating a curve, 

 nearly identical with the cubic parabola, as a transition-curve in 

 connecting circular railway curves with tangents. The work is 



