Mat 6, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



1 25 



om- atmosphere, and is believed that not 

 only auroras, magnetic storms and other 

 electrical phenomena are attributable to 

 this cause, but that ordinary meteorological 

 conditions, like the changes of the barom- 

 eter, are thus powerfully influenced. The 

 speaker has for several years been en- 

 deavoring to obtain direct evidence of this 

 effect and he described the methods used 

 for counting the number of active foreign 

 particles (ions or nuclei) in the atmos- 

 phere. 



The first method is based on the observed 

 size of those brilliant optical phenomena 

 called coronas and sometimes seen around 

 the moon. These coronas are artificially 

 produced in a vessel containing a sample 

 of the air to be examined, and the number 

 of particles may be computed from the 

 coronal diameter. Lantern slides are 

 shown giving results as obtained at Brown 

 University, in Providence. 



In a second method the speaker deter- 

 mined the number of nuclei from photo- 

 graphs of the fog particles condensed on 

 the nuclei. Lantern slides showing fog 

 particles even less than .0003 cm. in diam- 

 eter were exhibited. The photography of 

 these small water globules, each a perfect 

 sphere, has never before been accomplished 

 and the difficulties encountered were fully 

 pointed out. 



On the Collecting of Meteontes: Dr. Aeis- 



TiDES Brezina, Vienna. (Read by Dr. 



Amos P. Brown.) 



Matter of any kind should be collected, 

 not only systematically but also synopti- 

 cally, without starting from all points of 

 view from which the matter in question 

 may be arranged. 



The author illustrates this thesis on a 

 synoptical collection of meteorites formed 

 since 1896 which consists of seven groups. 



I. Betyl Coi'jJS.— The ancients supposed 

 the stars to be domiciles of gods; falling- 



stars and falling meteorites signified the 

 descending of a god or the sending of its 

 image to earth. 



These envoys were received with divine 

 honors, embalmed and draped and wor- 

 shipped in temples built for them. 

 These betyls are in the main : 

 The omphalos of Delphi, a black stone 

 represented on coins of Eleuthernai, 

 Makedonia, Myrina, Nakrasa, Neapolis, 

 Parthia (the first six Arsacides), Rome, 

 Syria (ten Seleucid Rings from Antioehus 

 Soter to Alexander Bala). 



The black conical stone fallen at Emisa 

 and called El Gabal, the sun. Represented 

 on coins of Emisa and Rome. 



Zeus Kataibates on coins of Kyrrhos. 

 The conical stone fallen at Kypros and 

 worshipped as image of Aphrodite Paphia. 

 The image of Artemis Ephesia fallen at 

 Ephesos; represented on coins of Aizanis, 

 Ankyra, Ephesos, Eumeneia, Nakrasa, 

 Philadelphia, Provincia Asia, Rome, Tabai 

 and Tiberiopolis. 



The stone of Astarte on coins of Sidon 

 and Tyros. 



The pyramids of Apollon on coins of 

 Ambrakia, Apollonia, Megara and Myrina. 

 The stones of Zeus Dolichenos or Her- 

 akles Sandan; coins of Tarsos. 



Zeus Katios, a conical stone suspended 

 by a chain; coins of Seleukeia. 



Conical or quadratic stones on coins of 

 Mallos or Rhosos, Perga and Synnada. 



The conical stone of Aphrodite Urania^ 

 on coins of Makedonia (Tetradrachms of" 

 Alexander the Great) and Uranopolis. 



The simulacres of Artemis Anai'tis, Ar^- 

 temis Leukophrys, Artemis Pergaia, As- - 

 tarte, Hera, Persephone, etc. 



Coins representing related celestial bodies ; 

 (comets). 



In all, 250 coins from 60 to-wns or re- - 

 gions representing 22 gods. 



II. Historical meteorites Avhich were - 

 worshipped by primitive nations or -wjiich i 



