620 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIII. No. 590. 



Taking account of the changing position 

 of the sun 's axis during the period in which 

 a sunspot was visible, the projection of the 

 computed diurnal path was compared with 

 the actual apparent path for ten well- 

 defined spots, in order to determine the 

 drift of the spot with reference to the solar 

 surface. Some of them were found to 

 maintain a very constant latitude; others 

 drifted several degrees north or south; 

 contrary to the usual rule, those within 

 fifteen degrees of the equator drifted, if 

 anything, away from the equator and those 

 in high latitude, both north and south, 

 drifted a little towards it. 



The period of the sun's rotation as de- 

 duced from these ten spots varied from 

 twenty-five to over twenty-eight days, those 

 nearer the equator giving, as a rule, the 

 shorter periods, but with some exceptions. 



Ancient Picture-writing on Nebraska 

 Rocks: A. E. Sheldon. (With lantern.) 



Observations on Glacial Accumulations of 



Nebraska: G. B. Condra. 



The glacial deposits in this state are thick- 

 er, better defined and more important than 

 is generally known. Till composed of clay, 

 sand, pebbles and boulders is about one hun- 

 dred feet thick in the uplands near Lincoln. 

 An oxidized clay, which is occasionally con- 

 fused with loess, at places constitutes a 

 large percentage of the till plain. Glacial 

 clay and loess are usually distinguished 

 quite readily by their structure and color. 

 The brownish-colored subsoil in the uplands 

 at Omaha, Nebraska City, Lincoln and Pon- 

 ca is till, not loess. ' The till plain lies on 

 Pennsylvanian, Permian, Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary formations. Its western border 

 is poorly defined, grading into a sand plain 

 and concealed by loess. Just how the fill 

 and sand plains are related we do not know. 

 Boulders are found in the latter farther 

 west than Fairbury. Tertiary and glacial 

 sands are confused at places. Boulders 



show in largest numbers where the loess 

 and finer glacial materials have been re- 

 moved by streams, as on valley slopes. By 

 this means the coarser parts of the till have 

 been concentrated locally as 'boulder 

 areas,' the best known of which are near 

 Endicott, Humboldt, Falls City, Lincoln 

 and Hartington. Further investigation 

 may force the conclusion that Nebraska has 

 more than the one drift sheet which is 

 known as the Kansan. 



Bud Rot of Carnations: P. D. Heald. 



The study of a troublesome bud-rot of 

 carnations due to a species of Fusarium 

 was described. The rotting buds always 

 contained a mite in addition to the fungus. 

 Pure cultures were made of the fungus, 

 and successful inoculations were carried 

 out. The fungus was again isolated and 

 new inoculations made which indicated that 

 the fungus alone was capable of producing 

 the rotting. The experiment tried with 

 inoculations of the mite into the buds did 

 not produce the disease. It was suggested 

 that the mites act only as carriers of the 

 fimgus and intensify its severity. The 

 Lawson carnation was noticed as the most 

 susceptible variety. 

 A New Distome of the Family Holo- 



stomecB: F. D. Barker. (By title.) 



The Strength of Nebraska Woods: G. R. 



Chatburn. (By title.) 

 The Bumble Bees of Nebraska: M. H. 



SWENK. 



In arranging about six hundred speci- 

 mens of Nebraska bumble bees and their 

 inquilines contained in the collection of 

 the University of Nebraska, an unusually 

 rich fauna of these insects was foimd for 

 the state. This collection includes records 

 of seven species of Bombias, eight species 

 of Bombus and three species of Psithyrus, 

 making eighteen species in all, or more 

 than have been recorded for the whole of 

 the United States east of the Mississippi 



