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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 629 



of twenty-two and a talf degrees and lettered. 

 This quadrant as a whole was excavated to 

 an average depth of six feet its periphery 

 to an average depth of eight to nine feet, and 

 a shaft was sunk to a depth of twelve feet on 

 the north edge. 



The writer was accompanied and aided by 

 Dr. George E. Condra, Edwin Davis, Paul 

 Butler, and as time would permit by Mr. 

 Gilder. Systematic work was continued for 

 three consecutive days. Fragments of human 

 bones, scattered and unrelated, were found 

 throughout the quadrant at all levels even to 

 the depth of eleven and one half feet. 



It was plainly demonstrated that the part 

 without the circle of the mound was quite as 

 rich in bone fragments as that within. The 

 relation of the two sets of bones may be 

 viewed as purely accidental. In but a single 

 instance were several bones found together. 

 Three ribs, fragments of limb bones, and an 

 astragalas were in proximity. Probably two 

 hundred fragments were exhumed on this 

 occasion. It should be noted that no whole 

 bones were found excepting a few phalanges. 

 Instead they are bone-chips and splinters, with 

 an occasional section from a limb bone, and 

 many of the fragments are pitted or etched. 

 Out of this set the following fragments seem 

 of especial interest : half of a jaw with a 

 solitary molar, the condyle, angle, and region 

 of the symphysis being weathered off, frag- 

 mentary rami of two other unrelated jaws, 

 the bony palate with the two back molars in 

 place. By far the most interesting and in- 

 structive specimen found at this time was a 

 skull completely disarticulate, broken, and 

 scattered over a space five by five feet. 



This was taken out in blocks, and no at- 

 tempt will be made to remove the bits from 

 their original position, the intention being to 

 keep everything in such condition as to facili- 

 tate the detection of inaccuracies and errors. 



Age of the Supposed Loess Man. — The 

 present paper concerns itself simply with the 

 announcement of human remains found in 

 undisturbed loess. The chief point is the evi- 

 dence that human remains have been found in 

 the loess, and whether this is the very oldest 

 or newest loess seems a secondary considwa- 



tioru The loess here is not leached of lime 

 salts, but is actively effervescent at all levels, 

 arguing for recency of deposition. All 

 recognize the chronological diversity in the 

 loess formation, and whether Long's hill is in 

 the main loess body, as we believe it to be, or 

 in a much more recent one does not materially 

 affect the relation of the bones to some stage 

 of glaeiation, the precise glacial or inter- 

 glacial age being as yet undetermined. 



The loess in question rests on Kansan drift, 

 and though as young as the later Wisconsin 

 sheet or younger, it is nevertheless old. 



Erwin Hinckley Barbour 



The University of Nebraska, 

 December 14, 1906 



ASTRONOMICAL NOTES 

 THE UNITED STATES NAVAL OBSERVATORY 



The Naval Observatory is showing an ac- 

 tivity in astronomical work and publication, 

 which ought to go far toward creating a more 

 favorable opinion of that institution than has 

 sometimes prevailed in the past. Several 

 volumes have recently appeared, containing 

 observations of the sun, moon, planets and 

 miscellaneous stars from 1900 to 1903, of the 

 sun, moon, planets and comets from 1866 to 

 1891, and of standai'd stars and zodiacal stars 

 from 1900 to 1902; also, reduction tables for 

 transit circle observations and meteorological 

 observations. 



Several hundred pages and a large number 

 of plates are also devoted to an elaborate study 

 of the total solar eclipses of May 28, 1900, and 

 May 17, 1901. The leading members of the 

 astronomical department of the observatory 

 are: Professors Skinner, Eichelberger and 

 Littell and Assistant Astronomers Hill, Eice 

 and Hammond, under the superintendency of 

 Eear-Admiral Asa Walker, F.S.N. A large 

 number of astronomers from other institutions 

 assisted in the work of the eclipse expeditions. 



THE SOLAR OBSERVATORY OF THE CABNEGIE 

 INSTITUTION 



The solar observatory on Mount Wilson 

 continues to surprise the astronomical public 

 with its developments. A five- or six-foot 

 mirror has perhaps appeared to most astron- 

 omers to mark the limit to practical construe- 



