September i6, 1892,] 



SCIENCE. 



159 



price varying from $1.50 to 14 per week. The Laboratory is open 

 to both ladies and genllemeu. 



Cold Spring Harbor is only about an hour's ride from New 

 York, and is in itself a delightful place to spend the summer. It 

 offers opportunities for bathing, boating, and fishing, and a visi- 

 tor is never at a loss for some pleasant employment. The New 

 York Fish Commission has one of its hatching stations here, and 

 much of interest and profit accrues to the members of the Labora- 

 tory from the study of the specimens in the hatchery. Informa- 

 tion as to methods of fish-hatching and flsh-culture is to be had 

 simply for the asking; for the staff at the hatchery are on the 

 best of terms with the members of the biological school, and are 

 willing to accommodate them in every way. 



In short, the school at Cold Spring Harbor proposes to offer to 

 all interested in biology a method for spending the summer vaca- 

 tion pleasantly and at the same time profitably. Many are in- 

 clined to think the summer vacation of our colleges too long; but 

 it is not so to one who attends such a school, for here he gains 

 both recreation and profit. The Laboratory offers him a chance 

 for acquainting himself with living nature and the living princi- 

 ples of biological science. If he is already an advanced student he 

 is offered chances for special work in the line of topics of his own 

 choosing. If he is a teacher, he can get practical experience with 

 animals and plants, and can make collections for his classes; and 

 for the college professor the recreation of the holiday is combined 

 with facilities for research along lines of biological investigation. 



Last, but not least, to all is offered opportunity for personal as- 

 sociation with educators and original thinkers in lines of science. 

 The school has been successful thus far, and its future promises 

 greater growth and wider influence. 



ON SO VIE HABITS OF AMPHIUMA MEANS. 



BY CHARLES W. HAEGITT, SYRACUSE UNIVEESITT. 



Through the kindness of Professor H. J. Clements, M.D., of 

 New Orleans, I had sent to me from the Louisiana swamps a half- 

 dozen of the so-called "Congo snakes " early last spring. Two of 

 them were adults of from twenty to thirty inches in length, the 

 others being young ones not exceeding twelve inches from " tip 

 to tip." They were shipped in damp gray ''moss," Tillandsia 

 usneides, and with a single exception all came through alive and 

 in good condition. 



They were, for want of better quarters, placed in an aquarium 

 in which were a number o£ fresh-water clams (Unio). At first 

 they were quite sluggish and seemed not at all disposed to be " at 

 home " in their new surroundings. This was especially true of 

 the adult. Gradually, however, the young " Congos " began to 

 show signs of interest and appetite. I found an emptj' clam-shell 

 one morning in the aquarium, and further observation soon ex- 

 plained it. No sooner did a clam show signs of declining vitality 

 by an unusual gaping of the shell than it would be seized by one, 

 often indeed by two, of the amphibians, and there was seldom 

 any release till the shell had been relieved of its occupant. The 

 struggle which ensued when two of them would seize a single 

 clam was exciting and amusing in the extreme. Such tugging, 

 writhing, and twisting into perplexing coils one seldom sees, 

 especially among members of this class. 



They proved to be exceedingly voracious; and it was but a 

 short time ere they had disposed of some two dozen clams and 

 had shown a remarkable growth, proving the healthfulntssof the 

 diet. 



This activity, however, pertained only to the young. The 

 adult became more and more sluggish, and it became evident 

 within a fortnight that it would not long endure the conditions. 

 It moreover became quite ugly of disposition, and would Wte sav- 

 agely at anything within reach, even maiming itself. It was 

 consequently consigned to the dissect ing-table. 



The clams having been disposed of by the others, they were 

 left for a few days without food. My attention was one day at- 

 tracted to the aquarium by an unusual commotion, and, to my 

 surprise, upon examination, I found that one of the more thrifty 

 had turned cannibal and had half swallowed one of his less vigorous 



fellows. He was made to disgorge by a sharp squeeze about the 

 thoracic region, and I hoped the thing was at an end. But in 

 less than an hour the same thing was repeated even more savagely 

 and upon the same victim. I immediately removed both from 

 the tank, killing the badly injured one and leaving the other by 

 itself. Within another da}' the same thing had been repeated 

 between the two remaining in the aquarian, but was discovered 

 before it had gone so far. They were subsequently fed upon 

 fresh meat from other sources, birds, etc., but did not seem to 

 thrive upon it, finally refusing to take it. They would take 

 earthworms, but showed no disposition to take insect food. One 

 of the number still lives in the same aquarium, and seems fairly 

 at home, so long as fed satisfactorily. It has gone for some time 

 without food with apparently no discomfort. These notes may 

 add something to our knowledge of their probable mode of life. 

 That they are carnivorous is quite certain. At no time did they 

 show any disposition to touch vegetation, though a variety was 

 growing at hand. That under certain circum tances they, with 

 others of their class, will turn cannibal, is also quite certain. I 

 have known the common bull-frog, Rana catesbiana, to devour 

 no less than a half-dozen fair-sized leopard frogs, Rana virescens, 

 within as many days. The same disposition has been noted 

 among the members of other genera. It is less cimmon, indeed 

 rare, between members of the same species and approximately 

 the same size, as was the case under consideration. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



Bulletin 41 of the Purdue University Agricultuial Experi- 

 ment Station contains information of interest and importance con- 

 cerning wheat as grown in Indiana. The following are some of 

 the points of importance, as given in the Bulletin : 1. Velvet chaff, 

 Michigan anober, and Fultz varieties of wheat have been grown 

 for nine years on the university farm, and rank in value as named, 

 though Michigan amber surpasses Velvet chaff as a rust-resisting 

 variety. 2. Red Clawson and Jones's winter fife are the two most 

 promising recently introduced varieties. 3. For eight years, six 

 pecks of seed sown per acre have given the most satisfactory re- 

 sults. 4. In the region of Lafayette, a higher average yield has 

 been secured from wheat sown Sept. 20 over other dates of sow- 

 ing. 5. Judicious rotations, including grass, have given better 

 return than constant grain-cropping. 6. Heavy applications of 

 manure and fertilizers to a worn soil growing com and wheat 

 alternately have given paying returns. 7. The average results of 

 all the experiments at this station with fertilizers and manures 

 upon wheat during the past three years, in full or two-thirds doses, 

 have not been profitable. 8. The use of hot water or copper sul- 

 phate failed to destroy the spores of loose smut. 9. Bunt, or 

 stinking-smut, in wheat was successfully destroyed by using hot 

 water or copper sulphate. 10. Early and late harvesting of wheat 

 had practically no effect on yield or weight of grain. IL Yield 

 of grain and straw were considerably reduced by mowing wheat 

 on certain plats in spring to check rankness of growth. 12. In 

 comparing forms of nitrogen for fertilizing the wheat plant, sul- 

 phate of ammonia gave rather better yield than nitrate of soda or 

 dried blood. 13. As the plants fertilized with nitrate were slower 

 to mature than the others, these also suffered more from rust than 

 did the others. Persons interested in a more complete account 

 of these wheat experiments, or who wish the publications of the 

 station, can secure free copies of the same by addressing C. S. 

 Plumb, director of Experiment Station, Lafayette, Ind. 



— The Illustrated American, which has achieved great pDi)U- 

 larity as the handsomest illustrated weekly pub!i.-hed in our coun- 

 try, has been reduced in price from twenty-five to ten cents. This 

 redui?tion has been brought about by improvements in its engrav- 

 ing and printing establishment, and, it is claimed, will in no way 

 affect its literary and artistic excellence. This change places 

 within the reach of all a most excellent periodical. 



— Harvard University is about to publish a reprint of certain 

 important " State Papei-s and Speeches on the Tariff," by Hami'- 

 ton, Gallatin, Webster, and other statesmen, with an introduction 

 by Professor F. W. Taussig. 



