264 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XX. No 509 



Professor Drown. It is much to be desired that extended and 

 accurate determinations of normal chlorine should be made in 

 all parts of the country. The importance to the water-analyst of 

 such knowledge has been clearly demonstrated by Professor 

 Drown, and there seems no reason why boards of health should 

 fail to take advantage of so useful a key to the purity of a water. 

 Regarding the disagreeable odors and tastes which often arise 

 in waters Dr. Smith coincides with Professor Drown in conclud- 

 ing that these phenomena are rarely due to putrefactive change, 

 but are "the specific odors of certain organisms.'' 



The microscopical examinations were conducted under the 

 charge of Dr. Williston, who used in his work the method de- 

 vised by Professor Sedgwick, modifying it, however, in more or 

 less important details. Valuable facts are here presented con- 

 cerning the occurrence and relative abundance of the different 

 groups of small aquatic organisms. A very interesting descrip- 

 tion is given of the trouble caused in the Meriden reservoir by the 

 Volvox-like Uroglena. An epidemic of Uroglena has since 

 broken out in several Massachusetts water-supplies, and new light 

 upon the history of this obscure and troublesome organism may 

 soon be hoped for. "In conclusion, it may be interesting to ob- 

 serve that on the average about seven thousand plants and ani- 

 mals, aside from the bacteria, are swallowed with every glassful 

 of Connecticut reservoir water that is drank ! " 



Dr. Lee reports'upon the microscopical examination for 1890-91 

 and also upon the bacteriological examination for the two years 

 covered by the report. The bacterial examination of the reser- 

 voir waters reveals some interesting facts. "The periods of 

 greatest number [of bacteria] were principally during the fall 

 months, while the smaller numbers were largely during the sum- 

 mer months." There is a decrease in the numbers in both Feb- 

 ruary and March, the months of melting snow. It is evident 

 that extended and systematic bacterial analyses of this character 

 are still greatly needed, and it is to be hoped not only that Con- 

 necticut will enlarge this branch of the work, but that the Massa- 



chusetts authorities will find it possible to make an early begin- 

 ning in this same field. 



The specific bacteria commonly found in Connecticut waters 

 were studied by Dr. Charles J. Foote, who describes in this report 

 sixteen forms. The species are not named, and the author says 

 " No attempt at identification has . . . been made, since the 

 data in most cases seemed insufficient to warrant it." This, we 

 think, is a fact to be regretted. The species " XXL," for exam- 

 ple, might perhaps have turned out to be Bacillus jantbinus if a 

 few more facts regarding it had been obtained. Attempts to 

 identify, however unsatisfactory in themselves, lead to the accu- 

 mulation of new data and result in more adequate descriptions. 

 The growth of the different species in gelatin is described with 

 more than usual discrimination, and with the use of several apt 

 comparisons. 



A valuable study of the Connecticut River by Dr. Smith con- 

 cludes the report. 



The Hygienic Treatment of Consumption. By M. L. Holbeook, 

 M.D. New York, M. L. Holbrook & Co. 



By far the larger part of this book is devoted to the discussion 

 of the prevention and treatment of consumption in its earlier 

 stages. Under this head are given the author's views upon suit- 

 able exercises for persons of consumptive tendencies, upon cloth- 

 ing, climate, baths, and other familiar topics. These subjects 

 are in the main handled with common sense and with perhaps 

 more than the usual freshness of illustration. 



The author calls attention to the dangerous weakening of the 

 constitution arising from an incessant course of " colds," and 

 gives some sensible practical suggestions for individual hygiene. 

 The connection of colds with indigestion is clearly recognized. 

 " Overloading the stomach with indigestible food is a frequent 

 cause of colds. It is far better to wait a little before eating if one 

 is very tired, or to eat slowly and moderately, so as to give the 

 stomach time to regain its power" (p. 44). 



CALENDAR OF SOCIETIES. 

 Society of Natural History, Boston. 

 Nov. 2. — George L. Goodale, Certain 

 Aspects of the Vegetation of New Zealand. 

 Philosophical Society, Washington. 

 Oct 29— A. W. Harris. Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station Exhibit by the Department 

 of Agriculture at the World's Fair; C. D. 

 Walcott, Notes on the Lower Paleozoic 

 Rocks Between the Susquehanna and Poto- 

 mac Rivers; T. Russell, Relation of Rain- 

 Fall to River Rise ; W. Harkness, Flexure of 

 Telescope Tubes. 



Publications Received at Editor's Office. 



AcLAND, Sir Henry W. The Inaugural Bobert 

 Boyle Lecture. Oxford, Henry Prowde. 12°. 

 Paper. 45 p. 



Allen, Harrison, 

 lostorae Bats 

 Paper. 7 p. 



Bailey, M.A. American Mental Arithmetic. New 

 York, American Book Co. 16°. 160 p. 35 cts. 



Baker & Co. Data Concerning Platinum, etc. 

 Newark, Baker & Co. 11 p. 



Doughty, Francis P. Evidences of Man in the 

 Drift. New York, Privately Printed. 8°. Paper. 

 18 p. 



Hurst, J. T. Tables and Memoranda for Engi- 

 neers. 11th ed. New York, Spon & Chamber- 

 Iain. 132 p. 50 cts. 



James, Bushrod W. Alaskana. Philadelphia, Por- 

 ter & Coates. 12°. 386 p. 



Lubbock, Sir John. The Beauties of Nature. New 

 York, Macmillan & Co. 18°. 443 p. $1.50. 



Nadaillac, Marquis de. Manners and Monuments 

 of Prehistoric Peoples. Trans, by Nancy Bell. 

 New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons. 8°. 424 p. 

 ill. $3. 



Peddie, Willlam. a Manual of Physics. New 

 York, G. P. Putnam's Sons. 12°. 518 p. 111. 

 $2.60. 



Simpson, Charles T. Notes on the TTnionldaa of 

 Florida and the Southeastern States. Wash- 

 ington, Government. 8°. Paper. 31 p. lU. 



True, Prederick W. Annotated Catalogue of 

 Mammals Collected by W. L. Abbott. Wash- 

 ington, Government. 8°. Paper. 35 p. 111. 



Exchanges. 



[Freeofcharge to all, if of satisfactory character. 

 Address N. D. C. Hodges, 874 Broadway, New York.l 



For Exchange— "The Birds of Kansas,"— Goss, for 

 Gray's Anatomy, or Medical Dictionary. Must be 

 in good condition. Address, J. H. SIMPSON, Bueh- 

 tel College. Akron, Ohio. 



For Sale or Exchange. — The subscriber would 

 like to receive cash offers, or an offer in exchange 

 for the earlier volumes of Foggendorf's Annalen 

 and the later volumes of Silliman's Journal, upon 

 the following list: Chenn — Manuel de Conchylio- 

 logig. '^ vols. Nearly 5,000 figures, some hand-col- 

 ored. Paper. Paris, 18.'i9. Edwards.— Butterflies 

 of N. A. 2 vols. Plates hand-colored. Vol. I., half 

 calf Vol. II. in parts. Leyman, Agassiz, Hagen. — 

 Ills. Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool. at Harvard. No. I. 

 Ophiuridae. No. II., Acalephae, No. III., Astacidae. 

 All bound in one volume. American Naturalist. 

 Vols. I.-VII. Cloth. Silliman's Am. Jour, of 

 Science and Arts. Third Series. Vols. I.-X. Cloth. 

 Binney.— Terrestrial Mollusks of N. A. Colored 

 plates. 4 vols. Stretch. —Zygaenidae and Bomby- 

 cidae of N. A. Colored plates. Also a considerable 

 library of monographs, reports, and scientific 

 books, and a large number of duplicates of fossils, 

 minerals and shells. E. A. STRONG, Ypsilanti, 

 Mich., Sept., 1892. 



Exchange. — I have the finest shells of Anodonta 

 corpulenta, C'p'r, and Suborbiculata, Say, in the 

 world. Will exchange for fresh water, land, and 

 marine shells, in large or small quantities. Have 

 also for exchange 50 varieties of fresh water and 

 land shells from Spoon River, 111. Dr. W. S. 

 STRODE, Lewistown, 111. 



Reading Matter Notices. 



Ripans Tabules : best liver tonic. 

 Ripans Tabules cure jaundice. 



Wants. 



WANTED.— By well- qualified and experienced 

 science master and associate of the Royal 

 School of Mines, London, aged 26 (at present in 

 England), a mastership in technical college or uni- 

 versity for any of the following subjects: Engineer- 

 ing sciences, geology and mineralogy, physics, chem- 

 istry and metallurgy, etc., etc. Can provide excel- 

 lent references and credentials. Apply, J. G., 17 

 Sussex St., Rochdale, England. 



METALLURGICAL CHEMIST will give instruc- 

 tion in the metallurgy and chemical analysis 

 of iron and steel. Complete or special courses ap- 

 plying to the manufacture of pig irons and steels, as 

 well as to their uses. Address " METALLURGIST," 

 care Science. 



A GRADUATE of the University of Pennsylvania . 

 and a practical mineralogist of twenty years' 

 experience desires to give his services and a cabi- 

 net of 25,i'00 specimens, all named, with about the 

 same number of duplicates, in minerals, crystals, 

 rocks, gems, fossils, shells, archaeological and ethno- 

 logical specimens and woods to any institution de- 

 siring a fine outfit for study. The owner will in- 

 crease the cabinet to 50,000 specimens in two years 

 and will act as curator. Correspondence solicited . 

 from any scientific institution. J. W. Hortter, 

 M.D., Ph.D., San Francisco, Cal., General P. O. 

 Delivery. 



WANTED.— A position as zoological artist in con- 

 t ectton with a scientific expedition, institution 

 or individual investigations. Experienced in micro- 

 scopic and all scientific work. References given if 

 desired. Address J. HENRY BLAKE, 7 Prentiss 

 Place, N. Cambridge, Mass. 



CHEMIST AND ENGINEER, graduate German 

 Polytechnic, Organic and Analytical, desires a 

 position in laboratory or chemical works. Address 

 213J4 E. 7th Street. New York, care Levy. 



The American Geologist for 1892. 



Edited by Prof. S. Calvin. University of Iowa; Dr. B. W. Clatpole, Buchtel College; John Eterman, 

 Lafayette College; Dr. Fersifor Frazer, Penn. Hort. Soc; Prop. F. W. Cragin," Colorado College; 

 Prof. Rob't T. Hill, U. S. Irrigation Survey; Dr. Andrew C. Lawson. University of California; R. D. 

 Salisbury, University of Wisconsin; Joseph B. Tyrrell, Geol. Sur. oJ Canada; E, O. Ulrich. Minaesota 

 Geological Survey: Prop. I. C. White. University of West Virginia; Prof. N. H. Winchell, University ■ 

 of Minne sota. Now in its IXth volume. $3.60 per year. Sample copies, 20 cents. Address 



ITHE GEOLOGICAL PUBLISHING CO., MinneapoUs, Minn. 



