December 9, 1892.] 



SCIENCE. 



333 



of a middle or lower Cretaceous connection with Greenland, an 

 hypothesis fully in harmony with the views of a connecting off- 

 shore Tertiary terrane, advanced by certain Neocene palseon- 

 tologists. 



There remain still many problems in the stratigraphy and chro- 

 nology of Gay Head. Next year will doubtless offer opportunities 

 for fresh conclusions, at least on subordinate points, to my friend 

 or any other geologist. There may even be good reasons for the 

 sincere eutertainment of almost fundamentally different opinions 

 on the part of an equally skilful observer. 



Among other problems, not merely local, is the circumstance 

 that, notwith?tanding the incoinpatibility and irrationality of the 

 idea in view of present continental geography and topography, no 

 other inherent evidence has, I believe, been found as to the depo- 

 sition of the clays and sands of this series except such as tends to 

 support the view of Professor Uhler that these middle or lower 

 Cretaceous terranes are essentially fresh water formations. 



David White. 



Washington, D.C., Nov. 16. 



On the Vernacular Name of the Genus Harporhynchus. 



That well-known genus of American birds, of which Harpo- 

 rhynchus rufus is the type, is almost universally called in Eng- 

 lish, by every ornithologist, or indeed by every one who knows 

 the species in the United States, a Thrasher. In New England, 

 and to the southward and westward, it is known as the Brown 

 Thrasher. We find it printed Thrasher in the A. O. U. Check- 

 List, without any synonymic term or terms, as is also the case in 

 such an authorative work as Coues's "Key to North American 

 Birds." Now it is of interest to know that our British ornitho- 

 logical friends call these birds Threshers, spelled with an e in the 

 tirst syllable, instead of an a. Recently Professor Alfred Newton 

 submitted me the proof of a contribution of mine to his extensive 

 work on Ornithology, now passing through the press, wherein 

 this word occurred, — spelled Thrasher in my text, but Thresher 

 in a supplementary note of his own. Upon his attention being 

 called to it, I received from him the following in his reply : "I 

 have not the least wish to interfere with your use of Thrashers, — 

 there is some authority for it among English writers, — but I be- 

 lieve Thresher to be more correct (A. S., perscan or pirscan ; Mid. 

 Engl, preschen; Chaucer, threshen; Seal, preskja; Old Duicb, 

 dersohen; Germ., dreschen; Gothic, thrisken) and prefer that 

 form for my own use — though, of course, giving it the sound of 

 short a, as in many other words, e.g., Derby. Thrash would 

 seem to indicate a pronunciation like Thrash (almost thrarsh) — 

 which is local and vulgar. A. N." This communication is dated 

 Magdalene College, Cambridge, England, Nov. 13, 1892. Accord- 

 ing to this it would seem that our old, time-honored name of 

 Thrasher, strictly speaking, should give way to the more correct 

 appellation of Thresher. R. W. Shdfeldt. 



Teitoma, D. C, Nov. 29. 



Meteoric Shower. 



The meteoric shower here on the evening of Nov. 23 was very 

 fine. The average of several observations, from 7 to 10 P.M , gave 

 250 good-sized meteors per minute, with a great many very small 

 ones resembling a fiery dust. The meteors appeared to radiate 

 from a point nearly overhead at 9 P.M. C. W. Kempton. 



Austerlitz Mlue, Oro Blanco, Pima County, Ariz., Nov, 26. 



Remains of the Mastodon Recently Found in Tennessee, 

 Neiae Nieberl's Springs, seven miles south east of Kjiosville, 

 some workmen recently unearthed four molar teeth of the masto- 

 don, which were in a fair state of preservation They were found 

 beneath about thirty inches of yellow tenaceous clay, containing 

 water-worn stones. The largest tooth measured sixteen inches in 

 circumference, and bears on its grinding surface one small and 

 four large ridges, which are covered to the depth of one fourth 

 of an inch with perfectly preserved enamel. The smallest touth 

 measures twelve inches in circumference, and has only three 

 transverse ridges, whose surfaces are so worn as to expose the 



dentine in a number of places. The roots are so decayed and 

 broken that it is impossible to determine their original length 

 or number 



The University of Tennessee has in its possession other remains 

 recently found in Hawkins County of this State. These consist 

 of part of a tusk, measuring twenty -tvvo inches in circumference 

 by twelve inches in length, and a molar tooth with only two 

 ridgps. The tooth is well preserved; but the tusk is much de- 

 cayed. S. W. McCallie. 



Uuiverslty of Tennessee, Knoxvllle, Tenn. 



The Humming-Bird's Food. 



The notes that have recently appeared in Science regarding the 

 bntummg-bird's food, would seem to show that the bird's taste 

 varies with the locality. In southern New York their favorite 

 flower is the swamp-thistle (Cirsium muticum) No better place 

 could be selected for studvina; the feeding-habits of the ruby- 

 throats than a spot where these flowers abound. Dr. Gibbs 

 thinks the iniividual flowers of the red clover too small for the 

 ruby-throat's attention, but in the thistles the flowers are even 

 smaller Since it has been said that the bee gets pollen but not 

 honey from the thistle, it would appear that the birds visit these 

 flowers for insects. There is scarcely a flower that contains so 

 many minute insects as a thistle-head. Examine one with a 

 lens and it will be found to contain many insects that can hardly 

 be seen with the unaided eye. If the ruby-throat eats insects at 

 all, these are the ones it would take; and because the larger ones 

 remained the observer might conclude that none were eaten. 



WiLLARD N. Clute. 

 Bingbampton, New York, Nov. 21. 



AMONG THE PUBLISHERS. 



"General Taylor," a biography by Major-General O. O. 

 Howard. USA, will follow Mahan's " Farragut " in the Great 

 Commtmder Series published by D. Appleton & Co. General 

 Howard has visited the scenes of Taylor's campaigns in Mexico, 

 and his book will be found to be an authority for those who are 

 interested in the military history of our country. This biography 

 contains a portrait and several maps, 



— Macmillao & Co. announce the publication of a new work 

 on the heavens and their origin, under the title of •' The Visible 

 Universe," by J. Ellard Gore. F.R.A.S., the author of "Star 

 Groups," etc. The book is a discussion of the theories which have 

 been advanced from time to time as to the construction of the 

 heavens, celestial chemistry, stellar distances and motions, etc., 

 and is illusrated by stellar photographs and lithographic plates. 



— The January St. Nicholas will contain the opening paper in 

 a series that magazine is to print on leading American cities, 

 illustrated. In this article Colonel T. W. Higginson describes 

 Boston in a way to interest boys and girls in the literary history 

 of that city. For future numbers of St. Nicholas. Dr. Lyman 

 Abbott will write of Brooklyn, Edmund Clarence Stedman will 

 describe New York, and other famous residents of the different 

 cities will describe them. 



— '' Electric Light Cables and the Distribution of Electricity, " by 

 Stuart A. Russell, is the latest volume in the Specialists' Series 

 (London. Whittaker & Co. ; New York, Macmillan). The recent 

 extension of electric lighting from large central stations has 

 brought to the front many problems connected with the economi- 

 cal distribution of electricity over large areas; and to the discus- 

 sion and elucidation of these problems this volume is devoted. 

 In its 319 pages the author presents a clear, reasonably compre- 

 hensive, and fully illustrated description of the various systems 

 of distribution and types of conductor now in use, and suggests 

 the directions in which future improvements will be made. 

 Price, $2,25. 



— The Appalachian Mountain Club has just published a second 

 work, with the title, " The Land of the Cliff-Dwellers," from the 

 pen of Jlr. Frederick H. Chapin. The region to which the reader 



