December 23, 1892. J 



SCIENCE. 



?6r 



it i^ based on wide observations of facts and long reflection on 

 the elements of the problem, in which I have had the assistance 

 and support of many able geologists, and they are views which 

 cannot wisely be dismissed without careful consideration of the 

 arguments upon which they rest. The theory is not without its 

 •difficulties; neither is any other. Geology is not an exact science. 

 There is no infallible court of appeal for the settlement of theo- 

 ries. Observers and students of the facts may widely differ for a 

 long time in their conclusions without discredit to either party. 

 I can only ask for freedom of opinion and freedom of utterance. 



G. Frederick Weight. 



Oberlln, O. 



Notice of the Occurrence of Nyctale Richardsoni, Richardson's 

 Owl, in Nebraska. 



The occurrence in this region of Richardson's owl, Nyctale 

 Bichardsoni, seems to be entirely established by the recent capture 

 of one in Lincoln. This is a long distance below its southern 

 limit, and its appearance is something of a surprise. 



However, Professor Lawrence Bruner, who has stuffed and 

 mounted this rare owl, noticed one as a boy, twenty four years 

 ago. near Omaha. Ornithologists at the time questioned the ac- 

 curacy of his observations, but this specimen confirms the proba- 

 bility of his claim. 



The present specimen, which is the first actually taken in the 

 State, was captured on 33d Street, in the city of Lincoln, Dec. 12, 

 and was brought alive to the State Museum. It lived but a short 

 time, however, owing perhaps to injuries, or to the heat. The 

 bird is an adult, in fine plumage. 



The unexpected appearance of this inhabitant of Arctic regions 

 seems the more striking from the fact that the weather in Ne- 

 braska thus far, barring one snow-storm, has been a mild, pro- 

 tracted autumn rather than winter. Erwin H. Barbour. 



University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 14. 



Vagueness of Localization in a Child. 



The following are illustrations of the vagueness of the localiza- 

 tion of cutaneous sensations in children. The one referred to is 

 16 months old. The morning after she had been vacciaated, and 

 for a considerable time afterward, she was unable to tell on which 

 arm the sensitive spot was situated, often looking at or touching 

 the wrong one. On one occasion the child sat down with her 

 hack close to a grate-fire; as soon as the heat had penetrated the 

 clothing, she began pulling at and striking her chest as though 

 the sensation were there. M. Scripture. 



New Haven, Conn. 



Ballistic Galvanometer. 

 Can any of your readers furnish me with complete references 

 on the use of the ballistic galvanometer for measurements of 

 -time ? E. W. Scripture. 



Tale University, New Haven, Conn. 



BOOK-REVIEWS. 



The California Vine Disease. By Newton B. Pierce Bulletin 

 No. 3. Division of Vegetable Pathology, U. S. Dep't. Agric. 

 Washington, 1892. 222 p, pi. 25, charts 2. 



Report on the Experiments made in 1891 in the Treatment of 

 Plant Diseases. By B. T. Galloway. Bulletin No. 3. Di- 

 vision of Vegetable Pathology, U. S. Dep't. Agric. Wash- 

 ington, 1893. 76 p. pi. 8. 



Grasses of the Pacific Slope, including Alaska and the Adjacent 

 Islands. By Geo. Vasey. Bulletin No. 13. Division of 

 Botany. U. S. Dep't. Agric. Washington, 1892. 50 plates, 

 with descriptions. 

 These three publications which have followed one another 

 rapidly from the Government printing office are of diverse char- 

 acter. The first deals with the results of an investigation extend- 

 ing over two years into the character of an obscure but virulent 

 disease of vines in California; the second records the results of a 

 series of experiments to prevent the ravages of several plant- 

 diseases in the eastern portion of the country ; and the third gives 



descriptions and plates of fifty-two species of grasses found grow- 

 ing on the Pacific coast of our country, including Alaska. 



The California vine disease seems to have first appeared in the 

 vicinity of Anaheim, Orange County, in 1885, but it did not at- 

 tract great attention until the following year, when it caused the 

 death of a large number of vines. From this, its first appear- 

 ance, it has spread over a wide section of the surrounding coun- 

 try and has caused the death of many thousands of vines and en- 

 tailed a loss of many thousands of dollars. Mr. Pierce, as the 

 special agent of the Department of Agriculture, had spent two 

 years in studying the subject vi'hen the present report was sub- 

 mitted, in June, 1891, and since then has continued his investi- 

 gations. The report is an exhaustive one in many respects, an 

 unsatisfactory one in others. For example, while he has given 

 a very full account of the rise and progress of the vine industry 

 in California and Mexico, and has examined with great care the 

 bearings of soil conditions and of meteorological phenomena on 

 the disease, theremedy for the evil, or even suggestions for pallia- 

 tion of it, are meagre in the extreme. It might be said, it is 

 true, that as the origin and cause of the disease is still unknown, 

 it is not possible to prescribe a remedy. Everything that has so 

 far been tried has given negative results. Numerous facts have 

 been brought out by the investigation. Among them may be 

 noted that drainage, irrigation, soil characters, rainfall, and tem- 

 perature have had no effect in causing the disease. But that 

 shade has in some unknown manner the effect of retarding the 

 progress of the malady. It has also been ascertained that the 

 disease is not caused by certain species of fungi or by certain 

 animal or insect parasites, and that it differs in several ways quite 

 markedly from Chlorosis and Pouriiiore as these occur in Europe. 

 The colored plates that are given illustrate very well the effects of 

 the disease on the leaves and canes. 



The second of the titles above given is an account of experi- 

 ments conducted in the vicinity of Washington and in New York 

 State for the prevention of plant diseases. These experiments 

 bear out the previous work of the department. They show that, 

 in the treatment of black rot of the grape, Bordeaux mixture still 

 takes the lead; and that half strength, i. e , 3 pounds of copper 

 sulphate, 2 pounds of fresh lime, and 22 gallons of water, gives 

 as good practical results as full strength. In the treatment of 

 apple scab, Bordeaux mixture was also very effective, but not so 

 much so as Paris green. This is a new fact inasmuch as this 

 substance, while known to be effective against insects, has not 

 been generally supposed to be a fungicide. There was a higher 

 percentage of first quality fruits and a less percentage of third 

 quality as well as wormy fruits when this substance was used 

 than any other. The experiments in New York were largelj' 

 negative, since the amount of disease present was compara- 

 tively slight. The subjects treated were various kinds of nurserv 

 stock, and here again Bordeaux mixture gave as a whole the 

 best results. Two plates showing sprayed and unsprayed grapes 

 bear testimony to the good effects of the treatment for black rot. 

 The third title, "Grasses of the Pacific Slope," consists of illus- 

 trations and descriptions of gras.ses growing in California. 

 Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Some of them are of value 

 for forage, while others are of scientific interest only. This is 

 Part I. of the second volume of " Illustrations of North Ameri- 

 can Grasses,'" the first volume, also in two parts, having treated 

 of the grasses of the south-west. The reports cannot fail to be of 

 great interest and value to all students of botany. 



Joseph F. James. 



Comparative Architecture. By Baere Fereee. The author, 

 New York. 



This is a reprint of a paper read before the American Institute 

 of Architects at its twenty-fifth annual meeting, at Boston, in 

 October, 1891. II is handsomely printed in royal octavo, and 

 covers fifteen pages in clear and pleasing type. In this discourse, 

 the distinguished author applies to architecture the comparative 

 method which has proved so fruitful in the study of language 

 and of biology. " Comparative Architecture" takes "the facts 

 of historical and descriptive architecture, and describes the com- 

 parative progress made by all nations, and under all conditions." 



