SCIENCE 



Ediiobial Committee: S. NEWcoirB, Mathematics; E. S. Woodward, Mechanics; E. C. Pickeeing, 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; E. H. Thurston, Engineering; Ira Ebmskn, Chemistry; 



J. Lk Conte, Geology; "W. M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. Marsh, Paleontology; "W. K. Brooks, 



C. Hart Mereiam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; C. E. Bessky, N. L. Beitton, 



Botany; Heney F. Osborn, General Biology; C. S. Minot, Emhryology, Histology; 



H. P. BowDiTCH, Physiology; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKeen Cattell, 



Psychology; Daniel G. Brinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Fkidat, October 7, 1898. 



CONTENTS: 



The Harvard Astrophysieal Conference: PROFES- 

 SOR M. B. Snydee 449 



Geology and Geography at the American Association 

 Meeting, I. : Waeren Upham 462 



The Botanical Society of America 471 



Meeting of the American Forestry Association at 

 Boston 471 



Notes on Physics : — 



Gay Lussac's Law and Atmospheric Nitrogen; 

 Liquid Ammonia; Measurement of the Intensity 

 of Sound: W. S. F 472 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 473 



Zoological Notes: F. A. LocAS 474 



Owrrent Notes on Anthropology : — 



The Zoque Language ; The A nthropology of Bruns- 

 wick; The Querandies: PROFESSOR D. G. BRIN- 

 TON 474 



Scientific Notes and News 475 



University and Educational News 478 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



77(6 Windmill Illusion : A. H. Pierce, Profes- 

 sor Joseph Le Conte 479 



Scientific Literature: — 



Conant on the Cubomedusse : Professor H. V. 

 Wilson 481 



Scientific Journals 484 



New Books 484 



MSS. Intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review should be sent to tlie responsible editor, Profes- 

 sor J. McKeen Cattell, Garrison-OTi -Hudson, N. Y. 



TSE SABVARD A8TE0PRYSICAL 

 CONFERENCE. 

 The first Astrophysieal Conference, held 

 on the memorable occasion of the dedica- 

 tion of the Yerkes Observatory, was so 

 marked a success and started a movement 

 so important to American astrophysieal 



science that it was to be expected it would 

 result in the perpetuation of such confer- 

 ences. Both from the graceful tribute 

 brought on that occasion from Harvard, 

 the oldest observatory devoted to astro- 

 physical research, to the newest seeking 

 similar work, and from the fact that Pro- 

 fessor E. C. Pickering's fearless application 

 of modern methods of research to far-reach- 

 ing astronomical problems had made the 

 Harvard Observatory a center of interest 

 to many astronomers, was it eminently 

 proper that the second Conference, and that 

 first proposing a permanent organization of 

 American astronomers, should be held at 

 the Harvard College Observatory. 



Quite apart from the scientific papers 

 read and discussed, the Observatory enter- 

 taining the Conference in itself constituted 

 a special contribution. In no other obser- 

 vatory could the methods by which modern 

 astronomy is breaking with traditional 

 types of work be more completely and sys- 

 tematically exhibited. Professor E. C, 

 Pickering's vast organization of work, as 

 concretely represented in the photographic 

 and other results accessible to the members 

 of the Conference, was unquestionably the 

 greatest and most inspiring contribution 

 made to the Conference. There were the 

 organized photometric determinations rep- 

 resented not only in Professor Pickering's 

 own work with the meridian photometer, 

 but in the work of Mr. Wendell in accurate 



