SCIENCE 



Editoeial Committee: S. Newcomb, Mathematics; E. S. Woodwaed, Mechanics; E. C. Pickeeing 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; R. H. Thueston, Engineering; lEA Eemsen, Chemistry; 



J. Lb Conte, Geology; "W. M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. Maesh, Paleontology; W. K. Beooks, 



C. Haet Meeeiam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; C. E. Bessey, N. L. Beitton, 



Botany; Heney F. Osboen, General Biology; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology; 



H. P. BowDiTCH, Physiology; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKebn Cattkll, 



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



Friday, October 14, 1898. 



CONTENTS: 



A Neiv Gas: Chaeles F. Bexjsh 485 



The New York State College of Forestry : Peofes- 

 SOE B. E. Feenow 494 



Geology and Geography at the American Association 

 Meeting {II.): Waeeen TJphAM 501 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry : 3. L. H 506 



Current Notes on Meteorology : — 



TJie Mean Annual Rainfall of the Globe; Symons' 

 British Rainfall ; Notes: B. DeC. Waed 507 



Omrrent Notes on Anthropology : — 



' On Inspiration '; Relics from the Uloa Valley : 

 Peofessoe D. G. Beinton 508 



Scientific Notes and News 508 



University and Educational News 512 



Discussion and Correspondence ; — 



Tlie 3Iethod of Types : O. F. Cook. TIte Sup- 

 posed Bipolarity of Polar Faunas : De. Abnold 

 E. Oetmann 513 



Scientific Literature: — 



Herlwig on Die Zelle und die Geweie : Peofes- 

 soe Feank E. Lillie. Mills on Animal Intel- 

 ligence: De. Edwaed L. Thoendike 517 



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

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor. Profes- 

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



A NEW GAS* 



The purpose of this purely preliminary 

 paper is to announce the discovery of a 

 new gas, presumably elementary, and 

 possessed of some extraordinary properties. 

 It is a constituent of the atmosphere and is 

 occluded by many substances. Its chief 



* Eead before the American Association for the Ad- 

 Tancement of Science, August 23, 1898. 



characteristic thus far ascertained is enor- 

 mous heat conductivity at low pressures. 

 In order to appreciate this phenomenon it 

 is necessary to consider the heat conductiv- 

 ity of some of the well-known gases. 



A year ago I had the honor to read be- 

 fore this Section a paper on the transmission 

 of heat by gases, illustrated by numer- 

 ous curve sheets showing the heat con- 

 ductivity of several gases at all pressures 

 from atmospheric down to the best vacuum 

 obtainable ; also an allied paper on the 

 measurement of small gaseous pressures. 

 Abstracts of these papers appear in the cur- 

 rent volume of Transactions, and their full 

 text may be found in the Philosophical Mag- 

 azine for January, 1898, and November, 

 1897, respectively. 



The apparatus used for the described ex- 

 periments in heat transmission consisted in 

 part of a long-stemmed thermometer hang- 

 ing in a long-necked glass bulb, the bulb 

 of the thermometer being in the center of 

 the glass bulb. Two bulbs were used for 

 different experiments ; the larger one 112 

 mm. in diameter, the smaller one only 20 

 mm. A tank of water and crushed ice 

 under the bulb was adapted to be raised 

 when desired, so as to immerse the bulb in 

 the cold mixture. The neck of the bulb 

 was connected with an air pump capable of 

 reducing the internal pressure to a very 

 small fraction of a millionth of atmospheric 

 pressure; also with an elaborate pressure 



