812 



SCIENCE. 



[X. S. Vol. XVIII. Xo. 4(;9. 



observation i-equired for the complete de- 

 termination of the performance of thirtj^- 

 five model propellers was finished. To 

 complete the investigation immediately in 

 view, fourteen propellers remain to be ex- 

 perimented with. He feels that the com- 

 plete experimental determination for 

 thirty-five propellers constitutes a most 

 satisfactory summer's work. This is five 

 sevenths of the entire field to be covered by 

 this particular investigation. The work of 

 making the detailed reductions and anal- 

 yses of these observations will presumably 

 occiipy most of the winter. But very 

 gratifying progress has been made in the 

 preliminary measurements, speed having 

 been determined from distance and time 

 records in 444 cases and thrust-turning 

 momentum determined by integration from 

 autographic records in 655 cases. 



Leonard Waldo, New York City. For 

 study of aluminum lironzes. $4,500. 

 Abstract of Beport.— Mr. Waldo reports 

 that through the death of his associate, 

 George S. Morison, and the break down in 

 health of his chief assistant progress has 

 been slow ; he is unable to do more than re- 

 port progress. He (a) prepared a bibliog- 

 raphy on alloys of aluminum and copper 

 and of other aluminum compounds; (&) 

 has had in operation six kinds of specially 

 built furnaces, and is building a seventh, 

 to determine the best methods for making 

 large castings and sound wire bars or 

 billets of aluminum bronze; (c) his rolling 

 mill experiments for producing tubes, 

 sheet, wire and forged bars, from billets 

 cast during the j^ear, are practically com- 

 plete and are satisfactory. 



Notes taken during the process of rolling 

 and cold drawing, relative to temperature, 

 speeds and cost are awaiting collation and 

 reduction. A complete report will be pre- 

 pared during the coming year. 



EXPLORATION. 



R.vpH^VEL PuMPELLY, Ncwport, R. I. For 

 preliminary examination of Ike trans- 

 Caspian region. $6,500. 

 Abstract of Report.— The reconnaissance 

 covered a region of 1,750 miles in length, 

 with trips from 10 to 300 miles away from 

 the railroad base. Throughout the great 

 part of this area the remains of ancient oc- 

 cupation abound, in the form of large 

 tumuli, A'illage sites, fortresses and cities. 



The structure of the tumuli examined 

 and their contents indicate a very remote 

 beginning and occupation during long 

 periods. The builders had apparently 

 archaic potteiy, no metals, slight knowl- 

 edge of stone implements and probably 

 wooden weapons. The people were settled 

 and had the domestic horse, cow, pig, sheep 

 and goat. Many of these seats of early 

 dwelling seem to have become in time 

 eminences upon which arose fortresses, or 

 to have become the citadels of towns grow- 

 ing up around them. Thus they probably 

 contain the continuoiis record of the de- 

 velopment of the civilizations of the region 

 from a very remote antiquitj' down to his- 

 toric times. 



The reconnaissance work of Professor 

 Davis, Mr. Huntington and R. W. 

 Pumpelly has shown the former existence 

 of several glacial epochs, and has made 

 much progress in correlating these with the 

 progress of prehistoric physical events in 

 the building of the plains and the expan- 

 sions of the former Aralo-Caspian seas. 

 Their observations give reason to hope that 

 further study will correlate these physical 

 events with important phases of human 

 development in connection with Asiatic 

 and European history. 



GEOPHYSICS. 



Frank D. Adams, IMcGill University, Mon- 

 treal, Can. For investigating the flow 

 of rocl-s. $2,500. 



