April 10, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



595 



on Zee duiivel, Diabolus marinus Willugh- 

 by. Hist. Pise, App., 1686, p. 5, plate 9, 

 fig. 3; no locality; pre-linnsean). [Nonbi- 

 nomial.] 

 1801. {Raja.) Manaiia Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 

 p. 364 (based on La Eaie Manatia, Lace- 

 pede. Hist. Nat. Poiss., I., 1798, p. 160; 

 les rivages de I'Amerique voisins de I'equa- 

 teur; nonbinomial) . 

 1824. C.(ephalopterus) Yampyrus Mitchell, 

 Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, I., p. 23, 

 plate 2, fig. 1 ; " near the entrance of Dela- 

 ware bay, by the crew of a smack. They 

 had heard that creatures of extraordinary 

 form and size, were frequent in the tract 

 situated ofi Capes May and Henlopen, dur- 

 ing the warm season." 

 1824. G.(ephaloptera) gigantea Le Sueur 

 Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., IV., p. 115, 

 plate 6, figs. 1—4; taken near the entrance 

 of the Delaware (Coll. Philadelphia Mu- 

 seum). 



A large example of this species was taken 

 in the sea, about a mile from shore, at Stone 

 Harbor, N. J., September 1, 1902. It was 

 taken in a poimd net with the harpoon by 

 Bome fishermen, and then dragged ashore be- 

 hind a whaleboat. When in the net it be- 

 haved very quietly until harpooned, after 

 which it created a great disturbance. It 

 soon died, however, when brought on the 

 beach. Nothing was preserved except one of 

 the eyes and a small piece of the skin. The 

 former measures about two and one eighth 

 inches in diameter, and its pupil about eleven 

 sixteenths of an inch. These are contained 

 in the collections of the Academy. 



As Walbaum is nonbinomial, the next avail- 

 able name is that proposed by Schneider. The 

 name in current use. Mania hirostris, will 

 thus be superseded by Mania manaiia. 



SCOMBEID^. 

 2. Thunnis thtnnus (Linnseus). 

 1758. {Scomber.) Thynnns Linnseus, Syst. 

 Nat, Ed. X., p. 297; inter Tropicos, in 

 Pelago (based on Scomher pinnulis, etc., 

 Artedi, Ichth., 1738, p. 31; no locality, evi- 

 dently the great tunny of Europe). 

 I examined a large example, a little over 



eight feet in length, which was said to have 

 weighed 700 pounds. It was brought to the 

 Philadelphia market November 4, 1898, from 

 near Brighton, N. J., where it was taken in 

 the ocean. No attempt was made to use the 

 flesh, and it remained on exhibition for sev- 

 eral days. 



CEPHALACANTHID^. 

 3. Cephalacanthus volitans (Linnseus). 

 1768. {Trigla.) volitans Linnseus, Syst. Nat. 

 Ed. X., p. 302; in Mari Mediterraneo, 

 Oceano, Pelago inter tropicos, in Asia, im- 

 primis ad Cap. b. spei, sape agitata evolans 

 ex aqua (part; based in Trigla capiie, etc., 

 Artedi, Ichth., 1738, p. 44; mare Mediter- 

 raneum). 



A large example of this species was taken 

 at Holly Beach, October 11, 1902. It is now 

 in the collection of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of . Philadelphia. 



Henry W. Fowler. 

 Academy op Nattjkai. Sciences, 



Philadelphia, Pa., January 17, 1903. 



GURREIS^T NOTES ON 'METEOROLOQY. 



BIGELOW'S BAROMETEY. 



Volume II. of the ' Eeport of the Chief of 

 the Weather Bureau for 1900-1901' is an 

 elaborate ' Eeport on the Barometry of the 

 United States, Canada and the West Indies,' 

 prepared by Professor P. H. Bigelow. The 

 volume numbers 1,005 quarto pages, and con- 

 tains 55 tables and 39 charts. The need of 

 some revision of the barometric observations 

 becomes apparent when it is recalled that these 

 observations have not hitherto been reduced to 

 a homogeneous system by the application of 

 all the necessary reductions. The method of 

 reduction has also varied from time to time. 

 Four methods of reduction have been em- 

 ployed before the one contained in this re- 

 port. Professor Bigelow has preserved the 

 Ferrel system of reduction, has ' added an- 

 other for local abnormality, computed the 

 effect of the vapor pressure separately from 

 that of the free air, and discussed thoroughly 

 the temperature argument, so that these, 

 added to the usual free-air reduction, give the 

 ones required for the plateau districts.' Some 

 idea of the scope of the report may be gained 



