July 7, 1893.] 



SCIENCE. 



Highly specialized in some respects, in both Protopterus and 

 Lepidosiren, this specialization is largely due to a change of habit, 

 and that, undoudtedly, these two types are, genericly, very dis- 

 tinct. 



In conclusion, I may simply add that this classical work will, 

 in the future, prove to be one of the very greatest value to all 

 students of the morphology of the Amphibia and of Pisces, as it 

 will be indispensible to the general biologist 



OBSERVATIONS ON A CYCLONE NEAR WILLIAMSTOWN, 

 KANSAS. 



BY E. H. S. BAILEY, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, LAWRENCE, KAN. 



A SEVERE and fatal cyclone visited a small area of country in 

 the Kaw valley, in Jefferson County, on June 21, at about six 

 o'clock in the evening, and the peculiar topography of the coun- 

 try gave an opportunity to make some observations that may be 

 of scientific interest. The valley at this point is about two miles 

 in width, the river running nearly east. On the south side it is 

 bounded by bluffs about a hundred feet in height, and on the 

 north side there is a strip of level meadow, something over a 

 mile in width, before one reaches the bluffs, which are of about 

 the same height as those on the south side. 



The general trend of the broad valley is east, but at a point a 

 mile or so beyond where the cyclone lifted the river runs toward 

 the southeast for perhaps a mile. On the particular afternoon in 

 question the weather had been extremely hot and sultry, the 

 mercury ranging between 90° and 95° F. The weather had been 

 warm and dry, with only one local shower for about two weeks. 

 About two hours before the cyclone burst upon the valley there 

 was a gathering of clouds in the northwest, with thunder and 

 lightning. A short time before the storm burst an ominous still- 

 ness was noted, and a sudJen darkening of the sky. During the 

 heaviest of the storm a peculiar green tint of the sky was noticed 

 in the locality. 



As the storm came from the west, it seemed to settle near the 

 ground at the base of the bluff, and, wherever the bluff was not 

 broken by lateral valleys, its path was about one-half on the side 

 of the hill and the other half on the sloping meadow to the soutli. 



Wherever the cyclone crossed the course of lateral ravines, even 

 if they were quite narrow, it dipped down into them and de- 

 stroyed tiees and buildings. It was not swerved from its general 

 eastward course even at one point where a broader valley joined 

 that of the Kaw. At this point, as the country was heavily 

 timbered, there was a special opportunity to observe the action of 

 the wind. Elm and walnut trees, two or three feet in diameter, 

 were either torn up by the roots, laid prostrat", or twisted off 

 fifteen or twenty feet from the ground. Here the track of the 

 cyclone, where it did appreciable damiige, was a little less than 

 600 yards in width. There were, occasionally, wrecked chimneys 

 and slightly injured roofs oq the outer edges of this path. All 

 along the course of the storm the debris was deposited in the 

 peculiar way that is characteristic of these furious whirlwinds. 

 The material north of the centre of the track was deposited in 

 lines from northwest to southeast, and that on the south side of 

 the centre in lines running from southwest to northeast. In the 

 centre of the track there was a tendency to distribute the material 

 in an east and west direction. A line of telephone poles on the 

 south side were laid in parallel lines, thus, /////. Fields of 

 grass and vfheat were beaten to the ground and the stalks laid in 



the directions above noted: W. //^^/^ "^ E- Thewiresof 

 the telephone line and of the barb-wire fence were lifted into the 

 tree-tops about fifty feet north of their original position. There 

 was a little debris deposited on the west side of some of the 

 buildings demolished, but most of it was carried along the track 

 and thoroughly pulverized. Strong, new farm wagons were 

 wrenched to pieces, and the spokes were even broken off near the- 

 hub, before they were deposited half a mile away. 



The terrible force of the wind could be seen in the beheading 

 of the wheat, the uncovering of iMtatoes in the hills, the transpor- 

 tation of grave-stones 300 yards, and the picking of all the 

 feathers from the chickens 



Qne of the most interesting effects thst was noticed was upon 



the trees that were left standing or laid prostrate and bereft of 

 every vestige of foliage and of nearly all the bark, all the ^vood 

 on the west side of these trees, often being exposed by having 

 the bark torn off, was roughened as if by a sand blast; while that 

 on the east side was smooth. This roughness was uniform, show- 

 ing that it was not produced by occasional missiles hurled through 

 the air. This roughening, if not produced by the actual friction 

 of the air. must have been produced by the sand and gravel in the 

 air, or by the rain that beat against the surface. 



Some who witnessed the storm saw the clouds of dust that ac- 

 companied the wind, so the sand-blast theory is no doubt the 

 correct explanation. 



The most serious work of destruction was accomplished, just 

 before the cyclone lifted. Here the valley broadened out towards 

 the north, and the bluff for a distance of a mile or more disap- 

 peared. With one last sweeping blow the storm lifted, and the 

 only other evidence of its work was a partially demolished barn. 

 Just at the point where the intensity seemed co^ncentrated, the 

 path was much narrower than farther west. The strip of land 

 devastated was about five miles in length. From the manner in 

 which it followed the base of the bluff, one would infer that had 

 it not been for this obstruction the storm would have passed off 

 towards the northeast instead of pursuing, as it did, a direction, a 

 little south of east. 



NOTES ON THE COPEPODA OF WISCONSIN. 



BY C. DWIGHT MARSH, RIPON, WISCONSIN. 



In the waters of Wisconsin and in the adjacent lakes are found 

 the following twenty-one species of free-swimming copepods-:: 

 Diaptomus sanguineus, Forbes; D. lejjfoplis, Forbes; D. jalU- 

 dus, Herrick; D. sicilis, Forbes; D. ashlandi sp. nov ; D. mi- 

 nutus, Lillj. ; D. oregonensis. Lillj.; Epischura lacustris, Forbes; 

 Limnocalanus macrurus, Sars; Cyclops oniericanus, sp. nov.;. 

 C. brevispinosus, Herrick; C. piilchelhts. Koch; C. navus, Her- 

 rick; C. parous, Herrick; C. leucarti, Sars; C. signatus, Koch; 

 C. modestus, Herrick; C. fluviatdis, Herrick; C. serrulatus, 

 Fischer; C. phaleratus, Koch; C fimbriahis. Fischer. 



Although two of these, D. ashlandi and C. americanus, are 

 new species, it is not probable that they are peculiar to the Wis- 

 consin fauna. The copepods of America have thus far recpived 

 very little attention, the only important publications on the sub- 

 ject being by three men, Pi-ofessor Cragin, Professor Herrick and 

 Professor Forbes. If more were known of our copepods it is 

 probable that it would be found that there are few local differ- 

 ences in the faunee of our northern Staies. The copepods are 

 readily transported fi'om one body of water to another and, 

 without change of structure, seem to endure great changes in 

 their environment In fact, half of our species of cy clops are 

 not only widely distributed in America, but are identical with 

 those of Europe. Those that may be considered distinctly Amer- 

 ican are closely allied to well-known European forms. 



C. leucarti is found in nearly all parts of the world where col- 

 lections have been made and, so far as can be inferred from the 

 published descriptions, varies but little, even in the minute de- 

 tails of its structure. 



C. americanus closely resembles C. viridis, and is probably the 

 species which has by other American authors been identified 

 with viridis. Although there seems to be good reason for sepa- 

 rating it from the European species, the similarity of the two 

 forms is so great that it is only by a close examination that the 

 structural differences become apparent. 



It is very possible that C. brevispinosus should be considered 

 a pelagic variety of C. americanus, thus reducing by one the 

 number of species peculiar to America. There is some reason, 

 too, for supposing that C. navus is not specifically distinct from 

 C. pulckellus. 



C. pulchellus is the common pelagic form of the Great Lakes. 

 Although found in smaller lakes, it is more commonly rephced 

 by C. brevisjjinof'us. which is a species of wide distribution. 



C. navus is found only in stagnant pools. 



The most common of all our species is C. serrulatus. Rarely 

 is a collection without this form, which seems to adapt itself 

 easily to very different surroundings. It has. however, wide 



