August 18, 1895. 



SCIENCE. 



gi 



low giving the interpretation of the sculp tnre in full. 

 Meanwhile, time, as well as the profound studies made in 

 Maya archaeology by various scholars, has contributed 

 to perfecting the work in hand. 



Deficient though it may be in many minor parts, I am 

 desirous of publishing my views on this subject without 

 further delay and of thus at last redeeming the pledges 

 ffiven. 



statesmen did not go to the length that is generally be- 

 lieved by their descendants and countrymen, and that en- 

 lightened men like Count da Barca were not lacking in 

 Portugal at that time. Coming to power, a few years 

 later, this statesman was the principal protector of 

 Eschwege and the other foreign travellers that, after 1808, 

 were allowed to penetrate freely in the interior of Brazil. 



HUMBOLDT AND BKAZIL. 



The statement is often made, even by Brazilian writers, 

 that not only were express orders given by the Portu- 

 guese government to prevent the entrance of Humboldt 

 in Brazilian territory but that a j^rice was set upon his 

 head in case he was found within the limits of the colony. 

 A recent interesting discussion in the columns of the 

 Jornal de Commercio, of Rio de Janeiro, has brought to light 

 the official documents relating to the case, which is thus 

 seen to be less discreditable to the Portuguese govern- 

 ment than is usually represented. It is to be remembered 

 that prior to the removal of the Portiiguese royal family 

 to Brazil, in 1808, the colonial jjolicy was an exceedingly 

 narrow one, and that foreigners were jealously excluded 

 from all the colonial possessions. 



A official letter from the minister of the kingdom, Dora 

 Piodrigo de Souza Coutinho, to the governor of Para, Dom 

 Francisco de Souza Coutinho, with the date of June 2, 

 1800, states: "It being reported that a certain Baron 

 Humboldt, native of Berlin, has travelled in the interior 

 of America, has sent home geographical observations of 

 the countries traversed, and a collection of 1500 new 

 plants, and that he intends to direct his voyage to the 

 upper parts of the captaincy of Maranham in order to ex- 

 amine desert regions up to the present time unknown, 

 and as in the actual state of affairs this voyage without 

 special orders of His Majesty is suspicious, you will cause 

 to be determined with the greatest exactness and care if 

 this or any other foreign traveller is travelling, or has 

 travelled, in the territory of this captaincy, and in the 

 affirmative case you will impede the continuation on such 

 investigations, prohibited not only to foreigners but also 

 to susj)icious Portuguese not authorized by royal orders." 

 The letter terminates recommending "the greatest circum- 

 spection, communicating at once to His Royal Highness, 

 through this dejjartment of state, in order that he maj^ 

 take the steps required by faults of this nature." 



In consequence of this order, Dom Diogo de Souza, 

 governor of Maranham, sent a circular letter, under date 

 of Oct. 12, 1800, to various local authorities, "recom- 

 mending that if by chance the said Baron Hiimboldt, or 

 any other foreign traveller, appears in your district, you 

 will have him conveyed, with all his companions, to the 

 capital, ivithoui, however, failing to treat him loith all decency, 

 nor to give him good treatment and conveniences, only accom- 

 panying liim and imijediug his means of transjiortation 

 and the making of ijolitical and jshilosophic observations." 



Concerning this matter an interesting letter from Baron 

 Eschwege to Humboldt has ajDpeared, in which he com- 

 municates that he learned from his friend, Antonio de 

 Araujo e Azevedo, Count da Barca, who had been Portu- 

 guese minister at La Hague, Paris, St. Petersburg and 

 perhajDS, also, Berlin, where he had probably made the 

 j)ersonal acquaintance of Humboldt, and vi^ho was after- 

 wards prime minister in Brazil, that learning of this 

 order, he wrote at once to the prince regent, begging not 

 only its jirompt revokement in order not to attract the 

 rejn-oval of all Europe, but that orders should be given 

 to aid Humboldt in every way, and that such orders were 

 actually given. 



It thus appears that even the narrowest of Portuguese 



REMARKS ON THE TERNS OP LITTLE GREEN 

 ISLAND, MAINE. 



BY .\ETnCn H. NORTON, "WESTBROOK, ME. 



The Little Green Island is located to the southwest of 

 Penobscot Bay, about .55° N. lat., G9° 2 W. Ion. About a 

 mile north the Northern or Eastern Triangles, a grouj) of 

 sunken ledges, some rising above the surface a little be- 

 fore and after high water, are scattered, noted as fishing 

 grounds, as good gaming places, and as places to be es- 

 pecially avoided by mariners. The place is about seven 

 or eight miles from the nearest mainland, a round rocky 

 island inhabited only by sea birds and such organisms 

 as find a suitable dweUing-j)lace here — excepting the birds, 

 j)robably nothing higher in the scale than insects. 

 Throughout the year it is visited by gunners and fisher- 

 men, who often camp for a few days, or mayhap, through- 

 out the summer season. 



This was formerly one of the largest tern resorts in the 

 vicinity, though to-day it is interesting only in a histor- 

 ical sense. It had for years been visited by fishermen, 

 who came on picnics to gather the eggs of the "medericks," 

 or terns. Sterna hirundas and ;S'. Paradiscea. As they killed 

 very few of the birds, and only took the eggs that were 

 sufficiently fresh to sink in a dish of water, no serious re- 

 duction in the numbers of the "medericks" was evident, 

 until they were slaughtered for their plumes or breasts. 



I first visited the place, and beheld the wondrous 

 beauty and natural fascinations of this great population 

 of birds, from June 16 to 18, 1885. It was a bright, fair 

 day, and we arrived about noon, finding them in the midst 

 of their daily labors. Our approach to the island aroused 

 the solicitude of those nearest the sea, which rose from 

 the ground in comj^anies of considerable size, some to 

 resettle on their eggs or resting places, while others were 

 still rising; some struck out boldly to view us more close- 

 ly and herald our a^jproach in a strong, shrill voice, and 

 were quickly joined by others coming from the sea, pausing 

 for a moment, then hurrying to land or hanging overhead 

 to vociferate angrily to the unabating numbers round us. 

 Such was our reception, and from daylight until dark, of 

 those days, every movement which we made was carefully 

 guarded by those creatures. We found the nests all over 

 the island, from the windrows of seaweed, left by early 

 high tides, in the gravel and "f)opple stones" on the beaches, 

 on the bald, jagged ridges of ledge, projecting seaward, 

 back through the jjasture land to the summit of the island. 



That year the place afforded pasturage to a large flock 

 of sheep, which kefit the grass cropt short, furnishing un- 

 limited nesting sites, as our terns dislike tall grass for 

 breeding places. Some were mere dejiressions in the 

 sand or grass, others contained a few feathers from the 

 parent, straws, or j>ieces of seaweed, and occasionally they 

 were quite well lined; and one found in July, which was 

 placed about a foot from a wisp of drift hay, was lined 

 with it to a remarkable degree, being compact and 

 strong, truly a pretty sjoecimen of bird weaving. 



T\Tiile wandering over the island we were accomjjanied 

 by a restless, pleading throng, seeming like a dome of 

 animated white flakes within the great, impassive dome of 

 outer blue. Those that were more distant were settling 



