450 



SCIEN'CE. 



[Vol. VIII., No. 198 



various apparatus and results were given. If now 

 a barometer could be carried along with the wind, 

 it would indicate the static pressure within that 

 mass of moving air ; but as soon as the barometer 

 is fixed, it, or the building within which it is con- 

 tained, becomes an obstacle, and a dynamic effect 

 is added to the static pressure. A barometer on 

 the windward side of an obstacle gives too high, 

 and on the leeward side too low, a result. Our 

 only practicable method of determining the 

 static pressure is to measure these two compound 

 results relative to any obstacle, and then from 

 theory or experiment obtain a third relation be- 

 tween the two dynamic effects, whence by elimi- 

 nation we find the separate items. The author 

 showed the application of this idea to the appara- 

 tus of Pitot, Darcy, Arson, and, further, that the 

 simplest solution consisted in exposing a sphere as 

 the obstacle, and measuring the pressures shown 

 by barometers that are connected by small tubes 

 with the windward and leeward sides of the 

 sphere, the sphere being chosen as one of the few 

 bodies whose stream lines have been satisfactorily 

 determined by mathematical analysis. 



Alfred Russell Wallace read a paper on 'The 

 wind as a seed-carrier,' in which he stated that he 

 would by request submit some ideas and ask for 

 data in relation to the ability of the winds, to ex- 

 plain the known distribution of plants. He stated 

 that a large number of arctic plants are now 

 widely distributed throughout the southern and 

 northern hemisphei-es, so that plants living in 

 New Zealand, Australia, and extreme southern 

 America, are nearly identical with those in high 

 northern latitudes, as also with those found on 

 the high mountains of temperate zones. These 

 occurrences might be explained by the glacial 

 epoch, as Darwin suggested, but that no such 

 glacial epoch is known to have occun-ed in the 

 torrid zone. His own studies on the fauna of the 

 islands of the ocean had shown that a single oc- 

 currence, under favorable auspices, could explain 

 the introduction of a new species in any out-of- 

 the-way place, as illustrated by transfers of seed 

 by sea-currents, by birds in various ways, by 

 human agencies, and especially by the wind. 

 Strong winds carry the heavier seeds short dis- 

 tances, and drop them, to be lifted up and carried 

 again on some future occasion ; but the lighter 

 seeds, when once elevated, fall so slowly that even 

 a moderate wind will carry them to great dis- 

 tances. In this way the arctic fauna may be 

 easily transferred toward the torrid zone, and 

 possibly an occasional storm (even one in a cen- 

 tury will suffice) may transfer the seeds across 

 the equator, so as to initiate the spread of the 

 same species in the southern hemisphere. 



THE HARVARD CELEBRATION. 



Two hundred and fifty years ago on the 7th of 

 November, 1636 (new style), the great and general 

 court of the Massachusetts Bay colony agreed to 

 give four hundred pounds towards a college or 

 school. That vote was the founding of Harvard 

 university, — a foundation which was, to use Mr. 

 Lowell's words, "a quite unexampled thing." 

 "Surely," he added, "never were the bases of 

 such a structure as this has become, and was 

 meant to be, laid by a community of men so poor, 

 in circumstances so unprecedented, and under 

 what seemed such sullen and averted stars. . . . 

 The prevision of those men must have been as 

 clear as their faith was steadfast. Well they 

 knew and had laid to heart the wise man's pre- 

 cept, ' Take fast hold of instruction ; let her not 

 go, for she is thy life.' " 



The anniversary exercises began on Friday, 

 when the law school alumni listened to an address 

 from Oliver Wendell Holmes the younger, and 

 then dined together. Saturday was devoted to 

 the undergraduates, — literary exercises and a 

 boat-race in the morning, with a foot-ball game 

 in the afternoon. The torch-light procession 

 assigned for the evening of this day was post- 

 poned to the following Monday. Sunday the true 

 anniversary of the foundation was divided be- 

 tween two services in the college chapel, in which 

 Presidents Dwight and McCosh assisted Phillips 

 Brooks and the university pastor, F. G. Peabody. 

 Sandwiched in, as it were, between these sacred 

 services, was a concert by the Boston symphony 

 orchestra. 



But Monday was the interesting day, the most 

 notable event of which was the splendid oration 

 delivered by James Russell Lowell, a graduate of 

 and a professor in Harvard college. The theme 

 was one to inspire any orator, and what an 

 audience was gathered to hear him ! The alumni 

 were out in force, and filled every nook and 

 corner of Sanders theatre, while on the platform 

 was an assemblage of distinguished men such as 

 one seldom sees. First and foremost among the 

 invited guests was the President of the republic ; 

 and the enthusiasm with which Mr. Cleveland 

 was greeted showed that Harvard men appreciate 

 true manliness. With him were Secretaries Bay- 

 ard, Lamar, and Whitney, while Endicott occu- 

 pied his chair as a fellow of the corporation. 

 When the conferring of honorary degrees was 

 reached, the name of Lamar was found to be 

 second on the list, and the demonstration which 

 greeted the announcement was very marked. 

 Among educators should be mentioned the dele- 

 gate from John Harvard's college, Emmanuel, 

 and from his university, Cambridge. In truth, 



