624 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VIII. , No. 204 



opposites. We cannot admit, therefore, that Ger- 

 nians are to be pardoned for not trying to present 

 their many and valuable discoveries in articles 

 well arranged and in language vt^ell chosen. It 

 may be, however, that this will not come about 

 until a set of leaders shall have established the 

 'folk-mode' of good writing. M. 



THE HEALTH OF NEW YORK DURING 



NOVEMBER. 

 The total number of deaths which occurred in 

 New York City during the month was 3,076, an 

 increase of 99 over the previous month : 1,290 of 

 these deaths were of children under five years of 

 age. The decline in the mortality due to diar- 

 rhoeal diseases is very marked, being but 87 as 

 compared with 234 in October. The deadly influ- 

 ence of the oppressive heat of our midsummers 

 is nowhere better illustrated than when we com- 

 pare the deaths from these diseases in July and in 

 November, In the former month no less than 

 1,382 persons are recorded as having died from 

 this cause, while in the latter but 87 succumbed 

 to affections of the bowels. From consumption 

 459 persons died, an increase of 27 over October. 

 Diphtheria, which began in October to figure 

 more prominently as a mortality factor, has not 

 yet relaxed its hold, and is chargeable with 188 

 deaths, 23 more than in the previous month. The 

 deaths from scarlet-fever were only 23, practically 

 the same as in October, the difference being but 

 5. Measles is now very prevalent in New York, 

 and is assuming such proportions as a cause of 

 death, that we shall in the future include it in 

 our chart. Small-pox is still absent from the 

 city, — a fact which reflects great credit upon 

 the health department, for, with its prevalence in 

 Brooklyn, it seemed almost impossible for New 

 York to escape without becoming infected to a 

 slight degree at least. 



The meteorology of the month has not been 

 characterized by any great variations from the 

 normal or average, either as to temperature or 

 rainfall. The maximum temperature was 71° F., 

 at 3 P.M. of the 2d, the average for ten years being 

 67.9'= F. : the minimum was 27° F., at 5 a.m. of 

 the 27th, somewhat above the average of the past 

 decade, which was 22.2° F. The rainfall for the 

 month was 4.42 inches, 0.25 of an inch more than 

 in October. The November average for ten years 

 is 3.19 inches. 



The Fortnightly review is to begin in its Jan- 

 uary issue the publication of a series of unsigned 

 articles on ' The present political situation in 

 Europe.' It is expected that these articles will 

 be very important, and attract much attention. 



A SKETCH OF THE GREAT SERPENT 

 MOUND. 



xlcCEPTiNGan invitation from Dr. Cyrus Thomas 

 to accompany him on a visit to a number of the 

 ancient monuments of southern Ohio, I had the 

 long-wished-for opportunity of examining the 

 great Serpent Mound. This work is situated in 

 the northern part of Adams county, somewhat 

 remote from frequented routes of travel, and 

 hence rarely visited by people from a distance. 

 Several accounts have been published, however, 

 the first in the classic work of Squier and Davis, 

 and subsequent ones by McLean, Putnam, Allen, 

 and others. The map given in the first-mentioned 

 work conveys, as far as it goes, a fair idea of the 

 extraordinary structure, but is characterized by 

 remarkable omissions. Some of the more decided 

 shortcomings have been pointed out by recent 

 writers, who have, in their turn, fallen into the 

 opposite error of over-elaboration. I venture to 

 present a few notes and observations which will 

 assist in enabling those who cannot visit the 

 locality, in gaining a clear conception of the work 

 and its surroundings. The valley of Brush Creek 

 is bordered by an extremely rugged country, 

 abounding in high hills which reach an elevation 

 of perhaps six hundred feet above the bed of the 

 creek. Entering from the north, we skirt the 

 eastern rim of the valley, and descend at Lovett's 

 farm upon the subordinate levels that border the 

 stream. Leaving the road and crossing the fields, 

 with the Lovett dwelling on the right and a 

 small circular mound on the left, we reach the 

 brink of a steep cliff which descends about one 

 hundred feet to the stream bed. Turning our 

 faces up stream, we find ourselves at the insertion 

 of a long, narrow spur, described as ' crescent- 

 shaped,' which holds its level to the extreme point, 

 and slopes abruptly to the brink of the cliffs at the 

 left, and rounds off more gently into the deep 

 gulch at the right. This spur narrows up farther 

 on, and terminates in an abrupt promontory, 

 around the base of which a small branch from the 

 gulch at the right turns, and crosses the strip of 

 alluvial bottom to the creek. Along the rounded 

 grassy crest of this ridge we can detect the ob- 

 scure serpentine coils of the earthwork, and de- 

 scending a little to the left, and almost to the 

 brink of the cliff, we reach the tail of the serpent. 

 Beginning with a small pit at the terminal point, 

 we follow the unfolding coil for two full turns, 

 and then advance along the body to its highest 

 point upon the ridge. The curves are strong and 

 even, and the body increases gradually in height 

 and width as we advance. Upon the crest of the 

 ridge we find ourselves at the beginning of three 

 great double folds. Following these, we descend 



