158 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 108. 



On a simple^automatic Sprengel Pump : By B. 

 B. BoLTWQCD. The author describes a form of 

 pump ^^^V can be easily made and which he 

 recomi^Mffs as very satisfactory. 



The following books are reviewed in this 

 number of the Journal : The Practical Methods 

 of Organic Chemistry, L. Gattemann (trans- 

 lated by W. B. Shober) ; Notes on Qualitative 

 Analysis, W. P. Mason ; Chemistry for Begin- 

 ners, E. Hart ; Manual of Determinative Min- 

 eralogy, Geo. J. Brush ; Chemistry in Daily 

 Life, Dr. Lassar-Cohn ; Handbook for the Bio- 

 Chemical Laboratory, J. A. Mandel. 



J. Elliott Gilpin. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, DECEMBER 

 30, 1896. 



The seventh annual meeting of the Nebraska 

 Academy of Sciences was held December 29th 

 at Lincoln and the following papers were pre- 

 sented: 



Annual address of the retiring President, 

 Prof. E. H. Barbour, on the ' Economic and 

 Educational Value of Academies;' a comparison 

 of the methods of various academies, with rec- 

 ommendations for the betterment of our own. 



'A new Plankton Pump,' Prof H. B. Ward 

 and Prof Chas. Fordyce, a device for collect- 

 ing aquatic organisms bj^ pumping from any 

 desired depth; followed by remarks by Prof. 

 Ward on the importance of continued biological 

 observations. 



'Report of Progress in the Study of the 

 Fauna of the State,' Prof L. Bruner, showing 

 how few species have been reported from Ne- 

 braska in most groups, although our number of 

 species is undoubtedly very large. 



' Some Methods of Collecting, Preserving and 

 Studying Fossils,' Miss Carrie Barbour, illustra- 

 ting the fact that forms apparently hopelessly 

 disintegrated may be collected and preserved. 



'Nomenclature of Nebraska Forest Trees,' 

 Dr. Chas. E. Bessey, giving the history of 

 changes in names of our trees with the names 

 now adopted. 



' Eeflections on the Genus Ribes,' Prof. F. W. 

 Card, urging the validity of species developed 

 by cultivation as well as those found wild 

 whose genealogy is not known. 



' Chalcedony-lime Nuts of the Genus Hickora 

 from the Bad Lands of Nebraska,' Prof. E. H. 

 Barbour. 



' Comparison of Nebraska Diatomaceous- 

 Earth from Nebraska and adjacent States,' 

 C. J. Elmore. 



' What is Mathematics ? ' Dr. E. W. Davis, 

 showing how mathematics is designed to co- 

 ordinate other sciences. 



'A Family of Quartic Surfaces,' the sum of 

 the distances of whose locus from two given 

 surfaces is constant. Prof. R. Moritz. 



'A Form of Weir Notch, ' the flow of water 

 through which varies directly as the head in- 

 stead of following the more complicated law of 

 the ordinary notch. Prof O. V. P. Stout. 



'An Observation upon annual Rings in Tree 

 Growth,' Prof. F. W. Card, in which complete 

 defoliation did not cause the formation of a 

 second annual ring. 



'Internal Temperature of Trees,' R. A. 

 Emerson. Temperatures as high as 110° 

 reached at a depth of one-half inch below the 

 bark of trunks exposed to the sunshine ; daily 

 fluctuations greater in dead limbs than in live 

 ones. 



Owing to the late hour the following papei-s 

 were read by title only : ' Notice of two Im- 

 portant Books on Systematic Botany,' Chas. E. 

 Bessey ; ' The Barites of Eastern Nebraska and 

 the Bad Lands,' Erwin H. Barbour; ' Some Data 

 as to Wind distribution of Seeds,' Ed. M. Hus- 

 song ; ' Parasites of Nebraska Dogs, ' Henry B. 

 Ward ; ' Discovery of the first Meteorite in. 

 Nebraska,' Erwin H. Barbour; 'Notes on 

 Phyllopod Crustacea,' H. A. Lafler and A. S. 

 Pearse; ' The Study of Botany in the School for 

 the Blind,' Dr. C. E. Bessey. 



The following officers for the ensuing year were 

 elected: President, Dr. A. S. von Mansfelde ; 

 Vice-President, Dr. E. H. Barbour ; Secretary 

 and Treasurer, Prof G. D. Swezey ; Custodian, 

 Prof. Lawrence Bruner ; Directors, Dr. H. B. 

 Ward, Prof H. B. Duncanson, Mr. C. J. 

 Elmore and Dr. H. Hapeman. 



The next annual meeting will be held on the 

 day following Thanksgiving. The volume of 

 proceedings for 1894-95 is just issued. Price^ 

 50 cents. G. D. Swezey, 



Secretary. 



