April 7, 1893.J 



SCIENCE. 



187 



discussing sun-spots and associated magnetic disturbances over 

 the period 1880-93, '"Most of tliese magnetic disturbances oc- 

 curred wlien an exceptionally large spot was visible on the sun 

 near the centre ot the disc, or about the time of some great 

 change in a sun-spot." It should be quite evident, then, that 

 this marvellous coincidence between certain positions of the dis- 

 turbed solar surface and auroral displays is, to say the least, not 

 such a hard-and-fast rule as the exponents of the theory claim. 

 Even did we admit that the evidence put forward was not as dis- 

 cordant as pointed out, and accepting the statement that, "Under 

 the physical conditions existing in interplanetary space " (a mat- 

 ter admitting of considerable discussion even yet), "cosmical 

 dust and debris, there sufficiently abundant to shine by reflected 

 sunlight as the zodiacal column, furnish a conducting medium 

 well fitted to convey by induction these solar electro-magnetic 

 impulses to vast distances."' The single fact, as explained un- 

 der section "G," that different observers see unlike auroras at 

 the same instant at their several points of observation, is conclu- 

 sive proof, to my mind, that this "cosmical dust and debris," 

 either without or within our atmosphere, have not been made 

 luminous by the conveyance of the "solar electro-magnetic im- 

 pulses," as the visible aurora under this theory would require. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



A Printing Exposition is to be held at the Grand Central 

 Palace, New York City, from May 1 to June 1 next. It is in- 

 tended to show, by object lessons on a magnificent scale, the his- 

 tory, and progress of the printing trade since the establishment 

 of the first press in this city 200 years ago by William Bradford. 

 The aim is to show in operation the first rudimentary press, and 

 the latest perfected web press; also type-setting and moulding, 

 electrotyping, stereotyping, and photo-engraving processes, color 

 work, etc. 



— Professor J. Mark Baldwin of the University of Toronto has 

 accepted the position recently oflFered to him as Stuart Professor 

 in Psychology in Princeton University. A suite of rooms in 

 North College have been set apart for a laboratory for experi- 

 mental psychology, and a liberal appropriation made for its 

 equipment in time to begin work next September. Professor 

 Baldwin intends to offer advanced courses, both graduate and 

 undergraduate, in all the departments of psychological work. 



— An interesting discovery of the rare trout, Salvelimis oquassa, 

 in a mountain lake in the vicinity of Ottawa, Canada, the 

 capital of the Dominion, is recorded in the last number of the 

 Ottawa Naturalist, by Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, zoologist of the Geo-" 

 logical Survey. S. oquassa, the blue-backed trout, sometimes 

 called the "Rangeley Lake Trout," is stated by Jordan and Gil- 

 bert ("Synop. Fishes N. America," 1883, p. 318) to be the 

 smallest and handsomest of our fronts, and as yet known only 

 from the Kangeley Lakes in western Maine. In 1891, Mr. V. C. 

 Nicholson of Ottawa visited a small lake known as Lac de Marbre, 

 lying in the Laurentian Hills, in the Township of Wakefield, 

 Province of Quebec, a few miles from Ottawa. He noticed the 

 difference between some trout he there took and the ordinary 

 brook trout {S. fontinalis) which occurred plentifully in adjoining 

 lakes and streams. Mr. Nicholson was so impressed with the fact 

 that these were of a different species that he procured a living 

 specimen, which is now to be seen alive in one of the aquaria of 

 the Government Fisheries Department Exhibition at Ottawa. The 

 ■specimen was referred to Mr. Whiteaves, who determined it to be 

 the above species. The occurrence of this rare fish in Canada 

 will be ot interest to ichthyologists. 



— Mr. G. W. Lichtenthaler, one of the most earnest, energetic, 

 and eminent of American conchologists, died at San Francisco 

 Feb. 30. For twenty years he has done nothing but travel and 

 collect, and his vast collection embraces 6,000 or 8,000 species of 

 shells, 1,000 species of marine algse, and 500 species of ferns, be- 

 sides many thousands of duplicates. This entire collection he 

 bequeathed to the Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, 

 ' Reprint Astronomy and Astro-Physics, No. 113. 



III., the city which has been his home for most of his life. In 

 addition to this valuable collection he bequeathed $500 to put it 

 in suitable shape for preservation. This gives the Illinois Wes- 

 leyan University one of the most valuable conchoiogical collec- 

 tions of the country. The ferns and algse are from every part of 

 the world, and the ferns have a complete collection of those of 

 the Sandwich Islands, and nearly a complete collection of those 

 of North America. The entire collection will be aiTanged as 

 speedily as possible, and will be accessible to all students of the 

 subjects, as well as to others. 



— The series of Saturday lectures, complimentary to the citi- 

 zens of Washington, given for some years under the auspices of 

 the Philosophical, Anthropological, and Biological Societies of 

 Washington, was discontinued two or three years ago. It is now 

 proposed to resume the series under the auspices of the Anthropo- 

 logical Society, and to arrange the lectures in such manner that 

 each course will serve as a logical introduction to the study of 

 the Science of Man in some of its various aspects. The lectures 

 will be delivered in the lecture room of the U. S. National Museum, 

 at 4 80 P.M., on the dates specified. Citizens of Washington ard 

 their friends are cordially invited to attend. The cour.'^e pro- 

 visionally fixed for the present season (1892-'93) of the Anthropo- 

 logical Society is as follows : Saturday, Mar. 35, The Human Body, 

 by Dr. D. S. Lamb; Saturday, Apr. 1, The Anthropology of the 

 Brain, by Dr. D. Kerfoot Sbute; Saturday, Apr. 8, Status of the 

 Mind Problem, by Professor Lester F. Ward ; Saturday, Apr. 15, 

 The Elements of Psychology, by Major J. W. Powell ; Saturday, 

 Apr. 22, The Earth, the Home of Man, by W. J. McGee; Satur- 

 day, Aj)r. 39, The Races of Men, by Dr. Daniel G. Brinton ; Sat- 

 urday, May 6, The Evolution of Inventions, by Dr. Otis T. Mason; 

 Saturday. May 13, Primitive Industries, by Thomas Wilson. 



— In the summer of 1893, courses of instruction were offered 

 by professors and instructors of Cornell University in botany, 

 chemistry, mathematics, philosophy, physics, English, French, 

 German, drawing, and physical training. The Summer School 

 has now been made an integral part ot the university, and, for the 

 summer of 1893, courses are offered in the following subjects: 

 Greek, Latin, German, French, English, elocution, philosophy, 

 pedagogy, history, political and social science, mathematics, 

 physics, chemistry, botany, drawing and art, mechanical draw- 

 ing, and physical training. Without excluding others qualified 

 to take up the work, these courses are offered for the special 

 benefit of teachers. They afford a practical scheme of university 

 extension, by which the teachers themselves are taught under 

 university instructors, by university methods, and with access to 

 university libraries, museums, and laboratorits. The courses 

 are open to women as well as to men, and the same facilities for 

 work are extended to these students as to the regular students of 

 the university. The amount of work implied in these courses is 

 so great that students are advised to con fine their attention to one or 

 two subjects. Opportunity will be given for original research under 

 the guidance and with the assistance of members of the instruct- 

 ing corps. Inquiries regarding these courses should be addressed 

 to those in charge of the several departments. The Sage College 

 for Women, a spacious and well appointed dormitory on the uni- 

 versity grounds, will be open during the session of the Summer 

 School to women students and to gentlemen with their wives. 

 Inquiries regarding board and rooms may be addressed to Pro- 

 fessor Geo. W. Jones; or apphcations for board and rooms at Sage 

 College, to the manager, Mr. E. P. Gilbert. 



— Messrs. D. Appleton & Go's list of spring announcements in- 

 cludes " The United States," by Elisee Rectus, which forms the 

 third volume on North America in Reclus's great work, -'The 

 Earth and its Inhabitants;" "Appleton's Annual Cyclopsedia for 

 1893," which will be issued immediately, and, like Rectus, is sold 

 by subscription; " The Principles of Ethics," Vol. II., by Herbert 

 Spencer; "The Laws and Properties of Matter," by R, T. Glaze- 

 brook, a new volume in the "Modern Science Series" ; " Apple- 

 ton's Guide-Book to Alaska and the Northwest Coast," by Miss 

 E. R. Scidmore, which will be uniform with " Appletons' Cana- 

 dian Guide-Books." 



