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[Vol. XXI. No. 539 



Pacific islands, and from Iceland. I am, therefore, inclined to 

 believe it is a volcanic product." 



My analyses approximated Professor Huston's very closely, 

 though I found mica scales, a trace of sulphur, in one analysis, 

 with nearly one per cent vegetable matter in my 6rst sample 

 analyzed (this one procured from Mr. Teeter). 



In precipitating the matter by melting the snow, the heavier 

 portions fell to the bottom, and unless care veas used the larger 

 portion of the vegetable matter would be lost through being 

 poured off. I found the coarser grains of silica (white sand) to be 

 water-worn and scratched. Lime particles adhered to the sand- 

 grains, just as one finds on the shores of lakes or rivers. Of the 

 vegetable matter, I found the seed of a wild pea (Lathysus ochro- 

 lencus), growing abundantly all over the Northwest. This seed, 

 to make sure of no mistake I planted and grew the vine to 

 maturity. Among wood-fibres identified were poplar (Populus 

 tremuloides), pine (Pinus strobus), and casex (Casex tenella). 



Now as to the source of this matter. It is plainly terrestrial; 

 and, as the whole area traversed by the winds that carried it were 

 covered with snow at the time, it is evident that it could not 

 have been raised east of Lake Michigan. Its constituent elements 

 preclude all possibility of its being meteoric or volcanic matter. 



The fact that the sample analyzed by Professor Huston closely 

 approximates certain volcanic samples can easily be accounted 

 for on the ground that the precipitated mass was not homogeneous, 

 and what was sent him could only have represented a portion of 

 the mass, as another portion of it, sent to me by Mr. Teeter, out 

 of the same lot, contained one per cent of vegetable matter, mica 

 scales, and three small copper pyrites (yielding sulphur on igni- 

 tion). 



Every element of this matter is met with in abundance through- 

 out all portions of the Northwest, and nowhere else do we find all 

 of them on the surface. I conclude that this volume of matter 

 must have been raised somewhere northwest, being carried south- 

 eastward until it encountered the area of high-pressure that ex- 

 tended north of Chicago, and deflected in its course and fell 

 within the area mentioned above. 



Can anyone throw more light on the subject? 



A. N. SOMEES. 

 La Porte, Ind., March SI. 



The Aurora. 



I HAD thought that no matter what Professor Ashe might say 

 in regard to my note printed in Science for April 28, I would re- 

 frain from further comment. Inasmuch, however, as he in ef- 

 fect demands that something further be said, as appears in the 

 closing paragraph of his note printed in Science for May 19, p. 

 277, I presume that I have no option but to comply. The point 

 to which he asks special attention is as to the element of 

 " chance " affecting the conclusions at which I have arrived re- 

 specting the location upon the sun of the seat of the activities 

 originating the aurora in any given instance. The manner in 

 which he puts this inquiry, as well as the general drift of his 

 criticism, shows that I have failed to make myself understood in 

 spite of very persistent efforts in the various notes and papers 

 which he mentions, and which certainly, therefore, must have 

 been taken into consideration in the comments made in the letter 

 above mentioned. This being the case it will be necessary to 

 begin at the beginning and state the heads of the argument by 

 which ray conclusions have been reached, so that if there is any 

 flaw in the reasoning its precise location may appear and so that 

 it may be explained also once again what are the precise conclu- 

 sions for which I have been contending. The substance of the 

 argument, stated in a few propositions as briefly as possible, is as 

 follows: The agreement between the curves, representing the 

 frequency of auroras, magnetic storms and sunspots is exact, and 

 the nature of these phenomena is such that there can be no doubt 

 whatever that the aurora owes its origin to a special form of 

 solar activity. This proposition can be controverted successfully 

 only by denying that there is such agreement as is claimed of the 

 curves mentioned, or by advancing some alternative explanation 

 of their connection with each other which will leave solar activi- 

 ties out of the question. Until this is done, this proposition 



must stand, the evidence in its favor being adequate and there 

 being no evidence pointing in a different direction. The solar 

 origin of the aurora being thus established, its manifest period- 

 icity at intervals of 37J days must be explained in accordance 

 with its solar origin. If this can be done, the proof of such 

 origin will incidentally be greatly strengthened. Now this period 

 is totally indistinguishable from that of a synodic revolution of 

 the sun — giving every evidence of being absolutely the same. 

 This being the case we are able to formulate proposition number 

 two to the effect that there is a periodicity of the aurora corres- 

 ponding to the time of the rotation of the sun as seen from the 

 earth. Here again the evidence is adequate and there is no evi- 

 dence pointing to any other possible explanation. These two 

 propositions being established there follows another, from which 

 there is in the very nature of the case no possibility whatever of 

 escape, and which is to the effect that whatever it is upon the 

 sun which is capable of producing the aurora, it has this power 

 during a very limited portion only of each revolution, whioli 

 portion always remains the same during succeeding revolutions 

 relative to the position of the earth in its orbit, otherwise the 

 periodicity described could not exist. It remains only to identify 

 the point whence the auroral effect proceeds. The period of auroral 

 recurrence and that required for the completion of a synodic revo- 

 lution of the sun as determined from the average rate of motion 

 of spots being identical, there is no other way than to study the 

 appearance of the sun at times of auroral recurrence in order to 

 learn whether such recurrence is attended by any characteristic 

 features. Thus it is found that no matter what appears else- 

 where on the sun at such times there are always at the eastern 

 limb areas on which spots are frequent and persistent. Thus the 

 evidence is adequate that there must be something in that loca- 

 tion in such cases which is responsible both for the sunspots and 

 the aurora, and there is no evidence pointing in any different di- 

 rection. On the contrary, the manner in which magnetic storms 

 begin and the exactness of the periodicity manifest in their times 

 of beginning are such as are totally inconsistent with any other 

 explanation than that the originating impulse is brought to bear 

 by coming into range suddenly around the sun's limb. But be 

 this as it may, such behavior corresponds precisely with what is 

 known in regard to the operation of electro-magnetic induction 

 in which very precise arrangements of hues of force and develop- 

 ment of poles in certain directions in the case of rotating bodies, 

 or otherwise, are the rule, and there is no correspondence what- 

 ever to the mode of action of any other force of which we have 

 knowledge. Thus at no point throughout the research, as above 

 outlined, has there appeared to be even the slightest "chance" 

 for an alternative hypothesis. The evidence in favor of each 

 proposition stated has been adequate and all in one direction, and 

 moreover, taken together it is cumulative; each point strength- 

 ening the others and nowhere developing any inconsistencies. 

 Professor Ashe is mistaken in stating that there has been "do 

 attempted refutation." I have letters and articles by the score 

 from persons who started in with vehemence, some of them many 

 years ago, but who have gradually become very respectful, finally 

 being brought to a realizing sense, that it is facts and not a per- 

 sonality against which they had been contending. 



M. A. Veeder. 



Worms in the Brain of a Bird. 

 April 7th, 1890, two common Bitterns (Boturus mugitans) 

 were brought to me to be mounted. One of them was still alive 

 but did not seem to be just natural, seemed to lack what we might 

 call bird intelligence, and was smaller than the other and poor in 

 flesh. This bird was given to one of my pupils in taxidermy. 

 Miss Bernice Pike, to mount. When the head had been skinned 

 and was ready to sever from the neck, which was done by cut- 

 ting through the skull, the brain-cavity was found to contain a 

 mass of thread-worms, occupying about one-third of the brain 

 cavity. These were seemingly like the ordinary Gordius or Hair 

 Snake, about the size of a Gordius that is three inches long, and 

 coiled in a mass in the upper posterior part of the brain, and ex- 

 tending some down into the spinal canal. As near as I could say 

 without removing them, they occupied the subarachnoid space, 



