SCIENCE 



Editorial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. 'Woodwaed, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; E. H. Thurston, Engineering; Ira Eemsen, Chemistry; 



J. Le Conte, Geology; W, M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. Marsh, Paleontology; "W. K. 



Brooks, C. Hart Merriam, Zoology ; S. H. Scxidder, Entomology ; N. L. Britton, 



Botany; Henry F. Osborn, General Biology; H. P. Bowditch, Physiology; 



J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology ; 



Daniel G. Brinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, November 27, 1896. 



CONTENTS: 



The National Academy of Sciences 769 



Recent Advances in Blalacology : Wm. H. Dall ...770 



A Study of the Colon Bacillus Group, and especially of 

 its Variability in Fermenting Power under Different 

 Conditions : ADELAIDE WARD Peckham 773 



Superheated Steam in Steam Engines : E. H. 

 Thurston 778 



On Certain Physical Difficulties in the Construction of 

 Large Guns : W. LeConte Stevens 782 



Ontogenic and Phylogenic Variation: Henry F. 

 Osborn 786 



Current Notes on Anthropology : — 

 Paris School of Anthropology ; An Archseological 

 Map of Ohio: D. G. Brinton 789 



Astronomical Notes : H.J 790 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 790 



Scientific Notes and News 791 



University and Educational News 794 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 

 An Optical Illusion : J. Mark Baldwin. Le 

 Conte'' s Elements of Geology: C. W. Hall 794 



Scientific Literature : — 



Zimmermann^s Morphologic und Physiologic des 

 Pflanzlichen Zellkernes : Conway MacMil- 

 LAN. Brinton' s The Myths of the Neio World: 

 Alice C. Fletcher 797 



Scientific Journals : — 



Astrophysical Journal; The American Geologist... 799 



Societies and Academies : — 



The Geological Society of Washington : W. F. 

 Morsell. The Entomological Society of Wash- 

 ington : L. O. Howard. The Academy of Nat- 

 ural Sciences of Philadelphia: Edward J. 

 Nolan. The Academy of Science of St. Louis : 

 William Trelease 801 



New Books 804 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor, Prof. J. 

 McKeen Cattell, Garrison-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 

 A SCIENTIFIC session of the National 

 Academy of Sciences was held at Colum- 

 bia University, New York, on Tuesday 

 and Wednesday, November 17th and 

 18th, and a business meeting was held on 

 November 18th to consider the report of 

 the President of the Academy to Con- 

 gress. The President of the Academy, Prof. 

 "Wolcott Gibbs, was prevented by illness 

 from being present, and the sessions were 

 presided over by President F. A. Walker, 

 the Vice-President of the Academy. The 

 following members were present : Henry 

 L. Abbot, J. A. Allen, George F. Barker, 

 Carl Barns, John S. Billings, Henry P. 

 Bowditch, William H. Brewer, Charles F. 

 Chandler, Cyrus B. Comstock, Edward D. 

 Cope, Edward S. Dana, Samuel F. Emmons, 

 Benjamin A. Gould, Arnold Hague, Asaph 

 Hall, Charles S. Hastings, George W. Hill, 

 Joseph Le Conte, O. C. Marsh, Alfred M. 

 Mayer, Eichmond Mayo-Smith, T. C. Men- 

 denhall, Arthur Michael, A. A. Michelson, 

 S. Weir Mitchell, Simon Newcomb, A. S. 

 Packard, Charles S. Pierce, Ira Eemsen, 

 Ogden N. Eood, Henry A. Eowland, Charles 

 S, Sargent, A. E. Verrill, Francis A. 

 Walker, William H. Welch, E. S. Wood- 

 ward. There were thirty-six members in 

 attendance, seven more than at the corre- 

 sponding meeting a year ago at Philadel- 

 phia. The following papers were entered 

 to be read : 



