January 8, 1892.] 



SCIENCE. 



23 



is not au uncoinniou occurence, thou.^h it is rather rare in 

 wild animals 



Four eutonnolog-ical papers were read. Professor Herbert 

 Osborn presented two, on " Tiie Orthopterous Fauna of 

 Iowa" and " Notes on Certain Iowa Diptera." Sixty-seven 

 species were enumerated. The notes were based on speci- 

 mens found almost entirely in the central part of the State. 

 The Ortboptera are among the most important. of the injuri- 

 ous insects of this State, almost all the species being de- 

 structive, and scarcely one that caa be considered as of any 

 benefit. A Texas species, Arphia conspersa, was reported 

 from Ames; Periplaneta orientalis, apparently confined to 

 larger cities; and Platamodes pennsylvanica, very common 

 in doors and out. Professor Osborn and H. A. Gossard pre- 

 sented some " Notes on the Life History of Agallia sanguino- 

 lenta." This leaf-hopper, though a clover pest, also feeds 

 on beets, rutabagas, cabbages, and blue grass. It is active 

 even in midwinter, on sunshiny days. The first brood of 

 larvffi appear between early May and July 1. The earliest 

 individuals of the brood are nearly matured by the first of 

 July. Larvse can be found, in all stages, from this time 

 until the advent of winter. Most of the individuals are be- 

 lieved to be included in two broods. 



Professor C. P. Gillette, in a paper on "How the Female 

 of Cacoeoia semiferana Protects Her Egg-Clusters," stated 

 that one of the most novel methods is that employed by the 

 box-elder leaf-roller. The egg patches are covered over with 

 a gluey material, and this is nearly always completely cov- 

 ered with a dense mass of scales placed like shingles on a 

 roof. These scales closely resemble those found on the under 

 side of the abdomen. 



Professor T. H. McBride gave a talk on " Slime Moulds of 

 Iowa." These organisms are especially interesting not only 

 because of the beauty of the structures themselves but also 

 on account of their relationships to other living things. Are 

 slime moulds plants or animals ? The slime moulds of Iowa 

 need investigation. Our flora (regarding them as plants) is 

 comparatively rich in this direction. The proper reference 

 of fruit to Plasmodium is as yet little known in many species. 

 Slime moulds exhibit periodicity in their appearance, — some- 

 times fail in a given locality for years, and then abundantly 

 reappear. 



Botanical papers were presented by Professor L. H. 

 Pammjl. One was oa "Bacteria of Milk." A large num- 

 ber of cultures wei'e exhibited. In the " Report of Commit- 

 tee on State Flora" several interesting species new to the 

 State were mentioned. Muscatine seems to be especially 

 favored with some southern plants, like Rhexia Virginica, 

 Carya olivceformis, and C. sulcata. Weeds like Solanum 

 rostratum, S. caroUnense, Cuicus arvensis, etc., are spread- 

 ing. A third paper was presented on the subject of " Phseno 

 logical Notes." One of the interesting questions in connec- 

 tion with our flora is the relation that climate has to our 

 wild plants, the time of leafing, flowering, and fall of leaves, 

 as well as the effects of frost on plants. In 1886, the soft 

 maple (Acer saccharinum) was in flower on Mar. 22; in 

 1891, Apr. 11. Ulmus Americana, in 1888, in flower, Apr. 

 12 ; in 1891, Apr. 18. The succession of flowers in herbaceous 

 plants in 1886 and 1891 was: Hepatica acutiloba, Apr. 9 

 (1886), Apr. 12 (1891); Capsella Bursa-p>astoris, Apr. 15 

 (1886), Apr. 24 (1891); Mertensia Virginica, Apr. 20 (1886), 

 Apr. 28 (1891). Frost and its effects on some plants were 

 noted: Portulaca oleracea, early in September, tips frost- 

 bitten; Oct. 7, more or less destroyed; Oct. 9, plants black in 

 an open field; Panicum sanguinale, injured seriouslj' on 



Oct. 8; Borrago officinalis, Oct. 22, a few leaves affected; 

 Oct. 23, many leaves killed; Scabiosa atropurpurea, Oct. 7, 

 no injury; Oct. 23, no injury; Nov. 11, no injury; Nov. 21, 

 some injury to leaves. In a paper on " Experiments in the 

 Prevention of Corn Smut," made at the Iowa Experiment 

 Station, it was shown that by treating seed corn with am- 

 moniacal carbonate of copper and copper sulphate no bene- 

 ficial results were obtained. In plot No. I., treated, there 

 were 6 smutted plants against 8 in check; in plot II., 6 smutted 

 plants against 7 in check; in plot III., 42 smutted plants 

 against 38 in check; in plot VII , 38 smutted plants against 32 

 in check. These experiments should not be considered as 

 showing conclusively that smut does not enter the delicate 

 tissues of corn by way of the seed. Incidentally he referred 

 to some experiments now carried on at the college farm, in 

 which ammoniacal carbonate of copper, Bordeaux mixture, 

 and other substances were mixed with soil, in which, after- 

 ward, corn was planted. Ammoniacal carbonate of copper 

 in the soil retards the germination of corn. 



The following papers also appeared on the programme: 

 Miss Minnie Howe, "Some Experiments for the Purpose of 

 Determining the Active Principles of Bread Making;" Dr. 

 N. B. Niles, "The Action of Disinfectants on Nutrient 

 Media;" Professor J. S. Tilton, "Erosion by Middle River 

 for November, 1891." 



A committee of five was appointed to ask the legislature 

 to print the Proceedings in connection with the Annual Re- 

 port of the Iowa Weather and Crop Service. Mr. J. R. 

 Sage, Professors Nutting, Haworth, Davis, and Pammel con- 

 stitute the committee. The officers of the Academy for 1892 

 are: C. C. Nutting, president, Iowa City; L. H. Pammel, 

 first vice-president, Ames; E. Haworth, second vice-president. 

 Oskaloosa; Herbert Osborn, secretary and treasurer, Ames; 

 executive council, the oiBcers and J. E. Todd, Tabor; F. M. 

 Nitter, Muscatine; and R. E. Call, DesMoines. 



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«** Correspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The loriter^sname 

 is in all cases required as proof of good faith. 



Onrequest in advance, one hundred copies of the number containing his 

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The editor willbe glad to publish any queries consonant with the charade 

 of the journal. 



Trauma'.ic Hypnotism. 



Hypnosis is a psychical state in which an individual is more 

 than usually susceptible to suggestions. As is well known, the 

 degrees of suggestibility are many. Making the distiaclion be- 

 tween physiological and pathological hypnotism, the traumatic 

 hypnotism would, of course, fall under the latter bead. We have 

 been led to employ the term "traumatic," from an investigation 

 of the following case. The case is all the more interesting, since 

 the patient is a physician. 



Patient says: " I was in a village cart coming up the street: 

 the horse was spirited ; a man tried to stop him from running 

 away. The last thing I remember is calling to him to get out of 

 the way. The following (of which I was unconscious) has been 

 told me by others : the cart struck another wagon and threw me 

 into the air, and I came down in a heap, as if one were going to 

 dive into the water, striking on my back and side, having the 

 lines wouni arounrl my hands. I was pulled forward and up by 

 the h irse starting, and dragged about twenty feet, when the lines 

 slipped off of my hands. I did not say anything at this moment; 

 they picked me up for dead and carried me into a drug store. I 

 then began to talk with them, looking deathly pale. They asked 

 me if I was hurl. I answered, ' No, not at all, I am all right.' I 

 would moan every now and then during the conversation. Quite 

 a number of my friends came in, and I called one by name. Then 

 I took off my bonnet and walked back where I could wash my 



