May 4, 1900.] 



SCmNGE. 



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and the Columbia University observatory 

 various lines of recent work. 



The Botanical section contained many in- 

 dividual exhibits and others which specially 

 illustrated recent progress at the New York 

 Botanical Garden. Many preparations were 

 shown with microscopes. Professor Geo. 

 E. Stone, of the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 College, had one series of apparatus that he 

 had used in the study of plant physiology, 

 and that attracted especial attention. Under 

 Chemistry the new synthetic indigo and 

 numerous artificial perfumes drew the at- 

 tention of many visitors, while recently 

 developed apparatus and preparations in- 

 terested others. At the tables devoted to 

 Electricity many new and improved forms 

 of apparatus were shown. In the section of 

 Geology and Geography, the U. S. Geolog- 

 ical Survey gave a very full exhibition of 

 its recent maps and publications, all of 

 which aroused much interest and many in- 

 quiries. The work of the Maryland Geo- 

 logical Survey and "Weather Service was ad- 

 mirably presented and received very favor- 

 able comment. 



Metallurgy appeared this year for the 

 first time, and was especially rich in illus- 

 trations of Metallographj^, as developed in 

 the School of Mines at Columbia University. 

 New varieties of steel ; various metals, 

 more or less rare ; alloys ; by-products and 

 refractory materials gave many visitors an 

 opportunity to see objects seldom exhibited. 

 Under Mineralogy, the greater number of 

 the new minerals described during the year 

 were shown, and many superb specimens 

 of older ones. Of especial intei-est was a 

 series of 51 specimens of American tellui*- 

 ides, shown by Professor A. H. Chester, of 

 Eutgers. The Egleston Museum of Colum- 

 bia University displayed both minerals and 

 apparatus. In Paleontology, the most in- 

 teresting exhibits were the recent collections 

 of vertebrates from the West by the parties 

 of the American Museum. The remarkable 



find of five complete skeletons of the last 

 extinct horse of ISTorth America (Eqicus oceir 

 dentalis) , which was previously known only 

 in scattered individual bones, excited the 

 liveliest interest. In addition, a camel 

 that possessed many features of the giraffe, 

 and complete mounted skeletons of Oxyaena 

 and Patriofelis, together with many other 

 fine specimens, gave visitors an idea of the 

 remai-kable progress of the Museum in this 

 branch. The members of the Academy 

 were gratified to note that Mr. Charles 

 Knight is continuing his restorations, two 

 new ones being shown, viz, Tylosaurus and 

 Megaceros hibernicus. A valuable collection of 

 fossil fish recently acquired by the American 

 Museum, from Ohio, was also shown through 

 the courtesy of Professor Whitfield. 



Under physics and photography. Dr. P. 

 H. Dudley exhibited further results of his 

 observations upon strains in rails under 

 moving trains by means of the ' stremma- 

 tograph,' his valuable and ingenious in- 

 strument, invented for this purpose. The 

 great advantage of heavy and stiff rail sec- 

 tions was clearly proved. Photographs in 

 color by means of diffraction gratings, and 

 kinetoscope projections of the motion of a 

 wave, both by Professor E. W. Wood of the 

 University of Wisconsin, excited great in- 

 terest. In addition many other forms of 

 ingenious apparatus received careful atten- 

 tion from visitors. In the section of psy- 

 chology the chief exhibits consisted of new 

 forms of apparatus. One, by Professor 

 Cattell, projected simultaneously upon a 

 screen, by means of the lantern, a time 

 scale, a curve of breathing and another of 

 pulsation, both while being produced by a 

 person, engaged in any prescribed occupa- 

 tion. This received especial attention from 

 visitors. 



On the tables devoted to zoology the vis- 

 itor saw a beautiful series of photographs 

 illustrating progress at the new Zoological 

 Garden of New York, and few, not familiar 



