990 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 286. 



mann, on ' The Acquirement of Motor Habits ' 

 reported some experiments in which the author 

 measured the degree of perfection attained in 

 rapid naming of one hundred color squares 

 arranged in regular order, by the time required 

 to read the whole series. Results were pre- 

 sented for the rapidity of reading at different 

 stages of practice and after different intervals 

 of discontinuance of practice. 



The second paper, by C. H. Judd, was on the 

 subject 'Studies in Vocal Expression.' This 

 paper reported measurements of changes in 

 pitch during the articulation of single words. 

 The pitch was determined by means of enlarged 

 records of diaphragm vibrations which were 

 compared with the tracing made from a stand- 

 ard tuning fork. Twenty records were reported. 

 In general the accented syllable was higher in 

 pitch than the unaccented syllables, though this 

 was not true in such words as ' abhorrent ' 

 and 'abnormal.' The iinal syllable in the 

 twenty records showed a very general tendency 

 to fall off in pitch. The amount of change in 

 such words as ' educing ' and ' illusion ' will 

 appear from some cases of the former. The 

 three syllables were as follows: case I., 161, 

 244, 171 (the end of the syllable being at 131); 

 case II., 157, 255, 185 (end of syllable 125); 

 case III., 172, 248, 166 (end of syllable 123). 

 Other records did not show such marked 

 changes. One for the word ' abasement ' is as 

 follows : 103, 150, 140. 



Charles H. Judd, 



Secretary. 



THE NEW YOKK SECTION OF THE AMERICAN 

 CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 



The June meeting of the New York Section 

 of the American Chemical Society was held on 

 the 8th inst., at the Chemists' Club. 



The retiring chairman, Dr. Chas. F. Mc- 

 Kenna, invited the president of the Society, 

 Dr. William McMurtrie, to preside. An ad- 

 dress was made by Dr. McKenna on the ' Ad- 

 vancement in the Study of the Properties of 

 the Metals,' and on the ' Present and Future of 

 the New York Section of the American Chem- 

 ical Society.' 



The election of officers for the ensuing year 

 resulted as follows : 



Chairman, Dr. C. A. Doremns. 

 Secretary and Treasurer, Durand Woodman. 

 Executive Committee, C. F. MoKenna, M. T. Bogert, 

 P. C. Mcllhiney. 



The following papers were then read : 



'Comparison of Iodine and Bromine Figures of 

 Various Fatty Oils,' by H. T. Vult6 and Lily Logan. 



' The Chemistry of Materials used in Perfumery 

 and kindred Arts, ' by T. C. Stearns. 



' Rapid Method for Separation of Cadmium, Bis- 

 muth, etc. , from Zinc and Manganese, ' by George C. 

 Stone. 



' On the Oxidation of Platinum, ' by Dr. E. C. Hall. 



A motion was made and seconded that a fund 

 should be raised for a prize for the best paper 

 read before the Society during each season. 

 This was in pursuance of a suggestion made by 

 the chairman in his address. 



Notice was given of the general meeting of 

 the American Chemical Society, to be held in 

 the latter part of the month, after which the 

 Section adjourned. 



Durand Woodman, 



Secretary. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 

 prehistoric remains in japan. 



To THE Editor of Science : While in Oka- 

 yama, Japan, in the early part of this month 

 I was conducted by Rev. J. H. Pettee to the 

 hills about two miles east of the city to see 

 some prehistoric stone structures which he had 

 noticed in his rambles. The first one to which 

 we came was situated about 500 feet above the 

 valley (which was nearly at sea level) near the 

 summit of a steep declivity overlooking an ex- 

 tensive country. This was built of stones laid 

 up in regular courses, some of them very large. 

 One stone was 5x5x4J feet. Large flat stones 

 served for the roof. The entrance was twenty- 

 one feet long, six feet wide and about twelve 

 feet high. This opened into a room twelve 

 feet long, of which the north side was flush 

 with one of the walls of the entrance, making 

 the entire length of this wall thirty-three feet. 

 The room is twelve feet square, and about the 

 same height. 



The whole was covered with a mound of 

 earth, upon which trees of considerable size 

 were growing. This one had been cleaned out 



