EDITORIAL NOTES. : 713 
Dit Ora N Omir Ss: 
AT the regular meeting of the Kansas City 
Academy of Science, in January, papers were 
read respectively by Mr. Coddington and Mr. 
David Eccles: the former upon the Cultiva- 
tion of the Aésthetic in Industrial Pursuits, 
which was written in his usual elegant and 
attractive manner; the latter, a reply to Mr. 
Miller’s criticisms of Herbert Spencer’s phi- 
losophy, in which the author displayed his 
peculiar talent for metaphysical and philo- 
sophical discussion in a well and forcibly 
written defense of the Synthetic Philosophy. 
At the meeting in February, Mr. Robert 
Gillham read the first of a series of papers 
on Sanitary Drainage of Cities, a subject to 
which he has given much attention, and one 
which is of vital importance to every citizen 
who expects to make this city his home. 
The second paper was read by Dr. R. Wood 
Brown, his subject being The Teeth in Rela- 
tion to the Brain, illustrated by a large number 
of drawings prepared by himself, exhibiting 
the progressive development of the brainand 
teeth in the gradual ascent from the lowest 
to the highest grades of animal life. This 
lecture also was very instructive and was 
most attentively listened to by the audience. 
At the March meeting papers will be read 
by Dr. Halley and Mr. Gillham. 
Mr. HowarpD W. MITCHELL, of Colorado 
Springs, Colorado, replies to an inquiry rela- 
tive to the reported volcanic action on Pike’s 
Peak, that ‘It is unnecessary to say that all 
such rumors are utterly without foundation 
in fact; no subterranean disturbance has, so 
far as known, taken place in Colorado during 
the past year, and the only remarkable at- 
mospheric phenomenon was that which gave 
rise to the beautiful lunar rainbows a few 
nights since.” 
WE have received from the publishers a 
copy of Prof. T. Berry Smith’s chart entitled 
s¢The Circle of Sciences,”? intended for the 
use of teachers in instructing their pupils 
in Physical Science. The circle is three feet 
in diameter, the center being Matter, Force, 
Change, with the various departments and 
subdivisions radiating out from it. It is a 
comprehensive and readily comprehensible 
chart, and will be found of great advantage 
to teachers and students. 
AT the February meeting of the Kansas 
City Academy of Science, the Secretary called 
attention to the fact that the discovery of the 
Icthyornis dispar, the bird with teeth, ought, 
be credited to the late Prof. Mudge, instead 
of Prof. Marsh. The mistake is natural, as 
Prof Marsh figured and described this won- 
derful specimen, which was sent to him by 
Prof. Mudge. 
A very partial friend at Plattsmouth, Ne- 
braska, writes: ‘‘I receive most of the east- 
ern and many foreign scientific periodicals, 
but not one which interests me as the REVIEW 
does.” 
Boston Society of Natural History, 
Boston, Mass., January 26, 1881. 
We want several numbers of your maga- 
zine to complete our set. The society would 
be grateful to you if you could complete the 
set. Yours respectfully, 
Epw. BURGESS, Sec’y. 
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE, D. C., 
January 12, 1881. 
DEAR SIR:—I do not know of anything 
during the past year that gave me more pleas- 
ure than your account of your trip to New 
Mexico. 
Yours with respect, 
Otis T, MAson. 
