34 



scmjsrcu. 



[Vol. IX., No. 206 



races, shows the same tendency to heredity. Like- 

 wise, supernumerary fingers, toes, teeth, and breasts 

 in both male and female, and the presence of a short 

 tail, are all undoubtedly capable of hereditary trans- 

 mission. 



The thinly haired African, or the hirsute Tas- 

 manian, as also the great variations in the pilosity of 

 the ciYilized races, present questions more within 

 the province of the anthropologist ; bearded females 

 and beardless males, that of the physiologist, or, 

 possibly, of the suffragist. S. W. Williston. 



New Haven, Conn., Jan. 8. 



existence, a distinct standing army, and that this fort 

 was occupied by such army only for the purpose of 

 protecting the community living in the rich valleys 

 to the southward against the hordes invading them 

 from the north. Cleveland Abbe. 



Washington, Jan. 13. 



Fort Ancient, Warren county, O. 



Following the letter of Mr. Cyrus Thomas in 

 Science, No. 201 , if Fort Ancient be of as late date as 

 he there suggests, an explanation of its uses, and of 

 the fact that the debris which usually marks the site 

 of prehistoric villages is entirely wanting in and 

 about the work, may possibly be found in the 

 river-valley both above and below the fort. The 

 Little Miami valley is, for twelve or fifteen miles 

 north of Fort Ancient, very rich in the remains 

 either of the mound-builders or Indians, or both if 

 they be distinct races. Upon the bluffs and in the 

 surrounding high lands are numerous mounds, many 

 of them of considerable size. 



In almost every gravel-pocket which has ever been 

 opened on the river-hills have been found human 

 bones. In several places in the valley are burial- 

 grounds, often of many acres, where the interments 

 were as regularly ordered and as closely crowded as 

 in a modern military cemetery. Pottery, celts, pipes, 

 etc., are frequently found with these remains. On a 

 high bluff about eight miles above Fort Ancient is 

 said to be the site of an ancient village of consider- 

 able extent, marked by an accumulation of broken 

 and charred bones, mussel-shells, pottery, etc., vary- 

 ing in thickness from twelve to twenty inches. There 

 are many reasons for believing that the valley for 

 many miles above the fort was not only densely peo- 

 pled, but that these people were permanent resi- 

 dents. 



Kecent 'finds' of copper and other implements 

 about the town of Morrow, eight miles below Fort 

 Ancient, give weight to the supposition that the river- 

 valley was peopled in that direction also, and that 

 the work in question served as a refuge or fortress, 

 situated near the centre of a populous and powerful 

 community. I merely make the suggestion that the 

 numerous remains hereabout may have some relation 

 to the origin and purposes of Fort Ancient. 



Chas. a. Hough. 

 Waynesville, O., Jan. 10. 



The remarks by Professor Thomas in Science for 

 Dec. 10, 1886, remind me that in the spring of 1870 

 I made a rapid inspection of Fort Ancient, walking 

 completely around its circumference. My sketch 

 shows several corrections and additions to Dr. Locke's 

 map as published by Squier and Davis, notably the 

 long stone steps leading down to the water's edge. 

 My original map is now in the archives of the Ohio 

 historical society in Cincinnati. A general account 

 of my visit was published at the time in the Cincin- 

 nati Commercial. 



It seems to me plausible, that, if this was not a 

 fortified town, then, in the organization of the mound- 

 nation, there may have been, in the latter days of ^its 



Star rays and the corona. 



Mr. Randolph's communication a few weeks ago 

 escaped my attention at the time of its appearance. 

 The difficulties to which he refers may be due partly 

 to the structure of the human eye. Dr. LeConte has 

 resolved that relating to the phenomenon of long 

 rays or streamers appearing around an electric light, 

 due to refraction rather than reflection at the ex- 

 terior surface of the cornea next the eyelid. The 

 appearance of short rays around a star, Mr. Randolph 

 will find explained in Helmholtz's ' Pojiular scientific 

 lectures,' pjj. 217-219, and an instructive diagram in 

 the same author's ' Physiological optics,' French 

 edition, p. 34, or German edition, p. 24. 



Telescope lenses have been made greatly superior 

 to the human eye as an optical instrument. What- 

 ever may be the final explanation of the solar corona, 

 the number of chances is almost infinite that it will 

 not be referred to defects in the striicture of tele- 

 scope lenses and tubes. W. LeC. Stevens. 



Brooklyn, Jan. 7. 



To authors of text-books on physics. 



Recently, in examining students for admission to 

 college, the writer was again reminded of a small, 

 but, as far as his observation goes, universal error in 

 text-books on physics. It is stated that ' ' the velo- 

 city of sound varies as the square root of the elas- 

 ticity divided by the density." In illustration, it is 

 usually stated that the velocity in air is about 1,000 

 feet, in water about 4,000, and in iron about 8,000. 

 The first two are perfectly elastic, and the second is 

 the more dense : hence, by the rule, the velocity in 

 water shoiild be less than in air. Iron is less elastic 

 and more dense than either of the others, and hence, 

 by the rule, the velocity should be least. The rule 

 will be correct if for ' elasticity ' we read ' co-efficient 

 of elasticity,' which may be defined as the force 

 which would double the length of a bar, or compress 

 a liquid or gas to half of its volume. I. O. Bakek. 



Champaign, 111., Jan. 8. 



The swindling geologist. 



The swindling geologist was this week in Spring- 

 field, Mass., where he passed himself off as Capt. C. 

 E. Dutton. I cannot learn that he succeeded in vic- 

 timizing any one except the hotel-keeper of the house 

 where he stopped, owing to the fact that he was 

 early exposed by the commanding officer of the 

 armory, who luckily happened to know Captain 

 Dutton. 



He later inflicted himself on me, playing the deaf- 

 mute, calling himself Ivan C. Vassile of the Russian 

 museum, and offering to sell me odd volumes of 

 Hall's ' Geology of New York state.' Suspecting 

 that they were stolen, I declined to buy. 



He is a square-faced, smooth-shaven, light-com- 

 plexioned fellow, of rather short stature, and wore a 

 white felt hat and an army cape. His names and 

 clothes, however, would perhaps hardly serve to 



