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KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



We have received form Judge F. G. 

 Adams, Secretary of the Kansas State His- 

 torical Society, at Topeka, a circular request- 

 ing its friends to send him for preservation 

 books, pamphlets, old maps, letters, biograph- 

 ical sketches of old settlers, and, in brief, 

 anything that can by the most liberal con- 

 struction illustrate the history of Kansas, its 

 early settlement, its progress and present 

 condition. Doubtless hundreds of the older 

 citizens of the State can and will aid material- 

 ly in this matter, which should be one of 

 pride and duty. 



Prof. Broadhead notifies us of an error 

 in the "Missouri Historical Notes," pub- 

 lished last month, on page 630. It should 

 read " Jackson County taken off Lillard in 

 1826," instead of 1820. 



Prof. H. A. Reid announces the discov- 

 ery of zinc ore near Fairfield^ in Marion 

 County, Iowa, on the south side of the Des 

 Moines River. The vein-rock is eight feet 

 below the surface and about four feet 

 thick. 



Harper's Monthly for March is an excellent 

 number. The articles are exceptionally in- 

 teresting, and the illustrations very fine in- 

 deed. Prof. Simon Newcomb contributes 

 an illustrated article entitled " A Small Tel- 

 escope and What to See With It," which will 

 be found both attractive and instructive. 

 W. H. Bishop continues his "Typical Jour- 

 neyings and Country Life in Mexico," while 

 the poetry and fiction are fully up to the best 

 magazine standard. The Editor's Depart- 

 ment is all that can be asked. 



Popular Science Monthly for March was re- 

 ceived unusually early this month and is a val- 

 uable and entertaining number. In addition 

 to the usual vigorous original and selected 

 articles, the editor has recently introduced a 

 new department entitled, " Entertaining 

 Varieties," which will lend additional at- 

 tractions to the magazine with ordinary 

 readers. 



While other localities, east and west of us, 

 have suffered from cold, our mercury has fal- 

 len below freezing but very few times during 

 this winter, and as low as 10° above zero but 

 twice altogether. We have had snow but 

 twice and not more than an inch either time. 

 Very little mud and no high water. 



Prof. Edwin F. Sawyer announces the 

 discovery of a new variable star ; Durchmus- 

 terung star 1° 3408, a variable of the Algol 

 type with a period of a little less than five 

 and a quarter days, the fluctuations in light 

 being about three-fourths of a magnitude. 

 The decrease to minimum occupies ten to 

 twelve hours, and the increase a like inter- 

 val of time. During the rest, or four-fifths 

 of the period, it remains at its maximum brill- 

 iancy. 



The Kansas City Review of Science and 

 Industry for February is out with an excel- 

 lent table of contents. Each successive num- 

 ber of Col. Case's valuable magazine seems 

 better than its immediate predecessor. — Aa«- 

 sas City Journal, 



Back Numbers Wanted. All persons 

 having spare copies of the Review for June, 

 1879, or February, 1880, will receive a fair 

 price for them upon returning them to the 

 editor. 



Maj. S. Hershel, British engineer and 

 grandson of the famous astronomer, is at 

 Washington. He visits Washington upon 

 invitation of Prof. Hilgard, of the coast and 

 geodetic survey, to take part in certain nice 

 pendulum observations for determining the 

 exact force of gravity at this point. He 

 brings pendulums used in similar experiments 

 in England and India, and which are to be 

 used at various points on the earth's surface to 

 ascertain more precisely the actual formation 

 of the sphere. Tests will be made at the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



The Royal Geographical Society, of Lon- 

 don, has voted an appropriation of ;^io,ooo 

 for Leigh Smith's Arctic Expedition. 



