SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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The Museum (Albion, N.Y., September and 

 October, 1S95). These numbers contain very 

 popularly written articles on various subjects 

 connected with Natural Science, and also a 

 number of illustrations which are hardly up to the 

 standard of American magazines. These numbers 

 are, however, in advance of the first issued. 



Bulletin de la Societe Zoologique de 

 France (Paris, October and December, 1S95). 

 The late Zoological Congress at Leyden receives full 

 attention. The report is divided into three parts : 

 (1) The general meetings and conferences ; (2) the 

 sectional meetings ; (3) the receptions, fetes and 

 excursions. M. Fernand Meunier contributes an 

 article, entitled, " Note sur les Carabidas des Schistes 

 de Schernfield." There are two illustrations of two 

 fossil Carabida; from the collection in the Museum 

 at Haarlem. The writer also describes a new 

 species, entitled, Procalosoma giardi. There is a 

 " Notice sur les Spongiaires recueillis en 1894 et 1895," 

 by Emile Topseut, being an account of the sponges 

 collected during the voyage of the " Princess Alice," 

 in 1894. 



A Biographical Notice of W. S. W. 

 Ruschenberger, M.D., by Edward J. Nolan, 

 M.D., contains an interesting account of the 

 foundation and early progress of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences. Its first recorded 

 meeting was held on January 25th, 1812, at the 

 house of John Speakman, under the title of 

 " Friends of Science and of Rational Disposal of 

 Leisure Moments." Dr. Ruschenberger was a 

 surgeon in the United States Navy, and although 

 in constant correspondence with the Academy, it 

 was not until 1840, when he was stationed at the 

 naval rendezvous in Philadelphia, that he took any 

 active part in its work. He was elected one of the 

 Vice-Presidents of the Academy, in January, 1869. 

 to fill the position made vacant by the death of 

 John Cassin ; and at the annual meeting of the 

 same year he was elected President, a post he 

 filled until 1881. 



Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, Philadelphia (Philadelphia, 1S95) con- 

 tains a "Description of a New Genus and Species 

 of Cottoid Fishes from Puget Sound," by Edwin 

 Chaplin Starks. The new species of fish, Jordania 

 zonope, is not uncommon in Puget Sound ; it is allied, 

 but not closely, to Triglops and Chitonotus. The 

 largest of the three types in the museum of the 

 Leland Stanford Junior University is four inches in 

 length. Unfortunately the life colours of this 

 species disappear in alcohol. There is in life much 

 red on the lateral plates and elsewhere on the 

 body and fins, the prevailing colour being black. 

 Mr. Warren M. Foote contributes a short note 

 on " A New Alkali Mineral " discovered by 

 Mr. C. H. Northup, at Borax Lake, California. 

 The crystallization, which is of a somewhat rare 

 nature, is fully described. The colour varies from 

 milky pale yellow, and greenish grey to brown ; 



the lustre is vitreous ; hardness, 35 to 4. 

 Chemical examination shows it to be essentially a 

 chlorocarbonate of sodium It is proposed that 

 the name " Northupite " should be given to this new 

 species, since it has been brought to light by Mr. 

 Northup's indefatigable zeal in collecting. 



Feuilles des Jeunes Naturalistes (Paris, 

 December, 1895). M. H. Dolfus, the editor, con- 

 tinues his Report of The International Congress of 

 Zoology at Leyden. He gives short particulars of 

 the speeches of Mr. J. Murray, M. Milne-Kdwards, 

 Prince Roland Buonaparte and others. A series of 

 articles by M. Bavay, on " Conservation et pre- 

 paration des Mollusques," contain an account of the 

 manner in which both shells and the soft parts of 

 molluscs should be treated for preservation. M. 

 Bavay gives preference to uncoloured alcohol at a 

 temperature of 70 C, and mentions that M. Joubin 

 recommends a solution of bichromate of potash 

 for keeping cephalopoda. For univalve land and 

 sea shells the modus faciendi is the same. They 

 should be put in warm water and heated to boiling. 

 Then the bodies should be taken out with a pin. 

 If by accident some of the body should be left 

 behind, a piece of steel rolled into a spiral should 

 be inserted into the shell, and warm water finally 

 injected. Dr. Louis Planchon gives some " Observa- 

 tions sur la Resistance Vitale de l'Argas reflexus 

 Latr." These notes date some years back, but M. 

 Planchon considers tbem worthy of publication 

 that they may confirm what is already known on 

 the subject of the vitality of certain mites, and of 

 Argas in particular. 



Bulletin de la Societe Rovale Lineenne de 

 Bruxelles (Brussels, November and December, 

 1895). The editor contributes an article entitled 

 " Le Moineau et l'Agriculture." He refers in it to 

 an article by M. Pelicat which appeared in the 

 "Revue Scientifique " of May last, in defence of 

 the sparrow. It is pointed out in this editorial 

 that the sparrow, being a great destroyer of insects, 

 is really a friend and not an enemy. M. Pelicat 

 says the writer calculates that a couple of sparrows 

 can in a dozen years destroy five hundred cock- 

 chafers. M. Pelicat calculates that a sparrow 

 consumes four litres of corn a year. On the other 

 hand, considering the number of cockchafers and 

 other destructive insects devoured by these 

 indefatigable birds, the gain is certainly in many 

 millions to the agriculture of France. Belgium and 

 French sparrows are evidently better educated than 

 those of Britain. " Plantation des Arbres Fruitiers," 

 by M. E. Pamart, is a short account of the best time 

 and manner in which to plant fruit-trees. He says 

 they. should be planted before the winter, but if 

 that is not possible, at the end of February or the 

 beginning of March. The December number 

 contains a sketch by M. Paul de Closeau, entitled 

 " Causerie." It is a poetical description of autumn, 

 the uses of fallen leaves as fuel, as manure, and as 

 covering for the roots of the spring plants, and also 

 their possible use as beds for poor people. An 

 article on " Les Couches " gives some useful infor- 

 mation with regard to making forcing beds. The 

 writer recommends their being made of dead leaves 

 and stale manure, as he considers these substances 

 develop a better and more sustained heat than 

 fresh manure. When the heat of the bed begins to 

 grow weak, one can renew it by taking away the 

 manure from the edge and putting fresh round. 

 This can easily be done regularly by making the 

 border a little higher than the box. 



