36 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XI. No. 259 



America, the East and West Indies, the Sandwich Islands, and 

 some parts of the united seas. His diligent and learned researches 

 soon gave him a place as an authority among conchologists, — an 

 authority now everywhere recognized. His correspondents were 

 very numerous, residing in all parts of the v^rorld. Mr. Garrett's 

 private collection of shells (now on sale) consists of over eight 

 thousand species, comprising over thirty thousand examples, and 

 representing almost every known part of the globe. Of this 

 large collection, Mr. Garrett has himself collected some four 

 thousand species. The deceased was a corresponding member 

 of the California Academy of Sciences and of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences. The following is a list of Mr. 

 Garrett's principal writings : in Proceedings of Zoological Society, 

 London, list of MitridcE collected at Rarotonga, Cook's Isles ; 

 descriptions of two new species of Separatista, of two new species 

 of Ccecum, of a new species of Scisstcrella ; ' On the Terrestrial 

 Molhisca of the Viti Islands : ' in the Quarterly Jotcrnal of Con- 

 thology, Leeds, England, ' Occurrence of Crepidula acideaia at the 

 Marquesan Islands; ' ' Occurrence of Gadi7iia reticulata in East- 

 ern Polynesia; ' ' Annotated Catalogue of the Species of Comes coX- 

 lected in the South Sea Islands ; ' ' Catalogue of the Polynesian 

 MitridcB, with Remarks on their Geographical Distribution, Sta- 

 tion, and Description of Supposed Nev^f Species ; ' ' Annotated 

 Catalogue of the Cypraoidea collected in the South Sea Islands : ' 

 in the Bulletin of tke. Socidte Malacologique de France (Paris), ' On 

 the Terrestrial Mollusca of the Marquesan Islands : ' in \!n(i Ameri- 

 can Journal of Conchology, vol. vii., ' Descriptions of New Species 

 of Land and Fresh-Water Shells from the South Sea Islands ' 

 (plates); ' List of Viti Biilimus a.nA Descriptions of new Species' 

 {plates): in the Proceedings of the California Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, ' Descriptions of New Species of Shells inhabiting the 

 Sandwich Islands ; ' ' Descriptions of New Species of Fishes inhab- 

 iting the Sandwich Islands ; ' ' Description of New Species of South 

 Sea Shells : ' in Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 Philadelphia, ' On the Terrestrial Mollusca inhabiting Cook's Is- 

 lands, Society Islands, and Samoan Group ; ' ' List of Land-Shells 

 inhabiting Raraturu (one of the Austral Islands), with Remarks on 

 their Synonymes and Geographical Range ; ' and several other 

 papers." 



— In seven months of the year which closed Dec. 31 the 

 Metropolitan Ayslums Board authorities of London had dealt with 

 no fewer than 5,166 scarlet-fever patients ; for 203 cases were ad- 

 mitted in June, 359 in July, 521 in August, 1,041 in September, 

 1,287 in October, 982 in November, and 773 in December. The 

 board had at one time as many as 2,780 fever patients under treat- 

 ment at one time, and, as a result of the general public utilizing to 

 a greater extent than had ever been previously recorded the accom- 

 modation provided at the public expense, seven large hospitals had 

 to be opened, and additional hut-accommodation provided. For- 

 tunately the disease was not of a severe character, and the death- 

 rate was not heavy. The admissions in September and October 

 ranged as high as 50 and 60 per diem, but the disease has since 

 sensibly declined. There were on the last day of 18S7, 2,224 

 patients under treatment, suffering from fever of all kinds, but 

 many of these patients are rapidly regaining health. One feature 

 of the epidemic was the opening of the magnificent hospital for 

 ■convalescing patients at Winchmore-hill, and another was the ready 

 answer given to an appeal made by Miss Baker in the columns of 



The London Tzwz^.? for toys for the children. During 1887 London 

 has, for the first time for many years, enjoyed an immunity from 

 any serious amount of small-pox ; for, although individual cases 

 have occurred, very beneficial results have accrued from prompt 

 removals and isolation of the disease. 



— The Publishers' Circular, London, Eng., states that the total 

 number of new books and new editions published in 1887 is not far 

 from 500 in excess of the books of the previous year. Theology 

 shows an increase of 60 or 70 on the last return. There are more 

 than 100 educational works over the product of 1886, while in juve- 

 nile works the increase is less marked. Novels keep up their aver- 

 age of more than two per diem, Sundays included. Politico-eco- 

 nomical books are less in number than usual, which is also the case 

 jn the department of arts and sciences, which includes illustrated 



volumes. In voyages, exploration, and books descriptive of coun- 

 tries, we find about 50 new books recorded more than for 1886, 

 while in history and biography there is a notable rise in the issue of 

 new works, — over 100. Poetry and the drama are about equally 

 represented with last year. In medicine and surgery, in belle- 

 lettres and essays, as also in miscellaneous publications, a slight 

 increase of production is shown. 



— Mrs. Ayrton, the wife of the professor at the Technical School 

 at Kensington, England, is going to give a course of experimental 

 lectures on the practical uses of electricity to ladies. Mrs. Ayrton 

 was educated at Girton College. 



— The general meeting of the Association for the Improvement 

 of Geometrical Teaching. London, was held Jan. 14. The follow- 

 ing papers were read : ' The Recent Geometry of the Triangle,' by 

 Mr. R. F. Davis ; ' On the Multiplication and Division of Concrete 

 Quantities,' by Prof. A. Lodge ; and ' On some Principles of Arith- 

 metic,' by Mr. W. G. Bell. 



— A sufficient sum has been collected for the erection of a monu- 

 ment at Koping, in Sweden, in memory of the celebrated chemist 

 and apothecary, Charles William Scheele, who was born, 1742, at 

 Stralsund, and died, 1786, at the above-named town. 



— The Argentine Information Office has just published an excel- 

 lent map of the Argentine Republic, on t^e back of which is given 

 a short description of the country and the latest information as to 

 its political organization, agriculture, industries, commerce, revenue, 

 and expenditure, railways, and various other subjects of interest. 



— The Government of Batavia has given notice to the admiralty 

 that the commander of His Netherlands Majesty's ship ' Sama- 

 rang ' reports the existence of a low, wooded island, hitherto un- 

 charted, lying westward of Selaru, Timor Laut Islands. The is- 

 land is reported to be about two miles long in a north-north- 

 easterly and south-south-westerly direction, and about two-thirds 

 of a mile broad ; position as given, centre of island (approximate), 

 latitude 8° 15' south, longitude 130° 39' east. 



— A communication from the Government of Queensland to the 

 admiralty states that the natives of Stephen Island, on the east- 

 ern side of Great North-East Channel, Torres Strait, who were 

 formerly very ferocious and hostile, are now thoroughly quiet : they 

 are supplied by the Government of Queensland with a boat, and 

 are prepared to render assistance to any passing vessel requiring 

 their services that will hoist a flag at the mast-head. Yams, sweet- 

 potatoes, and cocoanuts can be obtained from these natives. There 

 is good anchorage with south-easterly winds off the north-western 

 end of the reef surrounding Stephen's Islands. At Murray Islands 

 a mission station is estabUshed, where shipwrecked crews will be 

 kindly treated, and taken to Thursday Island. At Darnley Island 

 complete confidence can now be placed in the natives. 



— In Science of Dec. 30, 1887, p. 323, second column, 23d line 

 from bottom, the first 'south-west' should read 'south-east.' 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



'tie. The writer's 



■cation will be /urnished 



■.nt with the cliaracter 0/ 



*,* Correspondents are requested to be as brie/ as pi 

 in all cases required as proof 0/ good faith. 



Twenty copies of the nicniber containing h 

 free to any correspondent on request. 



The editor will be glad to publish any quei 

 tJie journal. 



The Snow-Snake. 



The writer of an interesting article on Pocahontas, in a recent 

 popular periodical, had evidently been reading up Morgan's works 

 rather than early Virginia writers. The " hunting lodges, built up 

 of mats, which they remove as they please," become " long, low 

 houses of bark, . . . twenty families to a house." The " great 

 fire made in a long house " becomes five, " each fire being shared 

 by four families." The one seat at the end of Powhatan's house 

 expands into stalls and bunks all around ; and while it is said that 

 " no one, in any household, was better off or of higher rank than 

 his brothers or sisters," yet Powhatan is described as having "such 

 an influence over his tribesmen that he was regarded as the head 



