236 Scientific Intelligence. 



survey lie states was recorded in the Town Records of Huntington. It is possible 

 eat mound of unmodified drift is not satisfactorily deter- 



3 Measured from half-tide level by Hon. Stephen Tabor, of Roslyn. 



4 Heights determined by George B. Brainerd, Esq., Engineer in the Brooklyn 



From tin | Groin others of the range, exten- 



di vo views may be had, and the contour of the island throughout 

 its entire breadth studied to great advantage. A striking feature 

 observed is the vast, nearly level plain which extends from the 

 foot of the hills southward to the Great South Bay. At a distance 

 of from one to two miles from the foot of the hills the following 

 1 l«'vat.i<.n> ; ' •'- tide were determined by early surveys, for the 

 Long Maud Railroad. I quote from Prime's History as follows: 



1. Bedford, (in the city of Brooklyn), 73 feet. 



2. Jamaica, 40 " 



3. Mineola, 103 » 



4. Hicksville, ".. 142 " 



9. Southold, 40 » 



The average elevation of the " Plains," so-called, along the line 

 of the railroad, is therefore about 70 feet. Northward of the hills, 

 . to the Sound, the surface is uneven, and no general 

 topographical survey of it has been made. We have, however, 

 the elevations at several points. Some of these exceed 200 feet, 

 and an estimate of the general elevation of the surface formerly 

 made, of from 130 to 150 feet, is not far from correct. 



III. Botany and Zoology. 



1. Dextrorse and Sinistrorse: Which is right and which is left, 



as applied to twining, overlapping in flower-buds, and course of the 



■liyllotaxis ? There are two opposite ways of regarding 



it : according to one a hop-vine turns to the left, according to 



■'■•■ ri ■■hi : and authorities and usage are divided. 



Lniformity is most desirable, and this seemed to be secured when 



dopted by the elder DeCandolle 



and followed "by Mohl, Palm, A. Braun," Alph. De( /an do! le. 



>-r observers." Still the opposite view is now coming in, 



and if it should prevail against such an arrav of authority it must 



be because it proves more convenient and sensible in practice. 



e Gardeners' Chronicle for January 1=*, last, 



ibject was taken up by M. Alph. DeCandolle 



(whose judgment would always be much deferred to) at a recent 



meeting of the Botanical Society of France. As we have seen no 



Gardeners Chronicle. It purports to represent the view and the 

 reasoning of another excellent botanist, A. Braun- 



