214 



SCIENCE. 



The next United States Congress will act on a bill, 

 reported in the last Congress, in support of an Inter- 

 national Commission to agree on standard tests for 

 color blindness and standard requirements for visual 

 power in navies and merchant marines. Dr. R. Joy 

 Jeffries, A. M., of 15 Chestnut street, Boston, Mass., 

 will be glad to have public or private statistics or 

 information in relation to this subject. 



The attention of those interested in Hygiene reform 

 is directed to the Hygiene Convention and Exhibition 

 of inventions, mechanical contrivances and processes 

 relating to sanitary and household economies to be 

 held at Wellesley, Mass., commencing November 3rd, 

 and ending November the 9th. 



A most attractive programme has been arranged, 

 which reflects the highest credit on those who have 

 organized the arrangements. Tickets and programmes 

 can be obtained at the St. Nicholas Hotel, New York ; 

 Hotel Wellesley, Wellesley, Mass., or of the Execu- 

 tive Committee, 158 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. 



THE COMETS. 



There are now four comets visible with a good tel- 

 escope, but none of them can be seen with the naked 

 eye. They are all growing fainter, and after a few 

 weeks they will become invisible, even in the most 

 powerful telescopes. 



The first is the one discovered by Mr. Schaerbele 

 at Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is in the morning sky, 

 and its position for November 4 will be: 



A. R. = 5 h. 18.9 m. Decl. South = 7 33'. 

 The second is the one discovered by Mr. Hartwig, 

 at Strasburg, Germany ; and also, independently, 011 

 the next night by Professor Harrington, of Ann Arbor, 

 Michigan. The position of this comet on November 

 2 will be : 



A. R. = 18 h. 21.7 m. Decl. North = 9 59'. 



It is thought by Professor Winnecke that this comet 

 is a return of the one of 1506. 



The third is the comet discovered by Mr. Lewis 

 Swift, at Rochester, New York, on October 10. This 

 is a faint object, and its position on November 2 will 

 be nearly as follows : 



A. R. = 22 h. 0.0 m. Decl. North 34 15'. 

 No orbit of this comet has been computed. 



The fourth comet is the one with a period of seven 

 and a third years, and known as P^aye's, having been 

 discovered by M Faye, of Paris, in 1843. The orbit 

 of this comet has been investigated in an admirable 

 manner by Professor Axel Moeller, of Lund, Sweden, 

 and its motion is nearly as well known as 'that of a 

 planet. The ephemeris furnished by Professor Moeller 

 for the present return is almost exactly correct. The 

 position of this comet for November 2 will be : 

 A. R. = 22 h. 53.5 m Decl. South = o 25'. 

 Sm< e this < omel is always at a. great distance from the 

 sun, it is a faint object, even on the most favorable 

 ions. It will soon be invisible except in the 

 larger telescopes. 



Washington, Oct. 28, 1880 a. Hall, 



ETHNOLOGY.* 



FRAGMENTARY NOTES ON THE ESKIMO OF CUMBERLAND 

 SOUND. 



By Ludwig Kumlien. 



III. 



Since whalers began to cruise in the Cumberland 

 waters, they have found that it is decidedly to their 

 advantage to hire boats' crews of natives to assist in 

 the capture of whales. They make good whalemen. 

 When such crews are secured, they wisely count in all 

 of their family in the bargain, so that to secure the 

 services of a crew of seven men one must feed thirty 

 or more. While working for whalers, the Eskimo de- 

 pend almost wholly on the ship for their food supply; 

 as a consequence, they are fast becoming poor hunters 

 and prefer to lounge around a vessel and pick up such 

 scraps as offer themselves rather than to strike out for 

 themselves and live independently and in comparative 

 plenty. 



As to meals, or regular meal-times, they eat when 

 hungry, if they have anything. They always eat in the 

 morning before going out to hunt; but the principal 

 meal is in the evening, on their return. When sup- 

 plied with rations by the ships, they often have their 

 regular meals aboard ; but this does in no wise hinder 

 them from taking their usual evening allowance of 

 raw meat when they return to their huts. 



That the Eskimo possess considerable powers of 

 abstinence cannot be disputed ; but it is not so 

 remarkable after all, for they certainly have had ample 

 experience in this direction. That they are able to 

 bear temporary or sustained exertion better than the 

 whites is doubtful. They are acclimated and have 

 clothing suited to the climate, and readily adapt them- 

 selves to the rude shelter of a snow-bank, if necessary ; 

 but give a healthy white man as good clothes, and he 

 will stand as much fatigue, and perhaps more. 



While hunting with the Eskimo, we often had our 

 noses and faces frozen, when the cold did not seem to 

 affect the Eskimo in the least ; but when it came to a 

 tramp through the snow all day long, few of them would 

 stand it any better than we could. 



Some have judged their powers of endurance from 

 the manner in which they will follow their game; but 

 it seems to us that it is rather their wonderful patience, 

 for we have known them to follow animal tracks for a 

 whole day, when we confess we could not discover 

 the faintest trace of a track, except at long distances 

 apart. They will discover many traces of animals on 

 the snow that a white man would pass by and not 

 notice. When traveling either on the ice or water, 

 they make the journey by short, easy stages, stopping 

 as soon as they feel the least tired, and recruiting; if 



Bulletin (151 <>f the United States Nationl Museum. Contributed to 

 I].- Natural History of Arctic America, made in connection with the 

 Jlowgate Polar Expedition, 1877-78. 



