Miscellaneous Intelligence. 475 



inside the limits of the shadow-path. Of these there are about 

 one hundred independent determinations. When the geographic 

 positions of the observers have been accurately determined, and 

 the observations fully reduced, accurate corrections to the lunar 

 orbit-elements will result, for the epoch in question. The work 

 of the main party in my charge, at Shirakawa, concludes rather 

 less favorably than I had expected, clouds having interfered to 

 such an extent that less than half of the pictures taken with the 

 photo-heliograph are measurable. 



The foregoing results of the volunteer work comprise thus the 

 most important* astronomical contribution of the Japan Expedi- 

 tion ; and are so encouraging that, under the auspices of the 

 Bache trustees, I have taken steps necessary to secure like obser- 

 vations in our western states and British America during the 

 eclipse of the 1st of January next. 



But the total outcome of the Japan Expedition fortunately 

 comprises important work besides astronomy. Dr. Holland, who 

 at his own charges accompanied the expedition as naturalist, has 

 enumerated the bulk of his collections, botanical and entomo- 

 logical, in the preliminary report. Under his direction, the final 

 discussion of this valuable material is rapidly progressing. On 

 the present plan, four papers will result : (a) list of the phsenoga- 

 mous plants collected by the Expedition ; (b) list of Coleoptera 

 collected by the Expedition, together with descriptions of some 

 apparently new species (with the colaboration of Mr. C. O. 

 Waterhouse of the British Museum) ; (c) list of the Macro- 

 lepidoptera collected by the Expedition, together with descrip- 

 tions of new species and notes upon their habits ; (d) a mono- 

 graph of the deltoid and pyralid moths of Japan. 



Of these the most significant is the last, in which Dr. Holland 

 will include a full discussion of the unique and extensive collec- 

 tions of the late Mr. Pryer of Yokohama, the result of his labors 

 during a long series of years. Some months are necessary to 

 complete this monograph. 



2. National Academy of Sciences. — The following papers were 

 entered to be read at the November Meeting, 1888, in New 

 Haven. 



E. S. Holden: The Lunar Eclipse, July 22, 1888. 



Lewis Boss: The Zone Undertaking of the Astronomische Gesellschaft. 



Elias Loomis: The Rain-fall of the North Atlantic Ocean. 



W. H. Brewer: A finished Breed of Horses. 



Wolcott Gibbs and Hobabt Emory Hare: A Systematic Study of the action 

 of definitely related Chemical Compounds upon Animals. 



J. S. Newberry : The Cretaceous Flora of North America ; On the Zoological 

 Relations of some Paleozoic Fishes. 



Henry F. Osborn: The Evolution of the Mammalian Molar Teeth to and from 

 the Tri tubercular Type. 



L. A. Lee : Some scientific results of the Albatross Expedition from Washing- 

 ton to San Francisco. 



A. A. Michelson and E. "W. Morley : Some measurements of relative Wave- 

 lengths. 



E. S. Dana : A new mineral from Maine. 



