﻿Miscellaneous 
  Intelligence. 
  167 
  

  

  3. 
  Onthe 
  amount 
  of 
  absorption 
  of 
  water 
  1 
  by 
  roots. 
  — 
  M. 
  Lecomte 
  

   (Comptes 
  rendus, 
  July 
  9), 
  makes 
  the 
  following 
  interesting 
  state- 
  

   ment 
  regarding 
  Musanga 
  Smithii, 
  an 
  Urticaceous 
  tree, 
  found 
  in 
  

   French 
  Congo. 
  The 
  tree 
  attains 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  sixty 
  to 
  seventy-five 
  

   feet, 
  is 
  much 
  branched, 
  and 
  has 
  compound 
  leaves. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  

   trees, 
  having 
  a 
  diameter 
  of 
  a 
  foot 
  and 
  a 
  half, 
  was 
  cut 
  down 
  five 
  feet 
  

   from 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  a 
  groove 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  convey 
  the 
  water 
  for 
  

   collection. 
  The 
  tree 
  was 
  " 
  felled 
  " 
  at 
  five 
  p. 
  m. 
  Jan. 
  6, 
  1 
  894, 
  when 
  

   the 
  atmosphere 
  was 
  saturated 
  with 
  moisture, 
  but 
  when 
  there 
  was 
  

   no 
  rain 
  falling. 
  At 
  seven 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  (9^) 
  nine 
  and 
  one 
  

   quarter 
  liters 
  of 
  sap 
  had 
  collected, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  certain 
  that 
  some 
  was 
  

   lost 
  during 
  the 
  experiment. 
  Subsequent 
  experiments 
  showed 
  that 
  

   the 
  amount 
  steadily 
  diminished 
  during 
  the 
  day, 
  thus 
  : 
  

   1st, 
  from 
  6 
  p. 
  m. 
  to 
  7 
  a. 
  m. 
  at 
  rate 
  of 
  0.71 
  1, 
  each 
  hour. 
  

   2d, 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  mid-day, 
  " 
  " 
  0.587, 
  " 
  " 
  

  

  3d, 
  from 
  noon 
  to 
  4 
  p. 
  m 
  " 
  " 
  0.360, 
  " 
  " 
  

  

  The 
  author 
  says 
  that 
  the 
  gorilla 
  is 
  acquainted 
  with 
  this 
  property 
  

   of 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  question, 
  since 
  he 
  tears 
  the 
  branches 
  off, 
  and 
  

   quenches 
  his 
  thirst 
  at 
  the 
  wounds 
  he 
  makes. 
  g. 
  l. 
  g. 
  

  

  IV. 
  Miscellaneous 
  Scientific 
  Intelligence. 
  

  

  1. 
  Science. 
  — 
  The 
  well-known 
  weekly 
  Journal, 
  Science, 
  after 
  a 
  

   brief 
  period 
  of 
  suspension 
  has 
  recommenced 
  as 
  a 
  new 
  series. 
  

   The 
  first 
  number, 
  issued 
  January 
  4th, 
  in 
  the 
  interest 
  and 
  variety 
  

   of 
  its 
  contents 
  speaks 
  well 
  for 
  its 
  future. 
  It 
  is 
  now 
  under 
  the 
  

   direction 
  of 
  an 
  editorial 
  committee 
  constituted 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  Mathe- 
  

   matics, 
  Prof. 
  S. 
  Newcomb 
  ; 
  Mechanics, 
  Prof. 
  R. 
  S. 
  Woodward 
  ; 
  

   Physics, 
  Prof. 
  T. 
  C. 
  Mendenhall 
  ; 
  Astronomy, 
  Prof. 
  E. 
  C. 
  

   Pickering; 
  Chemistry, 
  Prof. 
  Ira 
  Remsen 
  ; 
  Geology, 
  Prof. 
  J. 
  

   LeConte 
  ; 
  Physiography, 
  Prof. 
  W. 
  M. 
  Davis 
  ; 
  Paleontology, 
  

   Prof. 
  O. 
  C. 
  Marsh 
  ; 
  Zoology, 
  Prof. 
  W. 
  K. 
  Brooks, 
  Dr. 
  C. 
  Hart 
  

   Merriam; 
  Botany, 
  Prof. 
  N. 
  L. 
  Britton; 
  Physiology, 
  Prof. 
  H. 
  

   P. 
  Bowditch 
  ; 
  Hygiene, 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  S. 
  Billings 
  ; 
  Anthropology, 
  

   Prof. 
  D. 
  G. 
  Brinton, 
  Major 
  J. 
  W. 
  Powell 
  ; 
  Psychology, 
  Prof. 
  

   Cattell. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  obvious 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  need 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  for 
  a 
  journal 
  in 
  

   the 
  field 
  which 
  Science 
  occupies 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  hoped 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  

   receive 
  in 
  full 
  the 
  support 
  which 
  it 
  deserves 
  from 
  all 
  interested 
  in 
  

   the 
  progress 
  of 
  scientific 
  truth. 
  We 
  quote 
  a 
  few 
  sentences 
  from 
  

   the 
  excellent 
  introductory 
  editorial 
  by 
  Professor 
  Newcomb. 
  

  

  " 
  At 
  the 
  present 
  day 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  aspects 
  of 
  American 
  science 
  

   which 
  most 
  strikes 
  us 
  is 
  the 
  comparative 
  deficiency 
  of 
  the 
  social 
  

   element. 
  We 
  have 
  indeed 
  numerous 
  local 
  scientific 
  societies, 
  

   many 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  meeting 
  with 
  marked 
  success. 
  But 
  these 
  

   bodies 
  cannot 
  supply 
  the 
  want 
  of 
  national 
  cooperation 
  and 
  com- 
  

   munication. 
  The 
  field 
  of 
  each 
  is 
  necessarily 
  limited, 
  and 
  its 
  activi- 
  

   ties 
  confined 
  to 
  its 
  own 
  neighborhood. 
  We 
  need 
  a 
  broader 
  sym- 
  

   pathy 
  and 
  easier 
  communication 
  between 
  widely 
  separated 
  men 
  

   in 
  every 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  Our 
  journal 
  aims 
  to 
  supply 
  the 
  

   want 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  medium, 
  and 
  asks 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  all 
  concerned 
  in 
  mak- 
  

  

  