Miscellaneous Intelligence. 441 



2. National Academy of Sciences. — The following is a list of 

 the papers entered to be read at the meeting of the Academy 

 held in Washington, April 19-22. 



G. K. Gilbert: An American Maar. 



R. S. Woodward : The form and efficiency of the iced-bar base apparatus of 

 the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. 



C. Abbe: On atmospheric radiation of heat in Meteorology. The astronomical, 

 geodetic and electric consequences of tidal strains within an elastic terrestrial 

 spheroid. Biographical memoir of William Ferrel. Biographical memoir of J. 

 Homer Lane. 



P. H. Bigelow : On the deflecting forces that produce the diurnal variation of 

 the normal terrestrial magnetic field. 



C. A. Schott : Abstract of results from the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey 

 Magnetic Observatory at Los Angeles, Cal., 1832-1889. part III. Differential 

 Measures of the horizontal component of the magnetic force. 



A. S. Packard: On the anatomy and systematic position of the Mecoptera. 



S. C. Chandler: On the laws of the variation of latitude. On the causes of 

 variations of period in the variable stars. 



T. C. Mendenhall: On the force of gravity at Washington. On the recent 

 variations of latitude at Washington. 



A. M. Meter: On the acoustic properties of aluminum, with experimental 

 illustrations. Exhibition of Chladni's acoustic figures transferred to paper with- 

 out distortion. 



M. Carey Lea : Disruption of the silver haloid molecule by mechanical force. 



E. D. Cope : On the homologies of the cranial arches of the Reptilia. On the 

 osteology of the genus Anniella. 



E. S. Morse: Asiatic influences in Europe. 



M. I. Pupin: On electrical discharges through poor vacua, and on coronoidal 

 discharges. 



J. W. Powell: A definition of Institutions. 



Theo. Gill: The partition of the North American Realm. 



P. W. Putnam: Exhibition of teeth of a gigantic bear, probably an extinct 

 species, found in ancient mounds in Ohio. 



J. Homer Lane: A means of measuring the difference between the tidal 

 change in the direction of the plumb line and the tidal deflection of the Earth's 

 crust. (A posthumous paper read by C. Abbe.) 



OBITUARY. 



Sereno Watson. — The distinguished botanist, Sereno Watson, 

 died at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the 9th of 

 March. His career was a somewhat remarkable one because of 

 the long period and varied discouragements during his early life 

 before his distinctively botanical career began, and its contrast 

 with the eminence he at last attained in this science. Mr. 

 Watson was one of a large family of children, and was born at 

 East Windsor Hill, Connecticut, December 1st, 1826. He grad- 

 uated at Yale in the largest class up to that date, and which has 

 given to American botany two other earnest students, Professor 

 Henry Griswold Jessup of Dartmouth College, and John Donnell 

 Smith of Baltimore, the latter widely known for his investiga- 

 tions of the flora of Guatemala. He entered college the third 

 term of freshman year in the spring of 1844. Inquiry among his 

 classmates shows that he was so retiring and reticent that they 

 remember little about his college life other than that he was of 

 gentle and retiring disposition, a diligent student, and that he 



