286 Scientific Intelligence. 



egg plant, bean, pea, peanut, sweet potato, cucumbers, melons, 

 etc. Chapters on prevention and control methods, fungicides and 

 spraying apparatus, and a bibliography conclude the book. For 

 the tropical planter a manual of this sort will undoubtedly be of 

 great value, and it will be also welcomed by the plant pathol- 

 ogist. A. H. G. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 Charles D. Walcott, for the year ending June 30, 1913. Pp. 

 119. Washington, 1913.— Expansion in the direction of research 

 and exploration is a feature of the recent growth of the Smith- 

 sonian under its present Secretary. The report, now issued, out- 

 lines numerous investigations going on and planned in these lines. 

 Among these several may be mentioned. The plans have been 

 formulated and the work already started for a geologic survey of 

 Panama, in which the Canal Commission and the Geological Sur- 

 vey will also take part. The biological survey of the Canal Zone, 

 commenced in 1910, was completed the past year as far as the 

 field work is concerned, and some of the results have been pub- 

 lished. Other work of this character includes the Rainey Afri- 

 can Expedition, explorations in Borneo and in Siberia, the 

 anthropological investigations in Peru by Dr. Hrdlicka, and also 

 the work of the Secretary himself in the Canadian Rockies. The 

 second award of the Langley medal for progress in aerodromics 

 was made to Mr. Glenn H. Curtiss, and it is interesting to note a 

 statement recently made in public print that a reproduction of 

 Langley's original flying machine, equipped with a modern motor, 

 is to be used for practical demonstration in the near future. 



The publications of the Institution for the year make a total of 

 6,260 printed pages, with an aggregate distribution of nearly 

 183,000 copies of pamphlets and bound volumes. In the work of 

 International Exchange, the matter handled has increased from 

 318,000 lbs. in 1898 to nearly 600,000 in 1913. The progress 

 made in the National Museum, the Zoological Park and in other 

 directions of the Smithsonian's activities is also outlined and in a 

 series of nine Appendixes detailed statements from the gentlemen 

 in charge are given. With reference to the work of the Astro- 

 physical Observatory, the director, Mr. C. G. Abbot, states that 

 " The observations at Bassour, Algeria, taken in connection with 

 those made simultaneously at Mount Wilson, Cal., have estab- 

 lished the variability of the sun. A variability connected with 

 the sun-spot cycle has also been shown. The mean value of the 

 solar constant of radiation has been fixed, it is thought, within 1 

 per cent. From about 700 observations, extending over the time 

 interval from 1902 to 1912 and taken at different altitudes from 

 sea level to 4,420 meters, the mean value is 1,932 calories per 

 square centimeter per minute. Pyrheliometers have been sent up 



