Geology and Natural History. 101 



11. The Storage Battery. A Practical Treatise on the Con- 

 struction, Theory, and Use of Secondary Batteries; by Augustus 

 Treadwell, Jr., E.E. 257 pp. New York and London, 1898. 

 (The Macmillan Co.) — The subject of storage batteries is one 

 that has always been of great general interest, both from the 

 theoretical and practical standpoints, ever since the earliest 

 attempts in this direction. The present practical treatise is par- 

 ticularly acceptable because it is at once fresh and sufficiently 

 thorough and scientific. Brief accounts are given of the many 

 different forms of accumulators, and these are accompanied by 

 numerous illustrations ; those snowing the discharge curves are 

 especially valuable. The chemical theory, as now accepted, is 

 explained, and an interesting chapter is devoted to a description 

 of practical storage battery installations at many different points 

 with data as to their practical working. The concluding chapter 

 contains valuable suggestions as to the precautions to be observed 

 in the use of accumulators and the conditions under which they 

 give the best results. 



II. • Geology and Natural History. 



1. Important Verteh'rate Fossils for the National Museum. — 

 Prof. O. C. Marsh has recently transmitted from New Haven to 

 the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey the fourth large 

 instalment of Vertebrate Fossils secured in the West, in 1SS2-92, 

 under his direction, as Paleontologist of the U. S. Geological "Sur- 

 vey in charge of Vertebrate Paleontology. The collection is 

 packed in one hundred (100) boxes, and weighs over thirteen (13) 

 tons. In accordance with law, the material will be deposited in 

 the National Museum. This collection includes twelve skulls 

 and other remains of the gigantic Ceratopsia from the Creta- 

 ceous; various Dinocerata fossils from the Eocene; a series of 

 rare specimens of Brontotherium, JElot/ierhnn, Miohippus, and 

 other genera, from the Miocene ; a very extensive collection of 

 Rhinoceros and other mammals from the Pliocene ; as well as 

 various interesting fossils from more recent deposits. 



The other important collections of Vertebrate Fossils secured 

 by Prof. Marsh in the West for the Geological Survey, and pre- 

 viously transferred to the National Museum, may be briefly 

 enumerated as follows: — 



(1) Seventy-two (72) large boxes of Pliocene fossils, weighing 



about 7,500 lbs., were transferred December 31, 1S8G, and 

 were stored in the Armory, February 8, 1887. The record 

 of these boxes is on file in the office of the Geological 

 Survey, and the Smithsonian numbers of the boxes are 

 6601-6672. 



(2) Thirty-three (33) large boxes (weighing 6,960 lbs.) of rare 



Vertebrate Fossils, ready for exhibition, were transferred 

 July 17, 1891, and were placed in a case specially prepared 

 for them in the National Museum, before the opening of 



