172 Scientific News. [February, 



with which I may confer as occasion demands. I take pleasure 

 in acknowledging this courtesy as showing the establishment of 

 more intimate relations between the scientific interests of the 

 United States and the Signal Service." 



A Scientific and Study Division, was established January 

 27, 1 88 1, for the purpose of scientific research and investigation 

 into the laws of meteorology. Connected with this division are 

 consulting specialists, who are employed as occasion may require. 

 To this division also are referred all questions relating to standard 

 measurements, altitudes of signal stations, and the preparation of 

 tables for the reduction and the conversion of meteorological 

 observations. 



During the past year stations of observation on the habits and 

 ravages of the Rocky Mountain locusts or grasshoppers, were 

 established in those sections that the experience of past years has 

 shown to be most exposed to the ravages of these pests. These 

 stations were at Omaha, Grand Island, North Platte, and Sidney, 

 Nebr. ; Cheyenne, W. T. ; Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, 

 Col. ; Ft. Sill, Ind. T. ; Ft. Elliott and all other stations on the 

 United States military telegraph lines in northern, central and 

 southern Texas, and those on the Northwestern military telegraph 

 line in Dakota, and Montana. Where civilians were employed in 

 making the observations, their services were voluntary and without 

 compensation, the government bearing the necessary expenses for 

 stationery and telegraphing. 



It is gratifying to state that not a single report of the ravages 

 of locusts has reached this office, and their presence has been 

 announced only at Grand Island, Nebr. ; Ft. Supply, Ind. T., and 

 Ft. Elliott, Texas, but in no instance has any danger been reported. 



— In continuance of the biological explorations made by the 

 U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, M. Alexander Agassiz spent 

 portions of last March and April at the Tortugas and Key West. 

 On the days when the weather was not favorable for work in col- 

 lecting surface animals, Mr. Agassiz cruised among the reefs and 

 examined carefully the topography of the different groups of 

 corals characteristic of the Florida reefs, with reference to the 

 light they threw on the share the different species of coral have 

 in the formation of the reef, and he has collected data from which 

 he expects to construct a map, showing the position of the differ- 

 ent species of corals within the area occupied by the reef-builders 

 of the Tortugas. It was found that the members of the surface 

 fauna of the Atlantic coast are inhabitants of the surface of the 

 Gulf stream, which are driven on the northern shores by the pre- 

 vailing southwesterly winds during the summer and autumn 

 months. Much of this surface work during March and April re- 

 minded him of similar work done at Newport from the end of July 

 until late in September ; but, of course, the number of specimens 

 was far greater at the Tortugas, The surface fauna of the Gulf 



