208 General Notes. [February, 
have been less than two per cent. The committee pertinently 
observe that their experiments derive much strength and cohe- 
rence from their very multitude and variety ; they have eliminated, 
as far as possible, the hypothesis of coilusion, chance coincidence, 
and muscle or sign reading, and they are left with an accumula- 
tion of experiments which indicate clearly that thought transfer- 
ence is a possibility, or that there is some flaw in the evidence 
which they have been unable to discover. The third part of the 
Proceedings contains the first report of the committee on “ mes- 
merism” and the first report of the Reichenbach commit- 
tee, both of which will be found to contain a great deal more 
than is dreamt of in the philosophy of the ordinary world, though 
the committees respectively declare in the one case that they pre- 
fer to defer the publication of results, until a more complete re- 
production of the experiments of others with added tests of their 
own have afforded a wider basis for discussion. The society has 
fairly established its demand for an inquiry by the scientific 
world, ever the most skeptical, and properly so, for it is the duty 
of science to reject everything that is not proven, while desirous, 
nay anxious, to take up any line of investigation that may lead to 
discoveries the ultimate result of which it cannot foresee.—Zuglish 
Mechanic. 
ANTHROPOLOGY! 
Tue Proto-Hetvetians.—The lowering of the levels of lakes 
Neuchatel and Bienne by the ‘so-called “correction” of the 
Jura (a work undertaken for the prevention of floods) though it 
has by no means added to their beauty, is proving an immense 
gain to archeology. It has laid bare many Lacustrine stations, 
homes on the lakes of Central Europe, and to whom has been 
given the apt name of Proto-Helvetians, they serve to correct old 
theories and suggest new conclusions. An idea of the richness 
of the finds made during the last ten years may be formed from 
the fact that the number of relics brought to light on lakes 
Bienne and Neuchatel since 1873, amounts to 19,599, of which 
13,678 have been acquired by various Swiss museums. Nearly 
6090 have been added to the collection of Dr. Goss, at Neuve- 
ville, on Lake Neuchatel, who has undertaken many explo- 
1 Edited by Prof. Otis T, Mason, National Museum, Washi pc 
sé 
