18 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. V., No. 100. 



of the Bible, and the institution thus found 

 has been taken as a type of that discovered in 

 other parts of the world. Agnatic descent is 

 one of the characteristics of patriarchy, but 

 it may exist under states of society where the 

 patriarchy does not exist ; and to use the term 

 4 patriarchy ' as synonymous with agnation 

 can but lead to confusion. Then, by analogj- , 

 he uses the term ' matriarchy ' to signify de- 

 scent in the female line, and the confusion is 

 still worse ; for, so far as we know, the mother 

 is never the ruler of the clan, where uterine 

 descent is established. In some cases the 

 ruler is the uncle. The etymology of the term 

 ' patriarchy,' and customary use, alike imply 

 chieftainc} T . The terms ' agnatic descent ' and 

 4 uterine descent ' have no false implication, 

 and properly express the facts. 



J. W. Powell. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The New-England meteorological society, of 

 which brief mention has been made in earlier num- 

 bers, has now advanced far enough to issue for 

 November the first number of its monthly bulletin. 

 This summarizes the results of thirty-six stations, 

 mostly maintained by volunteer observers, comparing 

 them with records of previous years in a tabular 



£= 



RAIN CIRCLES °i^lJ IN 



RAINFALL AND RANGE OF TEMPERATURE IN SOUTHERN 

 NEW ENGLAND FOR NOVEMBER, 1884. 



numerical statement, and presenting data concerning 

 precipitation, and range of temperature, in a sketch- 

 map, the southern half of which is here reproduced. 

 Measures of rain and melted^ snow are represented by 

 black circles, while the mean daily range of temper- 

 ature is indicated by vertical lines. Scales for the 

 reading of both are added in the margin. The small 

 size of the map gives it the appearance of being fairly 



well supplied with stations; but in reality they are as 

 yet much too far apart to furnish satisfactory basis 

 for studies of a detailed character. Even around 

 Boston, where the greatest density of observation is 

 found, there is need of additional observers before 

 the society should consider its list of stations suffi- 

 ciently extended; and elsewhere in New England 

 the showing now made must be considered only the 

 beginning of what should be accomplished a year or 

 two hence. The bulletin states that all matters of 

 observation should be addressed to Professor Winslow 

 Upton, Providence, R.I. 



— The Bureau of navigation of the navy depart- 

 ment reports that a hundred and forty-five compasses 

 with the four-needle card have been issued to ships 

 during the past year, and that they have given general 

 satisfaction, the behavior of the improved compasses 

 used by the Greely relief expedition in high latitudes 

 being especially commended. This expedition gath- 

 ered considerable data concerning the variation of the 

 compass in high latitudes; but, owing to its speedy 

 return, none were obtained concerning the magnetic 

 force and dip. The data concerning compass varia- 

 tions, collected by the department during the past year, 

 are in course of preparation for publication. Profes- 

 sional paper No. 17, entitled the ' Magnetism of iron 

 and steel ships,' is in press ; and No. 18, on ' Devia- 

 tions of the compass in U. S. naval vessels,' is nearly 

 ready. Preparations have been made for a careful 

 examination of the magnetic character of the new 

 steel vessels, and a compass station is to be estab- 

 lished in Narragansett Bay. The instruments for 

 a compass testing-house are now in the possession 

 of the bureau, and a building will be erected when 

 the appropriation is made. In view of the probable 

 necessity of compensating the compasses of these new 

 vessels, a binnacle has been designed in the bureau 

 for this purpose, and it will be placed in the Dolphin 

 to be tested. 



— Old residents of the California peninsula have 

 noticed several varieties of birds near the seacoast 

 that they have never before known to leave the moun- 

 tains. This is supposed to indicate a severe winter, 

 but the migration is more probably due to the pre- 

 vailing scarcity of all kinds of seeds in the mountains 

 this season. 



— A complete outfit, consisting of Mangin's pro- 

 jectors, Gramme dynamos, Brotherhood engines and 

 accessories, has been ordered for each of the new 

 U. S. cruisers for use as search-lights. The dynamos 

 and motors are to be mounted on one bed-plate, the 

 engines being connected directly. The projectors 

 will be furnished by Sautter, Lemonnier, & Co., of 

 Paris, and the engines by Peter Brotherhood of Lon- 

 don. 



— The University of Pennsylvania has rented one 

 of the tables at Dohrn's zoological station, so that the 

 United States is again represented at the Naples 

 laboratory. 



— Under the title ' Micro-palaeophytologia forma- 

 tion is carboniferae,' Dr. P. F. Reinsch of Erlangen 



