490 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VI , No. 148. 



makes the report, describes them as generally 

 small, from 4° to 10° in length, with occasional 

 bright ones with short trains. At the same place, 

 Mr. D. Horigan, one of the naval observatory 

 watchmen, who had had considerable experience 

 in meteor-observing, gathered a party of four to 

 watch in the four quadrants, and their combined 

 count gave — 



Number from 7*^ 0°^ to 7^ 30"!, 100 

 " 7 30 " 7 55 , 100 

 " 7 55 " 8 38 , 100 

 " 8 38 " 9 , 28 

 At 9 o'clock it became hazy and clouded over. Mr. 

 Horigan describes them as occasionally as bright 

 as the 3d mag. , with short trains ; color, white or 

 violet ; but most of them faint, and some scarcely 

 visible. He fixes the radiant near y Andromedae. 

 From Syracuse, N.Y., are reported a shower at 

 7^, in which 120 were counted, and another about 

 9^, furnishing a count of 130, with no statement as 

 to clearness of sky. Professor Pickering telegraphs 

 from the Harvard college observatory, ' ' Great 

 shower, radiant, x Andromedae, observed at Geneva 

 last night." The telegram is dated Nov. 28, and 

 no doubt refers to Geneva, Switzerland, x -^^- 

 dromedae is very near y. Newspaper telegrams 

 also report brilliant showers at Elizabeth, N.J., at 

 Teheran (Persia), and at Naples and London. It is 

 evident that this meteor-stream, with a period of 

 about 6f years round the sun, is going to furnish 

 an exceedingly favorable opportunity for studying 

 the dispersion and distribution of comet material 

 along its orbit. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



During the past year the council of the New 

 England meteorological society has engaged in the 

 following branches of work : V. The securing of a 

 corps of reliable observers of meteorological phe- 

 nomena, with special attention to precipitation and 

 temperature ; 2°. The publication of the monthly 

 bulletin; 3.° Thedisseminationof the daily indica- 

 tions of the U. S. signal service, and the local dis- 

 play of weather flags ; 4°. The special investigation 

 of thunder-storms. The work of securing reliable 

 observations was so far advanced in November, 

 1884, as to warrant the issue of the first bulletin 

 for that month, and its regular publication there- 

 after. The first bulletin contained reports from 

 forty-five observers ; that for September, 1885, 

 from one hundred and twenty-three observers. As 

 a result of the society's efforts, local weather flags 

 are daily displayed in more than one hundred 

 cities and towns of New England. The special 

 investigation of thunder storms was made under 

 the supervision of the secretary. More than four 



hundred observers co-operated, the largest number 

 of reports for any single storm having been two 

 hundred and three. The preliminary study of 

 the reports thus far made indicates that some in- 

 teresting results have been obtained, which will 

 be reported upon subsequently. The original 

 membership of the society was 9 ; the number at 

 the close of the year, 95. The expenses of the 

 society have been kept within its income, but this 

 has been done through the generous co-operation 

 of friends who have from time to time contributed 

 liberally to its resources. In looking forward to 

 the work of another year, the council suggests that 

 special efforts be made to add to the membership 

 of the society, as well as to the list of observers. 

 It must be remembered that the financial prosper- 

 ity of the society depends on the number of mem- 

 bers. It is desired to include in the membership 

 all who are interested in meteorological studies in 

 New England, whether they make observations or 

 not. A member need not be an observer, nor is 

 it required that an observer shall be a member. 



— The preliminary circular proposing the for- 

 mation of a State academy of science in Indiana, 

 issued by authority of the Brook ville society of 

 natural history, has elicited such a, general 

 response in favor of the movement, that the same 

 society has issued a circular calling a meeting of 

 all the people of Indiana interested, to be held at 

 Indianapolis on December 29. In order that an 

 understanding may be had of the present state of 

 scientific study in Indiana, the following persons 

 have kindly consented to present papers upon the 

 several subjects mentioned : Richard Owen, M.D., 

 Sketch of the work accomplished for natural and 

 physical science in Indiana ; David S. Jordan, 1 

 M.D., Ichthyology ; Prof. John M. Coulter, Botany ; 

 Prof. J. P. Nay lor. Physics ; R. T. Brown, M.D., 

 Geology ; Prof. O. P. Jenkins, Lower inverte- 

 brates ; E. R. Quick, Mammalogy ; Prof. Robert 

 B. Warder, Chemistry ; Prof. O. P. Hay, Herpe- 

 tology ; Daniel Kirkwood, LL.D., Astronomy ; 

 P. S. Baker, M.D., Entomology ; Maurice Thomp- 

 son, Mineralogy ; Rev. D. R. Moore, Conchology ; 

 Sergeant Orin Parker, Meteorology ; J. B. Connor, 

 Statistics ; A. W. Butler, Ornithology. 



— In the general English and American maga- 

 zines for November there are very few articles of 

 scientific interest. The Century contains another 

 illustrated paper on 'Typical dogs,' the various 

 breeds of setters being this month the topic of dis- 

 cussion. There is a short account, by as many 

 different authors, of the history and characteristics 

 of the Gordon setter, the American setter, the 

 Irish setter, the Llewellyn setter, and the modern 

 English setter. Perhaps this article would be 



