December 4, 1885.] 



SCIENCE. 



491 



more entertaining to a ' sporting man ' than to one 

 of scientific pm-snits. In the Contemporary review 

 there is a very interesting article, by Sir John 

 Lubbock, on ' Some habits of ants, bees, and 

 wasps,' in wliich the author tries to show that the 

 instincts of flight in a ' bee hne,' of cell-making, 

 and of storing food for the young, really lie within 

 very narrow lines, and are not inconsistent with 

 the theory of natural selection. Some observa- 

 tions on the instinct and longevity of ants are 

 added. There is an anonymous article on ' Fish 

 out of water ' in the Cornhill magazine, which is 

 not worth reading, and another in the Leisure 

 hour, by ]Mr. A. H. Molam, on ' Cornish coughs,' 

 which is but little better. In this connection may 

 perhaps be noticed a very readable paper by 

 Ernest IngersoU, in Lippincotfs magazine, on ' The 

 Peabody museum of archeology,' giving con- 

 cisely the history and aims of this institution, 

 with some account of the collections. 



— The next meeting of the Society of naturalists 

 of the eastern United States will be held on Tues- 

 day and Wednesday, Dec. 29 and 30, at Boston. 

 The executive committee has voted to recommend 

 that the name of the society be changed to the 

 American society of naturalists. 



— At the last teacher's institute, held in Hum- 

 boldt county, Cal. , the Humboldt society of natural 

 history was organized. Prof. J. B. Brown, 

 principal of the schools at Eureka, was elected 

 president, and Prof. Carl C. Marshall of Areata, 

 secretary. The secretary would be pleased to 

 learn of names of works in various departments 

 of natural history that are specially adapted to 



hat region. 



WASHINGTON LETTER. 

 The museum of hygiene, in connection with the 

 nee of the surgeon-general of the navy, is not 

 generally or widely known as is the army 

 .edical museum. It has undertaken some in- 

 estigations, however, which, if brought to a suc- 

 cessful issue, wiU be of great value to the general 

 public, and wlQ not fail to bring it into a deserved 

 prominence. The interest of a naval surgeon in 

 hygienic matters arises primarily, no doubt, out 

 of the fact that he has to do with the health con- 

 ditions of men necessarily crowded into a small 

 space. Whatever may have been the origin of 

 this hygienic museum, it will be everywhere ad- 

 mitted that much can be accomplished by it if its 

 management be wise and hberal. An important 

 stej) has been announced by the surgeon-general 

 in the statement that a complete system of iron 

 and lead pipes, with fixtures, is being erected on 

 the outside of the museum building for the pur- 

 pose of making an exhaustive series of experi- 



ments, covering aU disputed points in reference to 

 trap siphonage and the utility of the mechanism 

 of water-closets, traps, water-basins, baths, sinks, 

 etc. Observing stations have been estabhshed at 

 each of the three stories, and the investigation is 

 to include microscopical and chemical tests of the 

 action of sewer air and different waters on pipes 

 and tanks. When completed, the results are to be 

 at the service of the public. 



In connection with this it is uiterestiag to note 

 a few statements contained ui the report of the 

 health officer of the district. The year ending 

 June 30, 1885, shows a slightly increased mortal- 

 ity, this increase having occurred 'in classes of 

 disease not dependent on hygiene.' Tlie most 

 notable feature is the marked difference in the 

 rates of mortahty among the white and the 

 colored population, the latter being, as everybody 

 knows, relatively larger than in most large cities. 

 Among white people the rate has not, during the 

 past decade, reached as high a figure as 20, while 

 among the colored people it has been more than 

 40, and never less than 30. The mean rate for ten 

 years is, for the whites, 19.02 ; and for colored peo- 

 ple, 34.99 ; and on the whole population, 24.38. 



An item of interest relative to both the above, 

 is the existence in the city of a training-school 

 for nurses. It was established in 1877 by mem- 

 bers of the medical society, assisted by benevolent 

 people of the city. At present its students number 

 about thirty, and it is stated that thus far no men 

 have applied for admission. Foui'teen have been 

 graduated, of whom ten are now in practice. 

 Lectures are given twice a week by members of 

 the medical profession. These are free to the 

 nurses, and persons who do not intend to enter the 

 profession are admitted on the payment of a small 

 fee. 



Readers of Science are aware of the fact that a 

 little more than a year ago the director of the 

 geological survey determined to undertake actively 

 the study of seismology in this country. A con- 

 ference of those most interested in the work, in- 

 cluding representatives from the signal service 

 and the naval observatory, was held, which re- 

 sulted in an agreement upon certain plans for the 

 investigation. Another meeting of this conference 

 was held a few days ago, those present being 

 Captain Button and Mr. Hayden of the geological 

 survey. Professors Rockwood of Princeton, Davis 

 of Cambridge, Paul of the naval observatory, and 

 Marvin and Mendenhall of the signal service. It 

 was generally agreed that the most important and 

 decided advance in the study of seismic phenomena 

 was to be reached through a tolerably close dis- 

 tribution of seism oscopes, with sufficiently accm*ate 

 clocks, over certain areas wliich have proved to be 



