May 30, 1884.] 
May 13. — Professor Joseph Leidy exhibited speci- 
mens of a curious parasite (Pentastomum proboscide- 
um), found in the lung ofa large rattlesnake (Crotalus 
adamanteus) from Florida. They are cylindrical, 
incurved, annulated, largest at the head, tapering 
behind, becoming again larger, and rounded at the 
end, and terminating ventrally in a short, conical 
point. They vary from nine lines to thirty-one lines 
in length, and from one and a half to three lines in 
width at the head. Although these curious creatures, 
in their mature stage, are cylindrical, worm-like, limb- 
less bodies, they are allied, by their structure and 
embryonic peculiarities, to the Arachnida, or spiders. 
— Mr. Edward Potts announced the discovery in 
Harvey’s Lake, near Wilkesbarre, of vast colonies of 
a species of the beautiful polyp, Cristatella. He had 
not been able to determine whether or not it belongs 
to one of the three described species of the genus. 
They may prove to be distinct, although it is not 
improbable that all the species may hereafter be con- 
sidered as one. The specimens were collected from 
the smooth, inclined surface of logs, and from the 
branches and twigs of submerged trees. Colonies 
had since been formed on the sides of a collecting- 
jar, each statoblast having developed into from three 
to eight polyps. The colonies are not circular, but 
have a persistent appendage which contains none of 
the polypiferous cells. Supposing the form to be new, 
he proposed for it the name Cristatella lacustris. 
Colorado scientific society. 
May 5.— Messrs. W. F. Hillebrand and Richard 
Pearce made a preliminary communication in regard 
to an interesting group of minerals recently found in 
Utah, some of them being new to the United States. 
The minerals found are, enargite and the secondary 
hydrous arseniates, olivenite, and conichalcite (Dana’s 
System of min., p. 565), with two amorphous sub- 
stances corresponding, apparently, to pitticite and 
chenevixite. The olivenite occurs in small, distinct 
crystals; the conichalcite, in form similar to that from 
the only locality previously known, in Spain, while 
its chemical composition is also very near to that of 
the original mineral, a small amount of copper being 
replaced by zine. Jarosite, turgite, and one or two 
as yet undetermined species, occur sparingly with the 
above. Mr. Pearce also exhibited pseudo-malachite 
associated with hubnerite from near Phillipsburg, in 
Montana. 
Society of arts of the Massachusetts institute of technology. 
April 24.— Prof. Charles R. Cross gave a lecture 
on ‘ The determination, history, and present stand- 
ards of musical pitch.’ After referring to the use 
of the sonometer for determining the relative num- 
ber of vibrations of any two notes, Professor Cross 
gave a description of the methods of determining 
the absolute number of vibrations of any fork, giv- 
ing an account of Konig’s researches (Amer. journ. 
otology, October, 1880), and explaining the use of 
Scheibler’s tonometer. The only good standard was 
stated to be the tuning-fork, which varies its rate less 
than gcon per degree (Centigrade) of change in tem- 
perature; while the organ-pipe and the oboe, some- 
SCIENCE. 
667 
times used as standards, vary much more with changes 
of temperature. The history of pitch was discussed, 
and tables given showing the change in the standards 
from time to time. The principal change had been 
a gradual rise of the standard. Some measurements 
made by Professor Cross in 1880 had given results, of 
which the following is an abstract: — 
Number of 
| vibrations, 
oe 
o 
| 
Ritchie, copy of Chickering’s standard . : | 269 
Mason & Hamlin, French pitch : 259.1 
Hook & Hastings, old flat organ-pitch Sere 264.6 
Organ in Church of Immaculate Conception, Boston 266.7 
Chickering’s standard fork Vek eRe 268.5 
Smith American organ company . 267.2 
New-England organ company . ioe 
A. Hepner pianose 3.7% sf ds fe Bs 6 
Hook & Hastings’ standard . . .«. . »- + + = >» 270 
Weber pianos . . . . + +» « « . 
Thomas’s pitch, 1879 271.1 
Music-Hall organ . 9 271.2 
Steinway’s pitch... . 272.2 
273.9 
Highest New-York pitch . 
The standard used by the Boston symphony orches- 
tra in 1882-83 was an A-fork of 448 double vibrations; 
that used in 1883-84 was a French A of 435 vibrations. 
The standard French pitch of the New-England con- 
servatory of music is a middle ©, a true sixth below 
the normal A, hence of 261 vibrations. Owing to the 
difference between the true and tempered sixths, 
the C-fork used with the orchestra which has A for its 
standard does not agree with this. Chickering and 
Miller have had C standard forks made which are a 
tempered sixth below the French A, making 258.7 
vibrations, and which could therefore be used with 
the orchestra which has A for a standard. Thomas’s 
present pitch is an A a little sharper than the 
French A. Comparing the highest New-York piteh 
given above with the standard in Handel’s time, 
when the C-fork had 249.6 vibrations, the difficulty 
of singing some old music is readily understood. 
Mr. A. P. Browne explained the Deerfoot safety milk- 
can, by which the introduction of any adulterating 
substance into the can is rendered impossible, while 
the thorough mixing of the milk and cream is insured 
every time any milk is drawn out. 
NOTES AND NEWS. 
SEVERAL members of the New-York legislature, 
from the western part of the state, a year ago called 
the attention of their state board of health to the 
necessity of draining certain large, swampy, and mias- 
matic lands that lie in a shallow trough on the back 
of the hard Niagara limestone between Rochester and 
Niagara. In response to their memorial, Mr. Gardi- 
ner, director of the state survey, was requested by 
the board of health to make an accurate topograph- 
ical map of the district, and to report upon a plan 
by which it could be drained; and accordingly sur- 
