February 17, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



271 



most primitive. The most important fac- 

 tors in the development of the various 

 forms are temperature and isolation. 



A Preliminary Note on the Snake's 

 Tongue: Edith M. Brace, Western 

 ]\Iaryland College. 



The chief function of the snake's tongaie 

 seems to be connected with a sense of feel- 

 ing that does not require the stimulus of 

 contact, and may be a finer development of 

 the sense that enables some people to avoid 

 obstacles in the dark without touching 

 them. The bifid tip and the numerous 

 folds that lie behind the forking- of the 

 tongue serve to greatly increase the sur- 

 face exposure. Beneath the epidermis 

 and extending out into the folds there is a 

 deep nerve plexus composed of multipolar 

 cells whose ends are frayed out into ex- 

 tremely fine fibrils that interlace in every 

 direction. From this plexus nerve fibers 

 extend out between the cells of the epi- 

 dermis. C. JuDSON Herrick, 



Secretary. 



Denison University. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 



Palwontologia Universalis. — The third fas- 

 ciculus of this important republication of old 

 or obscure species of fossil organisms has ar- 

 rived. These three parts of 75 species, figured 

 and described on 161 sheets. This completes 

 the first annual subscription, which is eight 

 dollars. The first fasciculus of the second 

 series will soon appear, and subscriptions 

 should be sent to G. E. Stechert and Co., 129- 

 133 West 20th Street, New York City. The 

 editorial work is in the hands of D.-P. Qilhlert, 

 of Laval, France, secretary to the Inter- 

 national Commission appointed by the Inter- 

 national Geological Congress, at its eight 

 meeting. Charles Schuchert. 



The contents of The Journal of Compara- 

 tive Neurology and Psychology, for January, 

 . is as follows : 



' On the Areas of the Axis Cylinder and Medul- 

 lary Sheath as seen in Cross Sections of the Spinal 



Nerves of Vertebrates.' By Henry H. Donaldson 

 and G. W. Hoke. 



' On the Number and Relations of the Ganglion 

 Cells and Medullated Nerve Fibers in the Spinal 

 Nerves of Frogs of Different Ages.' By Irving 

 Hardesty. 



Editorial: 'Psychology and Neurology,' 'The 

 International Commission on Brain Research.' 

 Literary Notices. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



THE NEW YORK SECTION OF THE AMERICAN 

 CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 



The New York Section of the American 

 Chemical Society held its fourth regular meet- 

 ing of the season at the Chemists' Club, Fri- 

 day evening, January 6. The following papers 

 were presented before the section: 

 The Application of Bismuth Ammonium 



Molybdate to Gravimetric Analysis: F. V. 



D. Cruser and E. H. Miller. 



Portions of a standardized bismuth nitrate 

 solution were precipitated by acid ammonium 

 molybdate, under varying conditions. In or- 

 der to get the solution barely acid, the use of 

 Congo red was found to be preferable to methyl 

 orange. In washing the precipitate of bis- 

 muth ammonium molybdate, ammonium ni- 

 trate gave better results than ammonium sul- 

 phate. It was found that bismuth may be 

 determined correctly by the ignition of bis- 

 muth ammonium molybdate to Bi^Oj : 4M0O3, 

 when the temperature of ignition is kept below 

 a dull red heat, and that this method gives as 

 good results as those obtained by the reduction 

 and re-oxidation of the molybdium by potas- 

 sium permanganate. 



In determining bismuth by the evaporation 

 of a nitric acid solution of bismuth nitrate, 

 the operation must be conducted in porcelain, 

 otherwise some bismuth trioxide is reduced by 

 unburned gases passing through the platinum. 



Recent Progress in the Chemical Department 

 of the Geological Survey: F. W. Clarke. 



The Work of the Bureau of Standards : W. A. 

 Noyes. 



The work of the National Bureau of Stand- 

 ards is organized under three divisions and 

 the first two of these divisions are subdivided 

 into six sections each. The bureau is, first of 



