630 



SCIENCE. 



a no less mental tax, without adequate recompense. To 

 the teacher, however, for whom it is especially designed, 

 it will doubtless prove quite acceptable as an auxiliary to 

 the more elementary text-books. 



Several considerations appeared to demand a rather 

 full examination from the " standpoint of the working- 

 geologist of Glaciers." (1.) There is so urgent a demand 

 for a standard work representing fully the present status 

 of American Surface Geology ( or Kaineontology, as the 

 writer prefers to term that branch of Geology), that al- 

 most any book on the subject might be adopted as such 

 without duly weighing its fitness for the position. ( 2. ) 

 In its ambitious style and assumptious ensemble the work 

 under review is quite unlike the ordinary text-books. ( 3. ) 

 It is the initial volume of an extended and costly series 

 of works which, from their titles and the fact that they 

 carry with them the prestige of a leading university, 

 might naturally be regarded as the highest American au- 

 thorities on the subjects treated. (4.) It was not 

 deemed just to working geologists to suggest that the 

 book could well be dispensed with without at the same 

 time furnishing, as fully as practicable, the means of 

 forming an independent judgment. 



Farley, Iowa, Nov. 12, 1881. 



LIVING OBJECTS FOR THE- MICROSCOPE, 



Mr. A. D. Balen, of Plainfield, New Jersey, has under- 

 taken to collect living organisms suitable for microscopi- 

 cal investigations, and forward them by mail to those in- 

 terested in such studies. 



This is a great convenience to those living in cities, or 



those who are unacquainted with the localities where 

 collections of particular forms can be made. 



Among the living objects which Mr. Balen has sent out 

 to his correspondents may be mentioned — 



Polyzoa.— Pectinatella, Plumatella and Fredericella. 



Insects. — Larva of Dragon Fly and Dyticus (water 

 tigers). 



Entomostraca. — Bosmina, Daphnella, Diaptomus 

 and Sida. 



Worms. — Nais, Stylaria and Planaria. 



Rotifers.— Lacinularia, Conachilus, Floscularia, Me- 

 licerta, Limnias and Noteus. 



Polyps. — Hydra, with the curious parasite Urceolaria 

 pediculus. 



Bell Animalcules.— Vorticella, Carchesium and 

 Epistylis, Stentor, Vaginicola and Cothurnia. 



Infusoria. — Spirostomium, Euglena and Dinobryon. 

 Rhizopods. — Arcella, Actinophrys and Clathrulina. 

 Sponge. — Spongilla. 



Plants. — Utricularia, Vallisneria, Anacharis and 

 Nitella, Volvox, Protococcus and Pediastrum. 



Diatoms. — Surirella, Gomphonema and Fragilaria. 



Desmids. — Scenedesmus, Desmidium and Micraste- 

 rias. 



We hope that microscopists will support Mr. Balen in 

 this little enterprise, for it will prove of the greatest bene- 

 fit to them. A specimen package will be sent for 30 

 cents. 



The giant forces which scientific discovery is putting in 

 the hands of engineers bid fair to develope a particular form 

 of the profession. — Engineering News. 



METEOROLOGICAL REPORT FOR NKW YORK CITY FOR THE WEEK ENDING DEC. 24, 1881. 

 Latitude 40 45' 58" N.; Longitude 73 57' 58" W.; height of instruments above the ground, 53 feet ; above the sea. 97 



feet ; by self-recording instruments. 



BAROMETER. 



thermometers. 





MEAN FOR 

 THE DAY. 



MAXIMUM. 



MINIMUM. 



MEAN. 



MAXIMUM. 



MINIMUM. 



maxi'm 



DECEMBER. 



Reduced 

 to 



Freezing. 



Reduced 

 to 



Freezing. 



Time. 



Reduced 

 to 



Freezing. 



Time. 



Dry 

 Bulb. 



Wet 

 Bulb. 



Dry 

 Bulb. 



Time. 



Wet 

 Bulb. 



Time. 



Dry 

 Bulb. 



Time. 



Wet 

 Bulb. 



Time. 



In Sun 



Sunday, 18.- 

 Monday, 19.- 

 Tuesday, 20.. 

 Wednesday, 21 . 

 Thursday, 22.. 

 Fiiday, 23-. 

 Saturday, 24.. 



30.137 

 30.309 

 30.159 

 30.276 

 29.864 

 29.405 

 30.188 



30.264 

 30.382 

 30.288 

 30.318 

 30.228 

 29-774 

 30.300 



12 p. m. 

 10 a. m. 

 a. m. 



10 a. m. 

 a. m. 



12 p. m. 



11 p. m. 



30.100 

 30.264 

 30.112 

 30.152 

 29.516 

 2y.268 

 29.774 



7 a. m. 

 a. m. 



3 P- "I- 



a. m. 

 12 p. m. 



1 p. m. 

 a. m. 



4'-3 

 40.3 

 42.6 

 40.7 

 49-3 

 42.6 

 27.0 



37-3 

 38.0 

 39 

 37-° 

 47-3 

 42.0 

 26.0 



5° 

 45 

 47 



43 



53 

 55 

 3* 



1 p. m. 



3 P- m - 



4 p. m. 



3 P- m- 



4 p. m. 

 12 m. • 



3 P- m - 



42 



41 



42 



39 

 51 

 53 

 31 



1 p. m. 



3 P- m- 



4 p. m. 

 a. m. 

 4 p. in. 

 7 a. m. 

 3 P- m- 



33 

 34 

 38 

 38 

 39 

 25 

 21 



7 a. m. 



8 a. m. 

 4 a. m. 

 8 a. in. 

 2 a. m. 



12 p. m. 

 8 a. m. 



32 

 34 

 36 

 36 

 38 

 25 

 21 



7 a. m. 



8 a. m. 

 6 a. m. 

 8 a. m. 

 2 a. m. 



12 p. m. 

 8 a. m. 



99- 

 85. 

 65. 

 78. 

 49- 

 100. 

 79- 



Mean for the week 30.048 inches. 



Maximum for the week at 10 a. m., Dec. 19th 30.382 " 



Minimum " at 12 p. m., Dec. 23d 29.268 " 



Range 1.114 



Dry. Wet. 



Mean for the week 40.5 degrees 38.1 degrees 



Maximum for the week.at 12 m., 23d 55. " at 7 am 23d, 53. 



Minimum " " 8 am., 24th 21. " at 8 am 24th, 21. " 



Range " " 34- " 3«- 



WIND. 



DECEMBER. 



DIRECTION. 



7 a. m. 2 p. m. o p. m 



w. s. w. 

 n. w. 

 w. s. w. 

 n. n. c. 



Sunday, 18. 

 Monday, 19. 

 Tuesday, 20. 

 Wednesday ,21- 



Thursday, 22. 



Friday, 23. w.s. w 



Saturday, 24. n. n. c. 



Distance traveled during the week. 

 Maximum force. 



VELOCITY 

 IN MILES. 



Distance 

 for the 

 Day. 



230 

 92 

 182 

 119 



154 



265 



, 7 S 



FORCE IN 

 LBS. PER 

 SQR. FEET. 



Time. 



HYGROMETER. 



FORCE OF VAPOR. 



7.00 am 

 1 1. 10 pm 

 3.15 pm 

 5.50 am 



1. 15 am 



5.00 pm 

 1 .20 am 



.168 

 .183 

 ■'94 

 •»73 

 .231 



•376 

 .113 



■153 -199 

 .195 I .221 

 .169 .208 

 .164 I .181 



348 



334 

 267 

 "3 

 miles. 



RELATIVE 

 HUMIDITY. 



CLOUDS. 



CLEAR, 

 OVERCAST. 



3 cir. CU. 



1 cir. 



8 cir. cu. 



2 cir. 



10 



1 cir. 

 1 cir. 



9 cir. 



9 cu. 



8 cu. 



RAIN AND *SNOW. 



DEPTH OF RAIN AND SNOW 

 IN INCHES. 



Time 



of 

 Begin- 

 ning. 



10 pm 

 o am 



7.45pm 

 o am 

 5 P"> 



Time 



of 

 End- 

 ing. 



12 pm 



3 pm 

 12 pm 



4 am 

 8 pm 



Duia- 

 tion 

 h. m 



2.00 

 15.00 



4-«5 

 4.011 

 3.00 



u 



of 



1,220 



I2# lbs 



Total amount of water for the week 



Duration of rain 



DANIEL DRAPER, 

 Director Meteorological Observatory of the Department 



75 inch. 



.......1 day, 4 hours, 15 minutes 



Ph. D. 



of Public Parks, New York. 



