Recent Proceedings of Societies. 



Publications received at Editor's Office, May 3-8. 



Academy of natural sciences, Philadelphia. 



May 4. — In answer to inquiries regarding the re- 

 pent discovery of the remains of prehistoric man in 

 Florida. Professor Heilprin described two human ver- 

 tebrae from Sarasota Bay, determined by Dr. Leidy 

 to be the last dorsal and first lumbar. The position 

 of the other portions of the skeleton was indicated 

 by disintegrated fragments of bone, the cavity which 

 had contained the head being: clearly defined, although 

 all traces of the head itself had disappeared. The 

 speaker had been informed by people in the neigh- 

 borhood that the skull had been present in their time, 

 but had been gradually destroyed. The remains were 

 embedded in a semi-compact ferruginous sandstone, 

 and the bones exhibited were converted into limonite 

 or yellow oxide of iron. They are probably more en- 

 tirely fossilized than any human remains heretofore 

 described . The deposit containing; the bones extended 

 close to the sea-line, and was probably of post-pliocene 

 age, although this could not be determined with accu- 

 racy in consequence of the absence of other fossil re- 

 mains and of contiguous strata in the immediate 

 neighborhood. The discovery establishes the exist- 

 ence in Florida of prehistoric man of undoubtedly 

 great antiquity, although his exact paleontological 

 relationship remains to be determined. There can 

 be no doubt that the body originally reposed where 

 found, and had been exposed to view in consequence 

 of (he washing-away of the strata by the sea. At a 

 locality not far removed the fossil carapace of a tor- 

 toise, about three feet in diameter, had been found. 

 He also described the spawning of the large conch, 

 Fulgur, on the Florida coast. A specimen of Fulgur 

 carica was found depositing its spawn- ribbon, which 

 was wound into the sand, the smaller end being: 

 anchored to a fixed object, while the other end was 

 still retained within the body of the animal. This 

 was in accord with the generally received opinion on 

 the subject, although it had recently been asserted 

 that the larger extremity of the ribbon was the first 



to be extended. Mr. Aubrey H. Smith referred to 



the specimens of fossil wood recently collected from 

 the dump-heap of the railway excavation near Gray's 

 Ferry, and exhibited a portion of a log of hemlock, 

 Abies canadensis, obtained from the bottom of the 

 pit, about thirty feet below the surface. The wood 

 was embedded in the black earth which had formed 

 the ancient bed of the Delaware Eiver. 



Calendar of Societies. 



Philosophical society, Washington. 

 May 8. — T. Kussell, Temperatures at which the 

 differences between the mercurial and air thermom- 

 eters are greatest ; J. H. Kidder, The gilding of 

 thermometer-bulbs ; H. A. Hazen, Influence cf solar 

 radiation upon the indications of a free thermometer. 



Society of arts, Boston. 

 May 13. — W. R. Nichols, The mikromentram 

 filter ; Allen P. Creque, The Creque system of defe- 

 cating, storing, circulating, and employing water for 

 domestic purposes. 



Boerner, P., cd. Bericht iiber die allgemeine deuti-che aus- 

 stellung auf dem gebiete der hygiene und des rettungswesens 

 unter dem protectorate ihrer majestat der kaiserin und konigin, 

 Berlin, 1882-83. Band ii. Breslau, Schottlaender, 1885. 12+ 

 484 p., illustr 8°. (New York, Westermann.) 



Dunn, J. P. Massacres of the mountains: a history of the 

 Indian wars of the far west. New York, Harper, 1886. 104784 

 p., map, illustr. 8°. 



Egli, J. J. Geschichte der geographischen namenkunde. 

 Leipzig, Brandstetter, 1886. 4-4-430 p., map. 8°. (New York, 

 Stechert.) 



Goode, G. B. The beginnings of natural history in America. 

 Washington, Biol, soc, 1886. |_7i] P 8°. 



Hudson, J. F. The railways and the republic. New York, 

 Harfier, 1886. 489 p. 8°. 



Indo-China, miscellaneous papers relating to. Vols. i. and ii. 

 London. Triibner, 1886. 12+318+311 p., 8 pi., illustr. 12°.. 

 (New York, Scribner & Welford.) 



Invilliers, E. V. d'. The Cornwall iron ore mines, Lebanon 

 county, Penn. (Trans. Amer. inst. min. eng.) Philadelphia, The 

 author, 1S86. 32 p., 2 pi. 8°. 



Jameson, J. F. Johns Hopkins university studies in historical 

 and political science. 4th ser. v. : An introduction to the study 

 of the constitutional and political history of the states. Balti- 

 more, Murray, 1886. 29 p. 8°. 



Michow, H. Yerhandlungen des fiinften deutschen geo- 

 graphentages zu Hamburg am 9, 10, und 11 April, 1885. Berlin, 

 Jieimer, 18S5. 238 p., 2 maps. 8°. (New York, Stechert.) 



Oppolzer, T. d'. Traite de la determination des orbites des 

 cometes et des planetes. Tr. by E. Pasquier. Vol. i. Paris, 

 Gauthier-l'i liars, 1886. 26-I-491-I-209 p. 4 . 



Powell, J. W. On the organization of scientific work of the 

 general government. Part 2: Additional statements. Washing- 

 ton, Government, 1886. [448] p. 8°. 



Qualtrough, E. F. The boat sailer's manual. New York, 

 Scribner, 1886. 6-I-255 p., iliustr. 24 . 



Richardson, C. Third report on the chemical composition 

 and physical properties of American cereals, wheat, oats, barley, 

 and rj'e. (Dept. of agric, bull. No. 9.) Washington, Govern- 

 ment, 1886. 82 p. 8°. 



Romilly, H. The punishment of death. London, Murray, 

 1886. 8+337 P- 12 . (New York, Scribner & Welford.) 



Shufeldt, R. W. Contribution to the comparative osteology 

 of the Trochilidae, Caprimulgidae, and Cypselidae. London, 

 Proc. zobl. soc, 1885. 30 p., 4 pi., illustr. 8°. 



U. S. senate. Testimony before the joint commission to con- 

 sider the present organizations of the scientific bureaus. (Mis. 

 doc. No. 82.) Washington, Government, 1886. 8+1104 p , 2 

 maps, illustr. 8°. 



Walker, W. F. The Azores : or Western Islands. London, 

 Triibner, 1886. 8+335 p., 3 pi., 2 maps, illustr. 8°. (New York, 

 Scribner & Welford.) 



Whiteaves, J. F. Catalogue of Canadian pinnipedia, cetacea, 

 fishes, and marine invertebrata exhibited by the department of 

 fisheries of the dominion government. Ottawa, The author, 1886. 

 42 p. 8°. 



Woenie, F. Die pflanzen im aiten Aegypten. Leipzig, Fried- 

 rich,!.^. 425 p., illustr. 8°. (New York, Stechert.) 



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