Volume VII. No. 152 



January 1, 1886 



SCIENCE 



Comment and Criticism. — A review of the coast survey. — Tidal observations in Canada. — The engineers' 



convention at Cleveland, and its recommendation of a civil bureau of public works i 



The coast and geodetic survey ........ David P. Todd 2 



Recent changes in Cornell university . . . . . . . . . S. 4 



The Abbott collection at the Peabody museum ........ 4 



First lessons in philosophy ........... 5 



Notes and News. — A new comet discovered by Mr. W. R. Brooks. — Short studies from nature. — Marvels 

 of animal life. — A prize for a botanical monograph. — A catalogue of maps, plans, and charts in the 

 British museum. — Glass as a sheathing for ships ........... 6 



}}~ashington Letter. — The growth of the Philosophical society. — The joint committee of congress on the 

 scientific bureaus. — Distribution of seeds by the agricultural bureau. — The burning of Dr. Bessel's 

 library ................... 7 



Letters to the Editor. 



The temperature of the moon. — S. P. Langley . 8 

 Sir William Thomson to the coefficients. — 



T. C. J/. ; JVilliam Thomson ... 9 



A waste of public money. — Wm. Ham. Hall . 9 



The Di.venport tablet. — Cyrus Thomas . . 10 

 Dr. Otto Meyer and the south-western tertiary. — 



E. W. Hilgard 11 



Meteoric iron from West Virginia. — G. F. Kunz 11 



A national university. — G. G. H. ; L. S. . 12 

 Some points in the evolution of the horses. — W. 



B. Scott . 13 



Equatorial currents in solar and planetary atmos- 

 pheres. — J. S. Newberry ... 13 

 Congenital deaf-mutism. — 0. T. Mason . . 14 

 The English sparrow. — R. IV. Shufeldt . . 14 



SCIENCE SUPPLEMENT. 



The study of geometry . . . . . . • . . • . • .15 



Cerebral excitability after death ........... 16 



Parasitism among marine animals ....... Ralph S. Tarr 1 7 



A trip to the Altai Mountains George Kennan iS 



Currents of the North Sea W. M. Ban's 22 



The Science Company, Publishers, New York, 



743 Broadway. 



Price 15 cents. 



