Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

Associate in Biology and Assistant Professor of Comparative Anatomy, will be in immediate charge as director.

The Laboratory is provided with a steam launch; small boats, nets, dredges, aquaria, microscopes, reagents, and a small reference library are also supplied by the University, for their use. Those admitted to the Laboratory will be charged a fee of $25.

The Marine Laboratory is designed for advanced students and for those qualified to carry on original investigation. No definite courses of instruction will be given, as the persons received will be presumed to have sufficient knowledge to carry on their studies without such aid. Dr. Brooks will, however, exercise a general supervision, and control and direct the daily work of the Laboratory. Board and lodging may be obtained in the town of Beaufort near the Laboratory, for from $20 to $30 per month.

That germs of disease may live long, seems to be proved by recent experiments of a French Committee directed by M. Pasteur. Seven sheep were led daily, for a few hours, to a piece of ground where some animals that died of anthracoid disease, or charbon, had been buried twelve years previously. Two of them caught the disease and died. There was no grass for the sheep to eat, and it is thought those two must have received the germs in the course of smelling about the ground, as sheep generally do. It may be added that on some ground of that farm, where diseased animals had been buried, vegetables are now grown; and M. Pasteur asked the farmer if any employés, etc., about the farm have been affected. He knew of none, but showed a healed sore of malignant pustule (the same kind of disease) on his own face. M. Pasteur supposes that if the vegetables eaten had not been cooked, there might have been a different tale. The disease, too, might be communicated by the agency of insects, etc.English Mechanic.

Pasteur has found on taking fowl cholera poison from a a fowl which has died, not of acute but of chronic disease, and cultivating this in several solutions of fowl-broth, that on transferring it in succession from one to the other, it suffers no diminution of its virulence in the passage. However, experiments made by varying the length of the periods of time during which the solutions are left intact, after having the parasite added to them, show that the time allowed for its development is an important element in the question. Thus, with intervals of only from one day to two months between any two successive inoculations of the solutions, no modifications of their virulence is experienced; though in proportion as the interval is increased, signs of such a modification appear in the slowness with which death occurs, and in the diminished acuteness of the preliminary symptoms.

-

The Kansas Academy of Science, at their November meeting, appointed a Commission to memorialize the Legislature in

reference to a State Survey. Two preliminary surveys under Professors Mudge and Swallow have already been made. A more extended and thorough scientific survey is now needed. The most active geologist now in the field in this State is Professor O. W. John, who for two years past has studied the stratigraphical geology of eastern Kansas.

[ocr errors]

Last summer Professor F. H. Snow, with several assistants, spent over a month in Santa Fé Cañon, New Mexico, as well as in Colorado, and made important entomological collections, among them were twelve new species of Coleoptera, and an interesting collection of geometrid moths, comprising a number new to the Colorado plateau region.

The French zoological station at Roscoff has been making good progress of late. It has now an aquarium of one hundred square meters extent, and a good steamer for excursions; and is soon to be provided with a pond and a diving dress. M. LacazeDuthiers, who founded this station, announces the establishment of a second one at Port Vendres.

[ocr errors]

The death is announced of Dr. John Jeremiah Bigsby, F.R.S., a well-known writer on palæozoic fossils, at the advanced age of 88 years. The greater part of his life was spent in Canada and in the United States, and his writings on American geology date back to 1820, when he contributed a paper to Silliman's Journal. Dr. Bigsby's best-known works are his "Thesaurus Siluricus," which appeared in 1868, and his “Thesaurus DevonicaCarboniferus," published ten years later. The "Bigsby Medal," which he presented to the Geological Society of London a few years ago, was awarded at the anniversary meeting on Friday, the 18th inst., to the French geologist, M. Charles Barrois.

-Professor Tennant, for many years professor of geology in King's College, London, died early in March, aged 72. Gabriel Koch, a well-known lepidopterist of Frankfort-on-the-Main, died in February, aged 80; also Professor Gorini, of Lodi, known by his works on volcanic phenomena.

Edward R. Alston died at the age of 35 years, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was an excellent zoologist. His most important paper is a monograph of the classification of the order of Rodentia, published by the London Zoological Society in 1876.

George B. Emerson, LL.D., well known for his love of nature, and as the author of a " Report on the Trees and Shrubs growing naturally in the Forests of Massachusetts " (1846), which lately passed through a second enlarged and illustrated edition, died in Boston, in March. He was born in Kennebunk, Me., Sept. 12, 1797. He taught in Boston many years, wrote on educational topics, was President of the Boston Society of Natural History, and a liberal patron and friend of Science.

PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, Philadelphia, Oct. 15, 1880. -A letter from Dr. Henry Draper announcing the successful photographing, in fifty minutes, of the Orion nebula, was read; and Dr. Barker made some remarks in regard to the discovery. Mr. Lesley described a kitchen-trash heap at Saltzburg, Va.

Nov. 5.-Dr. Horn presented two papers for publication in the Proceedings, entitled, "Critical notes on the species of Selenophorus of the United States," and "A review of the species of Anisodactylus inhabiting the United States." Mr. Lesley exhibited some recently executed works of the State Geological Survey. Nov. 19.-Mr. Lesley exhibited and described three models in plaster, Ist. Of the seven mountains in Middle Pennsylvania, surveyed by Chas. E. Billin; 2d. Of the Stone mountain fault, by the same, and 3d. Of a part of the Middle Anthracite Coal field, constructed from the first specimen sheet map of the Anthracite Survey, by Mr. Chas. A. Ashburner.

Dec. 3.-A communication entitled, "On the Vertebrata of the Wind River Eocene bed, of Wyoming, by E. D. Cope," was read by title. Dr. König remarked on two specimens of silver ore from near Ouray, in Colorado.

Dec. 17.-Prof. Cope remarked on the fossils of the Wind River Eocene beds.

Jan. 7, 1881.—A paper on Photodynamics was read by Professor Chase. A note on the protection of oil tanks from lightning stroke, by B. Howard Rand, and extracts from letters on the discovery of Permian shells in the Upper Coal measures at Wilkesbarre, by Dr. Ingham, were read. Ą MS. map of the geology of parts of Lee, Wise and Scott counties, Va., by J. J. Stevenson, was presented by Mr. Lesley. Mr. Lesley exhibited a map of Pennsylvania, showing the progress of the survey since 1874.

Feb. 4.-Professor J. J. Stevenson communicated a paper entitled, "The Upper Freeport Coal bed along Laurel ridge, in Preston county of West Virginia."

Feb. 18.-A communication was read, entitled "Certain almanacs published in Philadelphia between 1705 and 1744, by Henry Phillips, Jr."

March 4-Mr. Lesley read a paper entitled, "Notes on the meaning of the word Hebrews, and on Egyptian names of Hebrew kings."

March 18.-A paper "On the Preglacial drainage of the Great lakes, by Dr. J. W. Spencer," was read by the secretary. “A geological section at St. Mary's in Elk county, Pa.," was explained, and the importance of its consequences noted, by Mr. C. A. Ashburner.

PHILADELPHIA ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, Nov. 9, 1880. -Rev. Dr. McCook spoke on the habits of Basilica spiders and their mode of constructing the dome shaped webs and the cocoon.

He asked for information regarding the use, by birds, of the spinning work of spiders in the construction of their nests. Dr. König spoke on Beegarite.

Nov. 16.-Mr. Meehan remarked on the sexual organs of Andromeda. Mr. Potts gave the names of the new species of fresh-water sponges collected in Fairmount Park, and spoke on the characters of some other forms observed by him.

Nov. 23. Dr. McCook spoke on the enemies of spiders.

Nov. 30.-Mr. Ryder gave an account of the development of Mya arenaria. Mr. Meehan spoke on the germination of seeds. Dr. Parker remarked on the morphology of the occipital lobes of the brain. Dr. Dercum spoke on the termination of nerve-fibers. Dec. 7.-Dr. McCook spoke on the protective instincts and industries of the spiders. Mr. Potts remarked on the feeding habits of ants.

Dec. 14.-Professor Allen spoke on the phalanges of the bat's wing. Mr. Ryder described Zygonopus whitei, a new myriapod from a cave in Virginia.

Jan. 4, 1881.-Dr. Leidy spoke on the use of rhizopods as food for fishes.

Jan. 25.-Dr. Horn spoke on the mouth organs of the Carabida and their value'in classification.

Feb. 1. Mr. Ryder remarked on Protozoa of Europe and the United States.

Feb. 8.-Mr. Meehan remarked on the lack of trees on prairies. Mr. Bassett spoke on Hymenoptera producing galls.

Feb. 22.-Dr. McCook remarked on analysis of honey and development of abdomen of ants. Dr. Kite spoke on the skulls of hornbills.

March 1.-Mr. Potts made observations on Spongilla. Professor Heilprin spoke on geological classification.

BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY, March 16.-Dr. W. G. Farlon made some observations on the plants of Bermuda, and Professor N. S. Shaler discussed the advance and recession of glaciers.

AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, March 25.-Lieut.-Commander H. H. Gorringe, U. S. N., read a paper entitled, A cruise along the northern coast of Africa.

:0:

SELECTED ARTICLES IN SCIENTIFIC SERIALS.

THE GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE.-March. On the traveled blocks of the Upper Punjab and a supposed Glacial period in India, by A. B. Wynne. Prehistoric Europe and the Cornish Forest beds, by W. A. E. Assher. "Laccolites," by G. H. Kinahan.

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. — January. Observations on several species of Ægeriode inhabiting the vicinity of Buffalo, N. Y., by D. S. Kellicott. Description of the preparatory stages of Papilio philenor (Linn.), by W. H. Edwards.

[blocks in formation]

IN

ARCHEOLOGY OF VERMONT.

BY PROF. GEO. H. PERKINS.

N a paper published in the NATURALIST for December, 1879, the writer attempted to present the chief physical features of the Champlain valley, and to give a general idea of its archæology. That paper may suffice as an introduction to the present and future papers, in which some of the more important groups of archæological objects will be discussed more fully than would be possible in a more comprehensive article. Before proceeding, however, to the main topic of this article, I wish to add a few general statements to those previously given. It has been a cause of some surprise to me to discover a close resemblance between many of our most peculiar Vermont specimens and others from the Mohawk valley and other parts of New York. We should naturally expect to find similarity, as we do, in the specimens found on the eastern and western shores of Lake Champlain, but we should scarcely expect to find many nearly identical specimens in Western Vermont and Central New York. But Mr. Frey, near Palatine bridge, and Rev. Mr. Beauchamp, near Baldwinsville, find stone tubes, carvings, amulets, &c., some of which are precisely like those found in Vermont, but not, at least up to this time, found in the region bordering the western shore of Lake Champlain. In many respects our collections of stone implements and pottery from Western Vermont seem more closely allied to those from the Mohawk and Genesee valleys than to those from other parts of

[blocks in formation]
« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »