hour, or, compared with that at the level of the sea, was as 5.5 to 1. By comparing the velocity of the wind at this elevation in the direction which the storm advances with the velocity of the storm's advance, Prof. Loomis is enabled to deduce a measure of the force of the upward movement of the centre of a storm.
Storms are divided, by Prof. Loomis, into two classes. Those of the first class traverse the continent northward of the fortieth parallel; many from the remote west reach the great lakes Superior and Huron, and show a decided preference for that region. Some of these have their origin among the Rocky Mountains, and some come from the mountains of Oregon. Those of the second class originate chiefly westward of the mouth of the Mississippi, and move nearly northeast. These comprise only about one-sixth of the whole number, but include some of the violent cyclones which traverse our coast.
Correction.—In the article on the "Development of Psychology," in the August number, page 417, a long passage is represented as quoted. The quotation is an error of the printer.
The National (British) Association for the Promotion of Social Science will assemble at Glasgow, September 30th, and will be in session till October 7th. President, the Earl of Roseberry. The presidents of departments are: Jurisprudence and Amendment of the Law, Lord Moncrieff; Repression of Crime, Frederick Hill; Education, Lords Napier and Ettrick; Health, Lyon Playfair; Economy and Trade, Sir George Campbell.
At the summer distribution of prizes at University College, London, the first and second places, in the mixed class of jurisprudence, were both held by ladies—Miss E. Orme, who, two years ago, took the prize in political economy, coming out first; while, in the mixed class of political economy, this year, a lady took the fourth certificate.
Mr. Lick's first gift to the California Academy of Sciences was a piece of land, worth $250,000. By his recent deed, he provides the means for the erection of a suitable building for the Academy, to cost about $250,000. This is not all. The institution is provided by the generosity of Mr. Lick with ample funds to purchase books, collections, etc., and to carry on the Academy on a firm basis. The sum of the gifts thus made to this one institution amounts to over one million dollars.
It is reported that the Phylloxera vastatrix, the worst of grape-vine pests, has made its way into Australia.
Another mountain of iron-ore has been discovered in Missouri. A shaft has been sunk on Shepherd Mountain, which has passed already through 70 feet of almost solid ore, and the quality of the deposit is improving as the shaft goes down. Shepherd Mountain is about six miles south of the famous "Iron Mountain."
A dispatch from Denver, Col., dated July 20th, states that the three topographical divisions of Prof Hayden's Exploring Expedition had already taken the field, and Prof Gardner's party was soon to follow. Dr. Hayden, with his selected party, will review the whole ground, viz., that part of Colorado south of the 40th parallel, and west of the Park Range. The expedition includes fifty persons.
The large and valuable collection of natural history specimens procured by D'Albertis during his recent travels in New Guinea has been purchased by the Italian Government. D'Albertis intends soon to return to New Guinea to continue his researches.
A few drops of oil of bitter almonds on a little sawdust will serve as a good preservative of insects. Place the insects with the prepared sawdust in a hermetically-sealed flask. Insects have, in this way, been sent from Ceylon to France, and, when they reached their destination, were still so flexible as to permit of their being prepared and mounted, though they had been collected months previously.
Three thousand acres of cotton have been planted in California this year, and the prospects are good for an abundant yield.
Alphonse de Candolle, the eminent botanist of Geneva, has been elected Foreign Associate of the French Academy of Sciences, as successor of the late Prof. Agassiz.
Two scientific expeditions are to set out from Archangel next summer, one to explore the traces of ancient glaciers in Russian Lapland, and the other to pursue zoological investigations on the shore of the White Sea.
Dr. Druitt, an eminent physician and high authority on the subject of wine, says: "Civilized man must drink, will drink, and ought to drink; but it should be wine."
