Mexico, and travelling at a pace which modern days have seen nothing of, swept off the débris of sinking and dying humanity in their canoes and on rafts, from the smoking chaos in which they were left, landing them on the coasts of Florida, Newfoundland, and perhaps (which would have been as probable) on the coasts of Scandinavia and Ireland." "Throwing out, as it were, by explosion, the shattered fragments of [Aztec] primitive civilization to the savage nations of the globe."

In Appendix C, Mr. Catlin, with reason, protests against the discredit thrown on his statements regarding the Mandan religious ceremonies, by Mr. Schoolcraft, and memorializes Congress for simple justice, by ordering copies of his O-kee-pa, (published by Messrs. Trübner & Co.) to be distributed to the same libraries as Schoolcraft's work, which was evidently plundered from Catlin. We would suggest that Mr. Catlin has nothing to fear from Schoolcraft's heterogeneous and illy digested volumes, which do no credit to the Congress that ordered their publication. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.*- By his annual report we should judge that Professor Hitchcock was pushing on the work of the survey with diligence and success. Much attention has been paid to that indispensable means of geological research, a good topographical map, aud Mr. G. L. Vose, one of the assistants, has "taken a large number of observations for the purpose of fixing the exact position of as many of the high mountain peaks as possible." "He has also taken accurate sketches of the outlines of all the mountains in the horizon as seen from Chocorua and Kearsarge." He also describes Mt. Carrigain, one of the least known of the White Mountains, and one most desirable to visit, for the grandeur of its notch. Mr. J. A. Huntington has made a preliminary exploration of about six hundred and seventy square miles in the north part of Coos County, and besides gives an account of his winter's occupation of the summit of Mount Moosilauke.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS.†-This long established journal - which has from its commencement been the leading vehicle for the original papers of American scientists - will be continued after the close of the present year, AS A MONTHLY JOURNAL. This increased frequency of publication will meet a wish often expressed by authors, for a more rapid interchange of views, and an earlier knowledge of the progress of research. We hope that the friends and patrons of science will aid in promoting its wider circulation.

* Second Annual Report upon the Geology and Mineralogy of the State of New Hampshire. By C. H. Hitchcock. 1870. 8vo, pp. 37. With a geological map.

+ Founded by Professor SILLIMAN, in 1818, and now numbering 100 volumes, in two Series of 50 volumes each.

Editors and Proprietors: - Professors SILLIMAN and DANA. Associate Editors: -Professors GRAY and GIBES of Cambridge, and NEWTON, JOHNSON, BRUSH and VERRILL of Yale.

Devoted to Chemistry, Physics. Geology, Mineralogy, Natural History, Astronomy, Meteorology, etc. A third series in monthly numbers, making two volumes a year, of about 450 pages each, from January, 1871. Subscription price, $6 00 a year, or 50 cents a number. A few complete sets on sale of the first and second series. Address SILLIMAN & DANA, New Haven, Ct.

THE CHEMICAL HISTORY OF Tthe Six Days OF CREATION.*— In making another attempt to reconcile Geology and Genesis, the author has exhibited much more knowledge, fairness, and a truly scientific spirit than usual in such productions. He has not drawn the parallel too closely be tween the chapters of Geological history and the first chapter of Genesis, and his method of treatment and interpretation of the general statements of the Scriptures, clothed as they often are, in the peculiarly rhetorical style of the languages of the East, and most difficult to translate, will command the assent of fair minded scientists and theologians. The bigoted of both classes of minds will perhaps disagree with his conclusions. He explains by the recent discoveries regarding the correlation of forces, the probable mode of evolution of the globe out of the gaseous and vaporous elements. He contends that the "nebular hypothesis and the devel opment hypothesis may both be true, and God still remain the Creator of the Universe." A scriptural day of the Hebrew writer with our author, "is simply an evening and a morning — a period of darkness and a period of light, and the duration of such a day is not at all limited by anything contained in the text." He shows that the introduction of plants and the lower animals, and of fixed time, and the introduction of the higher vertebrates, and man himself, are mentioned in the same order in Genesis as in geological history, and that there is no fundamental disagreement between the Hebrew cosmogony and the facts of modern science. With this general comparison the author is content to stop.

NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY.

ZOOLOGY.

THE CAUDAL STYLES OF INSECTS SENSE ORGANS, i. e. ABDOMINAL ANTENNÆ. — Dr. Anton Dohrn has published a note in the "Journal of the Entomological Society of Stettin" (1869). to the effect that the abdominal appendages of the female of the Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa) are true sensory organs (tastorgane).

In the "Proceedings" of the Boston Society of Natural History, May, 1866, the writer states that "while, as we have shown above, the genital armor of insects is not homologous with the limbs, there are, however, true jointed appendages attached to the ninth or tenth abdominal rings, or both, which are often antenniform, and serve as sensorio-genital organs in most [many] Neuroptera and Orthoptera” (p. 290).

In the same "Proceedings" for Feb. 26, 1868, he thus writes: "Regarding the insect as consisting of two fore and hind halves, the two ends being, with this view, repetitions of each other, these anal stylets

*By John Phin. New York, American News Co. 1870. 12mo, pp. 93.

may be considered as abdominal antennæ, so that the antennæ look one way, and their homologues, the many-jointed antenniform anal stylets, the opposite." (p. 398.)

The subject is also referred to in the "Guide to the Study of Insects," page 17, and the remarkable antenniform abdominal appendages of Mantis tessellata figured in illustration.

*

I have been able to detect sense-organs (probably endowed with the sense of smell) in the short, stout-jointed, anal stylets of the Cockroach (Periplaneta Americana), beautifully mounted by Mr. E. Bicknell. I have recently, after reading Dr. Dohrn's note, observed the sense-organs and counted about ninety minute orifices on each stylet, which are probably smelling or auditory organs, such as are described by Hicks (see "Guide," p. 26). They were much larger and much more numerous than similar orifices in the antennæ of the same insect, and were situated in single rows on the upper side of each joint of the stylets. During the breeding season a peculiar odor is perhaps emitted by the female, as in vertebrate animals, and it is probable that these caudal appendages are endowed with the sense of smell, rather than of hearing, that the male may smell its way to its partner. This is an argument that the broadly pectinated antennæ of many moths are endowed rather with the sense of smelling than hearing, to enable the males to smell out the females. I have observed the same organs in the lamella of the antennæ of the carrion beetles, which undoubtedly depend more on the sense of smell than that of touch or hearing to find stinking carcasses in which to place their eggs. — A. S. PACKARD, JR., June 20, 1870.

--

A REMARKABLE MYRIAPOD.-While looking over a chip with Myriapods and Poduras on the under side, brought in from the Museum grounds by Mr. C. A. Walker, I detected a lively little yellowish white creature, which immediately suggested Sir John Lubbock's Pauropus, to which we have alluded on p. 45, vol. iii, of the NATURALIST (where the six-legged young is figured). A closer examination shows that it is indeed a species of Pauropus, very closely allied to P. pedunculatus Lubbock, and intermediate in some respects between that species and P. Huxleyi Lubbock. It may be called Pauropus Lubbockii, in honor of the original discoverer of this remarkable type of Myriapods. No more interesting articulate has been discovered for many years, and the occurrence of a species in America is worthy of note. It has but nine pairs of legs (three pairs when hatched), and in some points in its organization seems to be a connecting link between the Myriapods and Poduridæ, which are true insects, probably degraded Neuroptera. Our species is yellowish white, and .03 of an inch in length. Mr. Walker assures me, after seeing this specimen, that he saw a similar one last May under the bark of an appletree in Chelsea, Mass.-A. S. PACKARD, Jr., November 10.

Mr. Bicknell has counte more carefully than I did the exact number of these pits, and made out ninety-five on one stylet and one hundred and two on the other, adding, "there were none on the under side of their appendages that I could see."

WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS. The first meeting of this new society was held July 19th, at Madison, Wisconsin. The president, Dr. J. W. Hoyt, reported the preparation and publication of the first number of the Academy's "Bulletin." It was also stated that a bill had passed the Legislature for a topographical survey of the lead region of the State under the direction of the Academy. A paper was read on the "Classification of the Sciences,” by Rev. A. O. Wright. Mr. Englemann and Judge Knapp spoke on the destruction of the forest trees, the latter concluding that the pine forests of Michigan and Wisconsin would be wholly destroyed in twenty-five years, if their present reckless destruction continued. Judge Knapp also read a paper on "The Conifere of the Rocky Mountains." Mr. Murich, State Commissioner for the survey of the lead region, read a paper on "Mineral Veins and the Origin of the Potsdam sandstone." Dr. P. R. Hoy gave an account of recent studies on the fish of Lake Michigan, and of the recent dredgings in the lake in connection with Drs. Thompson and Lapham, published in the present number of the NATURALIST. Other papers were read. We have also to note the existence of a flourishing Natural History Society in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

HOW TO MOUNT SPIDERS FOR CABINETS. — In M. Thorell's fine 4to on European Spiders, which singularly enough, is published in Upsala, and yet printed in the English language, the following instructions are given: -"The spider is first killed, either by the vapor of ether or by heat, and is impaled by an insect-pin, which is passed through the right side of the cephalothorax; the abdomen is then cut off close to the cephalothorax, and the cut surface dried with blotting-paper. The head of another insect-pin is cut off, and the blunt extremity introduced through the incision into the abdomen, up to the spinners. The abdomen thus spitted is inserted into a large test-tube held over the flame of a candle, the prepa ration being constantly rotated till dry, avoiding the extremes of too much or too little heat the firmness of the abdomen being tested every now and then with a fine needle, till it is so firm as not to yield to pres. sure; the front extremity of the pin is now cut off obliquely, and the point thus made inserted into the cephalothorax, the two halves of the body being thus again brought into apposition. The animal may then be mounted as usual.” — Popular Science Review.

THE TOUCAN'S BEAK. - Permit a few words in answer to the question "Wherefore such a beak" for the Toucan. On page 306, of that most lively and interesting book for a denizen pro tem., or longer, of the tropics "The Andes and the Amazon," by Professor J. Orton, the author has a rather piquant discussion of this question. I answer it by saying, to feed with, to be sure. What else? Perhaps also for defence and pluming. But how he could part his back hair feathers, like a dandy, does not appear. His method of feeding explains the whole riddle of his long, heavy, serrated mandibles. Like the shovel-nosed tribe, or the digger

like tribe, or the curved-beak tribe, shape, form, size, is everything for their peculiar method of obtaining rations.

The Toucan feeds on insects, which lie deep in the corolla of flowers; it especially delights in tubular corollas, and has a great fondness for the rich, scarlet, fuschia-like clusters of the Rose de Monta, of Guayana.. These clusters he seizes near the calyx, and by longitudinal movements of his powerful mandibles, aided by their serrated edges, saws them off, and then by his horny and fimbriated tongue, separates the insect portion from the vegetable, and swallows that which his palate approves of, like any other sensible bird. To see him hop from branch to branch, reach out his long, ponderous jaws, seize his breakfast, saw it off, as one sees a butcher in his stall, to see the parts rejected fall to the ground in petaliferous showers, and he maintain his equipoise, has been one of the most pleasant studies of my ornithological curriculum. I have made frequent post mortem examinations of his injestæ, and have always found the shields and remains of insects the most abundant in his craw. --R. P. STEVENS.

PHYSELLA NOT A FRESHI-WATER SHELL. Mr. Tryon called the attention of the Conchological section of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, to the curious error committed by several conchologists in treating Berendtia (Physella) Berendtii, as a fluviatile mollusk. He supposed that the resemblance of the first generic name given to Physa was the cause of the error. This Mexican snail has a Glandiniform shell and Mr. Tryon believed that its true position would be found to be near to Glandina. The Physella has been included as a fluviatile mollusk in Mr. Binney's monograph, recently published by the Smithsonian Institution, and still more recently in Mr. Dall's Classification of the Limnæidæ, published in the "Annals of the New York Lyceum of Natural History. Mr. Tryon also made some remarks upon the Darwinian Theory of the origin of species as illustrated by the "groups" or subgenera of Helices, established by Albers, and stated his conviction that nowhere in the animal kingdom could more conclusive evidences of the truth of Darwinianism be adduced.

GEOLOGY.

DID A GLACIER FLOW FROM LAKE HURON INTO LAKE ERIE? I find on page 193, of Vol. 4 of the AMERICAN NATURALIST, an article by Professor J. S. Newberry, on "The surface Geology of the basin of the great lakes and the valley of the Mississippi," which I wish to criticise as to the position taken by the Professor, that formerly a glacier flowed from Lake Huron into Lake Erie. On page 195 the Professor states that "Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, are basins excavated in undisturbed sedimentary rocks. Of these, Lake Michigan is six hundred feet deep, with a surface level of five hundred and seventy-eight feet above tides; Lake Huron is five hundred feet deep, with a surface