8. Geology of Louisiana.-The Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana State University for the year ending Dec. 31, 180, and session of 1871, contains the Second Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Louisiana to the General Assembly (of the State), by Prof. F. V. HOPKINS. It gives a brief account of the geological formations-which do not reach back in time beyond the Cretaceous, and are almost wholly Quaternary and Tertiary--and is accompanied by a colored geological map of the State. Lists of fossils of the beds are given after determinations of the species by Prof. E. W. Hilgard of the Mississippi University.

9. Preliminary Report of the U. S. Geological Survey of Wyoming and portions of contiguous territories (being a Second Annual Report of Progress); conducted, under the authority of the Secretary of the Interior, by F. V. HAYDEN, U. S. Geologist. 512 pp. 8vo. Washington, 1871.-Dr. Hayden during the past year continued the survey of the preceding season, by investigations from Cheyenne to Fort Fetterman, South Pass, Fort Bridger, the Uintah Mountains, Henry's Fork, Green River Station on the Union Pacific Railroad, and back, and obtained important results. In the lower range of hills which extend up to the South Pass on the south side of the Sweet Water, there was a limited area of granite with overlying Potsdam sandstone containing Obolella nana and a Lingula. Many fossil shells, vertebrates and plants were collected, which are described in special reports appended to the volume severally by F. B. Meek, Dr. J. Leidy, Prof. E. D. Cope, and Mr. Lesquereux, adding very much to the value of the volume. There is also an excellent report on the Tertiary coals of the West by Jas. T. Hodge, another on the ancient lakes of Western America by Prof. J. Š. Newberry, and finally, a report on the industrial resources of Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado by Mr. R. S. Elliott.

10. Lehrbuch der physikalischen Mineralogie; von Dr. ALBRECHT SCHRAUF. Vienna, 1868.-Dr. Schrauf, the able author of the Atlas of Crystalline forms of Minerals noticed on page 220, issued in 1866 and 1868 volumes I and II of a work on Physical Mineralogy, which is a thorough and profound treatise on descriptive and mathematical crystallography, and the optical, thermic, and other physical characters of minerals or inorganic substances. We learn from the author that he has in preparation a third volume, which will be a companion to his Atlas of crystalline forms, and contain tables of the dimensions and angles of the crystals of the various mineral species, supplying all that is needed to make the atlas a complete exhibition of mineral crystallography.

10. Mineralogische Notizen, von F. HESSENBERG. (Neunte Fortsetzunge) with 3 plates of crystalline forms. fort on the Maine 1871.

AM. JOUR. SCI,-THIRD SERIES, VOL. I, No. 6.-June, 1871. 31

No. 10

Frank

III. ASTRONOMY.

1. On a Sunspot seen with the Naked Eye; by FRANCIS H. SMITH. (Editorial corresp. dated University of Virginia, Apr. 19, 1871.)-On Friday, the 14th inst, shortly before sunset, I saw, with the naked eye, a large sunspot just above and to the left of the center of the disc. The atmosphere was quite hazy at the time, and one could gaze with impunity upon the sun, which appeared of a bright orange color. The spot came out with remarkable distinctness; as thin horizontal streaks of darker haze passed over the disc, Prof. Peters, who was with me at the time, saw the spot plainly. Under the same circumstances of position, haze and color, Col Venable and myself obtained a distinct view of apparently the same spot, which had moved in the interval to the right of the sun's center. The color of the latter was such, that a light blue glass rendered it almost invisible.

I tried in vain earlier in the day, when the sun was nearer the meridian, to detect a spot on it by looking through colored glasses. Some time after the first occasion mentioned, I examined the sun with a small refracting telescope, and thought there appeared near the indicated position a large spot, with a smaller companion, yet in the absence of micrometric measurement, I would not have thought it large enough to be visible to the naked eye.

2. Discovery of a new Planet.-The 113th asteroid has been discovered by Dr. Luther at Bilk. It is of the 11th magnitude and has received the name Amalthea.

3. The following table of the twenty-five small planets previously discovered may be useful for reference.

It will be seen that of these twenty-five planets, fifteen were discovered in this country, six in France, four in Germany and one in India.

IV. BOTANY.

H. A. N.

1. Flora Brasiliensis.-Part 50 of the great work of MARTIUS, continued by Eichler, was issued at the close of the last year. It is occupied by Mr. Bentham's continuation of the Leguminosa (viz. Swartziea and Casalpinea), in 254 pages of letter-press, fully illustrated by 66 plates. The Swartziec form now only the ultimate tribe of Papilionacea. Among the figures are to be found one of Guilandina Bonducella and of a related species, now reduced to Caesalpinia, of Parkinsonia aculeata, and of Cassia Chamacrista. There are 189 Brazilian species of Cassia,-no small part of the genus, the much desired monograph of which, prepared two years ago by Mr. Bentham, is probably now in press.

A. G.

2. Popular Names of British Plants.-Dr. PRIOR has brought out a second edition (Williams & Norgate, 1870) of this very interesting volume, with many additions or emendations. It is a treasury of curious lore, philological, antiquarian, and botanical, by one thoroughly fitted on every side for the handling of these topics. An alphabetical list of the systematic names of those British plants which have popular appellations is annexed, and under which these are enumerated. A notice of the first edition was published in this Journal, for May, 1864. One can hardly resist the temptation to make extracts from the more curious articles.

A. G.

3. Les Fleurs de Pleine Terre, etc., par VILMORIN-ANDRIEUX (Paris, 1870), which in the midst of terrible times has passed to a third edition, now rivals in bulk the portly Bon Jardinier, filling as it does 1563 duodecimo pages, illustrated by 1300 wood engravings. These, moreover, are separately issued in an Atlas des Fleurs, and of this an edition in English is published, forming a handsome and very useful volume. The miniature representations, sometimes of a blossom or flowering branch, commonly of the whole plant, exhibiting its port, are wonderfully effective. A. G.

4. A Synopsis of all the known Lilies, by Mr. BAKER, one of the assistant botanists at Kew, and author of an important paper on Liliacea which was recently noticed in this Journal, is in course of publication in the Gardeners' Chronicle, London. This standard horticultural periodical, we may remark, keeps up well its scientific character, and has many interesting botanical articles and memoranda.

A. G.

5. On the Forms and Distribution over the World of the Batrachium section of Ranunculus; by W. P. HIERN, M.A. Reprinted and revised from the Journal of Botany, 1871. With two plates. An unusually thorough paper, maintaining the view that these plants, considering the intricate network of connecting links that seem to break down specific characters in several di

rections," are most philosophically regarded as forms of one aggregate species. The author adopts for this the name of R. hydrocharis Spenner (1829); but he certainly should have retained one of the Linnæan names, the most appropriate one of R. aquatilis. He proceeds to arrange and describe the subspecific forms, admitting 35, all but one of which bear old names. The exception is R. Lobbii, from California, one of the hederaceus group, and indicated as a variety of that species by Dr. Torrey in the Botany of Whipple's Expedition. The genuine R. hederaceus has recently been detected by the late Mr. Munn, near Norfolk, Virginia, in freshwater marshes, having all the appearance of being indigenous. Mr. Hiern states that it occurs in North America, but does not say where.

A. G.

6. The Rhododendron, and "American Plants," by EDWARD SPRAGUE RAND, Jr. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. 1871. pp. 187, 12mo. One of those small and neat practical books, very handsomely printed, which are so attractive; and with reason, as conveying the information which the amateur cultivator needs, in a pleasant and readable form, free from all technicalities, and indeed from all scientific details. And the author writes not only con amore, but from abundant knowledge of Rhododendron lore and culture. So great is his success that he can affirm that Rhododendrons may be grown in New England "as easily as lilacs;" but, as subsequently qualified, only by those who will take the requisite pains in the first instance.

V. MISCELLANEOUS SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

A. G.

1. Ventilation of Soldiers' Quarters. Special report of Acting Assistant Surgeon B. F. CRAIG, United States Army-appendix to the Surgeon General's "Circular No. 4."-Dr. Craig has made a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the general subject of ventilation by his researches made at certain military posts, the details of which are given in his "Special Report" to General Barnes. We have compiled from this paper the accompanying tabular statement of Dr. Craig's results in a form convenient for reference. Dr. Craig places but little reliance on the determinations of animal matters emanating from the human body, seeing "they are so small in actual mass and of so complex and indefinite a character, that they evade to a certain extent the powers of chemical titration." He therefore confines himself chiefly to the determination of carbonic acid (Pettenkofer's method, modified slightly) and the measurements of hygroscopic moisture, temperature, &c.

The quantity of carbonic acid in air is increased about one hundred times in passing through the lungs, or from about four parts in 10,000 to four parts in one hundred of air. Mr. Edward Smith's experiments have shown that a sleeping man produces about four-tenths of a cubic foot of carbonic acid per hour, and will therefore increase the amount of it in 1000 cubic feet of air to