The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-08-26
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION.


| College in the afternoon.
The draft of amendments to the Constitution
proposed by the committee to the standing
committee were accepted without debate, and
ordered to be printed and decided upon at the
next annual meeting.
The committee on geological survey of Iowa,
was discontinued; the committees to report on
best method of conducting State surveys to
memoralize New York for new survey of Nj
agara Falls, were continued; the committee to
memorable Missouri on its geological survey
was discharged.
Prof. Hilgard reported much progress of
committee on uniform system of weights,
measures and coins, and asked the appoint
ment of E. B. Elliott on the Committee
Granted.
The following new members were chosen
G. W. Cotton, New York; Armand f. Mason,
Boston; VIM. A. Garbett, Boston; George F.
Talbot, Portland; S. II. Tewksbury, Portland;
Herman Knapp, New York; S. E. Swan,
Brooklyn
The invitation of the School Committee in
regard to visiting the North School, was ac-
knowledged, as was also that of the citizens to
clam-bake at Old Orchard this afternoon;
| also of White Mountain trip in contempla.
| ton.
| Three new papers were presented and refer
| red to the Sections.
Prot. Gilfrose and said that committee on
nomenclature for Section B had been appoint
ed at the last session, but that no action had
ever been taken by that committee. He thought
the committee ought to do something or be dis
continued. The matter was referred to the
Standing Committee.
Tho Association then divided into Sections.
SECTION A.
! Section A. met and divided into sub-sections.
In the mathematical subsection the following
| papers were read:
| An Automatic Fiterng Apparatus. Presentation
| of the Apparatus at work. described in May number
of Am. Jour. Sci.-H. w. Wiley.
Remarks projected Gigantic Telescope-P. II.
| Van der Weyde
Remarks the Angular Aperture of Immersion
| Objectives for the Microscope-R. H. Ward.
! On Heating Iron by Hammering-F w. Clark.
Periodicty of Rates of Interest in the New York
Market-E. B. Elliott.
The Unreliability of Life Statistics as usually COM
| piled-T. S. Lambert.
Method of harmonizing apnthecaries' and the met
rc system of weghts-E. b. Elliott.
Metric and Radical Systems Of measures of length
e. B. Elliott.
On the Telescope Study Of the Solar Photosphere-
! S. P. Langley.
Some remarks on the Equilibrium and Dynamic
| Theories of the Tides-J. g. Barnard.
| On the Silt nalysis of Soils and Clays-E. w.
| Hilgard.
Analysis of Mississippi Soils and Sub-soils-E. W.
Hilgard
Investigation into the true cause of peculiar form
OF Mirage-P. H. Wander Weyde.
On Solar Disturbances of the Magnetic Needle-J
E. Hilgard.
On Methods of Determining the Ratio of Volume
and Weight of Water-J. E. Hilgard.
On the Credit of the U. S. Government as ndicat-
ed by the daily quotations OF prices Of its Securities
| e. b. Elliott
On the Distribution of Soil Ingredients in the Sed
iments obtained by silt analysis r. H. Loughridge.
The Atmospheric Electricity of the Earth, of the
Sum- and OF the Comets; and the Physical onstitu-
| ton of the Sun and Of the Comets-Jacob Ennis.
In the microscopic subsection the following
| papers were read:
Musical Flow of Water-H. f. Walling.
Dissipation Of Energy-H. F. Wallng.
New Theory of Geyser Action as Illustrated by an
Artificial Geyser-Edmund Andrews.
The Cohesion Of Liquids-George j. Wardwe
Prof. Wander Weyde spoke of telescope of
enormous dimensions to cost 81. 100000. Dis
cussion followed his remarks, the general opin-
| ion seeming to be that the idea was impracti-
cable.
SECTION Is.
The chairman announced that it might be
necessary to further sub-dvide the section.
The section then broke up into sub-sections.
BIOLOGICAL SECTION.
G. Brown Goode discussed the question, ''Do
snakes swallow their young?" Opinions have
always differed on this point. Mr.. Goode de-
termined to collect evidence and in pursu-
ance of this determination has procured state
| ntc frop
giving an affirmative answer. He had no
doubt that the youn2 snakes in time of danger
take refuge in the threats of their mothers
Experiments have proved that continuance of
life under these circumstances is possible.
Prof. Gill thought the evidence strong, but
protested against attaching too much weight to
unscienti1c evidence.
Several other gentlemen corroborated the
testimony of Mr.. Goode.
Apparently this was Mr. Goodies Fl st paper,
for his hand shook, and his voice had low
hurried tone, as though he was little abashed
in the presence of so learned dn assembly. His
modesty, however, acted but as foil to set off
his zeal for truth. There is evidently poten-
TALLY of good, earnest valuable work in the
the young man.
The next paper was "Remarks on the origin
of insects and the anteunal characters in the
butterflies and MOTHS" by Aug. R. Grote,
gentleman who finishes up well-rounded pc
RODS with lingering loving accent as though
he hated to bid them farewell,
Rev. Dr. Hill contributed an interesting pa
per on "Bufo Americanus,' which he styled
contribution to the psychology of the Amer
lean toad.
The toad in question was one who summered
| near bee hive and lived on the bees. This
toad was given to gymnastics, and frequently
stood on his head to eat his dinner-a very rep
| rehensble practice indeed. 1t appears that a
difference in the nicely of palate exists in toads,
| some utterly rejecting the loathsome squash
bug, and others eagerly devouring it. One
toad of the Doctors acquaintance took for
meal 1877 caterpillars, and it wasn't good day
| for eating, either.
Here a member of the Association started up
and said he knew toad who once eat 797 cat
erpilars. 1t now became evident that the
mania for lying, inherent in all of us, was fast
becoming developed, and the discussion was
choked off, We give DR.. Hill's paper in full.
| DIR. HILLS PAPER.
This note is intended as a contribution to-
ward the psychology of the Americal toad;
simply presenting some evidences OF intell'-
gence and of capacity for learning to which
have been witness.
In the summers of 1885 an old toad used
to sit under the door of beehive every fine
evening. and dexterously pick up Those bees
who ,overladen or tired missed the doorstep and
fell to the ground. He lost, by some accident,
one eye and it was observed by several MEM
bers of the family, as well as myself, that he
had with it lost his ability to pick up bee at
the first trial; his tongue struck the ground on
Que side the bee; but after several weeks prac
tice with one eye he regained his old certainty
of aim.
have never seen our toad use his hands to
crowd his food into his mouth as the European
toads do, although he uses them freely to wipe
out of his mouth any inedble or disagreeabe
substance. When our toad gets into his mouth
part OF aninsect too large for his tongue to thrust
down his throat land | have known of their at
tempting wounded hnmIning brd) he resorts
to the nearest stone or clod and presses the pro-
truding part of his mouthful against 1t and Tins
-JSi 6nxsr l,,a