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


garter snake was observed this summer in
North Conway pushing toad down its throat
by running it against clods and stones, just as
the toad crowds down a locust.
The amount which toad can eat is surpris-
ing. On Tuesday morning threw a SQUASH
bug to a young toad. He snapped it up, but
Immediately rejected it, wiped his mouth with
great energy, and then hoped away with great
rapidity l was so much amused that gath
cred some more of the sow bugs and carried
them to favorite old toad in the northeast cor
ner of the house. He ate them all without
making any wry faces. l gathered all that L
could find in my vines, and he ate them all to
the number of %. 1 then brought him some
larvae OF pygaera ministra. three-quarteIs
grown, and succeeded in enticing him to put "a
OF them on top of his squash bugs. Finding
that his virtue was not proof against the cater
pillars when put them on the end OF a straw
and tickled his nose with them, he at length
turned and crept under the piazza, where he
remained until Friday afternoon, digestng his
feast.
Albert S. Bickmore read paper descriptive
of the contemplated American Museum of Nat
ural History, in Central Park, New York
Plans of the Museum were hung about the
walls. 1t is evident that the institution will be
an honor to American science and enterprise.
The building will be three times as large as
that of the British Museum. Geological gar
dens will probably be attached
This was followed by some admirable sugges-
tons for facilitation of museum administration
bv Prof Gill.
Burt G.. Wilder then read very suggestive
paper on the cerebral assures of Mammalia,
and the limits of their homolog'es He stated
that these assures were not apparent at birth,
but grew deeper and more marked with age. 1t
was his opinion that as yet we knew nothing of
the homologies of these assures, and he ear
nestly advised careful study of them by COM
parative aromists. The paper was rich in
facts and notably free from theories. The i'm
preston it produced upon the association was
marked
j. S. Newberry read paper on some paleo-
goic fishes from the rocks of Ohio. Apparent
ly the paper was prepared with view 20 slim
ulate the imagination of school boys, for 1t
abounded with turgid rhetoric about the world
over-spreading forests of the carboniferous pc
Rod and the fierce combats of the huge mail
clad animals who disported themselves in ante
diluvian Tires. The paper was supplemented
by remarks from Prof. Gill.
Rev. Mr.. Hayes, the local Secretary, read an
invitation from the P. & o. R. R., offering the
use of their cars for trip to Upper Bartlett
The Section then adjourned to afternoon.
AFTERNOON.
In the afternoon papers were read as follows
in the two sub sections of Section B, some by
title only:
The States of the Taconic Mountains of the age of
the Hudson River or Cincinnati Group. ID. Dana.
On Circles of Deposition in American Sedimentary
Strata-J. 5. Newberry.
The Future of Niagara, in review of Prof. Tyn-
dall's lecture thereon-George W. Holley.
The Devonian Limestone in Ohio--N. H. Winchell.
On the Origin of Mountain Chains-Charles Whit
tlesey.
Note on the Cretaceous Strata of Long Isand-C.
H. Hitchcock.
Geology Of the Northwest Part of Maine-C. H.
Hitchcock and j. II. Huntington.
On Some Spontaneous Fractures, Movements and
Expansions of Rock observed in Munson Mass.-W.
III. Miles,
Geological History of Lake winnipiseogee- H.
Hitchcock.
Natural Features of the United States National
Park in the Rocky Mountailis-Josiah Curtis.
On the Marble Deposits of Pottsford, vermont-J'
S. Newberry
On Spiders-W. L. Coffnberry.
On the Genus Micropterus (Grystes) and its Spe-
cies-Theodore Gill.
Relations of Northumberland S. Morse.
The Identity of the Locust of the Prophet Joel iii
20, with the Edipoda migratoria of Europe-Cyrus
Thomas.
On recent additions to the Fish Fauna of Massa-
chusetts-TheOdore Gill.
Calvert's Supposed Relics of Man in the Miocene
of the Dardaneles-George Washburn. (Communi-
Gated by c. H. Hitchcock.
On a Remarkable GROUP of Wasp's Nests found in
hollow stump in Maryland-P. r. Uher.
Animal Organology-Theo. G. Hilgard.
One means Of distinguishing between Vegetable
and Animal Life-T. S. Lambert.
The following admirable papers were read by
Burt G Wilder:
Lateral Asymmetry in the Brains of Double HUI
man Monster.
The Papillary Representation of two Arms in
Double Human Monster.
The Pectoral Muscles of Mammalia.
Variation in the Pectoral Muscles of Domestic
Dogs.
Variations in the Cerebral Tissues Of Domestic
Dogs, and its bearing upon Scientific Phrenology.
The Habits and Parasites of Epera riparia
The nets OF Epeira, Nephila, and Mithras
Composition of the Carpus in Dogs.
In his paper on Spiders, Mr. Wilder was
amusing as well as instructive. He gave some
curious instances of natural selection In
speaking of a Virginan species of Spider he
stated that the female was more than hum
dred times as large as the male, and that she
invariably terminates their connubial relations
by devouring him. 1t may have been from
some such spider, ages back. that the man-hat-
err of the present is developed.
H. f. Walling read paper on he musical
flow of water. In one of the toilet rooms of
City Hall the faucet to one OF the wash basins,
when adjusted to u certain flow of water, emts
a strong and clear musical note. The pitch of
the sound ranges from middle c of the musi-
cal scale to one or two tones above. The tone
is raised by diminishing the opening and flow
of water The phenomena is similar in kind to
singing flames, rocking bars, etc. The cause of
the sound is quite simple. The explanation
suggested was that the rush of the water closes
or partially closes the valve, causing sudden
check to the flow of the water, and by the iner-
tia of the water flow or shock is given to the
pipe, similar to that of waterman. The num-
Der of shocks were from $50 to 800 in second,
and uniform. The musical tone has a CORES
ponding pitch.
EVENING.
Papers numbered g. IA, 100, al, 142, 124,
125, LOG, 155, 157, were read in section A.
An informal meeting in Section B, was held
at which the habitations of the beaver were
discussed.
A meeting of the chemists present at the ses-
sion was held in the aldermens' room. 1t was
called for the purpose of getting acquainted
and establishing an esprit du corps. The meet
ing organized by the choice of Prof. baltimore
as chairman, and G. E. Munroe as secretary.
A committee was formed to consult with the
standing committee of the A. A. A. S., on the
subject of forming national organization of
chemists.
MEETING OF THE MAINE CENTRAL DIRECT
oRs.-At meeting of the Directors of the
Maine Central Railroad, held last evening at
the Falmouth, it was dec ided to build an iron
bridge across the Kennebec river, at point
about midway between Watervie and Ken
dall's Mills. The old bridge at Waterville will
be Retained. Abo ut two mile, of the newly
laid track On th Re east side of the river will be
taken up. The grand junction will be at Wa
terville. Among the local matters discussed
was the appointment of a station agent at
Bangor.
OvERCHARGE.-Yesterday hackman took
lady from the Boston depot, and after driving
her all about town landed her in Market Square
at an expense Of $125. That driver was short.
afterwards A. fha