New-York tribune., 1879-08-30
1nE GENERAL PROCEEDINGS.
HEARTY GREETING TO PROFESSOR sIBUys-IN-
TERRSTING PAPERS READ.

! IPRoA 4 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUSB.l
| SARATOGA Aug. 29-Ths was "A very busy day
| for the American Association for the Advancement
| Of Science and great mass Of work was gone
| through With four sections in full operation at
once the members are troubled by an embarrsss-
ment of riches, and the newspaper correspondents
are distracted by the multiplicity of the demands
upon them The attendance at thi, meeting Of the
association is greater than at any previous gather
| ing since the
] In the general meeting this morning the most in
teresting incident was the honor paid Professor
Otto strive, director of the Imperial Observatory
at Pultowa, Russia. He was introduced to the as
sembly by President Barker, and made n neat little
| speech in deliberate but excellent English marked
| by strong accent. A popular impression has long
! existed that Russians learn English more easily
| and use it with mere facility than people
! of most other nations because their own
| language resembles English in being very diffcult
| of requirement, and their long struggle with the
rough places has prepared them to grappc with its
obstacles of other tongues. Professor Strives COM
mand of English possibly gives little support to
| this notion
The famous Russian astronomer Is much :" more
than common tai, /" towering up If he had dcter-
mined to get as his favorte stars possible He
is broad too having good frame TO support the IA
tigues of searching the skies. His strong shouiders
have the students stOop. His frank and kindly face
beams peace and good will TO all men, his benignant
| smile lighting up the many wrinkles about his eyes
which hard study has channelled oat. thin
thatch of gray hair, fast diminishing imperfecty
covers the crown Of his massive head, and his face
| is fringed with white whskers on the cheeks, the
| chin and lips being shayen.
| Professor Strives cordial words were much ap-
plauded. he said that Russia was anxious TO pro
n 4I,, toIo-
scope that could be made anywhere, and hay
| ing gone over Europe, he concluded that
| he must come to America to get the best instru-
| ment. He spoke of the high reputation of AlvaD
Clark q Sons, the famous American telescope
makers and was glad to say that thoy were to con-
| struct the great telescope. He expressed his
pleasure at tho opportunity to attend the meetings
OF the association and hts appreciation OF the honor
| paid him.
| PROFESSOR BARKER RESPONDS.
President Barker then made some remarks which
seemed to please of his hearers. for there was
| much clapping of hands. He was vivacious and
witty and bis speech certainly very entertain
ing affair. Bnt in his eagerness TO exalt everything
with which Professor Struveis connected he heaped
UP praised OIL Russia beyond all bounds. lie called
| it the America of Europe. phrase which had an
odd sound to those who thought Of the
| horrors revealed by the Nihist uprising and the
| merciless measures which an iron despotism Is
now pushing to the utmost to crush the malcon-
| tents. He said that the Russian Bear was an
than the British Lion, and made the extraordinary
statement that without the friendship OF Russia the
success. of the efforts to snppres; the rebellion
of the high postiO; of Professor Struy6 IN the sci
I'euti6c world all h.s hearers heartily agreed.
| A resolution that the Association meet in San
| Francisco August Is, 1880. was referred 70 the
standing committee. but there Is no probability Of
its adoption. The expense of getting to San Fran
| cisco would be too great. and the place OF meeting
| next year is very uncertain.
THE NESHADEN FISHERY.
! Among the most valuable papers in section B was
that of Professor George Brown Goode, of Middle
| town. Conn. who gave biography Of the Mon
haden, which abounded in interesting facts and
figures. The principal points therein are as follows
He said that herring family is represented the
Atlantic coast United States BY ten Species all
which swim in immense schools. and several. such
the scattering shad and the various species OF the
shnpdsnce and 5sao these are ali surpassed by the
menhaden, fish OF peculiar habits. concerning which
asD % has has 0esh st esst thry distinct p popular
names causing great'confusion North Of Cape Cod
"hard'head" or 'bsrd-hoad shnd,' and in Eastern
Co1necYopt DSny a.a in Western S CoRneStspt the
NewJersey manuiaoorics where 1t is canned for food
It called Apesoan saralns% & m and M ocean trout"
from Maine to Florida; In the winter only
sSs1 SSTx Of q pesy SP zoo Observers show that the
| fist schools appear in Chesapeake Bay Ia
Snd A On s Ss St S
in late April and May, aad on Cape Ann about tho mid
| teinber aud October; Massachusetts iu October,
November and Deeem6er Long isaGd ps sound IN
and Cape Hstorss in January strange fact IS thbt
their northern has become somewhat restricted
passed north Capo Cod but the fishing grounds OF
Bouthern NewEnglan'l tbcy are as abundant ns ever
| increase in abundance until the soa appears 10
be alive With them. They delight TO play in lnlets and
bays and are very fond OF shallow wsters protected
from the wind. Braoksh water attracts tnem and they
found ut he 0nS OF 5s 5ss Ss 70 IISy % sW In
packed side by side. and often Tier above TIER,
| the slightest alarm tho school SINKS toward
the hotom after escaping ito pursaers Ielr motions
are capricIous IT they swim around and around
in oIrces nj otDer they sink and On
still sunny days they always be seen "a; the sur
| East winds quickly cause them to disappear.
Tne winter habitat oi the menh adcn ike that Of other
most plausible hypothesis Eupposes that instead OF MI
grating toward the tropics or alternating near the
sbore they swim out until they find stratum OF
water OF favorable temperature The Inennaden Il by
most abundant species on the egsI coast OF the
United states. yera hundred thousand are frequently
taken in a single dslit Oi purse srlne Inc Town OF
Boothbay aions ~ 1871 TOOK Ont theie 10
sIsts IN large part OF sediment vhioa gathers upon
the bo,tDln oi s protected bays and contains much
organic matter, ana siSo oi 'A9 setc,a''oa , tlS
| grows In such places Inc breeding grouhus
|
| from Georges Banks o. Florida Keys. Every
| predaeeOus animal when swtms in the same waters
| feeds on mcnhatCn, whalos and dolphins consuming
them By the hogsead. Tho bucfsh and the bOnio are
their destructive cncnnes. nos even excepting
| mep and rush through schools, killing immense mum
Der. nesides wEat they Professor GoOde estimated
the total number of nonhaden destroyed annually on
our coast by prsdHceous animals at million million OF
\ millions.
| The mcnhaden's place in nature Is evidently 10 De
eaton. Man takes from the water every year eight or
| nine hundred millions OF these nsh, weighing from
200 600 3OO 900 tons; and when be brings upon his
table bluesh, bonocs, weakhs, swordnsh or bass ne
| mas before him usually inenlauen flesh IN
| aa.,nar form. The cpmmsIcial inheritance OF
| mennaden was tnen dwelt upon, and the maLy