Page 293

NA TURE
Feb. 8, 1872]
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENGE FROM AMERICA *
   HE statement, by Professor J. D. Whitney, of the present
THcondition of the geological survey of California, lately
presented to the Governor of the State, gives a gratifying
Picture of the activity and success in accomplishing the objects
for which the exploration was authorised. The State Geologist
remarks that less has been done than he had hoped, in conse-
quence of the suspension of the appropriations by a preceding
Legislature. Since the work was resumed, however, as the resudt
of renewed appropriations by the Legislature of I869, the
survey has been carried on as rapidly as the nature of the service
would allow.   Among the points particularly engaging the
attention of the State Geologist was the completion of the
topographical map of California, it being readily understood that
this must be a necessary preliminary to a geological map. The
survey of Central California was considered especially interesting
and important, embracing, as it does, that portion of the State
from Owen's Lake on the south to Lassen's Peak on the north,
or between 36' and 40' 30' north and south, and II7' 30' and
123' east and west, the whole area comprising about one-third
of the State, with probably ninety-five per cent. of the popula-
tion residing in it. Of the portion included within these limits,
represented upon four maps, three are entirely drawn and partially
engraved, while the fourth is two-thirds drawn, with the field-
work of the remaining third yet to be done. A preliminary
map, however, of the whole of California, on a scale of
eighteen miles to an inch, has been drawn, in compliance with
the wish of the community, and will soon be ready for distri-
bution. Besides these, other works connected with the same
subject are reported by the State Geologist, being the new
editions of the Yosemite Guide-book, and the publication of the
first volume of the " Ornithology of California," which is
characterised as a work exquisitely illustrated and admirably
printed. The remaining volumes of the series of reports are so
far completed as only to wait the continuance of appropriations
to place them in hand and secure their early appearance.
Arrangements have also been made with Mr. Lesquereux to
work up the fossil plants of California, and with Dr. Leidy
and Prof. Meek in regard to the fossils. Prof. Brewer, of
the Survey, is well advanced in the work on the Botany of
California, which, when completed, will doubtless be used
extensively as a text-book. It is much to be hoped that very
liberal appropriations will be made for these important objects,
since its chief and his assistants are known to be among the very
best specialists in America, and their work has commanded the
highest respect among naturalists at home and abroad. The
reports themselves are models of perfection in regard to typo-
graphy and general execution, and are not to be surpassed by
the finest European works, whether published by governments
or private parties. It may be stated as a well-known fact that
much interest has been excited throughout the scientific circles
of Europe by the character of the work done under the auspices
of the State, and the utmost admiration expressed in regard to
its liberality and enterprise; this example being commended to
European governments as eminently worthy of their imitation.-
A letter from Captain Buddington, the sailing-master of Captain
Hall's vessel, the Polaris, dated at Upernavik, reports that the
party were in good health and spirits ; and that Mr. Chester,
the first mate, had gone up the coast to bring down Hans
Christian, Dr. Kane's Esquimaux hunter, who was to join the
expedition.-Among the many works published by the United
States government, or at its expense, there are few that exceed
in intrinsic value, as well as in beauty, the volumes hitherto
printed belonging to the series of reports made by Mr. Clarence
King, at his geological and other explorations of the region
along the fortieth parallel of latitude. This expedition is still
occupied in carrying out the work assigned to it by the engineer
department of the army, while reports are now being made of
such portions of the work as have been completed. It is nearly
a year since the volume upon the mining industry of the Sierra
Nevada and other mineral regions of the West was published,
as prepared mainly by Mr. J. D. Hague (one of Mr. King's
assistants), but including articles by Mr. King himself, and other
members of the corps. This was accompanied by a large atlas
of plates, and contained full details of all the methods of metal-
lurgical operations and manipulations, together with drawings of
machinery, plans of mines, sketches of mining geology, &c.
This book has been received with great favour everywhere, and
* Communicated by the Scientific Editor of Haryder's Weekly.
has redounded greatly to the credit of the United States, first in
authorising the research, and then in publishing the results in so
superior a style. We now have to chronicle the appearance of
another volume of the series-namely, the Botany, as prepared
under the direction of Mr. Sereno Watson, the botanist of the
expedition. This constitutes volume five of Mr. King's reports,
and number eighteen of the professional papers of the engineer
department of the army. The work embraces a report upon the
geography, meteorology, and physics of the region explored as
connected with the general botany of the country, catalogues of
the known plants investigated, descriptions of new genera and
species, and various appendices; these accompanied by forty
plates of new or rare species. Another volume of the series is
now in press, and will include the zoological portion, as fur-
nished by Mr. Robert Ridgway. This will probably appear
in the course of a few months.-The scientific tendency of the
age, manifested in the continual springing up of new associations
in different parts of the country, receives an additional illustration
in the estabiishment of the Natural History Society of Marquette,
Michigan, whtch was organised during the month of December,
under the presidency of Dr. Hewitt.
ON THE CARPAL AND TARSAL BONES OF
                          BIRDS *
T HE author stated that he had followed with great interest the
    work of Huxley, Cope, Morse, and others, in tracing out the
ornithic characters in the Dinosauria. While following these rela-
tions he had noticed a marked difference in the characters of the
carpus and tarsus of the two classes. It seemed strange that a
group of bones so persistent in the reptiles as well as in the mam-
malia should be so obscure or wanting in birds. Owen objects
to the term tarso-metatarse, as he believes the existence of a
tarsus has not been demonstrated. W. K. Parker, in i86i, on
the osteology of Baleniceps, questions if the lower articular por-
tion of the tibia is not the homologue of the mammalian astra-
galus and not an epiphysis. Gegenbaur has now shown that in
one stage of the young bird there is a proximal tarsal ossicle, and
a distal tarsal ossicle, the first one anchylosing with the tibia, the
distal one likewise anchylosing with the metatarse. Thus, the
term tarso-metatarse is quite 'proper. While this was a great
step toward a proper understanding of these parts, Mr. Morse
believed that a nearer relation would be found in the discovery of
another proximal tarsal bone. In those reptiles he had examined,
whatever the number of tarsal bones, there were always in the
proximal series one corresponding to the tibia, and another cor-
responding to the fibula. He had found this feature in birds.
In studying the embryos of the eave swallow, bank swallow, king
bird, sand piper, blackbird, cow blackbird, bluebird, chirping
sparrow, yellow warbler, and Wilson's thrush, he had found
three distinct tarsal bones, two in the proximal series answering
to the tibia and fibula, and one in the distal series. The first two
early anchylose, and present an hour-glass-shaped articular surface
as Prof. Cope has described in the astragalus of Lnaaps. The
final anchylosis of these conjoined ossicles with the tibia, formed
the bicondylar trochlea so peculiar to the distal end of a bird's
tibia. The distal tarsal ossicle became united with the proximal
ends of the metatarse, as has been shown. In the carpus he had
found four perfectly distinct ossicles, the distal carpal bones be-
coming united to the base of the mid and outer metacarpals, the
other two remaining free, though the ulnar carpal in some cases
anchylosed with the ulna. In the king bird and yellow warbler,
he had found a fifth carpal on the radial side.
               SCIENTIFIC SERIALS
  THE 7ournal of Anatomy and Physiology, Second series.
No. ix., November 187i.-The first article in this number is by
Prof. Humphry, " On the Anatomy of the Muscles and Nerves of
Cryptobranchus Yaponicus, " an animal which has been only rarely
dissected.  The muscular system  presents no points of great
peculiarity or interest, resembling very closely that of other
Urodela.  With respect to the nerves, no trace of the third,
fourth, or sixth cranial could be found in either orbit, though the
third and fourth, both of very small size, were found in the
cranial cavity; previous dissectors had described the sixth as a
* Abstract of paper by Prof. E. S. Morse, read at the Indianapolis meeting
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Reprinted
from the A merican Naturalist.
293
Feb.8,I872]
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