de neantime ncreased to

important parts of an interview with Chief Officer V. E. Spencer are here given.

On Tuesday (October 30) afternoon the weather was clear and bright, although there was little sunshine. Just after one bell, 4.30 o'clock, I saw three meteors fall into the water dead ahead of the ship, one after another at a distance of about five miles. Although it was daylight they left a red streak in the air from zenith to the horizon.

Simultaneously the third engineer shouted to me. I then saw a huge meteorite on the port beam falling in a zigzag manner less than a mile away to the southward. We could distinctly hear the hissing of the water as it touched. It fell with a rocking motion, leaving a broad red streak in its wake. The meteor must have weighed several tons, and appeared to be from 10 to 15 feet in diameter. It was saucer-shaped, which probably accounted for the peculiar rocking motion.

When the mass of metal struck the water the spray and steam rose to a height of at least forty feet, and for a few moments looked like the mouth on a crater. If it had been night the meteor would have illuminated the sea for fifty or sixty miles. The hissing sound, like escaping steam, when it struck the water, was so loud that the Chief Engineer turned out of his berth and came on deck, thinking the sound came from the engine

room.

Captain Russ, of the Hamburg-American steamer Brazilia, which arrived about the same time as the St. Andrew, reported having seen a large meteor at 7 P.M. on October 30, in Lat. 47° N., and Lon. 48°W. This is believed to have been a part of the intermittent meteoric shower observed by the St. Andrew earlier in the evening.

In this account, by an intelligent observer, and one presumably fitted by training and profession to observe rapidly, some points of special interest may be noted: the peltoid form, zigzag path, and rocking motion, it being noteworthy that the irregular path was maintained in spite of the very large size (probably overestimated) and great weight; the probably constant general orientation, ("Brustseite"); the brilliant light, though it is not stated whether this came from the meteor or from its track; the loudness of the hissing sound when it struck the water, sufficient to rouse the Chief Engineer a mile away. One is inclined to think that the

meteorites were siderolites. It is, of course, purely conjectural whether the meteor reported by the Brazilia belonged to the St. Andrew shower; the difference in time would seem to be incompatible with this supposition, which may be put down to a reporter's love of the sensational.

HENRY S. WASHINGTON

GEOPHYSICAL LABORATORY,

CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON

MUSICAL NOTATION

TO THE EDITOR OF SCIENCE: In the September number of The Scientific Monthly Professor E. V. Huntington describes a new way of writing music, which for simplicity and clearness can hardly be surpassed. It consists in using the ordinary staff for the twelve notes of the tempered chromatic scale, instead of (as now done) for the seven notes of the diatonic scale. This new "normalized" notation does away with all sharps and flats. Since there are just twelve lines and spaces (including the added line below) in each staff, each letter will have always the same position on the staff, whether soprano, alto, tenor or bass. It is hoped that teachers will take advantage of the normalized notation to smooth out the road for beginners, particularly in the grade schools.

There is another unnecessary musical difficulty in the way of piano students, which can be easily removed. The pupil must now become familiar with twelve different modes of fingering, one for each of the twelve possible keynotes. This means that for the average pupil so much practise is required in order to become reasonably expert at the piano that he or she becomes discouraged. In any case a great deal of time is wasted in practising the twelve sets of finger exercises.

A very slight change in the keyboard will reduce the sets of fingering from twelve to two. The change consists in having six white keys and six black (instead of seven white and five black) in each octave. The key C, which would then be black, should be fluted or corrugated on its upper surface, so as to be easily recognizable both by sight and

by touch; and there should be a roughening or a longitudinal corrugation on F sharp, the middle note of the scale, for the same purpose.

A third advantage would result from these two changes. The lines on the staff, in the normalized notation, correspond to the black keys on the normalized keyboard; and the spaces of the staff to the white keys. If the page be turned so that the left side becomes the top the correspondence is perfect, each written note on the staff having its corresponding place on the keyboard. The physiological reflex between eyes and fingers to be established by the learner thus becomes as simple and direct as it is possible to make it. The time required to become moderately expert in sight reading and playing would then be reduced at least to half what it is now. T. P. HALL

VANCOUVER, B. C.

PULSATION OF A CAT'S HEART After deaTH

AN interesting case of prolonged beating of a cat's heart after death came to the writer's attention a short time since. A cat was killed by the use of ether at 2:20 P.M. A short time afterwards the body was stretched on a window-sill out of doors where it stayed undisturbed, and to all appearances dead, until 3:30, when it was taken in to the laboratory and immediately skinned, and the thorax cut open exposing the pericardium and lungs. The student doing the dissecting, Mr. John M. Long, at once called the writer's attention to the fact that the right auricle (only) was beating in almost perfect rhythm, and with apparently considerable strength. This continued with only slight variation in rhythm until 3:56, when a small quantity of normal salt solution was poured over the pericardium. Beginning at this time, the pulsations began to lose their rhythm until at 4:03 the auricle was beating at the rate of three pulsations at normal speed followed by an interval of fourteen seconds, then again three beats, followed by the interval, and so on, both the heats and intervals being very regular. This continued for four minutes (until

(4:07), when the number of pulsations was reduced to two instead of three, and the length of the interval began to vary from thirteen to eighteen seconds. More salt solutions was poured over the pericardium at this time, and at 4:18 the inferior vena cava was eut just above the diaphram. No change in the regularity of the pulsations was noticed from that recorded at 4:07 until the organ abruptly stopped beating at 4:44 P.M.

This gives a total length of time from the administration of the ether until the heart stopped beating of two hours and twenty-four minutes. Of course there must be subtracted a short period at the first when the cat was dying, but this still leaves something over two hours during which the auricle continued to beat after the death of the animal. During all this time no contraction was noticed in any part of the heart other than the right auricle. The pericardium was not opened until after the heart had ceased to beat. No electrical or mechanical means were used to stimulate the heart in any way, except the application of normal salt solution, as above mentioned. So far as the writer knows, this is the longest case on record of a cat's heart continuing to pulsate after death.

HORACE GUNTHORP

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE, WASH.

STOCK CULTURES OF A PROTOZOON

DURING the course of investigation with Protozoa, a rather convenient and easy method of obtaining and keeping stock cultures of Colopoda was found.

Colopoda, as is well known, usually occur early in soil cultures from which they can be obtained, in the active state, in large numbers. Later in the life of the culture the animals encyst and it is upon this condition that the following method is based.

From a young soil culture active Colopoda are isolated, transferred to syracuse watch glasses and ordinary hay infusion added. After one or two days the culture fluid in the watch glass is allowed to evaporate slowly by leaving exposed to the air. During this slow

evaporation the animals encyst. The dried-up culture is left exposed for one or two days, when new hay infusion is added. The animals, having divided within the cysts, revive and are found in greatly increased numbers. This drying-up process can be repeated until a more or less concentrated culture of the organisms is obtained. The concentrated culture of organisms is then pipetted into a petri dish in which a piece of ordinary filtered paper, cut so as to exactly cover the bottom of the dish and moistened with hay infusion, is placed. The petri dish is then left uncovered to slowly evaporate. The filter paper, with the encysted organisms on it, when thoroughly dry can be cut into small pieces and kept indefinitely.

To start fresh cultures, pieces of the filter paper are put into watch glasses or other containers and hay infusion added. In a short time the animals revive and new cultures of the original are thus obtained.

This method of keeping stock cultures seems to be especially adapted for schools and colleges where only a limited amount of time is devoted to the Protozoa and where no time for the ordinary culture preparation work is available. JOSEPH H. BODINE

ZOOLOGICAL LABORATORY,
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

QUOTATIONS

THE BRITISH COMMITTEE FOR AIDING MEN OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE IN RUSSIA1

WE have recently been able to get some direct communication from men of science and men of letters in North Russia. Their condition is one of great privation and limitation. They share in the consequences of the almost complete economic exhaustion of Russia; like most people in that country, they are ill-clad, underfed, and short of such physical essentials as make life tolerable.

Nevertheless, a certain amount of scientific research and some literary work still go on. The Bolsheviks were at first regardless, and even in some cases hostile, to these intellectual workers, but the Bolshevik government has 1 From Nature.

apparently come to realize something of the importance of scientific and literary work to the community, and the remnant-for deaths among them have been very numerous of these people, the flower of the mental life of Rusia, has now been gathered together into special rationing organizations which ensure at least the bare necessaries of life for them.

These organizations have their headquarters in two buildings known as the House of Science and the House of Literature and Art. Under the former we note such great names as those of Pavlov the physiologist and Nobel prizeman, Karpinsky the geologist, Borodin the botanist, Belopolsky the astronomer, Tagantzev the criminologist, Oldenburg the Orientalist and permanent secretary of the Petersburg Academy of Science, Koni, Bechterev, Satishev, Morozov, and many others familiar to the scientific world.

Several of these scientific men have been interviewed and affairs discussed with them, particularly as to whether anything could be done to help them. There were many matters in which it would be possible to assist them, but upon one particular they laid stress. Their thought and work are greatly impeded by the fact that they have seen practically no European books or publications since the Revolution. This is an inconvenience amounting to real intellectual distress. In the hope that this condition may be relieved by an appeal to British scientific workers, Professor Oldenburg formed a small committee and made a comprehensive list of books and publications needed by the intellectual community in Russia if it is to keep alive and abreast of the rest of the world.

It is, of course, necessary to be assured that any aid of this kind provided for literary and scientific men in Russia would reach its destination. The Bolshevik government in Moscow, the Russian trade delegations in Reval and London, and our own authorities have therefore been consulted, and it would appear that there will be no obstacles to the transmission of this needed material to the House of Science and the House of Literature and Art. It can be got through by special facilities even

94

under present conditions. Many of the pubfications named in Professor Oldenburg's list will have to be bought, the costs of transmission will be considerable, and accordingly the undersigned have formed themselves into a small committee for the collection and administration of a fund for the supply of scientific and literary publications, and possibly, if the amount subscribed permits of it, of other necessities, to these Russian savants and men of letters.

We hope to work in close association with the Royal Society and other leading learned societies in this matter. The British Science Guild has kindly granted the committee permission to use its address.

We appeal for subscriptions, and ask that cheques should be made out to the Treasurer, C. Hagberg Wright, LL.D., and sent to the British Committee for Aiding Men of Letters and Science in Russia, British Science Guild Offices, 6 John Street, Adelphi, London, W.C.2.

MONTAGUE OF BEAULIEU,
ERNEST BARKER,
E. P. CATHCART,

A. S. EDDINGTON,

I. GOLLANCZ,

R. A. GREGORY,

P. CHALMERS MITCHELL,
BERNARD PARES,
ARTHUR SCHUSTER,
C. S. SHERRINGTON,

A. E. SHIPLEY,

H. G. WELLS,

A. SMITH WOODWARD,
C. HAGBERG WRIGHT.

a small electric lamp. The whole attac is tilted forward a little so that when th of the telescope is horizontal axial rays come by reflection from the zenith, bu a point about 2°or 3° from the zenith. light from the little lamp L illuminat fields so that the cross hairs are clearly Two somewhat stale dry cells on the flo enough light, but not so much as to dro image of a fourth magnitude star. A switch is included in the circuit.

When the instrument is set up and le with no current on, the images of stars 2° to 4° from the zenith are seen in di parts of the field; if the telescope is about the vertical axis these images d arcs of circles across the field, Fig. these arcs have horizontal chords fro to side of the circular field, Fig. 3, the is adjusted, i.e., the rays coming down prism, their reflections into the telesco the vertical axis of rotation are in th