Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 22, 1879, Page 9

“Hig CHICAGO ‘TRIBUNE: BA'LURDAY LITERATURE. The Plays of Moliere Trans- lated into English Prose by H. Van Laun. “Tho Life of Moliero,” by Mrs. Oliphant and F, Tavers, Prof. Jordan’s Pamphlets on the Fishes of North America, “Socioty the Redeemed Form . of Man,” by H. James. Now Books and New Editions---Lit- ~ erary Notes-—Sparks of Soience, Eto, x LITERATURE. ne a MOLIERE, Three works relating to Mollero coma to- gether thisweek, The brisk publicatlon ot Nt- eraturo on the eubjoct indicates # growth of in- tereatin it. But the intercet, gratifying ae it is, dovs not proceed solely from sdiniration of Moliere’s writlngs, It{s atimuloted by the ro- mance of his personal history, and by the mys- tery which hangs over part of it, Mollere, as the first of French dramatliate, the second or third writer of comedics in) history, and the sternest satirist nnd morallet alnce Juvenal, might not engage long the attention of giddy persons of fashion; but Molfere, ns the va’et de chambre fapiasier vo Louis the XTV,, and as tho central figure of a tremendous acandal, com- mands the respect of posterity. Peoplo may not cara to know whether Zurtuya was almed at the Jesults or the Junsonists; but they would be more than human if they disdained to hear how Moliere amoothed the sheots and arranged tho embrofdercd pillows of the King. Mollere isa fascinating and important study for persons Intercated in stage-hiatory. ifo combined the vocations of actor nnd dramatist, and’ Was more successful in the former capacity than any other writer of playa before or since, Qarrleis, Colley Cibber, Foote, and o host of ‘olhers that might be mentioned, wero miore actors than dramatists; and oven os actors they ‘wero all, In comedy, Inferior to Mollerc. Sliak- spearc wos far moro dramatist than actor, But he aut Moller are the only persons known to the stage who combined in a pre-eminent de- gree both kinds of ability, As actors, writers, and managers, Mollore and Shakspears had. au experience peculiar to themselves, They bo-, fan, 08 the cant of the profession still declares all should befin, “at the bottom,” and worked up, Shakspeare began on the outs{de, aud vorked in. according to tradition; and it would doubiless ba easy to show, from the point of View of modern critics, that he acquired while holding horses at the theatre door dramatte fac- ultles that helped him during the remainder of his fIfe. Mollere did not begtn at the bottom fn the samo éenguthatShakspeare did. The former was woll- burn, and linda little fortune left him, Ho started a theatre of his own at the agoot 20, and gunk bls capital {n it more speedily than he could have aupposed possible, ‘I'en ho entered pon his periodof probation, Ie dlacipiiuc was eeverur than -thatof Shatspeare, “Kor oleven yeare Moliere traveled about tho country ona provinelal cireult, begeing permission of Maires, ‘orCommiunes tonct jn thelr jurisdictions, or ask- ing the favor of. amusing some, Princeling.with -euterfdinmenta lovel to hits understanding. ‘Tha playa were not of abigh order. They.twere for, the most: part rudely out together; and if Cornelila was some ‘times acted, the provin- cfal squires yawned and stretebed thelr limbs, uo doubt, as countryoracles do at htgh-class drama ‘This provinelal experience, thoughit did not im-. meiiately prompt Moliera tu write good playa, was invaluable to him in after lfc, It rauzht him to be nn actor. ‘The diseipling it gave tim was preelsely that which Sarah Siddous, John Kemble, Edinuod Kean, antl Macreatly ob{ained ; and the reault of It, fn connection with industry aud natural talent, always {s to make an actor. Itbenofted Mollere further by giving thao knowledge of stage machinery, the necessities af dramatic representation, wud the best ways of controlling an nudienve. When be began to ‘prattuce plays in Paris ho must have ‘known pretty accurately not only what Hmitntions Were imposed upon lim, but what opportunitics were offered to | him. He had the skit! to respect the former und fm- prove the Intter, And behold a new drama- tist,—ao writcr of comedies only inferlor to our own Shakespeare and the Grecian Arietophancal What todo as n dramatistiMollere might have Jearned It he had not been a strolling actor, but Low to do itso perfertiv he vould nover have tol if he had nat gone to the severest achool. With stolicre’s return to Paris, und his rapid advance in the favor of the King, began hls period of Mterary activity. The materials for Ms Ife, which for the carly part are scanty, aro" for this abundant. They oro not, for all that sotisfactory. ‘Their abundance has produced’ Whbounded confusion, Hardly an_ fnportant point relatiny “fe Mollero’s private affatrs during this periad fi taeaped controversy. Two of the works {mmedlately under review {ilustrate these. Siserepanciss well. The Life of Mollere,”? uy Mrs, Oliphant and F. Tavera, M. A.) sn- forms us that the comediandramatlet was on extromely (utimnte torins with the Kings that he. was ouco invited oto seat with Louis; that Wis wife was desolute and unfatthful tohim, and tliat be was carried to lls grave “poorly, with o singts reluctant priest in at~ feadanca, with gloomy torches, and a brokes chant, uot much more than might have been granted ton malofactor.? On the other hand, 9, Brander Matthews, who wrltes on Molfere in the Apni nuinber of Lippincott's AMagazine, without any reference to Mra, Cliphant’s book; contradicta all of the above statemonta. te ‘ays that tho friendahip of thy King for Moliere has been exagwerated; that the King never ato ‘Rith Moliure, por with any other maw, except in the army that his wifo was grogely calumul- ated; aid that hts funeral took place without poinp, it is true, but under the direction of three ecclesiastics, while four pricete bore the y on a wooden bler covered with the Laugings of the Taptsslers, six bluo boye fatried Mrhts in silver candlesticks, anit many Aeckeys it. the way with torches of whito wax, Thesy contradictions. arise from the uature of Se writings about Moliers duriug bie lifetime and shortly after his death, some of which wero frendly aid somo slanderous, Ho had many nies, nnd they were imore industrious, as tuemica always ore, io circulating {alae reports: ret Din than his frlenda wero’ in contradict b them, With reference to the scandal about Mite, lollere,—10. woman below the tank of tho no- biltty was calted Madame” in those daya,— Wie disieuit to apeak with contidence, ‘The main source of {t wss a pamphlet publlsod aller tho” death of Mollere, and alined M his wife, ontitldd “La Fameuso Como- enue)” It! ts admitted ov all sides that this Tamphlet ia untrustworthy aud slanderous, yot teputabie plographers have accepted auine of {ts Matements as true, It is commonly held to stablish, in connection with circumstantial ovi- ence to the sane effect, the infdellty of i, Mollerc, Mrs, Oliphant adopts the ory in ler book with @ reckieisnees thut fs not Sharacteritic of. her, and as a specimen of 1 {o which blography {8 sometiines write ten Bubjoin a passage touching on this ‘lfcome to be almost certain that the great fetex vas eredilles, In the midwt of which **Tartuto” it to utraugoly and suddenly presented to tho veld, were the occasion of Armunde Mollero's na “erfoue breach with ber busband. ‘Theusually beabted stories of hor frat inddolities hoe ont wuch discredited by the researches of tho * tic, who has proved that two of the lovers about fiiuin the atory ta (old were absent trom Frauce at i Period, and xbavlutely out of rach of the theta who ty wald to have beun corrupted by reels But, nowever the details may fell tn cory tyemess, It ts eauily credible that the Nceuso of tp weck's rot may have proved fatal to the 3 duty young woman. trained in no school of moral Rutty, ona who now tasted the frat deliguta of MEY aud auccess, ‘That she ahuuld have been Too ghaway Uy tha Mattery aud excitement was -The reputation of a women was probably nev- Fees away with more airy race thay this. wbcomys the admission that thero is Aut a. particle df evtdenco in this particular caso to buipport the charge, and next a breauinptlog hat the young wifa was guilty because she must havo been tempted. Dut it would bo ravh to undertake a general defense of Ar. manie Mollere. Mr. Matthews, the writ- or in digpincott's has fallen Into this intstake, he facts that we — certalnly Know aro these: She camo of oo fatnily not loogiice about the tmarrlage bond. Her elder sister, It Is presumed, had improper relations with Mollere for many years. There was a serlous disparity between the ago of Armando and that of her husband Jie was 40 and sho 17 when they were married, The morals of the age were loose, though not avowollly. 0, Everybody assumed to have a virtue which fow possessed, Ono of tlic atrangest contrasta In Mteraturo is that between the purity of Mo- ero’s writings and tha Heentlousness of thy society In which he moyed. The hypocrisy of Tartufe was characterialic of Froneh purity of thut time; nnd Zartuge, it will be remembered, attempted under the cloak of religion to do- bauch the wife of his frlend and benefactor. ‘She Court of Louls XIV. in Franco was worse In some reapects than that of Charles If. in En- qld. ‘The gallants and roysterers about Charics at least had the courage of thelr con- yictions, They did not pretend to be any better than they were. They boasted of their amours and were proud of them ‘The playwrights of England at this {ima also wero moro truthful than those of France. Things wero painted as they were, Congreve, Wych- erly, Farquhar, and Vanbragh put the soclety of the day,on thestace without apology or conceal- mont of its worst vices. ‘Tho only ptire comedies they had wers stolen from Mollore, and palmed off as original on tho English public. ‘The morale of the two countries, thaugl so differ. ‘ently represented In (heir respective literatures, were esseutlally the eamo in réal life. In France the things were donc but not talked avout; in Englund they were both done and talked about, The state of affnirs in the for- mer country [s exhibited in the slander circu- Tated about Motlere during his Ifetime to the effect that he had marred lls own daughter! A pretty bad condition of private tmorata must have existed to muoke such oa slunder possible. What wonder {ft atulst auch surroundings Armando Moliera should have gone wrong. We do not-commit the mistake of Mra, Qiphant to presuming, frum the want of evidence to tho contrary, that she was anfatthful to her husband. | ‘Tlie condition of private morals in France 1s only referred tans showing that thero fs nothing inherently jinprob- able in dstatenent, properly supported, that she, with her carly associations nid surroundings, was nota good woman. Taking the situation na ft fg, and adding the admitted facts, tliat Mo- Hers for searalived apart froin his wife and never spoke to Ker in private, though living tn the same house, and mecting her constatitly on the graze, Wo have g net of circumstantial evidence "from which hardly moro than one conclusion ean be drawn. Mollere was pure, almost nus- tere, fa ifs habits efter marriage; nud the fault, {€ any existed, must have been on the slde of hie wife. Many of his plays present a situa- tion substantially the same as that which ts aupposed to have oxisted tn the Mollere house- holds and tha reat husband ond real wife on the stago gave expression to feelings which must have swayed them oven more powerfully in private. ‘The controversy {s not a savory onc, ind from every point of yiew but one It ouzht to be dis- tasteful to the biographer of Mollere, but it must be fought out tothe end iftho life and works of the it comedian and comedy-writer ard to be understood. On its tesuc depends var {udgmenvof Mollere’a character und of some of nie plays which embody his grief. If Armande was trite to him, he was jedlous, suspicious, moody, — tyrannical, antl A; if she Was not, he Was magnanimous: ‘hat he loved her foudly nobody now denies. That he could lave acparated from her unless he bad tw strongest: evidence of her Infidellty seems doubtful. The separation. ts, Indeed, evidetca that works both ways. Itahowe thut her fault was ecrious, for in those days coquetry, canrice, or tndlecretlon was nat porebly thought of, and it juatitics Molicre In not publishing his wite to the world for what she was, Hu spared heron account of ‘his love, but ic reapeeted himself by living apart from her. ‘The plays of Mollere, which it {snot spartofour purpose to write of critteally in this plnce, were turned into Engtish several sears azo by Henrl Van Laun, who wil be remembered os the transtator of Taine. A now edition of this English version has just been printed from the old plates by Worthington, of New York. Molttero'a French fs exceedingly . dificult to translate. Like all goud comedy-writhys, {t fs fullof idfome; and the production of these in another language $s both n delicate nnd a atit- cult task, -At one extreme is the danger of be- tug stlitor pedantle, and. on the otter that of Jnpaltg into coarseness. ‘Lo avoid these diMleul- thes at all times would require the genius of another Mollére. “it cannot be, sald that Mr.- Van Laun has surmounted, them, or any, great. ¢ " proportion of them. “Flo his beeh jeast of aft auceeseful tn ls titles: “The, Blunderer”- for, LE? Btourda’’s -* Pretentious Young Ladies" for “Les Precicuses Ridfeutea "The Citizen who Apes the Nobleman” for “Le Bourgeois Gentihomme”; ‘The Learned Ladies” for “Les Femmes Sayantes,"’ Tho Imagin- ary Inyahd,” for Le Atstade Imagtnaires ” are clumsy or inaccurate translations. As to the wiiole text of thu transiation, we cor fess to not baving cumpared {t, line for Nuc, with the orleinal; but turning to somo test points ft fs easy to fudge of the generat merits of the work, ‘The ‘plirage in “ Les Fourberies de Seapin,” which has since become proverbial,— “Que diubte allalt-il faire dang cetty galere,” —f5 translated by Van Lann, “ What tte-dovil Ald tte want tt the gallery?” which, though ex- pressive, {8 not pearly Iteral, ‘The idea fs, What business had he in the galley—what was be doing there? aud, though this fy cou- yoyed fairly iu the translation, tf ta not fully, Acain in “LtAvara" we have a ren dering of French words in identical, but not aquivatent, Euglisp. ‘Tha mlser'’s discovery of the Joss of bis money, which fs in French Htora- tura what Shylock’a frenziod speach about bis. ducats and hls daughtor is iu Euyllan, contains the following passage: Holas} mon pauvre ore) Alss! my poor monoy! Rout! mou pauvre argent!/my poor muvey! my dear- mon cher ami) on m’ awest friend thoy have de- rive de ti ot pulequeypriced me of you; andan i m'es onlove, J' al per-lyou are taken from me, 1 Git mon support, ma con-|haye lowt ny aupport, my solation, ma jole: touticonsolation, my joy; ev- oat fmt pour tut, ot Jolerything {sat un end for val plus quo faire aujme aud 1 have nothing monde, Sone toi, $1 m'eat{moro to do in this world. tinpossible deviveo, G'en|Withuutyou, life becomes cat falty Jéaten pula plus;|ltapossitle, It gall over; jeme meurs; josutumort;|J am utterly exhausted s ja suis enterro, = N'yilam Gyings Tam dead; [ actif poraonnequiveniliejam burted. Is there no mig resucelter, on mo ren-jono who willl resuscliate dant mon cher argent oujme by giving me hack my on m' apprenant qui It alboloved money, or by tell- pris? jing me who has taken ttt ‘Yhe words tn italics will indicate our objections to Mr. Van Loun ag a translator. “Iam utterly exhausted” for tho colloquialisin "Jo n'en puls plug,” which means ** 1m played out, or * dead. eat,” or ood for nothin, stiited and ridiculous. again, fs ecarculy colloquial English, though ft is colloquial French. Tho Idea could be ex- pressud by such a translation as * Won't some- jody please bring ine tool? Many other lustances of the samo kind of worl mizht Lo given, but It would be uscless to continue the cotnarison,. Mr. Van inun, after all, baa oply done worse than was necessary that which, from the nature of the case, noyer ean bo dotio well, Ho lag even put the poctry of Mo- "or “used up.” Is word resuscitate, ie Viera {uto prose, which to most French- mon must = keem more tka a crime thin oo mistake. Whatover our own opinion may bo as to the relative mur- fits of proso or poctry iu comedy, it inust be re- membered thut the prose plays of Molicre wero Jess successful than the povtical ones chiuily bo~ cause of thelr form, 1¢ would be ignoring a very important Intlucnce iu Moticro'a plays to regard them all aa having been originally pro- duced fu prose, Wo bave at least dono Mr, Van Laun the justice of considering only bis traus- lations of prosv plays. : Woe cannot close this noticc of Molicre and some aspects of lila Ife without directing the attention of readers little familiar with his writings to the fact that the nanic by which be is “everywhere kuown was assumed ‘ ategc. Ho was by birth and in private Poquelin, Like Voltaire, Chrysostom, und many others, be lived to tind tha ‘naing be had made for tilmeol moro famous than the ono thatwas mado for him at life birth, Asa description of his personal appearance and manners, which nong of the biograpules before ua glye Bo fully, the following scouts worthy to bo trauscrived from Voltalra: Ho was ucither corputont nor alender; alittle above medium hignt, sud had adignitied carriage and a flue leg, Ho walked heavily, and bad o very serious expression, ils nose was large, bis mouth wide, bis ilps chick, hig complexion brown, his os ubrows black and heavy, and the varfous movements which he gave to them made his fnco ex- tremely comical, at to bla guaracten, he was sweet, am{able, and genera Ta loved to ar ‘uc, Wheo ho read his playa to the company ho fikea to hava the actors bring their children, and be oftou took some blots from the natural qovoments of the latter.” ‘ (Mollere; By Mrs, Ollphautand F, A. Tavera, M.A. Philadelpbta: Livpincott. 1870, 103 p Wroo.. (Foreign clasates for Eogtish reulers, edited by Mrg, Oliphant, v. 6, cloth $1.) {Mollere, Jean Boptiste Poguelia de, Dre- matic works; trauslated by HI. Van editlaa, with, prefutory memoir, Introductory notices und notes, New Yorks it, Worthington. 1870. B yo, 49 p.; 507 p.; O11 p.; wineteen stecl 4 BO, clut! .75,)__ “Giplicre: Lhe fhe aia the Legend. Tus- (Molicros Lue Lauv. Now: trated. J. Brander Matthews. JAtppineott's Magazine for April.) NORTIY AMERICAN FISUES, Seren paniphtets compiled or edited by Prof. Dawdd, Jordan make some valuable contrihu- tions to our knowledge of the Nahes of North America. They arc, with two exceptions, printed’ by tho Governmont at Washingtan, (ssued oither as bulletins of ‘the Natlonal Museum or of the Hayden Survey. Prof. Jordan, it wilt be remembered, ts the author of the ‘Manual of Vertebrates,” recently noticed: fn theso columns, The pamphlets may be taken up separately, Fishes of Northern Indiana.—This paper is token entire froin the proceedings of the Acad: emy of Natural aclonces, of Vhiladelphia, ‘The material on which It Is based was collected in the atresia nnd cleat, doop Iakes of the northern part of Indlana, by Mr. Caleb Cooke, in the {utercat of the Peabody Muacum of Sctenco, and Dr. G. M, Lovette, {n the interest of the Indians Geological Survey. The collec tlan consists chiefly of atnall fist,—dartera, sun: fleh, and tminnowe—with the young of sone larger species, About sixty species are rep- resented, ‘Tie locallties collected fu are ‘all within s rnd{us of fifty miles, but on different Aldes, of the water-shed of Northern Indiana. Inall of these upland atreams and lakes the sh Tauva is casentioly the same, although In sume cases the waters flow to the Gulf of Mex- ico and tn others ty the Quit of St. Lawrence, On the other hand, between the fauna of t! upper course of the Wabash River and that of the lower, and between both and tho fauna of White River, there will bo no- Uced certain striking differences. ‘Teac facts tay be formulated ns follows: More specics of fishes are common to the head-watersof streame rising on different sides of the water-shed than are common to the ttpland and Jowland courses of the same stream.” In thle pamphlet is in- eluded guother paper by Prof, Jordan and Charles H. Gilbert “Un the Genora of North Ainerleau Fresh-Water Fisties.’ The chrono: logical order of the names of all the genera thus Jar proposed is here strictly observed. Follow- ing this a disctasion of aynunyme fs given, form- ing acompleto repository of information for tho, ready use of the naturalist, ‘This paper com- menus itecif at once to the conelacration of the {ehthyolugist 8s important, not only for rafpr- ence but as a contribution to knowledge, Contribution to Norte American Ichthyology. This pamphlet is Bulletin No. 9 of the United States National Museum, being a review of Ra- fluesque’s Memoirs of North American tishes. Raflnesque in his work on the fishes of Ohio seems to haye made fils colicctious in the sum- mer, ond to Lave described his specles the fol- Jowlng winter from memory, It ts also evident “that his measurements wero mado with the eye, Withuut the restraint of the tape-line. As aresult the descriptions are often inexact, al- though usually striking.” His works niso abound in misprints. Dr. Jordan observes: “that, making due allowance tor there facts, ond keeping jn mind the proposition, unjustly eontroverted by some writers, that. Hatinesque was not altogether a knave ora fool, I nave Buce ceerted tn identifying, more orless sutisfactosily, nearly all life spevics, and restoring to a num- ber of hig names n rightful priority.” Witheut doubt Prof, Jordan has completely viudicated Raflucsque, Avasslz hos alao something tosay on the matter: " Nothing fg to be more regretted for the progress of watural history in this cuun- try than that Rafincaque did not put up soine- where a collection of all the genera and apecics he had established, with well authenticated Jabols, or that his contemporaries did not fottow fn hts steps, or at Jeaat preserve the tradition of {3 dologs, Instead of decrying him und appeal- ing to farelgy authority against him, ‘Tracing his course ns a naturalist during his rcaldence in this country, it {6 plaia that tie warmed those with whom he find intercourse by bis innovations, and that they preferred to lean upon the authore ity of ‘the great naturulists of the age, then re- siding in Europe, who, however, kuew Jittic of the apeclul natural biatury in this country, than to trust a soinewhat linsty man who waa hying among them, and who hed collected o yaat amount of information fcom all parts of the States upona variety of objects eotirely: new to selence, rom what Lean learn of Kaflnesque dam gatisiicd that hots n better mon tian he appeared, Hig misfortune was his prurient desire for novelties, and his rashness in publish ing thein, and vet both fa Europe and America he untielpated tnost of his coutemporarics jn the discovery of new genera nnd species In those de- partments of scienco which he fas cultivated nlost perseverlugly, and itis but justice tu ro- atoring them to lim, whenever it cun be donc,” "This pamphlet contains alist of species described prior to Haflnesque’s observations, and closes with a list not noticed by him. Contribution, efe., No. 2—Bulletin No.-10 of ne National Museum follows the preceding work. It has been recelved with hizh com- mendation by naturalists, nud -will hold a high ‘yank ‘among the best of contributions to Ameri- van natural science, Unfortunately the work bus no preface. It contalns, however, the de~ scription of some sixty now or little-known ape- eivs of fish, and a aynopsis of the fresh-water ailuride (scateless tish) of North America, with a bibliography of tha latter. ‘This pamphlet ts Mlustrated with forty-five plates, extibluing scy- epty-four species. ‘The Hosertpnoe of specics {a aclentitically specific. It is hoped thut Prof, Jordan will note the modern revolution tn de- seription, und make uso of popular language where possible. There ote many .thit are inter- ested f0 natural history at the present tinia who are unable to understand sclentiic nnguage, ‘Partial Synopaia of the Fishes of Upper Goorgla, —This Js an interesting publication reprinted from ile annals of the New York Lyccum of Natural History. ‘The work ts rather more «te- serlptive than the others, yet potas Imoortant ng sumoof them, ‘The material on which It was based was ubtaincd by the weiter and his naslatant, Mr. Charles if, Gilbert, in a inonth’s residence und constant fleld-work at Rome, Ga. a week's aeining in the south fork of the Ocrm gee River ab Flat Rock, Gu., and a day's work tn tributaries of the Chattohoochee River, near Atlanta.” ‘Tho fish fauna wero found to differ materially. ‘The author yeritied a uumber of little known species *; consigned o “number of species to thu Hmbo of synonymy,” und mado known “9 few peculiar forms whieh are believed: to be new tosclence,” The pauphletie minus preface and lode: Notes ong Collection of Fishes from the Rio Grande, at Brownsville, Tezas.—This \ittle pamph- let {s the author's edition from the Butictin of Dr. Hayden's Geological Survey, Vol. 1V,, No. 2. Prof. Jordan remarks that “a small jar of fishes collected ot Lrowosvilie, Tex., has been lutely dlacoyered in overhauling the collections ofthe United States National Muscum, ‘The uame of the collector and the date of the collec. ton aro lost, and most of the specimens are In a poor condition from lony neglect; still o atudy of them hasadded something to our meagro knowledgo of the Aish-fauna of tha Rio Grande. With one or two exceptions the species havo all been described by Girard, often under several different names, in thetchthyology of the United Btatos und Moxleau boundary, Report ona Collection of Fishes Made in Da+ kota and Montana,—Thla pamoplitet is also taken from a Buttetin of the Hayden Burvey, Vol. IV, i No, 4. ‘The collection was mado by Dr. Eliott Coues, U.S. A. Dr, Cougs, the editor of the bulletin, says “Tho fishes worked up by Prof, Jordan in the present communication ropresent: probably about two-thirds of the collection made durlog ‘my connection with the Unlted States Northern Boundary Commission, the remainder of specimens having been lost ur tnlsfaid, Lam informed, however, that the series submitter to Prof, Jordan contalus some noveltics, raritive, und other apecimeus of suillcleut Interest deatr- able, The tahes taken were secured in. the waters of the Red und Mouse Rivors und somo of their aflluonts; others from the Mille River and vorthern tributaries, and partly from St. Alary's Rivor, Oulot Mountain Lake, etc. Catalogue of Fishes of the Fresh Waters of North America. —This nivst uaeful baraptilat ig athe author's dition taken from Vol, 4, No. 2, of the Bulletin of the Hayden Survey, It com- mends Itself at once as indispensable to the working ichthyologiat. "Phu catalogue eni- braces all those specics of fishes thua far known tofnuabit the fresh wators of North America, jpeladiin that part of Mexico which {s similar in {ta faunal cheracteristics to neighboring portions ofthe United States. . , . ‘Tho cinssillcar (fon throughout is that of Prof. Gitl, seemed best to adopt thil arrangement, rather than thatofany other authar, if for uo ather reason than thdt the present catalogua may bu readily compared with Prof, Gill's catslogue cf the tlabea of the Hust Couet of North America. ++ ¢ The number of nominal specles in- eluded {n this catalogua ts ond 157 wevera."” The formor catalogue of Jordan and Copeland contalocd 670 epecios and 150 genera, —— SONGS OF THE NORTIMWESTERN UNIVERSITY, » “Bongs of tha Northwestern Uutveralty * ta a volume of 180 pages. Its editor, Mr, J. A. Fisher, in January, 1878, published a card solic {tlug words and music for the collection, which was responded to by the alumni, undergradu- ates, and {rlends of the University, An Advis- ory Committeo, elected by the College Associa- ton, passed upon the merit of the contribu- tlous presented. Included in the work ts Part Third of “Carmiua Collogensia,". tho well- known college song-book, This par, contains tho songs of the English and: German stuccats fo common uso ln this countrs, ‘The hyain suog at the laying of tho corner- stone of tho Woman's Colleve, written by Emly Huntington Miter, s worthy the place it MAKCH 22, 1979---SLX'TKEN PAGES. has in thts volume, and thero are other good conteiimttons by M.C. Briggs, D. Dy Mrs, Elly Bughee, Mra, E. E. Marcy, etc.; but, as 4s usually the case Jp euch compflations, somo pieces of less merit aro contalued in this bouk. The dogeerel entitled ' Billy," and devoted to the old janitor of the University, {8 the most unfortunate flustration of bad taste and faulty composition in the yolume. (Pablished and for aule by George Mulr, Evanston, 11). Price, 82.) |, SOCIETY THK REDEEMED FORM OF MAN. Tho writings of Mr. dames are always philo- sophitcal, transendental, and mystical, “We never feo} quite sure tat we understand him, but are nlivays certain tlint if we do understand hin we cannot accept his speculations, His letters on “Boclety the Redeemed Form of Man" are suggestive, nnd may have helped hls friend out of many religious difficulties. For ouractyes, wo frankly say that they abow the way foto o wilderness from which it Is not casy to emerge without huylng fost the polnta of compass, If pot the consctousness of peraonst identity. The author thinks man naturally estecme sclf- indulgence and crime’ the highest good, and that his freedom cores from the revelations of the soleitual world, He atill deems it, however, across heresy to hold fhat man's “destiny? is determ'ned by anything extrancous to his own freedom and ratlonallty. As a follower of 8wedenborg, he, of coufae, confounds self-luve with ascliisiness. He defines “Intinite love’ to be “freedom from self-tove,” In Letter Fifth Mr. James tolis, of a sudden deimorall- zation of biusclf, amountluy almost to ** complete moral imbecility,” which came upon hin one day while he was sitting in his chalr. and from which he didnot escape until be bad spent some time at a * famous water-cure,” and was advised to study tle weltlige of Bweden- borg. He followed tbls advice, aud was thus conducted Into the vecullar spiritual world from which be writes to his “friend! His physician who sent bin to the water-curee dently thought him op the borders of insanit; but he did not so judge, and now he looks ba to that myaterlous experience as the beglunlyy ot his now life, or ot Jenst a apecia) oreparation for tt, To follow bistreasonings and specula- Uons from that period onward would be to trace the history of a peculiar infud turough the mazes of what scems tq us @ brilliant but dazed futeltect in ite yg Mr, Jumes, while protesting agains} Pautheisin, appeara to us to pitch bis tent Iqom stuge to stage along the border of the Pduthelstic land. In oue thing, at east, ho la thoroughly conalstent,—in his averston tu those forms of ‘religion usually termed “evangelical.”: ‘Khe book ts far from being weak or coctemptiole, It eviuecs much thought in ite pecultar Une, and will be bighly relished by a cortaiy clase of readera, ‘To those who, Ilke ourselyes, plod along in the plane of taucible realities, it will prove less satisfactory perhaps, because they are incapable of grasping and holdingdts attenuated thoughts. Society is not yet far enough “redeemed” to come into coumntuntion with Mr. Jatnes’ spiritual ideas, and Wo appreheva that the progress towards such a consummation, bleesed or otherwise, js not likely to be rapid In this futensely practical age. (*Bneloty the eemed Form of Man, und the Earnest of God's Omnlputence in Hu- man Nature: ailirmed ‘in Jettere to a iriend.? By i, James, Sr. Boston: Houghton, Oegoud & Co,, 1879, 485 p., 8yo., cloth, $2.) it W. P, BOOKS RECEIVED. JounnaL or THE Puaaue IN Lonpow. Hy Danlel Defoo. (Franklin Square Library.) New York: Harper & Bros. - Paper, 10 cents, Danisn Deron, By W. Minto. (Euglish Mon of Letters Series.) New York: Harper & Bros. 107 pages, i2mo., cloth. Price, 75 venta. GLnaninas or Past YEans, 1843-78, By the Rt. Hon. W. E. Gindstouc. 6 vols., 10mo.; price per yol,, $1, New York: Charles Scrip- ner’s Bons, Britis Ponts (Riveralde Edition). Gay's Pootieal Works. 1 yol., crown 8yo., $1.75. Montgomery’s Poetical Works. 2vols,, crown Byo., $8.50." Boston: Houghton, Osgood & Ca, BisManew IN THE; FRANCO-GERMAN WAT, Au authorized translation from the German of Dr. Moritz Busch. 9 yols., 8vo. $4. New York: Charles Seriouer’s Sous, ‘ Herovotus. Storea from Herodotus and the seventh book of the history; with Encllsh notes by Rubert P. Keep. = Neiv York: Harper é& Bros., 1879, 338 p. maps; lim. Cloth, $1.60. Epucation as A Scrunce, By Alexander Bain, LID. Lyol. Wme., 453 pages. Clotn. Price, 8175,» (Forming No. 25 of “The Inter- national Seicutl pleton& Co, © Tue Aw or tne Akronines, By the Rey.’ W. Wolle Cave: zA., Reader of Ancient His- tory in the Unive: ie of Oxford. 1 vol, Iino, 1. (Epocha of Ancient iistory Series.) New York: Charlea Scribner's Sona. Tuomas Canty; His Lirg—Hlis Booxs— Mis ‘Trxontgs. By Alfred H. Guernsey, 1$ino., paper cover, Price, 80 cents. (fornia No. 25 of Appletons' “New Jandy-Voluine Berles.”) New York: D. Appleton & Co. Rust on ‘fue Vorce. The Philosophy of the Human Volce, Embracing tts Physfologieal AWistory, together with o system of principics by which criticisms on the art of elocition may be rendered fatelligible, snd fustruction definite wud comprehensive, To whict {s sdded a brief analyala of song und recitation. By James Rush, M.D., author of a Naturat (story of the In- tellect,” etc, Buyouth edition, revised. 8vo., extractoth, $3.05, Phitadelphia; J. B. Lippin- vot & Co. LITERARY NOTES. An article by Alfred 8. Mason, of Chicago, on “The Abolition of Poverty," fs announced to appear in the Muy number of the Atlantic Monthly, Jules Simon's “Government of M, Thefra” ts fle Berber) New York: D, Ap- well advanced at Charles Scribner's Sona, and, will ba ready for buyers ina short tne. It isin tao octayo volumes, No poriad of history haa caualled the prescut century inthe number and xeal of {t6 collec- tions; Indeed the word “Biblomanta" dates from Didain, who coined it. “La Pitte Supreme,” the latest poom of Vic~ tor Hugo, treats of the wretchednoss rather than tho crime of tyranta and kings in general, who are thus fit objects of the Supreme pity. an poem {s said to be full of majesty and eaUty. A carecapondent of Science Gosal; “Slave we a suying elmilar to the one frequent- jy made uso of in Rome, viz. ‘Bt, Catherino's (Noy. 25) weather tsChrlatmas weather.!t ‘thera the peasanta look for tho same weather on Chriatmas Day aa on Now, 25.” Dr. Bopjamin Richardson, {nan article on “Health ahd Recreation,” In the Popular Selence Monthly for April, holds that there Is no real distinction between piay nnd work, aud advo- cutes the introduction of the recreational elu- ment {nto all our occupations, The sccond volume in the socrles of Mves of Aterican authors which Sheldou & Co, aro pub- Hehing will be a Lifo of Willlam Cullen Bryant, y Prof. D. J. Hill, of Lewisburg Universit; ‘Tue book will have 250 pages, and.a atecl pi trait of Uryaut. [t will be tssued immediately, A scries of small volumes on classical and En- glia writers, for use in schools, ia fa prepara- tlon at MaeMillan & Co's, Two of them—* Eurip- ides” und Milton” —with be ready this month, Atong athers announced ara “ Herod- otus,*® *Demosthenos," ‘ Virgil," “ Horace," “Cicora,”? “Bacon,” “Spenser,” and -* Chau- cer? ‘ . Mr, Matthew Arnold has collected a number of bly recent papers into s volume which Mac. millon vi publish this week with tho title “Mixed Essays.” ‘She work will Include the essaye on Democracy, Eauality, Irish Cathol- Iclsm, und Britieh Liberalism which have ap- peared In the Noveteeuth Century aud the Contem- porary Lieview. ‘ In refercnce to tho Ines on the Bible printed Inge. week, a correspondent of Noles and Queries writes: ‘This point has been long settled, ‘The Jinve are Beott's, and, as your correspondent says, to be found in *The Monastery,’ whence, wv would scem, Byron copied then foto hia Bible. I may say that ‘The Monastery’ was published tu the beginning of March, 1820," A school-book to bu used Ia Southern achoole, for excrclsca in roading and oratory, 1s pub- Mebed by A. 8, Barnea & ‘Tho oxtructs aro from the writings of Southern authors, and the 0 thoruughly sectional, Amon asks; book ts sald to the writers represented are Siducy Lauler, Paul He Sam Houston, Alexander H, Hayao, Stephens, Wedu Hampton, Senator Lamar, and J. Proctor Kuott. THe Fblishers Weekly offers the follow lug explanation of a strange newspaper rivalry? “On Saturday, March athe ‘Tribune, and ye Monday, March 4, the Times, Introduced a ane, ie flor novelty ia book advertising, opentny epertal notices? columns of the editorial, at a reduced charge, to tities of fsaued within three months aud previously fully advertised. ‘Thu {dea of the plan is to give pub- Nshers an opportuulty, at reasouabic rates, to keep ucw books louger before the publle,—cer tainly 9 good idea. As the Zimesteaued o cir cular descriptive of the now plan the itddle of Jagt wigth, wunouucing it fer March 4, 16 was aupposed thatthe Tribune had taken the idea from the circular aud drawn the enemy's fire, the ‘courtesy of the trade? not holding in Journulfam; we hear, however, that the new Teature, na atarted last week, was full planned by the Trine oflice, tn consultation with lead- iy publishers, three years aco,’! “Every Man His Own Poet; or, The Ingptred Binger'a” Reclps Took." vy a Nowdlzate Prize- man, is published by A. Williams & Co., Bos- ton. If any man or woman wishes to Lea Aweet Singer of any place, this ts the book to tell him or her how tobe the aume. It is an exceedingly clever brochure, taking upeach of the leading Engilsh pocts, avid giving a recipa for wriving verses like his. ‘The book (6 not generally at- tributed to W. H, Matlock, author of The New Republic”? “Templeton,” the Boston correspondent of the Ilartford Courant, writes: Lam told pret- ty positively by a lady who professes to know that we ore all wrong in ateributiny the authors ship of ‘Signor Monaldini's Nicco’ to Miss Fletcher, She saya it was written uM Miss ‘Tincker, a lady living in Rome, Misa ‘fincker isa native of ‘Augusta, Me, She bevamo con- verted to the Itomnn Catholle religion several yous ago, and sou alter took uo her residence in Rome. Sha has written for the Catholic Word, and had astory In a recent number of 2eppincotPa Magazine. I think, but am not Bure, thatthere isa novel of hers {n the Lelsure- Hour serics of Holt & Co. She basa sister in this city who fs a lady of rare accomplishments, and was the secretary of the Committee having charge of the recent Carnival uf Authora in ald of the Old South fund, I have read a manu- seript play of this Boston Miss Tincker which is very clever, and much better then the average pieces which obtalu representation on the stage, Isond you this gossip ahout the authorship of the above-named novel for what It {8 worth. Mr, Niles is very shrewd in getting theae No- Name books talkcd about, und this one better Meares itthan almost any story iu the se it SPARKS OF SCIENCE. AGE OF THE WORLD, ‘The Academy. Geologists, astronomers, and physicists alte have hitherto been bailied in thelr attempts to set up any satisfactory kind of chronometer which will approximately measure geological time, ond thus give us some clew to the an- fIquity of our globe, It 1s thercfore worth noting that Mr. Mellard Reade, of Liverpoul, has Iotely contributed to the Royal Society a very suggestive paper, m which he endeavors to grapple with the question by employing the lime- stone rocks of the carth’s crust as au index of feological time. Limestones have been jn coursa of formation from the carliest known geological pertods, Lut i¢- would appear that the later- formed strata are moro calcareous than the carter, and that there hag, in favt, been a grad- ually progressive increase of calcareous matter, ‘The very extensive deposition of carbonate of Hme over wide areas of the ovcan-botiom at the present day fa auiliciently attested by the recent. soundings of the Challenger. According to the autbor’s estimate, the sedimentary crust of the earth Is ot least ore mile in average actual thickness, of which probably one-tenth consists calcareous matter. In seeking the origin of this calcareous matter, jt is assumed that the primitive rocks of the original crust wero of the nature of granitic or basaltic rocks. By the dislategration of such rocks, calcareous anil other sedimentary ueposits haye been formed. ‘The amount of ifme-salts in waters which drain districts mode up. of granites and basalts is found, by s comparison of analyses, to be on an averaze about 3.78 parts tn 100,000 parts of water. It is further assumed that the exposed areas of {gneoue rocks, tein au average throughout all geological time, will bear to the exposures of sedimentary rocks a ratio of about one tonine. From these avd other data Sir. Reade concludes that the elimination of the calcareous matter now found in ol) the scdl- mentary strata must have uccupled at least 000,- 000° of yeara. ‘This, therefore, represents the minimum ave of the world. The author fufers that the formation of the Laurentian, Cambrian, and Silurian strata must Lave vecu- pled about 200,000,000 of yenra; the old red sandstone, the carboniferous, nnd the polki- litic systems, another 200,000,000; und all the ther strata,’ the remaining 200,080,000. Mr. Rendo 1a, therefore, fed to helleva tuut geoloz- {eal timo bas been enormously in excess of the Umits urged by certain physicists; and that tt has been amplo to allow for all the changes which, ou the hypothesis of evolution, have oc- curred tu the orzante world. THE PRAXINOSCOPE.: Gahgnonts Messenger. Every one Is probably more or tess acqualnted, with the instrament by which the fdea of contin- uous motion [s conveyed to the eye from plet- ures, Two disks are arranged at a suitable die~ tance, In one of which is a narrow slit, and on the other drawings representing the various positions of any actlon,—a horse Jumping, ctc. ‘The peratstence of the luminous fmoressions on the retina produce on the ylsual orguns the sen- eation of a continuous picture animnted by the yarlous phases of the movement Intended to be represented. The phenomena {a one uf the most curlons in the whole range of optical expert- ments, But the ingenloua fnstrumente hitherto produced all cousist in the employnent of nar- row openings which, besides reducing the Neby in considerable proportions, aud, consequently, the clearness and briJliaucy of the picture, neces- sitates the rapid revolution of the latter to a degree which exuggerates thy quickness of the inoyements represeuted, because, If turned more slowly, the fatermittenee of vision would not permit the formation of a ¢ontinuous {mage on the reting. In the ppariposcane, a nano elven toit by tts luyentor, |. Reynaud, from two Greek words meaning: respectively “actlon®® and “to look at,’? the subatitution of one picture for another fs effect- ed without auy interruption of vision or any sensible loss of light. ‘The anparatus consists of ap upright polygonal box, flxed ona atuud, the yatlous faces of which are tormed of pieces of louxing-glass placed side by side soos to con- stitute s prism or mirrors, Outside that reflect- ing surfece isa movable circular tray, equal in hight. to. the prism, but exuctly double in its dismeter, On the interlor aurfaco of the tray are placed a series of desizus on the samo sub- Ject In the different phases of an action, and so arranged that cach of them correspunda to one faco of the prism, A small winch 18 attached to give arotary motion to the circular box, and a very moderate speed suilices to produce the sub- atitntion of the pictures, und the animated illu- sion fs apparenton the mirrora yery clearly and diatinctly, with remarkable rerularity, of moye- ment, M, Reyuaud states that thy Instrument is vapable of rendering great services to optical suience, It will facilitate the study of the con- traat of colors, the persistence of impressions, ete., a8 the changea produced by it can bo ellect- ed sith great rapldity if required. CAPT, COOK'S ACCURACY, Acorrespondont of Nature writes: “ Apropos of your orticls on the centenary of Capt. Cook's death, it may bo intercathig to call at« tention to Lis remarkable accuracy in determin- {ng the positiona of places laid down In his charts, There ts greet contrast between hia accuracy and the evident curalessuesa of sone more recent navigators, Some years ago when I wos selling inthe Pacific we wero one day approaching the recorded position of an {sland which no ono on board our vessel had secu. Iwas conversing with the Captain, and asked him whether he expected to find ft in its recorded place. To this he replied: 11 ure to be there, for Capt, Cook determined {ta post- tion; and although 1 have been now a good many years iu the Preifie, I have never ge found “him wrong, Hod {) been the United States Exploriug Expedition which determined {ta place, 1 should haye thought the chances juat avons equat as to whether it is right or Wrong.’ There {s, unfortunately, too much Froud for the remark about the observations of Admiral Wilkes’ Expedition, Thoso who hayo had opportunities to test the work donu by {t know: that it ts too often moat Inaccurate, Quantity of work rather than the quality of It apovare to have been the rule with the uaviga- tors who conducted Unat expedition. J belleve all Cook's work was worthy of bis reputation,’? ——— , WEATIER PROPHETS, Prof. Loomis, of Yale College, baving written @ paper ou ' Storm-Warnings,” in which bo east somo doubt on the value of the predictions furnished by the Now York Jlera’d, thut Journal has just printed an editorial casting the most fogultliye raproaches un the Professor. He ts advised to grow cabbages, and is styled a aclun- tifle donkey, etc, Prof, Looms asserts that tha great mujority of storms from America pass in ao northeasterly direction, clear of the Britisu Teles, and that the chances against a ‘“Jow~ pressure centro” traversing any ‘part of En- glund are ving to ond, ond agalnat {ta causing o gole or fresh breeze woar the English coust six and two to ong, respectively, His couclusfons are that the warnings are far from reliable, und fa {ndirectly supported by un English sathortir- Qn tie other hand, the feraid “weatber-proph- et’ asserts that by the official metcorolugical Dulletiua published dally In Evglund und France, out of fi(ty-ninw wornlnge scut to Loudea be- tween Feb, 14, 1873, and Feb. 14, 1870, 21 per cent were conipletely fulfilled, 10 yer cent were nearly {alMNed, 11 percent were partialty ful- filled, aml Bue cent wero failures, And that, therefore, the value of all the falfllments amounta to over 92 per cent. GETTING RID OF SNOW IN CITIES, More than cight years oo the city authatities of London offered a prize for any invention which would enable them to get rid of anow in the streets. Seventeen schemes were eubmit- ted. The successful apparatus was ot once erected and has beon in operation every year since, It consists simply of an fnelined plate of fron, fixed below o manhole leading to the main sewer, Under this plate aro ranged gas- burners. ‘The snow carted frotn the adjoining thoroughfares is shoveled down the manhole grating, falls ou the heated plate, is reduced to water, nud passes away down the ¢ewer. ‘The consumption of gas is very mudernte, atid the cust fa anid to be mucliless than that incurred by carting away the snow on the old aystemn ‘The apparatus, says the Hngineer, haw proved ex- tromely succasaful, and the invention deserves tobe widely adopted. PRYLLOXERA. Italy appears to baye lost Its head from dread of o visitation of the Phylloxera, the restrictions on the fmportation of avy plant and from any quarter being rigidly carried out. Even the con- slgamcnt of the newly-discovered giantle Avoid frum Sumatra, recelved fn Genoa, was subject to formalities and delays before permission could be obtained. .Vafure states that in some places gentlemen must dispense with the ordinars Hloral decorations in their buttun-lules. On the Freuch troutler no one is allowed to gather s bouquet of wild flowers on furelzn soll and take {t across the border, for feur the imuch- dreaded pest should exist fait. All setentific reason appears to be at an end in the minds of the Italian Government ollicials. No onecan biame the Itallaus for endeavoring, by all means, to prevent the introduction of the “Phyloxern into thelr country, but they might display a lit- tle common sense discrimination. SCIENCE NOTES, Gen, Myer (our * Old Probabilitics ”) has pre- sented M. W. de Fonyielle with an improved weather-Indicator in acknowledgment of the services rendered by him during the French Ex- hibition in pgputarizing the principles adopted by the United States Sfenal-Office. This weather-Ind{cator will be exposed in the slop of M. Sccretan, the optician of ont Neuf, in Parts, and forecasts dafly published according to the incthod adopted by the Sigal-Ofilee in the several American farmera’ post-officcs, ‘The Counell of the Royut Geographical Society have presented a remarkable memorial ‘to HH. M. Commlssioners of the University of Oxford, to those of Cambridge, and to the Governing Bodies of either Cniversity.” The ourden of this inemorial is that steps ougat to be taken for the establishment of professorships of geoura- phy in the two universities, ‘The memoria} puints out forcibly und justly the feuoranve of Beography in {1s highest sense, in England, where {tls commonly confounded with mero topography. A very simple method of preserving post- tertinry bones {a to palot them with gum, whict: should be os clear nnd colortess og possible. ‘This 1s an easy and inexpenslve, und, a8 1. know from experience, an effectual, way of nresery- ing them. It makes them very strong, and enaples them to bear any reasonable amount of handling, ‘Thegum must be thin, or it will give the bones a shiny. vartished appearance. All fogsits which are Hable to cramble and fall to piccea may be proserved in the saine way. A correspondent of Sclenca Gossip writes; “T pave found a blackbird's nest with four thrushes’ cogs and Ove blackbirds’ in it; algo o wren’ nest in the roof of a thatched sned. In side, cantaining several eggs of the common wren as well as three ees of the house epor- row: I have also several times found plivasants’ and partridgea’ cage In the same uest, but tn none of theso cases have I discovered which bird ultimatel: brant up the brood, as} ro- grot to aay in those days 1 used to take ull the eggs I found,” ‘The best way to killa small reptilian or ba- trachion is to put the animal inte u pial whiel is of just sufficient size, together with a plece of folded blotting-paper, eaturated with chloro- form, and then pince the bottle for » few inlnutes out of the sight of Indies and children, Death will speedily result from usphyxte. ‘The specimen should then be preserved in inethy- Jatud spirit, which may be diluted to the extent, of, say, 25 per cent with water. ‘Lhe addition of the water will very ikely make tite liquid thick with atr-bubbies, but these will disappear in a few hours. An unusually brilliant meteor was acen {a the north of England on Monday morning (Feb. 22) at about twelyc minutes toSo’eiuck, It {s de- scribed ns a pear-shaped ball of firo in the north- ero heavens, which traveled slowly downwards towards the horizon, und emitting acintMlations and a lignt of great brilllancy ulmost equal to that of day, 60 great indeed that it fs said the smaltest print could have been read. ‘The iieht having disappeared, & sound described by some asresembring the discharge of lcavy cannon, and by others as that of the rumbling of distant thunder, was hoard, but (u ati cases it seeing tu have been sufficiently violent to rattle windows, ete., nnd tu have ralsed yarlous speculations a8 to what could be the cause, some ascribing it to an earthquake, others to luhening, while others who saw the meteor set ft to the account of thut unearthly yisito lure. a THE SCARCITY OF FISH. Curoago, Ik—Zv the Editor of the Chieago Filed; In strolling among our fish markets one cannot but notico the scarcity of fish, On in- duleing the cause, the fish deatera say {t 1s ow- fug to the shell {ce near the shore on cach side of the Jake, and that Green Bay is not yet open. Upon inquiring why they did pot get trout and whitefish from Lake Superior, tho reply was that the freight was too high, and -that our whitefish caine from the Detrolt Hives, where, the competition was great, and consequently fish ond eggs were dear jn our markets fn this lenten season. Ispprehend the cause. for the scarcity of fish fies much deeper, and is of o more permanent character. The supply of Iako Nan (trout nnd whitetish) Is rapidly giving out from various causes. First, from the enor- mously facreased demand from the Increase of population; and, secondly, frain the fminense destruction of the young from the various causce that did not formerly exist. Aton carly day there wero no plera or treakwatersion the lakes, uuder shelter of which ia ow the paradisa of nerch, that destroy millions of young. whiteflsh, and which, notwithstanding the vast numbers that are taken by hand-nets and Hines, ard con~ sequently on the tnereaso, Agulu, a few days ago, whon our river broke up, millions of young whitellah were found alongside of the wharfa, undduntealy seateorent by the suwverage froat the clty, as Vt kilisall the fla atong down the Opies Riverto which the camat earrfes the water of the Chicago River for drainage. The Calumet Rivor, with its rendering estab- Mshments, undoubtedly tcaps the youns iish from oecending the stream, or destroya them from the sane cause os the Chicago Itlver, and soitmay be with other streams on either side of Lake Michigan. I§ must bo remembered that Lake Michigan !8 about cightcon luches lower than usual, and that the fev this winter waa abuttt that thickuess, contractiug the depth of the water fin the streams that enter into the lako threa feat, and cantining the gases of citics, raudering establiahmenta, ete, undoubtedly de- atroylng vast numbers of the young tlihes that uaually mako theae places their homes, and they may well exclaim with Webater, Where am I to go?’ But this docs net account for the scarcity of marketablo flah ut pres- ent. ‘The searclty, bewldes the Inter ference of icv just. at preacnt fu sut- tug the nets fy tho lake, results in a wreat mens- ure from the pound nets set atl louy the shore extending out aie or wore) catching all the Nat, both great and stall, a3 they micrate from, ‘one pluce to another, owlus to the enal/uese os” the meshes nareport to Legislature of Noy York by the Fish Comuntestoners of thut State, made a few years ago, they stated that these nete had ao exhausted the fish on the American aide of Lake Ontarlo that that Kind of Hating had been abandoned, while on the Catadlan side of thut lake, where they were prohibited, Mal wera never more plantifitl. ‘The same wos troy of the shad in the Tudson River, which had be- come nearly extingusted, until the Leytlature put a stop to it iu various ways, butin a great Icaagurety: Foquictns the meshes of the nuts to bo greatly enlarged, aluce which tine shad have not been so plentiful in tity years as now, Again, te gilh nels aut upon the bottom of car great lakes, geucrally aru mada of forty-four one und @ quarter finch meshes (about flvo feot In hight), which aro for too small, as they catch too many of the small fish bafore they haya attulued sufliclont aiza to bu vatuuble for thu market, It fa like Killing spring: chickene just out of the shall. A United States law ia the only remedy for this, as tho neta ure set beyond State {nmulction. We recently baa to pay dobu Bull, Esq. for puaching on bis grounds (tye millions) s sua sufticient to have stacked cyery lake aud atream on this continent, whether wet or dry, und L seo by the papers that Congress la going to improve komo Of Lhe latter, Upon whisk it ig hoped they will bulld ** Oshwaya” eo the fish can cflmb.in to water. {Ilnols needs aFish Commission: of three members, similar to her slater States. She has Comtnlesloners for every cancetyabla hurpose under the sun except this, the moat ims; portant of all, - ier boundaries are skirted » the = Mississippi, «= Olfo,, and Was bash = Rivers, omt. to — protect them. * it will peed the co-operation of the States hors.” dering on them; as our Constitition docs not allow apecial legislation in such mattera, we can only maxe n general law .comprising tho °.- water wholly within the State, The flaherics on the Pacifle ‘Ocean are rapidly giving out from the exceasive canning for foreign markets, over 000 nien boing employed {u this ovcupation in ‘ashington Territory aud ‘the State of Orecon- * stone. In that quarter we sliall soon have to turn to Alaska, with its moro seacoast thatl the rest of the United Statcreenbined (4,000 miles), its one river of over 2.000 -ttles of navicabla waters, and its tarritury one-tenth as Inrgo as the Unitad Siates, here on his way to Alaska what-on garth he bought that country fort He repled “ For. tta’ flaherics, a8 wo tlicreby contralicd the fish- erica of =the § Paciile, for all comin time, which fs rapidly becoming evident." He aleo mentioned the tur trade. Bue £ sce Tam Uhgressingy but would remurk that the, doctora tell us that {a seven yeara there fa not a particle of the human anatomy loft that we be- gan that period witts fonly thes can’t s mas sont {o the Penitentiary forten years get vatona habeas corpus, os there is none of tie original slaner left), aud also they tell ts that fieh pro- duces more brain than any other food. _ Accopt-. ing thls as true, and viewing the proceedings at Washington, in and out of Congrens, Jn our State Legislatures, Boarde of Couaty Commis- slonere, Common Connells, and in the ' profes- sions,” itis clear that the salvation of this country depends upon a large cousumption of fish, aid their multiplication und preservatiun Isamatter in which the whole people are inter~ ested, as a question of food. Expecting to trouble you more in the near futare, £ will close TOW, CALAMINE. MYSTERY OF THE GYROSCOPE. James McCarroll’s Pretented Discovery n Jiumbug—todles in Motion Havo Just.tho Ramo Weight ax Whon at Rost. amertoan Mutiders oye We read the following fa the New York Herals of Jan. 253 : A NEW LAW OF MOTION—AN EXPosttion oF Tia NYSTRIUTS OF THE GYNOscOPE, The dtecovery of anew Jaw of motion at this time of the day might be considered somewhat apueryphal, and thata clear rolutionof tho myto- ries of the gyroscope was not within the graspof thy ordinary man of letter. Ant yetone of onr citizens of Irivh birth, Mr, Jamox McCarroll, appcars to havo demonstrated Io ene and to have ace, complished the other, We proofa of which, so lar an we ate able to Jude from a hasty glance, now Ne before us, Mr. McCarroll averg that afl bodies moving in right Hnes thanze thelr distanca from Whe contre of gravity, and, consequently, tacle weightatevery moment; and that, when moving Incarves, whether concentrte with the circles of the earth or otha-wise, the tangential forces, an-' tavonlzing with that. of gravity. serves to chanyo tuelr weight also, SHence Ne Jaye It down asa fourth law of motion that **A body fa of untform welght when at rest ovly."’ Intclation to the mysterious problem of the gyrozcope,~-which has, we belleve, nover been Ratisfactorily solved previonsly,—n's solution $4 seemingly quite clear, In fact, he uppears to de- jwonetrate that a vertical wheel in mution docs nat press upon the snme pomts of its bearings that it does when 1t {4 at rest, from the faet, ua ne alleges, that oll the particles of imatter In the poriphery on one side of the wheel haven tendancy to fly off ot various angles in the ine of the earth's gravity, ant one of them directly in that tino; while a)l the particles in the other half of the periphery have n tendency 10 Dy off inncontrary di rection. eetablishing an ‘anequal distribution of forcee upun the axis and a minus and piita side of the wheel, —4 un tho ono side we have the earth's gravity, ping the tangential foree of tho wheels ind ou the other its gravity, minus that, forcs ‘This onc» ndmitted, the motion ot ale eee ia ring on which the vertical whee! revalves ty appiire cut at once; for the, «in. being free to oucy any Mibuige aren te In ite own plane, simply retices | befure the plug side uf tho wheel, and iu @ direce Non contrary to thu revolution of the wheel itecif. In explanation of the mystertone manner in which the whole weight ef the gyroscope is sustained on one aldo of the ‘upright plyot “upon which tho small projection. from the. horizontal ung Mr. MeCarroli rosta, freely. soye that, when the vertical wheel is made (to ro- tafe wo rapidty that the tangential forca ts in oxecss of that of gravitation on tite Whole niass, both ring and wheel will reniain enspended without any ma- terial support on one side of the upright,-and bo carried round the pivot upun which the projection from tho ring reste, revolving moro rapidty os the tangential force of thu whuel decreases and {8 tho more readily bent out of Its plane, ‘until, falling below the force exercised upon the whole maxd by the gravity of the earth, both ring and whee) vexin to gradually describe downward the arc of a circle vertical toa tne tangent to the oarth's surface, with thy pivot for ita tentre, and the arts of “tho wheel, togotuer with thé projection of the ring, forts radius, until ot last the exbausted mass tuutbles to the ground, After reading the above, vo wrote down 8 faw of the eatient puints which proved the error of what Mr. McCarroll calls 9 fourth Iayof motion, amd sent it to the Jéera’d for publication; its iu- sertion, hotwever, was rofuscd. Somuch forthe desire of that paper to do justice for the sake of scientific truth, Mi ‘ This pretended new Jaw of motion, claimed to have been {ust discovered, Is an old error, easily disproved by direet experiment, and, besides, is utterly contrary to sll principles “of correct selence. The very hypothesis, that bodics ia motion tose part uf thelr welght, was propound- ed fo 1853 a8 an explanation of the mation of tie gyruscope, and thoroughly discussed at several successivo meetiugs of the Mechan- test Inatituta {un New York, We quickly set- ted the matter by placing a gyroscope on the sunle of a balance, and showing that {ts welche was exactly the game whether it Iald stil or was rotatitiy an [ts plyot; which proycd that tha onty diferenco: was that, during the rotation, the plvat carrled all the weight of the revolving disk, and that, consequently, the weight wos not In the least dimluistied during the rotation, But, on a little retlection, It ts even a priort clear that the assertion, * A body fa af uniform weight when at rest only" (caited a fourth law of mation), must be utterly falac. Aro put, by the daily rotation of the earth, all the bodles ‘an {ts surface In rapid motion? Bodies under the Equator move In twenty-four hours througls a distance of 25,000 miles, or more than 1,000 miles au hour—s yeiocity surpassing twenty times that of the siiftost express-traln, They do not Joso more of thelr weluht than ia due to the centrifuga) tenden- ey produced by the curve they describe, which curve ia a part of a circle so lures thut, practivally, for the distance of several milea it may be considered ay a strafght Ine. ‘Nhe theory of the moon, established by Newton, proves that this body, which moves with o velocity of more than 2,000 imilea per hour through a much larger clrele, is attracted by the earth precisely as much aa IE she stood stilt; indved, if thle were not the cago, ic can be proved that then she would ily off ac a taugont, ant our earth would Jong ago have lost Ler qaogk. But perhaps Mr. McCarroll docs not bellave in the rotation of the earth, vor in the great dis- tauce of the moon, which ts Iiely Judging frons hig crudy theorles, In that case we polnt out to htm the fact that a cannon-ball, when projected horizontally from aneluvation, descends just as tmuch wyery second of fta Might os it would if siuyply allowed [to fall perpendicularly, — thut 4s, very nearly 16 feat in the iret sucond, 8W16 or 45 fect in the socond, 5415 or 75 feet in the third, 713 or 105 fect {n the fourth, and so on, Howevur, o alzht deduction must be made in the Iatter numbers, by reson of tho resistance of the alr, which In- creases ug the square of tho velocity, Now, if the terrostrial attraction on the Norizontally- moving ball were fess than It isona ball not thus moving, it would descend Joas In every second; but, 49 the descent fs the same, Wo must con. clude that Its rapid horlzonal motion does not diuninishs ts eravity In the least. 1f, now, even acapnon-ball, moving at tho rate of some 3,000 feet per second, does not loeo ite welgnt, much Jesu will the royolviing diak of o wyroscupe. "fhe above will suflico to show that the author of thut pretended Jaw af motton has no knowl. edge of the elementary principles of nutural philosophy, vor of mechauteal science, But thle iA oot the first time that porsons have cove for- ward with the belfef that they had discovered: aomuthing vew and correct. ‘The law clulmed to tava been discovered by Mr, McCarroll ia netther tiew nor true; It is, fu fact, an old, exploded error, A Gon, Grant's Return—Vhiladelphiln Already Proparlug to Welcome I New York Herald's Palladetpata telegram, The Cy Goverumens of Philudelplitu ty ale ready beetnninye to prepare to Welcome ex-Presi~ dent Grant in the Uriltiant ovation which hy will doubsiess recelye when he lands at San Frau- cisco, Several months ugo a special Cominittes of Councils was appointed to arrange for clits ofticlul reception, und to-day the Cuatrman of this Comunittce, Col. Charles Thompson Jones, called the gentlemen together to ascertain what orrangements are to bu made for going to Sau Fruucteco to meet the ox-President. Gen, Graut, Col, Jottes sald, bad declared when he salted from Piiladetphfa that he considered this city hla uowe, end {¢ wow, therefore, incumbent ow tho representatives of Philadelphia to greet bim on bla return. ‘The Chutraiun stated thet trans~ portation willbe furalated to Sau Franclaco, euch inember to pay histucidental expenses, ond + that Gov, Hoye and Slavor stukley will accoms pany the oarty. Owlup to Lie abgtuice of ADU By of mewbyre the Cuumimiteye adjourned wuld ‘sluay. % T asked Gov, Seward when | ’