National Academy of Sciences.-A scientific session of the Academy was held in New York, at the Columbia University, beginning November 17, 1896, at 11 o'clock, A. M.

The following papers were read: "On Certain Positive Negative Laws in their Relation to Organic Chemistry," A. Michael; "The Jurassic Formation on the Atlantic Coast," O. C. Marsh; "The Hydrolysis of Acid Amides," Ira Remsen; "The Isomeric Chlorides of Paranitroorthosulphobenzoic Acid," Ira Remsen; "The Equations of the Forces Acting in the Flotation of Disks and Rings of Metal, with Experiments Showing the Floating of Loaded Disks and Rings of Metal on Water and on Other Liquids," Alfred M. Mayer; "On the Geographical Distribution of Batrachia and Reptilia in the Medicolumbian Region," E. D. Cope; "On the Solar Motion as a Gauge of Stellar Distances," S. Newcome; "Memoir of F. B. Meek," C. A. White; "The Evolution and Pylogeny of Gastropod Mollusca," A. E. Verrill; " On Flicker Photometers," O. N. Rood; "A New Type of Telescope Free from Secondary Color," C. S. Hastings; "A Graphical Method of Logic," C. Pearce; "On Mathematical Infinity," C. Pearce.

A reception was given to the Academy by Mrs. Henry Draper, on the evening of Wednesday, November 18.

Boston Society of Natural History.-November 4th.-The following paper was read: Prof. George Lincoln Goodale, "The Reclaiming of Deserts."

November 18th.-The following papers were read: Prof. George H. Barton, “Observations upon the Inland Ice and the Glaciers Proceeding from it in the Umanak District, Greenland;" Prof. Alfred E. Burton, "The Topographical Features of the Umanak District, Greenland. Other members of the Greenland Expedition were present, and took part in the discussion.-SAMUEL HENSHAW, Secretary.

The Academy of Science of St. Louis.-At the meeting of November 2, 1896, Mr. Colton Russell spoke of "What an Entomologist Can Find of Interest About St. Louis," illustrating his remarks by numerous pinned specimens of insects, giving particular attention to the butterflies, and speaking at some length of the phenomena of periodicity, migration, polymorphism, etc., as illustrated by these insects, his paper embodying the result of a large amount of field work performed during the last ten years. Resolutions were adopted opposing the passage of the antivivisection bill now before the United States Senate. Three persons were elected to active membership.

At the meeting on the evening of November 16, 1896, Dr. Charles R. Keyes, the State Geologist of Missouri, read a paper entitled, "How Shall We Subdivide the Carboniferous?" and Professor J. H. Kinealy exhibited a chart for determining the number of square feet of lowpressure steam-heating surface required to keep a room at 70° F., and gave a description of the method of making the chart. Two active. members and one life-member of the Academy were elected.

WILLIAM TRELEASE, Recording Secretary.

New York Academy of Sciences.-November 9th.-Members of the Columbia University Expedition to Puget Sound made reports on the summer's work.

Mr. N. R. Harrington gave a short narrative of the expedition, including a description of the equipment of the laboratory, dredging, investigation and plankton collection.

In addition, he made a report on the Echinoderms, Crustacea and Annelids. Mention was made of the relation of the asymmetry in Scutella excentrica to its habit of burrowing and its vertical position in the sand. Abundant material, both larval and adult, of Entoconcha was obtained. This mollusk had been noted by Müller in 1852, and Baur in 1864, in Synapta digitata and by Semper in Holothuria edulis. The present material was found in an undetermined species of Holothuria. About forty species each of Crustacea, Annelids and Echinoderms have been identified.

Mr. Bradney B. Griffin presented the following report on the Platodes, Nemerteans and Mollusks:

The Platodes and Gephyrea are relatively scarce. They are represented solely by two Dendrocoels, and one Phymosoma respectively. The nemertines occur very abundantly, fully fifteen different species were obtained, most of which appear to be undescribed, though some seem to approach more or less closely the European forms rather than those of the east coast of America. The European species are the

more numerous.

The Molluscan fauna is very rich and varied, ninety-three species of sixty-nine genera were collected. These include among others the large Cryptochiton stellerii which, when alive and expanded measures over 20 cm., besides numerous smaller species of Mopalia, Katherina, Tonicella, etc., that occur in vast numbers on rocks and piles between tides. The Nudibranchs are notable from their bright colors and large size. One species of Dendronotus attains a length of over 25 cm. Cases of color variation (Cardium and Acmaea) and color series (Littorina) were to be met with, as well as color harmonization; many

Chitons and Limpets are colored so as to more or less resemble the speckled and barnacled rocks upon which they occur. A complete series of Pholadidea penita (the "boring clam ") was obtained, which shows the gradual atrophy of the foot and concrescence of the mantle edges as the adult condition is attained. Specimens of Zirphæa crispata were collected, a related form in which the foot remains functional throughout life. A series of maturation and fertilization stages of this form was obtained. Lepton is not uncommon, a Lamellibranch that lives with commensal attached by its byssus to the abdomen of the Crustacean Gebia, and has caused the atrophy of the first pair of abdominal appendages of its host. It has developed a median furrow on each valve in adaptation to the body form of Gebia. An interesting case was observed in which an otherwise nearly smooth Placuanomia shell had assumed during its growth the concentric raised lines of a Saxidomus valve upon which it was attached.

The insects are not very abundant, they are represented in the collection mainly by a few wood beetles, myriopods (Julus, Polydesmus), and a species of Termes.

Mr. Calkins reported on the Protozoa and Coelenterates of Puget Sound and of the Alaskan Bays.

The Protozoa and Coelenterates collected during the summer by Mr. Calkins belong chiefly to the group Flagellata for the former, and to the Leptomedusæ for the latter. In addition, there are nine species of hydroids a large number, considering the very limited representation of this group in the western waters. Twelve or fourteen species of Actinians and about the same number of sponges, and several Scyphomedusae complete the list of Coelenterates.

Mr. Bashford Dean reported on the Chordates and Protochordates of the Collection. The Ascidians are represented by about a dozen species, Fishes by upwards of forty. The most important part of his work had been the collecting of embryos and larvæ of Chimaera (Hydrolagus colliei) and a fairly complete series of embryos of Bdellostoma, including upwards of 20 stages from cleavage to hatching. Of Chimaera, upward of eighty egg cases had been dredged in a single day; but in every case these were found to be empty. The eggs were finally obtained at Pacific Grove, California, from the female, and were incubated in submerged cages. It was in this locality that the eggs of Bdellostoma were collected.

C. L. BRISTOL, Secretary.

SCIENTIFIC NEWS.

The Hindshaw Natural History Expedition returned to the University of Washington at Seattle, June 15, 1896 from the eastern part of State. The party consisted of Henry H. Hindshaw, Curator of the Museum, Mrs. Hindshaw, and Trevor C. D. Kincaid, Laboratory Assistant in Biology. Transportation was secured for the members of the expedition from the Northern Pacific Railroad, through Surgeon F. H. Coe of Seattle. The party made headquarters at Pasco, where they proceeded to collect a fine lot of plants not found in other parts of the state. In all there were acquired several hundred specimens, covering 150 species. Arrangements were then made for an exploration for Indian relics up the Snake river; and in the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Hindshaw proceeded to the sand hills of Douglas county. These were reached by a trip to Ritzville, thence to Hatton, and from there a drive to the hills of about sixteen miles. Mr. Hindshaw reports some interesting geological facts concerning these sand-hills, or dunes. By an examination of the surrounding blanket or cover of basalt; he concludes that the area covered by these dunes was left uncovered by the general flow of lava making the basalt. This deposit of sand is the layer known as the "John Day" bed. It is the water-bearing rock of Eastern Washington. Farmers come from miles to these sand-hills, where they get plenty of water with little digging. Away from the dunes artesian wells have been sunk. Water is obtained, but sometimes it is necessary to bore through hundreds of basalt to reach the "John Day," or water-bearing, rock. The "John Day" beds carry most interesting fossil bones. Mr. Hindshaw brought home many teeth and bones of the fossil rhinoceros and horse, the latter probably the three-toed ancestor of the present horse. These bones have been worn in the waves of moving sand as badly or worse than is a shell battered by the waves of the ocean. Only the hardest parts of the bones remain, but these are of great interest until further explorations yield more perfect skeletens of these prehistoric mammal remains. After making a thorough search of these sand-hills and procuring all the fossil bones in sight, the party returned to Pasco. Here Mr. D. A. Owen, an enthusiastic collector of Indian curios, had perfected arrangements for a trip up Snake river to Page's ferry and on to the deserted cattle-ranch known as McCoy's. These places were evidently the camping grounds of great bands or villages of Indians before the arrival of the white

man. Many of the old graves are cut out and washed away by the river, but the expedition succeeded in obtaining many valuable specimens, such as stone mortars, pestles, hammers, skin-scrapers, arrowand spear-points, all of different sizes and shapes. At one place was found a large stone anvil, around which were many fragments of flint and basalt and half-formed arrow-points, showing the remains of a genuine Indian weapon factory. A number of Indian skulls were also obtained. Mingled with these remains and old stone implements, were old brass buttons, blue beads, and an old iron adz, showing that the time of the making of the graves and caches was about the time of the Hudson Bay Company's occupation of the territory in the early part of this century.

Mr. Kincaid secured about 3,000 specimens of insects, comprising about 300 species, which will make a valuable addition to the University's entomological collections.

Thus far the expenses of these collecting expeditions have been borne by individuals, though the University gets the full benefit of the work, and the entire collections.

Other expeditions are planned for the summer months in the various fields of natural science.