proceedings: biological society 93 



Barton W. Evermann reported the arrival in the United States of 

 ten more young fur seals from the Pribilof Islands. Two of them were 

 left with Professor Trevor Kincaid of the University of Washington, at 

 Seattle, two were sent to the New York Aquarium, four to the National 

 Zoological Park, while two were retained at the Bureau of Fisheries 

 building. Of ten brought last year, four escaped at Seattle, and the 

 other six died. This leaves the two 2-year-old animals at the Fisheries 

 building as the only specimens of the fur seal that have ever been kept 

 in confinement for over a year. The male on November 20 weighs 64 

 pounds, the female, 43. 



L. 0. Howard reported that Mr. R. S. Woglum of the Bureau of 

 Entomology had just arrived from Asia bringing with him from the 

 Punjab, India, six cases of living parasites of white fly (Aleyrodes citri) 

 now so destructive to citrus fruits in Florida. Much is expected as a 

 result of this introduction. 



The regular program consisted of three communications: 



1. The hooting of the Blue Grouse. E. A. Preble. 



During his stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the spring and early 

 summer of 1911, the speaker had an opportunity to observe and 

 photograph the blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus richardsoni) in the 

 act of hooting. The birds were quite tame and many characteristic 

 attitudes were shown in the lantern slides presented. 



2. Notes on the fishes of the District of Columbia and vicinity. Alfred 

 C. Weed. 



The waters of the region were divided into five classes, River, Low- 

 land Streams, Creeks, Upland Brooks, and Pools, and some of the more 

 prominent species in each environment were named with general notes 

 on their habits, especially where these differ markedly from those of 

 most other members of the same group, as in the case of the Catfish, 

 Schilbeodes insignis, which lives under stones, etc., in the most rapid 

 waters; and the Darter, Boleosoma olmstedi, which is found in all waters 

 from the swiftest and coldest to the most stagnant. 



In regard to the more prominent introduced species mention was made 

 of their economic importance and of their relation to other species, both 

 native and introduced. The speaker expressed himself as being firmly 

 of the opinion that the German Carp does not destroy eggs and nests of 

 the Black Bass to any appreciable extent, but that it does furnish ar 

 abundant food for this fish which could not be supplied by the native 

 minnows. Several of the small native minnows destroy many more 

 eggs and fry than the Carp. 



Brief mention was made of some of the more recently discovered native 

 fishes, with statement of the probable reasons for their having so long 

 remained unnoticed. 



The talk was illustrated by lantern slides of fishes and their habitats. 



3. On another supposed fruit-bearing fern-like plant of the American 

 Permian. David White. 



