proceedings: biological society 261 



Two communications were presented, the first being Pelage varia- 

 ations of American moles, by Hartley H. T. Jackson. The speaker 

 classed the variations as generic, geographic, seasonal, senile, and 

 individual, and showed under each class the tendencies of the different 

 genera to show differences in pelage. Under geographic variation he 

 noted that, unlike the eastern moles which are lightest toward the 

 south, Neurotrichus is darkest toward the south, and that Parascalops 

 darkens southward along the coast, while in the mountains it darkens 

 toward the north. The seasonal variations are especially marked by 

 differences in the location on the body of the animal where the moult 

 begins. Scalopus has great seasonal changes and the moult starts 

 on the central line of the body. In Scapatius the moult begins at the 

 head and is completed at the posterior. In Condylura the moult starts 

 on the flank; in Neurotrichus in the head. The remarks were illus- 

 trated by specimens which showed the variations under discussion, 

 as well as interesting mutations. In discussing the paper D. E. Lantz 

 spoke briefly of a possible market for mole fur in the United States. 



The second communication was by R. L. Garner, who related some 

 of his experiences during twenty-five years' study of the great apes of 

 western Africa. He told how he first came to engage in his experi- 

 ments in investigating the speech of monkeys and how he finally under- 

 took researches in the wilds of the French Congo. His experiences 

 and observations during hiany years residence at LTbesoille and other 

 places, during which he had many opportunities of studying gorillas 

 and chimpanzees at close range, were related. He showed many 

 lantern slides depicting natives and their houses, as well as physical 

 features of the country and the tropical vegetation. Pictures of the 

 large gorilla kept at Breslau for seven years and of ''Susie," the chim- 

 panzee trained by Mr. Garner, were also shown. At the conclusion 

 of his remarks he answered many questions from the interested audience. 



The 530th regular meeting was held in the Assembly Hall of the 

 Cosmos Club, Saturday, November 14, 1914, with President Bartsch 

 in the chair and 37 persons present. Three persons were elected to 

 active membership. 



Under the heading Brief Notes, etc., M. W. Lyon stated that he had 

 recently seen a specimen of the American coot which had been killed 

 on the top of a mountain and inquired whether the occurrence of the 

 species in such localities was common. General T. A. Wilcox remarked 

 that he had seen a similar case. L. O. Howard exhibited a canine of 

 the saber-toothed tiger which he recently picked up in the asphalt 

 desposits near Los Angeles, California. A. D. Hopkins told of cypress 

 wood from the same locality which showed borings of insect larvae. 

 W. H. Osgood told of a well preserved tree which he had seen in the 

 same deposit. 



The first communication of the regular program was by William 

 Palmer, on Certain Miocene fossils. The fossils under consideration 

 were obtained in the Miocene cliffs below Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. 



