334 proceedings: biological society 



are not closely related to the Carnivores. From a consideration of the 

 tooth structure, the bones of the feet, and the basal cranial foramina, 

 Mr, GiDLEY concluded that the bears were probably derived from the 

 Claenodon group of the Creodonts, and that the Carnivores were de- 

 scended from the Miacidae, a family of Creodonts not distantly re- 

 lated to the Claenodon group. 



The second communication was by the sculptor, H, K. Bush-Brown: 

 The evolution of the horse. The speaker was present by special invi- 

 tation of the President and was introduced to the Society by Ex- 

 President Stejneger. He discussed briefly the geological evolution 

 of the horse, and then spoke at some length on the evolution of mod- 

 ern breeds of horses, particularly the Arab, the effects of breeding it 

 with other races, and its development in this country. His paper 

 was well illustrated by lantern slides showing anatomical character- 

 istics of various horses, as well as external appearances. 



On Thursday, March 11, 1915, at 8.30 p.m., the Biological Society 

 held a joint meeting with the Washington Academy of Sciences in the 

 Auditorium of the National Museum. Mr. Wilfred H. Osgood, of 

 the Field Museum of Natural History, and a member of the special 

 commission for investigating the fur seal question for the Department 

 of Commerce during the summer of 1914, delivered a lecture illustrated 

 by stereopticon and motion pictures of the fur seals and other animals 

 of the Pribilof Islands. All phases of the life of the seals on the islands, 

 methods of kilhng, skinning, salting, etc., and the introduced herds 

 of reindeer, the Steller's sea-lions, and the native birds were shown 

 in motion pictures. About 350 persons were present. 



The 538th meeting of the Society was held at the Cosmos Club, Sat- 

 urday, March 20, 1915, with President Bartsch in the chair and 45 

 persons present. 



Under the heading Brief Notes, General Wilcox called attention to 

 a Cedar of Lebanon near Jackson's statue in Lafayette Square. 



The first paper of the regular program was by T. S. Palmer, Notes 

 on the importation of foreign birds. The speaker discussed the subject 

 with special reference to canaries, parrots, and game birds. He stated 

 that about 500 permits for importation of birds are issued annually 

 by the Department of Agriculture, the number of birds imported in a 

 year amounting to about half a million, as many as 17,000 birds arriv- 

 ing in a single day. The number of species imported is about 1500, 

 though canaries constitute by far the largest number brought in. 

 Methods of breeding birds abroad, caring for them in transit, and se- 

 lecting and teaching singers and talkers were explained. Dangers of 

 importing contagious diseases, as the "quail disease," and methods of 

 quarantining were pointed out. The effect of the European war on 

 the importation of birds was commented upon. The paper was dis- 

 cussed by Messrs. Bartsch, Stiles and Goldman. 



