652 proceedings: biological society 



So far as known to the speaker this is the first time the identity of 

 the "sacred mushroom" or "flesh of the gods" with the narcotic cactus 

 known botanically as Lophophora WiUiamsii has been pointed out. 

 That the drug was mistaken for a mushroom by the Aztecs and early 

 Spaniards is not surprising when one bears in mind that the potato 

 (Solanum tuberosum) on its introduction into Europe was popularly 

 regarded as a kind of truffle, a fact which is recorded by its German 

 name Kartoffel, or Tartuffel. 



Perley Spaulding, Corresponding Secretary. 



THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 543d meeting of the Biological Society of Washington was held 

 at the Cosmos Club, Saturday, October 23, 1915, at 8 p.m., with 

 President Bartsch in the chair; 85 persons present. 



Under the heading Brief Notes, Dr. C. W. Stiles recorded obser- 

 vations on blood examinations (cell counts, hemoglobin, etc.) of 600 

 children, between 6 and 17 years of age, in North Carohna. Dr. 

 Stiles also discussed the International list of generic names of birds. 



Under the heading Exhibition of Specimens, Dr. J. N. Rose showed 

 some interesting examples of humming birds' nests which he had col- 

 lected in Brazil the past summer. 



The first paper of the regular program was by Prof. A. S. Hitchcock, 

 Collecting grasses in the Southwest. Professor Hitchcock spoke of his 

 trip during the summer in the region from California to Western Texas 

 for the purpose of collecting grasses. At Grand Canyon was found 

 the rare Stipa arida Jones. At Ft. Bragg, California, was found 

 Agrostis breviculmis Hitchc, known only from this locality and the 

 western coast of South America ; it is abundant on the open ground back 

 of the sandy clay cliffs at this point. In a springy place on the side of 

 the cliffs there was a colony of Phleum alpinum L. a grass of the high 

 mountains of California ; its occurrence at sea level was very unexpected. 

 At various points in northern California occur Danthonia americana 

 and D. calijornica. In these species the culms disarticulate near the 

 base at maturity. An examination of the swollen base of the detached 

 culms discloses, hidden beneath the sheath and prophyllum, a cleistogo- 

 mous spikelet consisting of a single floret. The floret and enclosed 

 caryopsis are much larger than those of the panicle. 



Cleveland National Forest, lying east of San Diego, was visited 

 to investigate Calamagrostis densa Vasey. This species, known only 

 from the type collection by Orcutt, was provisionally united with 

 C. koelerioides by the speaker (in Jepson, Flora of California, 3:125. 

 1912), but he is now satisfied that the two are distinct. 



An ascent was made of Humphreys Peak of the San Francisco 

 Mountains, near Flagstaff, Arizona. These are the highest mountains 

 in Arizona, the peaks extending above timber line. In the alpine 

 region four species of grasses were found, Trisetum spicatum, Poa 

 rupicola, Festuca brachyphylla and Agropyron scribneri. Collections 



