proceedings: biological society 41 



of all the largo groups of parasitic fungi was given, together with the 

 country of origin and present distribution. The conclusion was drawn 

 that it is necessary to control the commercial importation of living plants 

 in such a way that only healthy plants will be received in this country. 



4. L. 0. Howard : tiome points for consideration in a discussion of the 

 problem of accidental introduction. Dr. Howard discussed briefly the 

 influence which our knowledge of the broad life zones of the world might 

 have in regard to restrictive legislation among nations, and the influ- 

 ence which our knowledge of the life zones of the United States, largely 

 due to Merriam and the Bureau of Biological Survey of the Department 

 of Agriculture, might have on sectional quarantines. He pointed out 

 the greater probability of the establishment of an injurious form com- 

 ihg from what might be termed a "parallel life zone" — as from the 

 Nearctic to the Palearctic — than from another zone, but showed that 

 recent experience has indicated that the country is not free from danger 

 from certain pests coming from zones of radically different types of life. 

 He invited discussion of the broader biological aspects of the question. 



Prof. H. Maxwell-Lefroy, Imperial College of Science, London, 

 Prof. W. M. Wheeler, Bussey Institution, Harvard University, E. W. 

 Nelson, J. B. Gordon, and Vernon Bailey took part in the discussion. 



The 575th regular meeting of the Society was held in the Assembly 

 Hall of the Cosmos Club, Saturday, December 1, 1917; called to order 

 by President Hay at 8 p.m.; 26 persons present. 



On recommendation of the Council, Lee R. Dice, of the University of 

 Montana, was elected to membership. 



The following informal communications were presented: 



Dr. Walter P. Taylor: Exhibition and discussion of 'distribution of 

 marmots from the State of Washington. Dr. Taylor exhibited specimens 

 of marmots collected in the State of Washington, where both the caligata 

 and flaviventris groups are represented, citing certain facts in their dis- 

 tribution which emphasizes the principle that the extent of zonal dis- 

 tribution of an animal depends, not alone on the temperature and other 

 requirements of that animal, but also upon the presence or absence, in 

 particular restricted areas, of closely related types filling the same or a 

 similar niche in the economy of nature. He also called attention to 

 the fact that the distribution of these animals is in harmony with 

 what we know of the antiquity of the Columbia River as a barrier to the 

 distribution of boreal forms, and suggested that as compared with the 

 portions of the Cascade Mountains north and south of the Columbia 

 River, the Olympic Mountains have probably been isolated compara- 

 tively recently. Discussed by Gen. T. E. Wilcox. 



Alex. Wetmore discussed the peculiar molting in ducks by which 

 the large wing feathers are simultaneously shed, rendering the birds 

 flightless for a period during which time they take refuge in marshes. 



Dr. T. S. Palmer called attention to the recent successful meeting 

 of the A. O. U^. and the interest now taken in birds of foreign countries. 



