420 proceedings: bioIvOGical society 



cotypes of eight species of mammals; five specific names and one ver- 

 nacular name were given in his honor; and he published formal descrip- 

 tions of four birds, one mammal, and one reptile. His bird papers num- 

 ber twenty-six, his mammal papers thirteen. Before i860 his in- 

 terests were in general natural history, embracing botany and meteor- 

 ology as well as zoology. Subsequent to that time he concentrated his 

 attention on zoology, doing most of his work in conchology and or- 

 nithology. He died July 19, 1902, at Hayward, California. 



Discussion by T. S. Palmer, A. S. Hitchcock, and L. W. Brown. 



C. W. Field: Observations on the heath hen, illustrated by lantern 

 sUdes. Discussion by W. W. Grant, h. O. Howard, R. M. Libbey. 



Albert Mann: Woods Hole diatoms, illustrated by lantern slides. 

 Discussion by A. S. Hitchcock, Mrs. N. Hollister. 



The 598th regular meeting of the Society was held in the Assembly 

 Hall of the Cosmos Club, Saturday, May 17, 1919; called to order at 

 8.30 p.m. by President Smith; 45 persons present. 



The following informal communications were presented: 



W. R. Maxon: Exhibition of and remarks on a fungus of the genus 

 Mitromyces. 



W. R. Maxon: Inquiry as to whether both sexes of birds are known 

 to sing. Discussion by H. C. Oberholser and Wm. Palmer, who cited 

 instances in which the females of certain species of birds are known to 

 sing. 



F. V. CoviLLE : Remarks on a vine in the Department of Agriculture 

 having a length of 11 34 feet. It was planted 12 years ago and by ap- 

 propriate trimming can be made to grow 100 feet a year. It roots at 

 intervals of its length so that water and salts are not drawn through 

 its entire length. Discussion by A. S. Hitchcock and W. E. Safford. 



A. S. Hitchcock: Remarks on the state of publication of the soon- 

 to-appear flora of the District of Columbia and vicinity. 



I. N. Hoffman: Remarks on the recently reported occurrence of 

 several flocks of whooping cranes in Texas. 



Wm. Palmer: Remarks on tide conditions of Chesapeake Bay as 

 influenced by winds and storms and observation on the large numbers 

 of dead croakers and of other fishes recently seen by him in the Bay in 

 the vicinity of Chesapeake Beach. These fishes furnished an abundant 

 food for crows and buzzards. 



H. M. Smith: Exhibition of and remarks on an exceedingly small 

 (but not the smallest) species of fish, Lucania onmiata from a small fresh- 

 water lake in Georgia. 



The regular program consisted of two communications: 



F. V. CoviLLE: The strange story of the box huckleberry. (To be 

 published in full in a forthcoming issue of Science.) 



W. E. Safford : Plants used in the arts and industries of the ancient 

 Americans. 



M. W. IvYOn, Jr., Recording Secretary. 



