XXXIV BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



mittee to take action looking toward the preparation of a list of 

 the trees and shrubs growing in the streets, parks, cemeteries, 

 and other public grounds of the District of Columbia. In accord 

 ance with the suggestions in this letter, the following committee 

 was appointed to act in co-operation with the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution in the preparation of such a list : Prof. 

 Lester F. Ward, Dr. George Vasey, Mr. Wm. R. Smith, Dr. F. B. 

 Hough, and Dr. Edward Foreman. 



Dr. Elliott Coues read a paper on THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE 

 AVIFAUNA OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,* presenting extracts from 

 the new list of the birds of the District, just compiled by himself 

 and Dr. D. W. Prentiss. The total number of species of birds now 

 known to occur in the District is 248, 23 having been added to the 

 list since 1862. 



Prof. C. V. Riley made remarks upon JUMPING SEEDS AND 

 GALLS, f and exhibited specimens of the so-called " Mexican jump 

 ing seeds " or " devil-beans," the seeds of a Euphorbia-like plant, 

 in the interior of which are the larvae of a species of moth, Carpo- 

 capsa saltitans, which, by their uneasy motions, cause peculiar 

 twitching movements of the seeds. He also showed a peculiar 

 gall from the under side of the leaves of various oaks of the white 

 oak group, which is moved in a similar manner by the larvae of a 

 species of Cynips, Cynips salfatorius, which lives curled up within it. 



Dr. Thomas Taylor spoke on the PEAR-TREE BLIGHT, its cause 

 and prevention, illustrating his remarks with specimens. 



Prof. Lester F. Ward presented a paper on ADDITIONS MADE TO 

 THE FLORA COLUMBIANA DURING THE SEASON OF 1882,^ exhibit 

 ing specimens of 27 species of plants added to the flora of the Dis 

 trict of Columbia. 



* Included in 



1883. COUES, ELLIOTT, and D. WEBSTER PRENTISS. Avifauna Columbiana; 

 being a list of birds ascertained to inhabit the District of Columbia, &c. < Bulle 

 tin U. S. National Museum, No. 26. 8. pp. 133, 4 maps. 



f 1883. RILEY, CHARLES V. Jumping Seeds and Galls. <Proceedings U. 

 S. National Museum, V, pp. 632-635, with one cut, 1883. 



J 1884. WARD, LESTER F. List of plants added to the Flora of Washington 

 from April I, 1882, to April I, 1884. <Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, II, 

 pp. 84-87, 1882-4. Extras, April 10, 1884. 



