Mar., 1915.] Meetings of Biological Club. 471 



monecious and the difficulties of making pure pollinations would 

 be considerable. They appear to represent definite mutations 

 which developed without the influence of a determining environ- 

 ment and without the accumulative effect of a purposeful selection. 

 One thing is certain. Among the weeds of the cultivated fields 

 are species that are of the same complex composition, as regards 

 characters and varieties, as those domesticated fonns which have 

 been subject to continuous hybridization and selection by man. 



MEETING OF THE BIOLOGICAL CLUB. 



Orton Hall, October 5, 1914. 



The first meeting of the Biology Club for the academic year 

 was held on October 5 at its usual place in Orton Hall, with 

 Mr. Kostir president. Following the nomination of Dr. Krecker 

 and Mr. Markward for membership, it was moved and seconded 

 that future meetings be held at the New Biology Building as 

 soon as the necessary lighting facilities should be provided. 

 The chair was then authorized to appoint three committees — 

 one, for revision of the constitution; another, for nomination of 

 officers ; a third, to arrange for the Ohio Academy meeting. Reports 

 on summer work followed. 



Prof. Osbom gave some results of the work done by him 

 at the Maine Experiment Station, on the life history of the 

 Jassidas (leaf hoppers) and Cercophidse (frog hoppers) of that 

 state. The long adult stage and gradual egg development were 

 mentioned. Of special interest was the discovery of the fact 

 that a species of Acocephalus has essentially a subterranean 

 habit, feeding on the crown and roots of timothy. 



Prof. Schaffner gave some observations upon the drought 

 resisting qualities of a new variety of kaffir com. Where other 

 kinds would fail, this variety seemed little affected by the great 

 lack of rain. 



Prof. Landacre reviewed briefly his work relating to the 

 nervous system of the shark, in which the details of defining the 

 cranial nerves and marking out the ganglionic boundaries had been 

 worked out. 



Prof. Barrows reported several species of orb and triangle- 

 weaving spiders collected by him in Hocking County. Many 

 of these are distinctly southern forms, among which is Latrodectus 

 mactans. 



Miss Detmers had spent several weeks in working out the 

 succession of forests in Northern Michigan. Specimens of 

 spruce, showing interesting variations in the leaves were 

 ■exhibited. 



