xxxiv Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



seedling stump, which at first grow out at an angle, later assume 

 a more or less vertical direction and are adapted to the supporting 

 functions of the trunk. Many of these secondary trunks were found 

 girdled. There is no tree in the grove that does not present crooked 

 trunk and limbs. The deformities in some cases are extreme. Most 

 of the trees are as a consequence dwarfed, although able to make 

 some advance in growth. Some trees only a meter and a half tall 

 bore fruit in 1911. 



A few beetles have been observed working. The girdling was be- 

 gun on the upper side of the branch and was made % mm. wide and 

 about 3 mm. deep. Most of the limbs fall, within a few days after 

 the girdling. A small proportion remain throughout the following 

 winter. On every severed branch, near the distal ends of the twigs, 

 one or more small deep excoriations of the bark were found. That 

 the beetle makes similar abrasions of the bark of twigs of the honey 

 locust is known from observations on Oncideres in captivity. Limbs 

 recovered from the ground in winter in some cases presented no evi- 

 dence of the propagation of the beetle, whereas in others more or less 

 of the wood has been destroyed under the bark along one side of the 

 branch, extending from the distal end proximally. The cavity never 

 quite reached the proximal severed end. Larvae which are now being 

 studied were discovered in some of the tunnels. 



Professor C. A. Waldo then addressed the Academy 

 on "The Problem of Coal Exhaustion." 



"Miniature Flint Arrows" was the subject of a short 

 paper by Dr. H. M. Whelpley. 



Dr. Whelpley illustrated his remarks with over two thousand 

 specimens, varying in length from .06 to 1 inch. In form they rep- 

 resent all of the common types of ordinary arrows and were evidently 

 made by the same process of pressure chipping. Specimens have 

 been found in England, Spain, Belgium, India, Palestine, Egypt and 

 the United States. These artifacts belong to the Neolithic age. It has 

 been suggested, but without evidence, that they were made by a pygmy 

 race of human beings. It is also claimed that they were barbs for har- 

 poons, tattooing instruments, fish snags or drills for skin and shell 

 work. 



Dr. Whelpley concluded that the medium size and larger miniature 

 arrows, such as are very plentiful along portions of the Missouri and 

 Meramec Rivers, were used as arrow heads. The most minute ones he 

 considers examples of skill in flint chipping, the same as the minia- 

 ture baskets made by the Pomo Indians today are merely examples of 

 skill in basketry. 



April 1, 1912. 



President Engler in the chair; attendance 25. 

 The Corresponding Secretary reported that he had 

 attended the celebration of the one hundredth anniver- 



