402 . The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. Ill, No. 5, 



MEETING OF THE BIOLOGICAL CLUB. 



Ortox Hall, February 2, 1903. 



The first paper was given b}' Prof. Dresbach, on "Some 

 Peculiar Variations in Blood Corpuscles." He reported finding 

 a person whose blood corpuscles are elliptical. Their dimen- 

 sions are as follows : 



Greatest width, 4.8/u. Greatest length, 10.3/M.. 



Average width, 4.1 /x. Average length, lo.jti. 



Average thickness through center, 1.3/x. 



Average thickness through edge, 2.7/x.. 



Ratio of width to length, from 1:2 to 1:3.1. 



The average human corpuscle is 7.2/x to 7.8/A in diameter. 

 The scond paper of the evening consisted of a review of the 

 life of Pasteur, Idv Mr. Landacre. After dealing with the main 

 facts of his life, especial emphasis was laid on two phases of it ; 

 first, the directness of his method in research. Almost ever}' 

 great discovery Pasteur made was first undertaken as the result 

 of influences brought to bear on him by others. The reasons for 

 beginning researches with him were usually economic. His life 

 seems to be a refutation of the current belief that the best scien- 

 tific work can be done by allowing each man to follow his own 

 inclination. Second, there was a remarkable sequence in his 

 researches. Each one grew out of the preceding problem. And 

 yet it was alwaN's the practical side of a problem that attracted 

 his attention. 



Under personal observations. Dr. Kellerman spoke of the 

 abundance of Chacrophylliiiu procuiubcns along the Olentangy. He 

 noticed that almost every plant was ver}- badly infected with a 

 black rust. They have a red rust in spring and later a black 

 rust, but it is unusual to find them infected in winter. He also 

 spoke of his inoculation experiments with rusts and gave a sum- 

 mar}' of his paper, which is published as a University Bulletin, 

 Series 7, No. 11. ( Botanical Series, No. 12.) 



Mr. Mead reported on the examination of the flora of a mound 

 near Chillicothe. It had been reported that there were some 

 peculiar plants growing near it. His investigations, which 

 included the determination of the whole flora, showed, however, 

 that there were no plants present the occurrence of which was at 

 all unusual. 



Prof. Schaffner exhibited .some mangrove embryos from Florida 

 and remarked upon the habits of the plant. 



Prof. Osborn gave a note on a report concerning the campaign 

 against mosquitoes on Long Island. This is published on p. 377 

 of the February number of The Naturalist. 



Robert F. Griggs, Secretary. 



