3oS The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. V, No. 5, 



same time avoiding the running of nature study into a mere fad 

 of nature romance, will doubtless be agreed by all true 

 naturalists. 



Readers of the Naturalist will find much of interest in the 

 numbers of the Review so far published and doubtless future 

 numbers will be of equal interest and value. H. O. 



MEETING OF THE BIOLOGICAL CLUB. 



Orton Hall, Jan. 9, 1905 



The meeting was called to order by the Vice-President, Miss 

 Riddle. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and 

 approved. The first speaker of the evening was Prof. W. C. 

 Mills, whose subject was ' 'The Ainu of Japan." Prof. Mills came 

 into personal contact with the Ainu at the St. Louis Exposition, 

 and was able to illustrate his talk with several photographs and 

 with specimens of their handiwork. The Ainu are one of the 

 primitive peoples of Japan and at present inhabit the northern 

 islands, principally Yezo. At present there are about 17,000 

 Ainu and about 9()0,000 Japanese on this island. The nine Ainu 

 who were brought to Sf. Louis were the first to leave their native 

 land in 1400 years. The men all wear long l)eards and the 

 women tattoo their faces to represent a beard. This tattooing 

 is begun at abovit the age of nine and is done by cutthig the flesh 

 and rubbing in the wounds soot from the bottom of their cooking 

 vessels. The average height of the men is about 5 ft. 4 in. 

 Their eves are horizontal ; the skin is white, and their features 

 resemble those of many of the white races of Europe. The 

 women weave a kind of cloth called Artus, made from the fibers 

 of the Elm and from this they make much of their clothing. This 

 clothing is usually decorated with certain entirely original, spiral 

 patterns. Their religious customs are very peculiar. The bear 

 plays an important part in their religion and the bear hunt and 

 feast is one of their singular customs. 



Prof. Osborn then gave an account of the recent meeting of 

 the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of 

 some of its affiliated societies. Prof. Lazenby also spoke of some 

 of the afiiliated societies, especially the Society of Agriculturists 

 and the Society of Horticulturists. 



Prof. Landacre gave a short account of the meeting of the 

 Ohio Educational Society and the mid-winter meeting of the 

 Ohio Academy. 



On the motion of Prof. Schaftner the following were elected 

 to membership: .E. C. Cotton, G. F. Lamb, J. P. Pratt and T. P. 

 White. 



The club then adjourned until the first Monday in February. 



F. M. Surface, Secretary. 



Date of Publication of March Number, March 23, 1905. 



