avoidable absence of Prof. Tower. Prof. Watts spoke on Iceland and 

 its volcanoes, which proved very interesting to those present. 



The Biological section of the Southern California Academy of 

 Sciences met on Thursday evening. January 16, 1913, at the residence 

 of Mr. S. J. Keese. 1509 Shatto street, Los Angeles. The chairman of 

 the section, Dr. C. A. Whiting, presiding. The following persons 

 were present: C. L. Edwards, C. S. Thompson, J. R. Haskins, Pros- 

 pero Barrows, C. O. Esterly, W. H. Knight, W. A. Hilton, S. J. 

 Keese, Mrs. Keese. Miss Elizabeth Beckford, Mrs. Wilson, and F. 

 Grinnell, Jr. 



Dr. Wm. A. Hilton, professor of Zoology in Pomona College, gave 

 an interesting account of original work on the development of the 

 blood and yolk blood vessels in the amphibia, illustrated with care- 

 fully prepared colored diagrams. The whole paper to be published 

 later in the Journal of Morphology. In Amblystoma the mesoderm 

 and that part which gives rise to the blood and blood vascular system 

 arises from the mesodermal cells. In the eastern Salamander, which 

 is transparent in the course of its development, and so can be studied 

 superficially, which is not the case in Amblystone. the blood first 

 appears in the center of the yolk-sac and gradually branches and con- 

 nects with the main body of the animal. A separate vessel (colored 

 blue) inside the body, gradually develops a parallel vein and cross- 

 veins, called the ventral abdominal vein; was at first quite puzzling 

 and interesting. It is homologous with the umbilical vein of other 

 animal forms. The new point found was the development of the 

 blood as seen in superficial study. There are lacunae or spaces before 

 the vessels are developed. Discussions and questions. 



Dr. C. A. Whiting showed a series of slides of histological subjects 

 with the projection microscope, on the screen,' mostly showing path- 

 ological conditions. 



Mr. C. S. Thompson reported the capture of a new species of 

 Salamander on Los Coronados Islands which he is soon to describe. 

 He also showed some very fine photographs of these islands; and 

 nesting sites of some birds. 



Mr. Keese interested those present with the wonderful color dis- 

 play of crystal formation as seen with the polariscope. 



Mrs. Keese and ^Misses Keese furnished light refreshments, which 

 concluded an interesting afld profitable evening. 



Adjournment at 11 o'clock. ^^ 



^ F. GRINNELL, JR., 



Acting Secretary. 



The Biological Section of the Southern California Academy of 

 Science met on Wednesday evening. February 26. at the residence of 

 Mr S J. Keese, 1509 Shatto street. Los Angeles, with the ^OHOwnig 

 persons present: A. J. Petter, R. L Beardsley, John Clark ST. 

 Keese, F. Grinnell. Jr.. L. H. Miller, C. O. Esterly W^ E. Ritter Mi. 

 and Mrs. E. R. Hoskins, Mrs. Sara L. Murray, A B^ Ulrey K B 

 Fitch J Z Gilbert, W. A. Hilton. C. L. Edwards. Mr. Crandall, C. A. 

 Brantlecht, Alex Martin, H. J. Ruberg, Prospero Barrows Ralph Ben- 

 ton Dr C A Whiting, chairman of the section, presided, and intro- 

 duced the speakers of the evening. Dr. Wm. E. Ritter of the Univer- 

 sity of California Marine Laboratory at La Jolla, spoke on the sub- 

 iect "The Pelagic Organisms off the Coast of Southern California, 

 illustrating by lantern slides and a chart. An outline of his address 



is as follows: ^ ,. . , • n ^„ 4-^a i-^ o 



The ocean is a vast storehouse of living things well adapted to a 



great variety of life, dividing itself sharply into different modes of 



life, three of which are. the shore life or littoral fauna, abyssal or 



47 



