84 Proceedino-s of Societies. [zoE 



Miss Alice Eastwood read a paper on Loco Weeds. 



C. C. Riedy, assisted by W. E. Loy and L. M. Kino-, gave a 

 demonstration of the lower cryptogams under the microscope, ten 

 instruments being used. 



California Zoological Club. Jaimary t6, i8g2. The meet- 

 ing was opened with a brief address by Dr. D. S. Jordon, following 

 which a proposed constitution was read by the secretary pro tem. 

 and adopted by the club. The following officers were then elected 

 for the ensuing term: 



President — Dr. David S. Jordan. 



Vice-President — Walter E. Bryant. 



Secretary — Charles A. Keeler. 



Treasurer — Frank H. Vaslit. 



Curator — F. O. Johnson. 



Councilors — ^J. J. Rivers, W. E. Ritter, Dr. O. P. Jenkins, Miss 

 Louise Bunnell. 



January ^o, i8g2. President Jordan in the chair. 



John Comstock, Professor of Entomology of Cornell and Stan- 

 ford Universities, entertained the Club with a most instructive lec- 

 ture on the subject of methods of scientific work, as illustrated in 

 particular by a study of the methods of classification of insects. 

 The speaker called attention to the great influence which the doc- 

 trine of evolution had had upon the methods of viewing scientific 

 questions. Before the time of Darwin science had busied herself 

 solely with the classification of species, but at the present time the 

 great aim of scientific research is to trace the history of the changes 

 and modifications in form and structure of parts — to study the func- 

 tion of organs. 



If our knowledge of all the groups of organisms was complete it 

 would be a comparativ^ely simple matter to establish relationships, 

 but the record is at best a fragmentary one, so our most satisfactory 

 method is to trace each organ or part through all the stages of its 

 evolution, and try to understand its use, rather than to attempt to 

 Ibllovv the transformations of the species as a whole. Prof. Com- 

 stock then proceeded to illustrate this method of work by his in- 

 vestigations in the classification of butterflies and moths. He drew 

 attention to the fact that in these insects the wings are covered with 

 fine scales arranged in regular rows like tiled roofing. What can 



