FOREWORD. 



At the general session of the Michigan Academy of Science held in April, 



1913, the members, acting upon the recommendation of the Council, voted 

 to change the time of the annual meeting from the spring to the Friday 

 and Saturday following the last Thurdsay in November. After the general 

 session at which this action was taken, several objections to the fall meeting 

 were brought to the attention of the Council, which met on October 17, 



1914, to arrange for the annual session. After considering the objections, 

 the Council voted that it was inexpedient to change the time of meeting, 

 that the next session should be held in the spring of 1915, and that the 

 President and Secretary should canvass the membership for papers and 

 publish a report for 1914 in order that the publication of the annual reports 

 should not be interrupted. 



The President and Secretary have followed the instructions of the Council 

 and have arranged in this volume the papers received from the members. 

 The minutes of the meetings, reports of officers, and other business matters 

 usually published in the annual report have been omitted, since the terms 

 of office will be automatically extended to the spring meeting, and the re- 

 ports cannot properly be published until accepted by the Academy. 



Signed, 



ALEXANDER G. RUTHVEN, 



President. 



