﻿JUNE 
  19, 
  1922 
  proceedings: 
  biologicaIv 
  society 
  297 
  

  

  tion 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  protecting 
  or 
  screening 
  the 
  larvae 
  from 
  the 
  fish, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  

   other 
  factors 
  having 
  an 
  influence 
  upon 
  the 
  matter. 
  

  

  Major 
  Goldman 
  asked 
  if 
  the 
  top 
  minnow 
  could 
  be 
  introduced 
  outside 
  its 
  

   normal 
  range. 
  The 
  speaker 
  said 
  it 
  has 
  winter-killed 
  in 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  Val- 
  

   ley 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  extent. 
  

  

  President 
  BailEy 
  remarked 
  that 
  lily 
  pads 
  are 
  eaten 
  by 
  beavers, 
  and 
  silver 
  

   grass 
  by 
  muskrats, 
  which 
  would 
  reduce 
  the 
  mosquito 
  protection 
  where 
  these 
  

   animals 
  occur. 
  

  

  H. 
  L. 
  Shantz 
  : 
  Notes 
  on 
  the 
  white 
  ants 
  of 
  Africa. 
  

  

  The 
  speaker 
  in 
  his 
  extensive 
  explorations 
  of 
  Central 
  and 
  South 
  Africa 
  had 
  

   continually 
  come 
  into 
  contact 
  with 
  termite 
  nests, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  generally 
  

   conspicuous 
  objects. 
  They 
  tell 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  at 
  a 
  glance. 
  There 
  are 
  

   many 
  types, 
  which 
  were 
  illustrated 
  with 
  lantern 
  slides, 
  some 
  colored. 
  Where 
  

   large 
  hills 
  stand 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  and 
  disintegrate, 
  the 
  earth 
  is 
  richer 
  than 
  else- 
  

   where, 
  and 
  natives 
  select 
  such 
  places 
  for 
  cultivation. 
  

  

  Discussed 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Rohwer 
  and 
  Mr. 
  White, 
  who 
  compared 
  the 
  local 
  spe- 
  

   cies 
  about 
  Washington, 
  in 
  their 
  aversion 
  to 
  light, 
  etc. 
  Mr. 
  White 
  said 
  the 
  

   local 
  species 
  are 
  very 
  beneficial 
  on 
  his 
  farm 
  by 
  eating 
  out 
  stumps, 
  which 
  thus 
  

   decay 
  much 
  more 
  rapidly 
  ; 
  a 
  4-inch 
  stump 
  is 
  often 
  eaten 
  almost 
  wholly 
  out 
  

   in 
  a 
  3'^ear. 
  They 
  damage 
  apple 
  trees 
  where 
  wounds 
  occur, 
  making 
  a 
  mud 
  

   tunnel 
  up 
  the 
  bark. 
  

  

  Major 
  Goldman 
  recalled 
  the 
  statement 
  in 
  Drummond's 
  Tropical 
  Africa, 
  

   that 
  termites 
  there 
  perform 
  for 
  the 
  soil 
  a 
  service 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  earthworms 
  in 
  

   temperate 
  countries, 
  passing 
  the 
  soil 
  through 
  their 
  bodies 
  and 
  enriching 
  it. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Shufeldt 
  described 
  the 
  orientation 
  of 
  a 
  true 
  ant 
  at 
  Savannah, 
  with 
  

   reference 
  to 
  its 
  path. 
  

  

  C. 
  D 
  WIGHT 
  Marsh: 
  Live 
  stock 
  poisoning 
  by 
  death 
  camas. 
  

  

  Stockmen 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  stock 
  ranges 
  suffer 
  very 
  heavy 
  losses 
  of 
  sheep 
  

   from 
  poisonous 
  plants. 
  Probably 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  plants 
  those 
  which 
  cause 
  the 
  great- 
  

   est 
  destruction 
  are 
  those 
  commonly 
  known 
  as 
  death 
  camas, 
  which 
  are 
  species 
  

   of 
  the 
  botanical 
  genus 
  Zygadenus. 
  Losses 
  of 
  hundreds 
  of 
  sheep 
  within 
  24 
  

   or 
  4S 
  hours 
  are 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  unusual. 
  These 
  plants 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  be 
  

   poisonous 
  for 
  nearly 
  a 
  century, 
  but 
  definite 
  knowledge 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  their 
  

   properties 
  has 
  only 
  been 
  acquired 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  20 
  or 
  25 
  years. 
  The 
  plants 
  

   poison 
  horses 
  and 
  cattle 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  sheep, 
  but 
  the 
  principal 
  losses 
  have 
  been 
  of 
  

   sheep. 
  

  

  Death 
  camas 
  grows 
  widely 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  ranges 
  from 
  the 
  Rocky 
  

   Mountains 
  westward. 
  

  

  The 
  U. 
  S. 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture 
  has 
  made 
  detailed 
  studies 
  of 
  death 
  

   camas 
  poisoning, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  assumed 
  that 
  all 
  forms 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  were 
  about 
  

   equally 
  poisonous. 
  Recent 
  studies, 
  however, 
  have 
  brought 
  out 
  important 
  

   facts 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  their 
  relative 
  toxicity. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  four 
  common 
  species 
  of 
  death 
  camas 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  ranges, 
  and 
  

   it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  that 
  two 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  poisonous 
  than 
  the 
  others, 
  while 
  

   one 
  species 
  that 
  has 
  always 
  been 
  considered 
  dangerous 
  has 
  so 
  little 
  toxicity 
  

   that 
  probably 
  under 
  range 
  conditions 
  it 
  never 
  causes 
  any 
  losses. 
  The 
  most 
  

   poisonous 
  species 
  is 
  without 
  doubt 
  that 
  growing 
  in 
  Montana 
  and 
  Wyoming. 
  

   A 
  California 
  species 
  is 
  equally 
  injurious 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  causing 
  sickness 
  is 
  con- 
  

   cerned, 
  but 
  produces 
  fewer 
  deaths. 
  The 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  studies 
  made 
  have 
  

   indicated 
  clearly 
  the 
  comparative 
  danger 
  from 
  these 
  species 
  and 
  have 
  also 
  

   shown 
  what 
  measures 
  can 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  avoid 
  losses. 
  

  

  