proceedings: biological society 583 



ing were read and approved, and on the recommendation of the Coun- 

 cil, Mr. Raymond A. St. George of East Falls Church, and Miss 

 Patty Thumb Newbold of the Bureau of Plant Industry, were elected 

 to membership. 



The following informal communications were presented : Dr. Alex- 

 ander Wetmore exhibited a lantern slide prepared by Dr. M. W. Lyon, 

 Jr., former Recording Secretary, showing mounted portions of (i) the 

 beef tape worm and (2) the fish or broad tape M^orm. The latter is a 

 rare parasite of man in this country, though common in the region sur- 

 rounding the Baltic Sea. Most specimens taken in this country are 

 from immigrants from that region, though the species is apparently 

 established in the Great Lake Region. The specimen exhibited had 

 an entire length of 6.250 millimeters. (See Lyon, Journal of the Amer- 

 ican Medical Association 74: 655.) 



Mr. W. P. Taylor reported a third mammal seen upon the summit of 

 Mount Ranier, 7000 feet above timber line. A black bear, probably 

 lost during a snow storm, was wandering upon the summit. 



Dr. Paul Bartsch stated that a new subgenus of Teredo had been dis- 

 covered in Dutch Guiana, especially important as infesting greenheart 

 wood, formerly supposed to be immune, making long burrows 4 to 5 

 feet long. Prof. A. S. Hitchcock brought out the fact that the green- 

 heart wood in question was that of British Guiana and valuable for 

 marine construction, not that of Dutch Guiana, which is not valuable. 



Dr. R. W. Shufeldt showed lantern slides of an insect which he 

 found infesting sycamore trees, commonly known as beech blight. 

 The insect occurs in immense numbers and is covered with white fibers. 

 It is hard to combat mechanically or with sprays. A predaceous cater- 

 pillar tangles them in a web and feeds upon them. 



Dr. Alexander Wetmore read a letter from Mr. George Haley, 

 Teacher for the Bureau of Fisheries at St. Pauls Island, Alaska, ad- 

 dressed to the Bureau. It was stated that native song birds were be- 

 coming very scarce, as the Aleutian Wren, the Rosy Finch, and the 

 Pribilof Snowflake. Only the Alaskan Longspur, a summer migrant, 

 seems to be holding its own. 



Regular Program 



Dr. H. M. Smith: Address of the retiring President, Some biological 

 problems in the Yellowstone Park. 



The speaker mentioned the unrivalled facilities afforded by the park 

 for the study of wild animals and the many thousands of visitors who 

 in recent years are becoming acquainted with its biological and other 

 attractions. The anticipated large increase in visitors in the next few 

 years will create a situation that demands attention, especially because 

 of the heavy drain that will be made on the game fishes. The speaker 

 had made two official trips to the park, the last in 1919, and brought 

 to the notice of the society some of the practical biological problems 

 confronting the government authorities — problems that particularly 

 concern the fishes but are not restricted thereto. 



