RECORDS. 



31 



Prof. Cope moved, That a committee of four be appointed to 

 cooperate with the Executive Committee to define the meaning of 

 the term "professional naturalist." Seconded and carried. 

 Prof. H. F. Osborn, moved that the entire committee estab- 

 lished by Prof. Cope's motion, be directed to revise the constitu- 

 tion in accordance with the alterations made by the recent votes 

 of the society. Seconded and carried. 



Prof. W. H. Niles offered the following resolution : — 



Resolved, That the Society of Naturalists of the 

 Eastern United States, recognizing the great importance of 

 a thorough knowledge of modern languages especially of 

 German and French to students in Natural History, re- 

 gard it as a hopeful sign that a conference of professors in this 

 department is now assembled at Columbia College, and hereby 

 expresses its hearty sympathy with their work. This motion 

 was seconded and carried ; and Profs. Niles and Cope were 

 appointed to convey the resolution to the conference. 



After some discussion as to its form, the following motion was 

 made by Prof. H. F. Osborn: That a committee of five be 

 appointed to present to the society some means of advancing the 

 interests of the biological section of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science. 



The society voted that the new committees be appointed by the 

 Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Prof. S. H. Gage. Bleaching skeletons with peroxide of 



hydrogen. 



2. Prof. S. H. Gage. A holder for demonstrations on whole 



animals. 



3. Dr. George Dimmock. Pure carminic acid for coloring 



microscopal preparations. 



4. Prof. Alpheus Hyatt. Methods of mounting specimens 



employed in the Museum of the Geological Survey of 

 Canada. 



5. Prof. J. T. RoTiiHOCK. On the manner of distinguishing 



good and bad timber by the microscope. 



6. Dr. Charles S. Minot. On the classification of tissues 



and organs with regard to the arrangement of collections. 



