154 ■ MINUTES. [Oct. 20, 



draws us a radiating figure, from which they equally project {^Zur 

 Stammgeschichte der Fapilioniden, p. 492). Such progeny, so dis- 

 similar in essentials, cannot have had a common womb. But when 

 we examine the pale Parnassian from northern meadows, and the 

 black and gold Ornithopteron from openings in the tropical forest, 

 then the short anal vein on their fore wings reveals in both cases the 

 blood of the Papilionides, the proof of common descent and of a 

 separate origin from the Pierids and the rest of the butterflies. It 

 is Dr. Spuler (/. c.) who derives Ornithoptera from Papiliolike 

 forms, so that I am totally at variance with this author in my views 

 as to the classification and phylogeny of the Papilionides. While 

 Dr. Spuler regards OrniOioptei'a as an end form, terminating a Papi- 

 lionid branchlet, I consider it to represent an. initial type coming 

 nearer to the primitive form of the diurnal Papilionides. 



I have been thus explicit in order to give clearly the radical points 

 of distinction between the classification of the diurnals by any other 

 author and my own. 



Stated Meeting, October W, 1899. 



Vice-President Sellers m the Chair. 



Present, 22 members. 



Newly elected members, Mr. Stuart Wood, Dr. Arthur V. 

 Meigs and Prof. Kemington, were presented to the Chair and 

 took their seats in the Society. 



The decease of the following members was announced : 



Prof. Edward Orton, of Columbus, 0., October 17, 1899, 

 and Prof. Don Mariano Barcena, of the Cit}^ of Mexico. 



Mr. Henry Carey Baird read an obituary notice of the late 

 Col. Alexander Biddle. 



Proceedings of Officers and Council were submitted. 



Pending nominations for membership ha vino- been read, the 

 Society proceeded to an election. 



The Curators presented the completed bound volumes of the 

 Curators' Record of Donations, with Index ; also, the bound 

 volume of the Curators' Catalogue of Portraits and Busts. 



The Tellers reported the election of the following gentle- 

 inen as members of the Society : 



Prof. William Morris Davis, of Cambridge, Mass. 



