1912'] Proceedings N. C. Academy of Science 53 



studied the animals and plants of Brazil during the yearsl638- 

 1644. In 1648 his drawings and observations, under the title 

 Historiae Rerum Naturalium Brasiliae were published jointly 

 with the De Mericina Brasiliensi of William Piso under the 

 general title Historia Naturalais Brasiliae. Marcgrave's part 

 of this work covers 303 folio pages, in which he describes 301 

 plants, with 200 figures and 367 animals, of which 222 were 

 figured. Of these 668 forms practically all were new to science 

 and probably none of the 422 figured had ever been drawn 

 before. 



Marcgrave knew nothing of the classification of flowers based 

 on stamens and pistils, or of fishes by the count of fin rays, but 

 his descriptions are, for the times, remarkably clear and his 

 drawings sufficiently exact for the plant or animal to be unmis- 

 takably recognized. E'o country in its early exploration has 

 ever had such a great work published on its natural history. 



A complete biography of Marcgrave is nearly finished and 

 will shortly be offered for publication. 



Tfie Electrical Resistance of a Flowing Conductor, A. H. Pat- 

 terson and V. L. Shrisler. 



Capture of Raleigh, N. C, hy the Wharf Rat, C. S. Brimley. 

 [Published in full in this issue.] 



The Water Molds of Chapel Hill, N, C, W. C. Coker. 



Further Notes on the Geology of the Carolina Coast Line, 

 Collier Cobb. 



Transient Electrical Phenomena and their Relations to Modern 

 Problems in Electrical Engineering, P. H. Daggett. 



The Toxic Action of Haematin and Bile, W. H. Brown. 



Notes on the Maturing of Bermuda Grass Seed, 0. J. Tillman. 

 [Published in full in this issue.] 



Studies of Cotton Seed Meal Intoxication as to Pyrophosphoric 

 Acid, W. A. Withers and B. J. Bay. 



E. W. GuDGER, Secretary. 



