8. Abstammungslehre. 621 



L'auteur attire l'attention de l'Academie sur le rnilieu biologique forme 

 par la base des feuilles de Bromeliacees, contonant de l'eau stagnante. II se 

 forme ainsi des sortes de petites mares contenant une flore et une faune des 

 plus variees. C. L. Gatin (Paris). 



1725) Ruthoeil, A. G. et al., A biological survey of the sand dune 

 region on the south shore of Saginaw Bay, Michigan. 



(In Rept. Geol. and ßiol. Survey Mich, for 1910. p. 347. pls. 19. 1911.) 

 This extensive report is based upon a biological survey of the lake shore 

 region, made by a party of men in the suramer of 1908. Different members 

 of the party devoted attention respectively to the flora, mollusca, insects, fish, 

 amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals. A general description of the 

 environmental conditions or habitats, and a discussion of the geographic re- 

 lations of the biota, are also included. In addition to an annotated list of 

 species, each writer treats of the ecological relations of the forms in their 

 various habitats, the data on plants, thysanoptera and mollusca being especially 

 developed from this point of view. A large amount of interesting data is 

 thus brought together regarding the biological relationships of this area. 



Gates (London). 



1726) Townsend, Ch. H. (New York Aquarium), The voyage of the 

 Albatross to the Gulf of California. 



(New York Academy of Science, Section of Biology. Oct. 1911.) 

 In the spring of 1911 the Albatross, under the direction of Dr. Town- 

 send, made a natural history survey of the Gulf of California. Much valuable 

 Information was obtained bearing on the oceanography and the general biology 

 of this region, and especially the deep-sea forms. 



After stating that the American Museum of Natural History, the New 

 York Zoological Society, the New York Botanic Museum, and the United 

 States National Museum cooperated in the voyage of the Albatross by 

 special arrangement with the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, Dr. Townsend gave 

 a general account of the work done. 



The Albatross sailed from San Diego. Twenty-six hauls of the dredge 

 were made, the deepest being 1760 fathoms. Shore work was carried on at 

 32 anchorages around the peninsula of Lower California and at islands in the 

 Gulf. Impoitant collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and plants were made. 

 A special study was made of the fishery resources of the region. An inter- 

 esting feature of the expedition was the rediscovery of the supposed extinct 

 elephant seal (Mirounga). About 100 of these animals were found at Guade- 

 lupe Island, which is uninhabited. Six yearlings were sent alive to the New 

 York Aquarium, and three large males and a female were secured for skins 

 and skeletons. The males were each 16 feet long. Excellent photographs 

 were made. Among the interesting things obtained by dredging were Har- 

 riotta and Cyema, two deep sea fishes not previously recorded from the 

 Pacific. Hussakof (New York). 



1727) Beebe, C. W., Notes on a Pheasant Expedition to Asia. 



(New York Academy of Science Section of Biology. Nov. 1911.) 

 Mr. C. William Beebe gave a short talk, illustrated with lantern slides, 

 on the reeent trip which he and Mrs. Beebe made around the world in search 

 of material for a monograph of the Phasianidse. This expedition was made 

 under the auspices of the NewYoik Zoological Society and at the Suggestion 

 and by the financial support of Col. Anthony R. Kuser. In the short ime 



