236 JOURNAL OF THE WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOL. 13, No. 11. 
Dr. L. O. Howarp stated that on Tuesday, last, he addressed a meeting 
of a new biological society at Riverton, N. J., the Japanese Beetle Club. 
The aim of this society is to consider many questions in biology, the only 
restriction being that nothing shall be said about the Japanese beetle. 
Dr. T. 8. Patmer referred to the death, just announced in the press, of 
B. E. Frernow, former Forester of the United States at, 72 years of age, and. 
recalled his active interest in the affairs of the Biological Society. 
H. L. Suantz: Plant and animal life in Africa. The vegetation of Africa 
varies from the absolute desert to luxuriant tropical rain forest. In a very 
general way the vegetation may be arranged in almost concentric bands 
around the tropical rain forest of the Congo and Guinea Coast. We pass 
outward from this tropical forest through series of grasslands and savannas 
and dry forest to the desert proper. In East Africa the occurrence of high- 
land modifies the vegetation and gives rise to a temperate grassland and 
temperate forest. Lying beyond the desert in both the north and the south 
is a brushland of the Mediterranean or Californian type. In a general way 
the fauna of Africa may be correlated with vegetation. The greatest herds 
of wild game, especially the great wealth of herbivora, and even carnivora, 
which feed upon the heribivora, are found in the same desert grasslands and 
the rather luxuriant savanna adjacent. In the dense tropical forests many 
of the herbivora are entirely lacking. The elephant ranges from the semi- 
desert to the dense tropical forest, and from sea level to timber line. Dis- 
tribution of many of the other animal types is restricted and can be correlated 
very closely with vegetation types. Probably the sharpest faunal line is 
that between tropical rain forest and high grass savanna which surrounds it. 
H. 8. Bernton, M.D.: Biological aspects of hay fever. A brief outline 
of the historical features of the disease was presented. The fact that the 
pollens of wind pollinated plants were responsible for symptoms was em- 
phasized and the phenomena of “group reaction” was discussed. Mention 
was made of the hereditary tendency of the disease which follows the Men- 
delian law. ‘The clinical features were enumerated and the theories under- 
lying the mechanism of. the disease were also presented. The modern 
treatment is that of active immunization, wherein a solution of pollen pro- 
tein is administered subcutaneously in gradually increasing doses. ‘Twenty 
per cent are entirely relieved of symptoms and ten per cent are not benefited. 
The opinion was expressed that the imperfect method of extraction and 
especially the method of preserving the antigenic content of the pollen solu- 
tions might account for some failures in the treatment. A preliminary 
report of the results of feeding experiments with powdered ragweed plant 
was also given. 
E. A. GotpMAN, Recording Secretary, pro tem. 
649TH MEETING 
The 649th regular meeting was held in the lecture room of the Cosmos 
Club March 3, 1923, at 8 p.m., with President Hrrcucock in the chair 
and 54 members present. Miss Anna E. Jenkins, Bureau of Plant Industry, 
was elected to membership. 
Under Short Notes, Dr. R. W. SHurept read a letter and showed literature 
relating to the work of the British Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 
He also exhibited a new work ‘Australian Nature Studies,” by J. A. Leacn 
of Melbourne. 
Dr. T. 8. Patmer mentioned that Prince MaxmiLniAN von NEUWIED 
began his exploring trip up the Missouri River on March 1, 1833, ninety 
years ago, and gave a short account of his life and work. 
