78 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [pEc. 19, 
the primaries in the hawk killed by Prof. Trowbridge’s son was 
probably a result of accident. The power of sustained flight 
was due to the remarkable development of the pectoral muscles 
and the lightness of the animal. 
In reply to an inquiry, Prof. Allen said that the emargi- 
nation of the primaries seemed more pronounced in birds of 
swift flight, but was wanting in some birds of soaring character. 
It was, perhaps, a sexual characteristic in some groups, as only 
the males in some species possess it. 
Mr. GEorGE B. SENNETT exhibited the wing of a frigate 
bird, showing that, in this bird, the ‘‘soarer of soarers,” the 
emargination of the primaries was entirely lacking. The whole 
structure of the bird’s wing was to secure lightness, elas- 
ticity, and stiffness; and fixedness in the position of the feathers 
was a necessity. There was no movement of the quills to pro- 
duce interlocking, which was a novel, but untenable theory. 
Dr. H. C. Botton announced the formation of a Folk-lore 
society, and the publication of a journal devoted to that subject. 
December 19, 1887. 
STATED MEETING. 
The President, Pror. J. S. NEWBERRY, in the chair. 
Fifty-one persons present, 
Pror. O. P. HupBARD exhibited a cast, one-half natural size, 
of a hailstone which fell at Fond-du-lac, Lake Superior, July 
17th, 1869. 
THE PRESIDENT exhibited samples of work by a new photo- 
graving process; also, in behalf of Mr. A. R. Ledoux, a new 
meteorite from Tennessee. 
PRESIDENT NEWBERRY read a memorial of 
4A. Garson DHrevoort. 
It becomes my painful duty to announce to the Academy the 
death, on December 7th, of one of its oldest and most honored 
