NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL GARDE^ 



1894.] WARNER OPHIDIANS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 289 



In the south one hears many wonderful accounts of certain snakes 

 and their marvelous peculiarities and these are generally believed by 

 the people. The so-called " glass snake " {Ophiosaurus ventralis) is a 

 subject of romance. It is not a true ophidian but in reality belongs 

 to the saurians. A careful dissection shows the rudimentary legs, 

 which with its other characteristics betray its relationship to the 

 lizard family. The popular name is due to the brittleness of the tail, 

 which may be broken, by preasure or a blow, into sections. It is 

 thus quite plain to see how the greater part of the length of the 

 creature can be easily broken off by a slight blow, and how a 

 detached portion would have an amount of nervous vitality which 

 would enable it to propel itself for some distance. It would, however, 

 be absurd to suppose that the two portions would meet and join. 

 The living body will, however, reproduce a caudal appendage which 

 will enable it to reappear in public within a year and pass as a respect- 

 able member of reptilian society. 



Do not try to kill every snake you see. The greater part of 

 them are harmless and some are friendly to the human race. Most 

 of them are useful in killing moles, field mice and other animals inju- 

 rious to crops. 



Remarks were made upon the subject of Mr. Warner's paper by 

 Mr. Charles H. Ward, Mr. Elon Huntington and Mr. J. E. Putnam. 



Mr. Charles H. Ward exhibited and described some living speci- 

 mens of the. "Gila Monster" [Heloderma suspectum.) About fifteen 

 specimens were shown in a metal tank. In color they were mottled 

 black and orange. They were quite inactive, excepting the largest 

 one, which was removed from the tank, and handled with circum- 

 spection. It was about fifteen inches long and six inches in girth. 



Mr. Ward also exhibited two alcoholic specimens of the " Suri- 

 nam toad " [Ftpa Americana), one a male and the other a female. 

 Upon the back of the latter the young of the animal were present in 

 several stages of development. There was an informal discussion 

 regarding these specimens exhibited by Mr. Ward. 



Professor C. W. Dodge described the life history and the phys- 

 iology of respiration in the young of the Pipa. 



The remainder of the evening was occupied with reviews in 

 departments of science as follows : 



Professor C. W. Dodge spoke on " Fatigue of Nerve Cells," giv- 

 ing an account of an investigation made by Dr. Hodge, of Clark Uni- 



20, Proc. Roch. Acad. Sci. Vol. 2, May, 1895. 



