415 
BurraLo 
Society of Natural Sciences, December 9, 1869.—Annual 
meeting. —The president, G. W. Clinton, in the chair. The fol- 
lowing officers were elected for the ensuing year :—President, 
Geo. W. Clinton, LL.D. ; vice-presidents, A. T. Chester, D.D., 
Everard Palmer, and Henry A. Richmond; treasurer, James 
Sweeney; librarian, Otto Bessar. Dr. Bird, of Sioux City, 
Towa, and Johnson Pettit, of Grimsby, Ontario, were chosen 
corresponding members. 
Boston 
Society of Natural History, December 15, 1869,—The 
following paper was presented :—‘‘ Notes on the mammals of 
Iowa.” By Mr, J. A. Allen. 
The list of the mammals given in this paper is based mainly 
upon notes gathered during three months spent in the state 
of Iowa in the summer of 1867, for the purpose of collecting 
and studying its animals and plants. A few species have been 
inserted upon the authority of other authors, while a few others | 
are given from their known occurrence in nearly all the adjoining 
states, though not, to the author’s knowledge, yet reported from 
this. The whole number enumerated is forty-eight, and probably 
but two or three remain to be added to perfect the list of the 
indigenous mammals of the state. Attention is also called to 
such others as are most likely to occur. If three or four northern 
ones be found to reach the northern parts of the state, the whole 
number, including the introduced house-rats and mice, may 
be increased to about fifty-five or fifty-six, which is a num- 
ber somewhat greater than is found in many of the Atlantic 
states, excluding the marine species, the seals and cetaceans. 
lowa being situated in a prairie region, it necessarily differs 
considerably in the general character of its fauna, and especially 
in respect to its mammalia, from that of the wooded portion of 
the United States to the eastward, as all who have given attention 
to the geographical distribution of animals must be aware. Yet 
we do not in this state fairly enter upon the so-called Middle 
Province of the continent, which differs so markedly, both in | 
fauna and flora, from the Eastern Province. A great change in 
the fauna and flora is met with, however, at the point of junction 
of the wooded and woodless regions of the eastern half of the 
continent, which in the latitude of Iowa occurs more than a hun- 
dred miles to the eastward of that state. At this point as great 
and as abrupt a change occurs as usually takes place between 
two contiguous faunal districts, one of which lies to the north or 
to the south of the other, or where the line of division is an 
isothermal one, separating different climatic and zoological zones, 
A few only, if any, of the species embraced in this list seem to 
find their eastern limit of distribution in this state; but, with 
two or three exceptions, they range through southern Wisconsin, 
Illinois, and even into north-western Indiana and southern Michi- | 
gan, or to the eastern limit of the prairies. Also, with very few 
exceptions, none are restricted to it in either their northward or 
southward range. A few of the more northern species, whose 
southern range is restricted to the southern border of the Alle- 
ghanian fauna, may reach the northern counties of Iowa, 
as a few essentially southern species may approach, or even 
be found occasionally within its southern borders, Iowa is 
hence mainly embraced within the Carolinian fauna, at least so 
far as its mammals, birds, and reptiles are concerned, though 
generally heretofore supposed to belong, in great part, at least, 
to the Alleghanian, Among the strictly prairie mammals re- 
presented, are at least four rodents (Spermophilus tridecem- 
lineatus, S. Lranklinii, Geomys bursarius, Hesperomys niichi- 
ganensis), two carnivores (Canis latrans, Taxidea americana), 
and at least one insectivore (Scalofs argentatus). Only one 
eastern species, the red squirrel (Sciurus hudsonius), appears 
to find at the prairie line its western limit, if, as some have 
supposed, it be true that this animal does not range across the 
continent. Hence the difference between the mammalian fauna 
of the prairies of the Upper Mississippi valley and that of the 
forest region to the eastward consists in the addition of a number 
of species peculiar to the prairies. Since all the larger species 
of mammalia are everywhere rapidly disappearing before the 
revolutionising influences of civilisation, and since great and 
general changes occur in the faunal and floral features of every 
country when brought under cultivation, it becomes a matter of 
unusual interest to preserve as correct a record as possible of the 
primitive conditions of our own country in this respect, for com- 
parison with its subsequent altered status, as well as a history of 
the change. 
NATURE 
[| 7:26. 17, 1870 
DIARY 
THURSDAY, Fesruary 17. 
Royat Soctery, at 8.30.—On a Distinct Porm of Transient Hemiopsia : 
Dr. Hubert Airy.—Account of the Great Melbourne Telescope, from 
April, 1868, to its commencement of operations in Australia in 1869: A. 
Le Sueur. 
Linnean Society, at 8.—On the Tree Ferns of British Sikkim: Mr. Scott. 
CHEMICAL SOCIETY, at 8, 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 4, 
| ANTIQUARIES, at 8.30.—On Some Monastic Inventories: Rey. M. E. C. 
Walcott.—On Some Roman Antiquities : S. Sharp. 
Roya InsTttuTion, at 3.—On the Architecture of the Human Body: 
Prof. Humphry, 
FRIDAY, Fesrvary 18. 
Roya INSTITUTION, at 8.—Theories of the Physical Forces; Mr. W. K 
Clifford. 
PHILOLOGICAL Socig#Ty, at 8.30. 
GEOLOGICAL SocigTy, at r.—Anniversary Meeting. 
SATURDAY, Fesrvary 19. 
Roya Instirution, at 3 —Science of Religion: Prof. Max Miller. 
MONDAY, Fesrvuary 21. 
VictortA InsTivuTe, at 8.—Spontaneous Generation, or the Problem of 
Life: Rev. Prof. Kirk. 
LONDON INSTITUTION, at 4. 
MepIcAL Sociery, at 8. 
EXNTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 7, 
Royat ASIATIC SOCIETY, at 3. 
TUESDAY, Fesruary 22. 
ETHNOLOGICAL Society, at 8.—On Recent Archxological Discoveries in 
Yorkshire ; C. Monkman, Esq.—On the Natives of Naga, Philippine 
Island: Dr. Jagor. 
INSTITUTION OF CiIviL ENGINEERS, at 8. 
Royat Mepicat AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY, at 8.30. 
Roya. InstiruTion, at 3.—On the Architecture of the Human Body: 
Prof. Humphry. 
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23. 
ARCH OLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, at 8. 
GEOLOGICAL SocigTy, at 8.—Additional observations on the Neocomian 
Strata of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, with notes on their relations to 
the Beds of the same age throughout Northern Europe: By Mr. J. W. 
Judd.—On Deep-mining with relation to the Mineralibenrire Strata in 
the S.W. of Ireland: By Mr. Samuel Hyde. Communicated by Mr. 
R. Etheridge.—On the Structure of a Fern-stem from the Lower Locene 
at Herne Bay, and on its allies, recent and fossil: By Mr, W. 
Carruthers. 
Sociery or Arts, at 8.—On Economy of Fuel for Domestic purposes : Mr. 
D. Galton, C. B. 
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24. 
ZooLocicaL Society, at 8,30.-—On the Classification of the Capitonida : 
Messrs. Marshall.—On the White Wag-tails of China; Mr. R. Swinhoe. 
—On the Deer living in the Society’s Menagerie: Mr. Sclater. 
BOOKS RECEIVED 
ForricnN.—Les Oiseaux décrits et figurés d’aprés la Classification de 
Georges Cuvier mise au courant des progrés de la science, 72 Planches, 
les esptces remarquables et les caractéres, génériques tirés du bec et des 
pattes: texte explicatif; Figures Coloriées. —Petrifications remarquables des 
Alpes Suisses, le Corallien de Wimmis; W. A. Ooster ; avec une Introduction 
Geologique et 24 Planches des Fossiles: C.de Fischer-Ooster.—Mono- 
graphique der Molluskengattung Venus; Linné; Dr. Edward Rémer.— 
Fossile Flora der jiingsten Steinkohlenformation und des Rothliegenden im 
Saar-Rhein Gebiete ; Ch. Ernst Weiss, (Williams and Norgate.) 
CONTENTS PAGE 
THe MeaAsurEMENT OF GsroLocicAL Time.—A. R. WALLACE, 
BrRiGiSs \(VttA: Digexcityiis 0) quo aloe est tae asta) Meena OO) 
Farapay.—By Dr, J, H. Grapstong, F.R.S. (With Idlustrations.) 401 
OuR Book SHELF! ro) celcel eleyel) (=) fs) aay keene ip ey eee Cee eee 
On THE Datty LasourinG Force oF THE HuMAN Hearr.—By 
Rev. Prof. ‘S.EAGGH TON; HeRsSe. 4) menial ehiaicsl are 
oe e's 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:— 4 
Scientific Queries.—F. R35. «6 5 5 3 4 omic tel) 
Hazeand Dust Apne )s) a) ele uu gil eats Mel caS E MetEEe 
The Solution of the Nile Problem.—Dr. CHARLES BEKE . . « «© 405 
Analogy of Colour and Music—Supernumerary Rainbows.—J AMES 
SrvaRris) Wha) DARRED Ts) Sulla esa le) ie utd ben 400 
Sensation and Perception.—Rev. W. G. Davies 2 = 407 
‘Transcendent Space.—Dr, C. M. INGLEBY . . . c + 407 
Tue Newacyt Tevescope., (W2th [élustrations.) . . se «408 
INGOTES: 5.) Veuecwde se) os) eaten io cao me iain aaa A 
MaGNeETIC AND SuN-SpoT PHENOMENA FOR 1870 . : © giz 
SCIEN TIBIGESERIAES ie clare meee titel tah Teh (ost cium ean oa or mare 
INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES « « «. ¢ «© 6 «© «© 6 « ¢ «@ « © 433 
SocieTIES AND ACADEMIES :— 
Lonpnon—Royal Society ; Ethnological ; Entomological . . 413—415 
EpinsurGH—Royal Physical Race OMe Geil ar re oka lo. 
Dustin — Royal Irish Academy; Royal Geological Society of 
Ireland ; Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland. .... . 
415 
Giascow—Geological Society of Glasgow . . . 6 . se «© « 415 
Norro.tk—Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’). . . . . . « « 416 
Paris—Academy of Sciences. Spl uti Obep) wcrc on teh Ge RCS 
Bertin—Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences . . . . . . ~ 416 
VienNA—Imperial Geological Institution . . . . . . . « « 416° 
PHILADELPHIA—Academy of Natural Sciences . « . « + « + 417 
3 Society of Natural Sciences . . + 418 
B0 —Society of Natural History. . . - 418 
JOKS RECEIVED ff 5) sold denidale camncuteae melt ha ohana 
