Annual Reports 141 



On motion of Doctor Hollick it was voted that the title of the section be 

 changed from Section of Biology to Section of Natural Science. 



Doctor Hollick exhibited specimens of local mollusca recently collected, 

 and read the following memoranda: 



Melamptis lineatus Say (=M. bidentatus Say). On October 3, 1914, 

 this species was found in unusual abundance, in rubbish, at high-water 

 mark on the surface of the salt meadow, at South Beach. Although quite 

 common, this species was but sparsely represented in our local collection. 



Musculiuni partumeium Say (= Sphaerium partumeium Say). On No- 

 vember 29, 1914, this delicate little species was found in considerable num- 

 bers in Van Wagenen's pond, Clifton, attached to a moss (Fontinalis 

 hiformis Sulliv. ?). It was represented in our local collection by only six 

 specimens. 



Planorbis antrorsus Conr. (=P. bicarinatus Say). On the same date 

 as the preceding this species was found in abundance in both the upper 

 and the lower Clove Lake. It is not listed in Sanderson Smith's Catalogue 

 of the Mollusca of Staten Island (Peoc. Nat. Sci. Assoc. Staten Is., Extra 

 No. 5, 1 : 50. March, 1887) ; but in our local collection there is a small 

 vial containing nine specimens, labeled " Staten Island." 



Incidentally it is of interest to record that the two species last mentioned 

 were found while assisting Professor Nordal Wille, Director of the Royal 

 Botanical Garden at Christiania, Norway, to collect specimens of our fresh- 

 water algae, on which plants he is an authority of international reputation. 



Polygyra thyroides Say [^ Mesodon thyroides (Say) Tryon]. On 

 March 28, 1915, these thirty-six specimens were found in a heap, at the 

 mouth of a burrow in recently burned over ground in the woods near the 

 highest point on Ocean Terrace. They were subsequently examined by 

 Mr. Silas C. Wheat, to whom I am indebted for the following note : 

 "Polygyra thyroides Say (variety hucculenti Gould) is much smaller than 

 typical thyroides. The latter occurs in Pennsylvania and New York. Both 

 forms have the reflected surface of the lip white on the inner half ; and 

 the surface is concave — not flat. But these specimens have the lip flat 

 and white like albolabris." Apparently Mr. Wheat was in doubt as to 

 which species our specimens should be referred. The meaning or signifi- 

 cance of the occurrence of these specimens at the mouth of the burrow I 

 was .unable to determine. They all present a fresh appearance. 



Doctor Hollick remarked that it might be of future interest to place on 

 record the fact that a young Bartram oak, Quercus heterophylla Michx., 

 was planted in the grounds of the Cubberly House at New Dorp on May 

 15, 1915. This specimen was one of seven seedlings collected at Totten- 

 ville September 30, 191 1, and shown at the meeting of the section on Octo- 

 ber II, 1911. These were planted in pots and bitried in the ground; but 

 this specimen is the only one that survived. Subsequently, however, acorns 

 were collected from the assumed parent tree, and from trees of red 

 oak, Quercus rubra L., and willow oak, Quercus phellos L., growing in 



