Decemdeb 3, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



815 



and in every instance the swollen stems of 

 rusted blueljerry grew among or just beneath 

 the infected leaves. 



The delicate peridium disappeared in a few 

 days after the escape of the spores, or the 

 infected leaves curled up and fell from the 

 tree. Several collections were made during 

 the summer, the last being on August 15. 



W. P. Fraser 



PiCTOU, N. S. 



THE SMOOTH ROUND, AXD SOME OTHER FISHES 

 IN NEW JERSEY 



Among a collection of fishes made during 

 the past season at Corson's Inlet, by Dr. E. J. 

 Phillips, is an interesting foetal shark. It is 

 one of six removed from a female which meas- 

 ured three feet nine inches, taken on May 16, 

 and was attached to the uterus of the mother 

 by a placenta. This fact is interesting in that 

 it points to the alleged essential character dis- 

 tinguishing Cynais from Mustelus. Upon 

 comparison with other examples from our 

 Atlantic coast, and the types of Mustelus 

 equestris Bonaparte (= Mustelus mustelus), 

 I find no difference whatever, except as may 

 be allowed due to age. The presence of a 

 lateral cusp on each side of the median one, 

 in the case of the teeth, is distinct in small 

 specimens, but as they grow larger the outer 

 or anterior teeth at least seem to be smoother. 

 I shall therefore feel obliged to consider the 

 common smooth hound along the New Jersey 

 coast to be Mustelus mustelus, thus substan- 

 tiating Dr. Giinther's record for New York in 

 1870. A fine small example of Elops saurus, 

 the first definite record for this fish in New 

 Jersey waters, was taken October 9. Clupea 

 harengus, taken on June 6, is also the first 

 definite record in New Jersey for that spe- 

 cies. Other interesting species obtained are: 

 Eulam,ia milherti, Ancliovia 'brownii, A. m,it- 

 chilli, Kirtlandia vagrans laciniata, Menidia 

 menidia notata, Mugil ceplialus, M. curema, 

 Selene vomer, Trachinotus falcatus, Poma- 

 tomus saltatrix, Orthopristis chrysopterus, 

 Stenotomus chrysops, Micropogon undulatus, 

 Menticirrhus americanus, Stephanolepis his- 

 pidus, Alutera schospfii, Tetrodon maculatus, 



Chilomycterus schcepfi, Myoxocephalus wneus, 

 Prionotus carolinus, P. evolans strigatus and 

 Pseudopleuronectes americanus. 



Henry W. Fowler 

 Academy of Natubal Sciences, 

 Philadelphia, Pa., 

 November 6, 1909 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE NEW YOBK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 

 SECTION OF BIOLOGY 



A REGULAB meeting of this section was held at 

 the American Museum of Natural History on 

 October 11, 1909. In the absence of Jlr. Franl^ 

 M. Chapman, chairman of the section. Professor 

 N. L. Britton presided. The evening was devoted 

 to a paper on " Common Mushrooms and How to 

 Know Tliem," by Miss Nina L. Marshall. 



Miss Marshall, who is the author of a popular 

 book on mushrooms, exhibited a series of beauti- 

 fully colored slides illustrating the principal types 

 of mushrooms. She dwelt especially on the eco- 

 logy of the different forms and on their economic 

 importance to man. The distinctive characters 

 of the poisonous and non-poisonous kinds were 

 emphasized. 



At the regular meeting held at the American 

 Museum on November 8, 1909, Chairman Frank 

 M. Chapman presiding, the following papers were 

 read: 

 A Naturalist in the Straits of Magellan : Mr. 



Chas. H. Townsend. 



The speaker gave an account of personal ex- 

 periences in the Straits of Magellan while a mem- 

 ber of a scientific expedition to that region several 

 years ago. He spoke at length of the more inter- 

 esting mammals, birds, fishes and plants seen or 

 collected. The paper also dealt with the habits 

 of the native tribes of that region. Those living 

 along the more westerly channels of the straits 

 go almost naked, subsist mainly on shell-fish and, 

 in the speaker's opinion, are the lowest among 

 primitive races of man. Tliey are fast disappear- 

 ing and should be carefully studied. 



The paper was illustrated by lantern slides 

 mostly from photographs by the author. 

 A Trip through Tropical Mexico: Dr. Alexander 



PETBUNKEVITCn. 



The author spent two months during last sum- 

 mer in the lowlands of tropical Mexico collecting 

 arachnida and other invertebrates for the Amer- 

 ican Museum of Natural History. The paper 



