Makch 25, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



431 



views of the scenery of their surroundings were 

 shown, especially of the Selkirk Mountains and 

 about Banff. Here, instead of Budbeckia and 

 Leucanlhemum, Gaillardia aristata covers the 

 fields with multitudes of purple and yellow 

 flowers. Vetches are numerous, blue clover 

 (lucerne) takes the place of red ; turf for the 

 lawns is composed of Buffalo clover only {Trifo- 

 lium reflexum). Beautiful examples of Hedy- 

 sarum, Lathyrus and Oxytropis occur among 

 the Leguminosas ; Linnsea borealis, Potentilla 

 fruticosa and several species of Allium were 

 abundant, also Parnassia palusiris and P. fiin- 

 briata. Near the hotel at Banff great numbers 

 of Shepherdia bushes are hung with their red 

 berries. The red berry-like fruit of the Straw- 

 berry-Blite, Chenopodium capitatum, was seen 

 in great abundance in parts of the Canadian 

 National Park, as was Galium boreale, Anapha- 

 lis margaritacea and several species of Gentiana 

 and of Pediciilaris. The Asters were repre- 

 sented by A. Fremonti; instead of the dande- 

 lion, Troximon with similar blossom had be- 

 come the most common flower ; myriads of 

 hare-bells, apparently Campanula rotundifolia, 

 dotted the roadsides, and the horse if left to 

 himself would hunt them out as the choicest 

 eating. One field was a beautiful mass of 

 squirrel-grass, Hordeum jubatum ; larkspurs 

 grew all along the road ; blue flax {Linum Pe- 

 renne) and Bosa acicularis Bourgeana were still 

 in blossom. About the numerous hot springs 

 and ponds formed from them grew plants of 

 warmer latitudes, here blooming early, as Gen- 

 tiana detonsa in July. Lobelia Kalmii was 

 blooming in the hot water. Many parts of this 

 park have lost their beauty from the continu- 

 ous forest fires. The Canadian Pacific Rail- 

 road employs watchmen whose sole duty is to 

 guard against these fires. Digging shows that 

 such fires have ravaged this region since 

 times before history. The blackened ground 

 is slowly covered by fireweed {Epilobium 

 angustifolium) and, after the charred trees have 

 fallen, by vigorous young growth of balsam- 

 spruce and pine. The abundant painted cup 

 disputes with the fireweed the position of most 

 showy flower of the region. An interesting 

 visit to Lake Louise and neighboring glaciers 

 was described, also to Mirror L. , with altitude 



of 5,480 feet. Great numbers of crossbills were 

 met near the glacier, feeding upon pine cones ; 

 three columbines, Aquilegia, were close to the 

 snows, with Ledum latifolium, Pentstemon Men- 

 ziesii, Valeriana Sitkensis and Arnica cordifolia. 

 Habernia hyperborea was everywhere through 

 the woods. The moss-campion, Silene acaulis, 

 covered dry rocks with long tap-roots going 

 down three feet or more to water. Strangely 

 enough, the night-flowering catchfly, Silene 

 noctiflora, was here in force. Bryanthus and 

 Cassiopea were in fine flower. Lyall's Larch 

 grew higher up the mountain than any ever- 

 green, and its bright green was already turning 

 now in August to its autumn yellow. 



Edward S. Burgess, 

 Secretary. 



THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES — SEC- 

 TION OF BIOLOGY, FEBRUARY 14, 1S98. 



The first paper was on ' The Eparterial Bron- 

 chial System of the Mammalia,' by Professor 

 Geo. S. Huntington, a full abstract of which 

 will appear in an early number of Science. 



Professor F. S. Lee followed with a report of 

 his researches on ' The Function of the Ear and 

 the Lateral Line in Fishes.' Previous work by 

 the author has shown in detail that the ear of 

 fishes is a sense-organ of equilibrium, the semi- 

 circular canals mediating the perception of ro- 

 tary movements, the otolithic portions that of 

 the position of the body in space. The paper 

 reported the results of experiments proving 

 that the otolithic organs mediate also the per- 

 ception of progressive movements. Thus the 

 hypotheses of Mach and Breuer in this regard 

 are experimentally confirmed. All attempts of 

 the author, as well as those of Kreidl and 

 others, have failed to demonstrate in fishes the 

 existence of any power of hearing in the cus- 

 tomary sense of the word. It must be con- 

 cluded that this sense is wanting and that the 

 ear in fishes is purely equilibrative in function. 



Cutting of all the nerves supplying the organs 

 of the lateral line, or destruction of the organs, 

 does not appear to have any effect on the fish ; 

 but this should be re-examined. Destruction of 

 the organs, however, combined with the re- 

 moval of the large pectoral and ventral fins in 

 Batrachus tau causes evident lack of apprecia- 



