838 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 751 



elusion. Kegan has also recently (January, 1909) 

 published on " The Classification of Teleostean 

 Fishes " and admitted four subclasses of Teleos- 

 tomes and 31 orders of Teleosts. The four sub- 

 classes are the same as four of those recognized 

 by the speaker in 1896; a fifth then admitted in 

 deference to the general sentiment at that time 

 (Hyoganoidea) may now be suppressed. Remarks 

 were made on the contrast between the orders 

 recognized till past the middle of the last century 

 and those now admitted by Mr. Regan and the 

 speaker. Praise was accorded to Regan for his 

 work, but the speaker was disposed to dissent 

 from him as to certain groups and presented the 

 following list of orders. Those named without 

 synonyms are the same as Mr. Regan's; the syn- 

 onyms added after many are the names given by 

 Regan. It was especially insisted upon that the 

 list was only provisional and tentative and that 

 no significance need be attached to the exact posi- 

 tion or sequence of some of the orders. The au- 

 thor is now employed in further studies of the 

 osteology. 



Our knowledge of the extinct types is in such 

 an unsatisfactory condition that the present list 

 is restricted to the living forms. 



Class Pisces 



Subclass Dipnoi or Dipneusti. 



Order Sirenoidei. 

 Subclass Crossopterygii. 



Order Semseopteri or Cladistia. 

 Subclass Chondroganoidei. 



Order Chondrostei. 



Order Selachostomi. 

 Subclass Teleostei. 



Order Rhomboganoidei or Ginglymodi. 



Order Cycloganoidei or Protospondyli. 



Order Malaeopterygii or Isospondyli. 



Order Iniomi. 



Order Scyphophori (S. 0. Mormyroidei ) . 



Order Plectospondyli (S. O. Cyprinoidei ) . 



Order Nematognathi (S. O. Siluroidei). 



Order Symbranchii. 



Order Carencheli. 



Order Apodes. 



Order Lyomeri. 



Order Opisthomi. 



Order Heteromi. 



Order Lyopomi ( Heteromi pt. ) . 



Order Xenomi (S. 0. Dallioidei). 



Order Haplomi (Microcyprini). 



Order Synentognathi. 



Order Salmopercse. 



Order Percesoces. 



Order Rhegnopteri (S. 0. Polynemoidei ) . 



Order Acanthopterygii ( Labyrinthici + Mal- 

 aciohthyes + Anacanthini + Allo- 

 triognathi pt. + Berycomorphi + 

 Heterosomata + Percomorphi + 

 Batraohoidei ) . 



Order Hemibranohii (Thoracostei + Solenich- 

 thyes pt.) . 



Order Hypostomides. 



Order Lophobranchii ( Solenichthyes Solenos- 

 tomoidei and Syngnathoidei ) . 



Order Discoeephali. 



Order Chondrobrachii. 



Order Taeniosomi (S. O. Trachypteroidei ) . 



Order Atelaxia (S. 0. Stylophoroidei ) . 



Order Xenopterygii or Xenopteri. 



Order Plectognathi. 



Order Pediculati. 

 Tlie Quano-iirds of Peru: Robert E. Coker. 

 (Illustrated with lantern slides.) 

 The chief guano-producing birds in order of 

 importance are — a cormorant (Phalaorocorax bou- 

 gainvillei Less.), the pelican (Peleccmus molince 

 (Molina) Gr.) and a gannet (Bula variegata 

 Tsch.). A small petrel (Balodroma garnoti 

 Less.) has some significance, and, if earlier ac- 

 counts are accepted, it was formerly much more 

 abundant and important. The penguin (Sphenis- 

 ous humboldti Meyen) was reputed to be com- 

 mercially important a few decades ago. Other 

 interesting birds were observed on and near the 

 islands. 



The pelican has suffered most from the disturb- 

 ance incident to the extraction of guano from the 

 rookeries. The bird has been pT-actically elim- 

 inated from the small islands of the southern 

 region, but still breeds in great numbers on the 

 larger islands of the north. A colony of pelicans, 

 between twenty and forty thousand in number, 

 was observed on the Lobos de Afuera Islands. 

 Since 1906 the Peruvian government has enforced 

 a " closed " season of five months annually, but 

 it is expected that a more adequate plan of rota- 

 tion will be adopted, so that the birds on certain 

 islands may be undisturbed for periods of years. 

 In partial adoption of this plan, the South Island 

 of the Chincha group has been kept " closed " for 

 nearly three years. It is estimated that, by the 

 expiration of the three years, a deposit of twenty 

 thousand tons will have accumulated upon this 

 island. 



The 459th meeting was held April 17, 1909, in 

 Hubbard Memorial Hall, with President Palmer 

 in the chair. The evening was devoted to a lec- 

 ture by Mr. Charles Sheldon, of New York, on 

 " Experiences with Big Game in the Mt. McKinley 

 Region, Alaska," illustrated by a large number of 

 stereopticon views of the country and of mountain 

 aheep, caribou, moose, lynx, bear and ptarmigan. 

 M. C. Marsh, 

 Recording Secretary 



