982 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 755 



The simplification equivalent of the oils. The 

 weight of the ash and the determination of the 

 ash constituents. The per cent, of the various 

 constituents of the fruits. 

 The Action of Mcmure on a Certain loiva Soil: 



E. B. Watson. 

 The Solubility of Portland Cement Proved: G. G. 

 and A. J. Wheat. 



The advanced studies on cement are demon- 

 strating the power of water, at normal tempera- 

 tures to dissolve and carry through a double 

 filtering crucible. The silicates of lime and the 

 aluminate of lime, as silicates and aluminates 

 and these same dissolved silicates refuse to yield 

 their calcium to HCI, but do yield after the soda 

 carbonate fusion. 



Some Oeological Effects of Artificial Drainage in 

 the Wisconsin Drift Region: G. G. and A. J. 

 Wheat. 

 Significance of Thrust-planes in the Great Basin 

 Ranges: Chabues R. Keyes. 

 The recent discovery of thrust-planes in certain 

 of the desert ranges of the Great Basin region and 

 of late Tertiary strata severely flexed and infolded 

 with early Tertiary lava flows is taken as indi- 

 cating that the entire region has been subjected 

 to great compression during late geologic times 

 and not to pulling strains that would produce 

 profound normal faulting. The recent-fault the- 

 ory for the origin of these mountains is therefore 

 very seriously questioned. 



Orotaxial Correlation of Geologic Terranes and 

 Dia^trophism : Charles R. Keyes. 

 The similarity of the two methods is pointed out 

 and their great value emphasized as means of 

 exact correlation of geologic formations. Atten- 

 tion is also called to the fact that the proposition 

 of this method was presented before this academy 

 more than a dozen years ago and a full decade 

 prior to the general acceptance of the principles 

 by geologists generally. It supplants the methods 

 by means of fossils. 



Carbonic Column of the Rio Grande Region: 

 Charles R. Keyes. 



The results of some recent observations are 

 briefly discussed, as bearing upon the Carbonic 

 history of our Iowa rocks. The Carbonic section 

 of the region is very much more complete than 

 in the Mississippi Valley; and in fact more ex- 

 tensive than anywhere else on the North American 

 continent. 



Eydroids as Ornamental Plants: C. C. NuTTlNQ. 

 Arteriosclerosis: W. E. Sanders. 



Birds of Polk County, Iowa: Lester P. Faqen. 

 Some Observations on the Embryology of Chiro- 

 nomus: W. N. Cbaton. 



L. S. Ross, 

 Secretary 

 Des Moines, Ia. 



THE TOBREY BOTANICAL CLUB 



The meeting of April 28, 1909, was held at the 

 New York Botanical Garden, with Dr. Tracy E. 

 Hazen in the chair. 



Dr. William A. Murrill, chairman of the cryp- 

 togamic section of the committee on the local 

 flora, made a report in which the following sug- 

 gestions were submitted: 



(1) The publication of keys and lists of local 

 species for field use; (2) the preparation of a 

 map of the territory included; (3) cooperation 

 with other botanical clubs within or bordering on 

 ttiis territory; (4) cooperation with the field 

 committee in the selection of suitable places for 

 excursions and the care of cryptogamic material 

 collected on these excursions; (5) the use of a 

 given space in Torreya for notes upon and addi- 

 tions to the local flora; (6) a joint meeting at an 

 early date with the phanerogamic section of the 

 committee on local flora. 



The scientific program consist«d of a discussion 

 of " The Cactuses of the West Indies " by Dr. N. 

 L. Britton. 



The speaker referred to the distribution of cacti 

 in the West Indian Islands and the regions in- 

 habited by them; these are mostly on the southern 

 side of the larger islands, where the rainfall is 

 very low and where these plants are very abun- 

 dant, certain portions of the southern side of 

 eastern Cuba and of Jamaica being actual cactus 

 deserts. On the smaller islands the cacti grow 

 less abundantly and mainly at low altitudes. The 

 genus Rhipsalis forms an exception to the general 

 xerophytic distribution, its species growing on 

 trees and clifi's in relatively moist regions. 

 Southern Florida contains several species similar 

 to some of those growing on the Bahamas and in 

 Cuba or identical with them. After a prelim- 

 inary description of the plants the meeting ad- 

 journed to the propagating houses of the New 

 York Botanical Garden, where specimens of living 

 cacti, including nearly all the known species of 

 the West Indies, were exhibited and described. 



Percy Wilson, 



Secretary 



