8o PROCEEDINGS S. I. ASS'n ARTS AND SCIENCES. [Vol. I 



Statenense, from its occurrence on Staten Island. This generic name 

 is the one which is used to designate fossil pine wood, and it is of in- 

 terest to note that in many of the specimens examined amber was found 

 enclosed in the lignite, "both in the translucent shining condition and 

 in the dull ochraceous modification. In the latter state it is particular- 

 ly conspicuous on account of the contrast in color with the black lig- 

 nite, and may be made out, not only in the form of pockets and nug- 

 gets, but also as fine yellow threads or streaks corresponding to the 

 normal resin passages of the wood." 



Fascicles of pine needles and numerous cone scales were also found 

 associated with the lignites, representing several different species, but 

 apparently the wood was all of the one species described. 



The paper also includes quite a full discussion of fossil pine woods 

 in general, with references to sources of information, and full credit is 

 given to one of our members for having first made known the possi- 

 bilities of the Kreischerville deposits and for assistance and coopera- 

 tion in securing material for study. — A. H. 



III. "On the Founding of Colonies by Queen Ants, with Special 

 Reference to the Parasitic and Slave-making Species." William 

 Morton Wheeler. Bui. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.,Yo\. xxii, igoS, pp. Zi- 

 105, pis. 8-14. 



Three views taken at Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, of the large 

 mound nests of Formica exsectoides Forel, are given in this interesting 

 pamphlet. These mounds formed part of the same colony, and one 

 was particularly worthy of note, as the recently constructed mound 

 Still had the stems of the dead bushes standing. Another showed about 

 its base a rather wide zone of the grass that these ants permit to grow 

 ©n their mounds. The building operations of this colony have been 

 interfered with since the photographs were taken, by the erection of a 

 Iious« on part of the ground they occupied, and some of their mound* 

 liave been destroyed.— W. T, D. 



IV. "The Frog Book: North American Toads and Frogs with a 

 Study of the Habits and Life Histories of those of the Northeastern 

 States." Mary C. Dickerson. 8vo cloth, pp. 253, pis. 112 and illust, 

 in text. Doubleday, Page & Company, New York, 1906. 



This admirable book forms one of "The Nature Library" series that 

 has now reached its twelfth volume. The popular demand for these 

 books is one of the encouraging signs of the times. Of particular local 



