January 19, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



69 



tions of the body wliicli he considered to be 

 the electric organs of Eigenmannia (Sterno- 

 pygits). It is interesting to note that his 

 description of the macroscopic appearance of 

 the electric organs exactly fits that of 

 Gymnotus carapus presented here. 



From an evolutionary standpoint, the weak 

 or pseudo-electric fishes form a subject of 

 interesting speculation. The Gymnotids (ex- 

 cept Electrophorus electricus, the electric eel) 

 and certain of the Raiidae possess these weak 

 electric organs. Darwin, in his " Origin of 

 Species "^ has admitted that the electric 

 organs of fishes present difficulties to his 

 theory of natural selection. Are the weak 

 electric organs rudimentary, or are they new 

 organs in the process of progressive develop- 

 ment ? If they are rudimentary why have they 

 been discarded; if they are new organs just 

 beginning to appear, of what selection value 

 can they be if they produce no perceptible 

 electric current ? Only a study of the develop- 

 ment of these organs can throw light on these 

 questions. In certain of the Eaiidse which 

 have been investigated it seems quite evident 

 that the electric organs have been recently 

 acquired and are not, therefore, the rudiments 

 of previously existing well-developed ones. 



Elmer L. Shaffer 



Princeton University, 

 December 14, 1916 



THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PHAR- 

 MACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL 

 THERAPEUTICS 



The eighth annual session of the Pharmacolog- 

 ical Society took place on December 28, 29 and 30, 

 1916, at Cornell Medical School, New York City. 

 The other members of the Federation of American 

 Societies for Experimental Biology met at the 

 same time and place. 



The sessions were opened and concluded by a 

 joint meeting of all four societies. The papers 

 read at these meetings will be found in the re- 

 port of the General Secretary of the Federation. 

 In addition to these joint meetings, the Pharma- 

 cological and Physiological Societies held a joint 

 session devoted entirely to demonstrations on Fri- 

 day afternoon, December 29. 



- P. 167, sixth edition. 



Officers for 1917. — The following officers were 

 elected for the present year: 



President: Eeid Hunt. 



Secretary: L. G. Eowntree. 



Treasurer: Wm. deB. MacNider. 



Additional Memiers of the Council: John Auer, 

 Carl Voegtlin. 



Membership Committee : Torald Solhnann (term 

 expires 1919). 



New Members: The following candidates were 

 elected to membership upon recommendation by 

 the membership committee and the council: Frank- 

 lin C. McLean, Union Medical College, Peking, 

 China; Harold B. Meyers, University of Oregon; 

 Maurice I. Smith, University of Michigan; Julius 

 M. Rogoff, Western Reserve University; James A. 

 Waddell, University of Virginia. 



Membership in the A. A. A. S, — The attention 

 of new members is called to the following resolu- 

 tion of the council of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science: 



Besolved, that the entrance fee to this associa- 

 tion shall be remitted for members of regularly 

 affiliated societies who are elected to the A. A. A. 

 S. within one year of their election to membership 

 in the affiliated society. 



The extension of this privilege (it was formerly 

 limited to the year 1916 only) to all new members 

 of afiUiated societies for the year in which they< 

 join the affiliated society, is greatly to be welcomed, 

 and all new members of the Pharmacological So- 

 ciety should avail themselves of this opportunity. 



Amendment of the Constitution. — The manda- 

 tory provision of Article V., Section 1, that the 

 annual meeting of the society be held between 

 December 25 and January 1 at a place determined 

 by the council was altered to read: "The annual 

 meeting of the society shall be held at a time and 

 place determined by the council in consultation 

 with the executive committee of the Federation of 

 American Societies for Experimental Biology. ' ' 

 The federal executive committee, it may be added, 

 is formed by the presidents and secretaries of the 

 constituent societies of the federation. 



The object of this amendment was to permit a 

 tentative change of the meeting time, if a major- 

 ity of the federated societies should deem this ad- 

 visable. There are a number of reasons why the 

 scientific sessions should be held at some other 

 time of the year than Christmas week: the season 

 is usually inclement and imposes hardships and 

 dangers on all members, especially the elderly, 

 who are compelled to travel considerable distances 

 in order to attend; the time available for the 

 preparation of papers from the beginning of the 



