Deoembee 13, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



785 



Discussion by Drs. De Eey-Pailhade and 

 Arthus. 



Prof. W. Einthoven (Leyden) showed 

 photographs of the regular excursions of a 

 capillary electronaeter produced by a tun- 

 ing fork giving as many as 1,000 vibrations 

 per second. The results obtained on the 

 other hand with Appunn's steel lamellae 

 were so irregular that these are apparently 

 unsuitable for investigation of the deepest 

 perceptible tones. 



Prof. C. Sherrington (Liverpool) and Dr. 

 F. Mott (London) showed two monkeys. 

 One of these had had the posterior nerve 

 roots, with the exception of the 8th cervical 

 nerve, divided down to the 2nd dorsal nerve, 

 with no resulting sensory or motor disturb- 

 ance. The other monkey had, in addition, 

 the posterior roots of the Sth cervical nerve 

 divided, and showed motor as well as sen- 

 sory disturbances. It was demonstrated to 

 the Congress that these disturbances were 

 not due to injury of the pyramidal track 

 for stimulation of the cerebral motor area 

 caused movements of the fore limb. 



Prof. J. B .Haycraft (Cardiff) described 

 the change of shape of the heart in systole. 

 It was very difficult to produce post-mortem 

 systolic contraction of the heart, but this 

 could be done by injection of mercuric 

 chloride. The results obtained confirmed 

 those of Ludwig and Hesse. 



Prof. F. Gotch (Oxford) described the 

 results of his investigations of the nature of 

 the discharge of Malapterurus Electricus in 

 response to mechanical and electrical exci- 

 tation with the help of galvanometer , and 

 rheotome, of rheoscopic nerve-muscle prepa- 

 ration, and of capillary electrometer pro- 

 vided with shunt or condenser. Each dis- 

 charge consists of three or four single shocks 

 following one another at intervals of .004- 

 .005 seconds, each of which has a duration 

 of .002 seconds and an electromotive force of 

 120-200 volts. The succession of shocks is 

 probably due to each shock stimulating the 



organ producing it to the production of a 

 fresh one, and can be demonstrated with 

 the organ isolated from the body. 



Discussion by Dr. Boruttau and Prof. 

 Eosenthal. 



( To ie concluded. ) 



A3IEBiaAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 



The Thirteenth Congress of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union convened in Wash- 

 ington, Monday evening, November 11th. 

 The business meeting was held at the resi- 

 dence of Dr. C. Hart Merriam. The public 

 sessions, lasting three days, were held in the 

 Lecture Hall of the U. S. National Museum, 

 commencing Tuesday, November 12th. 



William Brewster, Cambridge, Mass., was 

 elected President; Dr. C. Hart Merriam 

 and Mr. Robert Eidgway, of Washington, 

 Vice-Presidents; John H. Sage, of Portland, 

 Conn., Secretary; Wm. Dutcher, of New 

 York City, Treasurer; Dr. J. A. Allen, Maj. 

 C. E. Bendire, Frank M. Chapman, C. P. 

 Batchelder, Dr. Elliott Coues, D. G. Elliot 

 and Dr. A. K. Fisher, members of the 

 Council. One active, one honorary, two 

 corresponding and eighty-eight associate 

 members were elected. 



A communication was received from Dr. 

 Ch. Warden Stiles, delegate from the United 

 States to the International Zoological Con- 

 gress, requesting the Union to appoint a 

 representative as a member of an Advisory 

 Committee to which will be submitted all 

 questions of nomenclature likely to be ruled 

 on by the International Zoological Congress, 

 to be held in England in 1898. Dr. J. A. 

 Allen was so appointed. 



The Committee on ' Classification and 

 Nomenclature of North American Birds' 

 reported the new edition of the Check-List 

 as practically finished; it will be published 

 in a few weeks. 



In behalf of the Committee on ' Protec- 

 tion of North American Birds,' Mr. Wm. 

 Dutcher stated that the same precautions 



