May 15, 1696.] 



SCIENCE. 



751 



the amount of difference in intensity between 

 the sensations. 



Dr. Livingston Farrand, in a paper on Primi- 

 tive Education, discussed methods of training 

 and general education among primitive peoples 

 in their bearings on primitive conceptions of 

 morality, taking up the general condition of the 

 child in the savage community and more par- 

 ticularly the relations of the child and parent. 



The question of education was discussed 

 under three heads : (1) the natural training 

 which the child obtains by natural reaction on 

 his environment and without definite instruction 

 by his elders ; (2) the practical education where 

 the child is definitely instructed in the arts 

 which will be of use to him in his later, life and 

 (3) his ethical education. Attention was called 

 to certain phases of the subject where observa- 

 tions are particularly faulty or altogether want- 

 ing. 



Dr. Franz Boas spoke on the Correlations of 

 Anthropometric Measurements. He pointed out 

 that when any two biological measurements are 

 considered as correlated, and individuals show- 

 ing a certain value of the first measurement 

 are grouped together, then the average of the 

 values of the second measurement for the 

 group of individuals will also be changed, but 

 to a less degree than the first. When, how- 

 ever, the grouping of individuals is made ac- 

 cording to social aspects, then all the measure- 

 ments change either proportionately or according 

 to laws differing from the one quoted before, the 

 reason being that in the second grouping a cer- 

 tain set of causes influence all the measurements 

 in the same manner. By applying this principle 

 it is possible inversely to determine social 

 causes that produce certain anthropometric pe- 

 culiarities, as in groupings which are made ac- 

 cording to the proportions and to the absolute 

 values of measurements combined, the social 

 classes will be represented in varying propor- 

 tions. Livingston Fabrand, 



Secretary of Sub-section. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE TOEREY BOTANICAL CLUB 

 WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 29, 1896. 



The Club met as usual in Hamilton Hall, 

 with President Brown in the chair. There were 

 present 64 persons. 



Dr. Britton reported a successful field meet- 

 ing at Prince's Bay, S. I., on April 25th, it 

 being the first of the season. 



Major Timothy E. Wilcox's paper, ' Botaniz- 

 ing in Arizona,' was then read. It was drawn 

 from experience during four years residence at 

 Fort Huachuca and was devoted to climate, sea- 

 sons and topography, as well as descriptions of 

 some of the little known plants of that locality. 

 Botany was treated from an economic stand- 

 point as well as otherwise. Lantern slides fi-om 

 original photographs were exhibited. Also 

 slides showing other scenes were introduced. 



Mr. Cornelius Van Brunt then rapidly showed 

 a number of colored lantern slides of plants 

 growing in Central Park, accompanying them 

 with short descriptions and anecdotes. Most 

 of these slides had not been exhibited before. 

 Mr. Van Brunt described the method of coloring 

 these slides by the use of aniline colors applied 

 by hand. W. A. Bastedo, 



Secretary pro. tern. 



GEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE OF HARVARD UNI- 

 VERSITY, APRIL 14, 1896. 



On the Function and Systematic Importance of the 

 Aptychus in Ammonites. By C. R. Eastman. 

 The speaker described the nature and mode 

 of occurrence of the aptychus, and exhibited 

 several specimens with the aptychus preserved 

 in the so-called ' normal position' and also di- 

 rectly at the aperture. The numerous theories 

 regarding its function were discussed, principal 

 attention being paid to the nidamental and 

 operculate theories. The Dundry, Crimean 

 and Solenhofen specimens described by Owen, 

 Retowski and Michael, respectively, were next 

 discussed, and these were shown to prove, be- 

 yond all doubt, the operculate function of the 

 aptychus. The fact that aptychi do not repre- 

 sent the calcified head cartilage of Dibran- 

 chiates was used as an argument against Iher- 

 ing's proposition for associating Ammonites 

 with the latter group. The viviparous habit of 

 Ammonites, as indicated by the discovery of a 

 number of minute aptychi and shells within the 

 living chamber of Oppelia steraspis was com- 

 mented upon, and attention called to the fact 

 that in the Upper Jurassic Ammonites, which 

 were then entering upon their decline, the de- 



