934 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. III. No. 78. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, 263D 

 MEETING, MAY 30, 1806. 



Theo. Gill spoke of The Characteristics of the 

 Families Salmonidie and Thymallidx, saying that 

 in 1894 he had given definitions of the two 

 based on modifications of the cranium, the 

 presence or absence of epipleurals, and the 

 development of the dorsal fin. The Salmonidie 

 were supposed to have the ' parietal bones sep- 

 arated at middle by the intervention of the 

 supraoccipital,' while the rAj/maMid^c had 'pari- 

 etal bones meeting at middle.' Mr. Boulenger 

 has denied the existence or value of these dif- 

 ferential characters. As to the relations of the 

 parietal and supraoccipital bones he was fully 

 justified. The Coregonines generally have the 

 parietals contiguous, and therefore the dis- 

 tinction of the Salmouids from the Thj'mallids 

 on that basis must be abandoned. But there 

 appears to be no reason for further abandon- 

 ment. The epipleurals are well developed in 

 Thymallus, while none could be found in Salmo, 

 Salvelinus, Argyrosomus and Coregonus. It was 

 suggested that Mr. Boulenger might have con- 

 sidered the epicentrals, which are common to 

 both the Salmonids and Thymallids, to be what 

 was meant by epipleurals. At any rate. Prof 

 Evermann and Mr. Lucas had both reex- 

 amined the question on specimens prepared by 

 themselves and had reached the same conclu- 

 sions as the speaker. There is no question 

 about the difference between the dorsal fins of 

 the two types. They may, therefore, be main- 

 tained as families differentiated by the combina- 

 tion of epipleurals and peculiar dorsal in 

 the Thymallids and no epipleurals and normally 

 constructed dorsal in the Salmonids. 



Barton "W. Evermann spoke of The Fishes and 

 Fisheries of Indian River, Florida. Indian River 

 is not a river at all, but a long, shallow salt-water 

 lagoon shut oflT from the sea by a series of low 

 and narrow islands. 



The depth is usually not greater than 6 to 10 

 feet, and the density of the water varies from 

 1.013 to 1.019. 



The total number of species of fishes now 

 known from the river is 105, though further in- 

 vestigation will doubtless add many to the list. 



Indian River is remarkable for the large num- 



ber of important food fishes which it contains, 

 no fewer than 2.5 species being handled by the 

 fishermen. Among the most important may be 

 named the following : Common mullet {Mugil 

 cephahts), pompano {Trachinotus carolinus), blue- 

 fish {Pomatomus saltatrix), red drum {Sciienops 

 ocellatus), spotted squeteague, or sea trout {Cyno- 

 scion nebnlosus), and the mangrove snapper {Neo- 

 meenis griseus). The mullet is by far the most 

 abundant of the food fishes. 



The fisheries of this river have developed 

 along with the completion of the Florida East 

 Coast Railroad, which now furnishes excellent 

 facilities for the shipping of fish to Northern 

 cities. At first Titusville was the only im- 

 portant fishing center, but now several points 

 further south are equally important. The se- 

 vere cold in the winter of 1894-95 caused a con- 

 siderable increase in the number of fishing 

 firms. Several growers of oranges and pine- 

 apples, finding their orchards ruined, have 

 turned their attention, temporarily at least, to 

 fishing. F. A. LuCAS, Secretary. 



THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILA- 

 DELPHIA, JUNE 9, 1896. 



Papees under the following titles were pre- 

 sented for publication : 



' Contributions to a Knowledge of the Hy- 

 menoptera of Brazil ; No. 1, Scoliidte,' by Wm. 

 J. Fox. 



' The Correct Position of the Aperature of 

 Planorbis,' by Frank C. Baker. 



' The Mesenteries of the Lacertilia,' by E. D. 

 Cope. 



' Revision of the Slugs of North America, 

 Ariolimax and Aphallarion,' by Henrj' A. Pils- 

 bry and E. G. Vanatta. 



Dr. Harrison Allen made a communication 

 on forms considered specific, but which were 

 merely instances of arrested development. He 

 referred in illustration to certain species of 

 Vespertilio, claiming that lucifugiis is merely an 

 arrested form of gryphus, the species albescens 

 also being based on similar characters. He 

 had applied the term psedomorphism to the 

 condition which had been worked out, he be- 

 lieved, only among the bats and by himself. 

 He held that the specific names of such forms 

 were not valid and should be dropped. 



