440 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 299. 



In a relatively short time this insect has 

 overspread a large area and has encountered 

 various climatic conditions and the ques- 

 tion at once arises as to whether these con- 

 ditions have yet produced any appreciable 

 effects. If, using the Colorado specimens 

 as a type, we compare these quantitatively 

 with specimens from other parts of the 

 United States, the presence of several al- 

 ready well-marked varieties is shown. These 

 are correlated closely with the climatic 

 conditions of the several areas for the 

 months of June, July and August. With- 

 out going into details at the present time, 

 I shall simply mention the areas in which 

 these incipient varieties are forming. In 

 the northwest is found the well-marked 

 ' Dakota type ' which has spread over the 

 Dakotas, Manitoba and parts of Wisconsin 

 and Nebraska. In the southwest is the 

 ' Texas type,' found in northwest Texas, 

 Arkansas, Kansas and New Mexico. In 

 the region about the Great Lakes there is 

 the ' Lake type,' and in the northeast is 

 found the ' ISTew England type,' which covers 

 New England and Nova Scotia, while in 

 the southeast there are the ' Atlantic coast 

 type,' and the ' Southern Appalachian type.' 



These types are not as yet far removed 

 from one another, nor are they easily seen 

 on inspection. However, measurements 

 show changes in dimensions and in colora- 

 tion in the several areas, so that there can 

 be no doubt that there are slowly forming 

 several races of the beetle in diiferent parts 

 of the United States and Canada as a direct 

 result of the diversity of environment. As 

 45,000 specimens from diiferent parts of the 

 United States have been studied the error 

 from too few individuals is obliterated. 



W. L. TOWEE. 



THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL 

 CONGRESS AT PARIS. 

 The Eighth Congress of Geologists as- 

 sembled in the Palais des Congres, Thurs- 



day, August 16th, at 4 p. m. M. Karpinsky, 

 retiring president, gave the opening ad- 

 dress and was followed by the president, 

 M. Albert Gaudry, in a cordial address of 

 welcome. The geologists of the continent 

 were well represented and appeared in full 

 dress with all their medals and decorations. 

 England and America were comparatively 

 inconspicuous both in numbers and in at- 

 tire. 



The registration was 288 upon the second 

 day. All the most distinguished geologists 

 of Europe were in attendance. England 

 sent an exceptionally small number. Among 

 the Americans present were Messrs. Steven- 

 son, Hague, Osborn, Ward, Willis, White, 

 Cross, Scott, Todd, Kunz, Choquette, Adams, 

 Matthew, Eies, Willmott, Eice ; the three 

 first named were chosen as vice-presidents. 

 M. Barrels closed the first session with re- 

 ports upon the program and upon the geo- 

 logical excursions which were arranged in 

 a most admirable manner before, during 

 and after the congress. On the same even- 

 ing a delightful reception was given by the 

 Geological Society of France in their new 

 quarters, Eue Danton 8. On Friday morn- 

 ing the section of geology and tectonics, 

 presided over by M. Geikie, held its first 

 session, with communications by Geikie, 

 Chamberlin, Joly, Lapparent, Munier- 

 Chalmas and Roland. In the afternoon 

 the section of mineralogy and petrography 

 listened to a report of the petrographical 

 commission by M. Lacroix. In this connec- 

 tion may be mentioned the fact that during 

 the Congress plans for an international 

 petrographical journal were successfully 

 matured. 



On Saturday at ten o'clock the Section of 

 Applied Geology met under the direction 

 of M. Schmeisser, and at one o'clock M. 

 Zittel presided over the first session of the 

 Stratigraphy and Paleontology. The im- 

 portant business of this session was the 

 discussion of the final report of the strati- 



