828 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIX. No. 491. 



cosmopolitan distribution. This fact is not, 

 however, a ijew discovery, as similar cases have 

 been observed before, but it is considered 

 worth while to carefully record all these cases, 

 since it has been doubted whether a world- 

 wide distribution is a prominent character- 

 istic of the deep-sea fauna. 



Although it is not contended that there are 

 not cases of a more restricted distribution 

 among abysmal animals, yet we must recog- 

 nize cosmopolitan distribution as a remark- 

 able feature of the deep-sea fauna, inasmuch 

 as we have a very good explanation of this 

 condition of affairs, in the fact that climatic 

 differences are not present in the deep sea, as 

 its temperature is uniformly cold. 



Frederic S. Webster closed the meeting with 

 his topic * The Smallest Carnivore,' exhibiting 

 four of the seven known specimens of this 

 rare and diminutive weasel, Putorius alle- 

 gheniensis. One of the mounted specimens 

 was taken but a few days before the meeting 

 of the section, and is very interesting, as it 

 proved to be an adult male, and the first one 

 of this sex secured. It is beautifully dressed 

 in a dense winter coat of clear unstained 

 white, excepting a few rather pale brownish 

 markings on the crown and occipital region, 

 and a very narrow dorsal line, about the length 

 of the sacrum, and another small spot on the 

 heel of the right leg. A few dark brownish 

 hairs tip the short delicate tail. 



Thi'ee important features were pointed out, 

 i. e., that the well-known disproportion in size 

 existing between the sexes of other species of 

 weasels is not a marked characteristic of this 

 little-known species, nor does the indistinct 

 brown of the tail seem to indicate that this 

 member is furnished with the usual black of 

 the other species. 



Another interesting feature is noticeable in 

 the dentition, and as this peculiarity is pres- 

 ent in three of the specimens (the fourth 

 specimen has the incisors of the mandible in- 

 jured) we are inclined to believe that it is a . 

 constant feature of this species. 



In all the skulls of Putorius noveboracensis 

 in the collections of the Carnegie Museum the 

 mandibular incisors are placed more or less in 

 a continuous line, and can be readily counted 



when the jaws are closed, but in Putorius 

 allegheniensis the second incisors are pos- 

 terior, being placed quite back of the first, 

 and third, and are consequently neatly hidden 

 away behind these teeth when the jaws are 

 closed, giving the impression that there are 

 but four incisors present in the mandible in- 

 stead of six. 



A second specimen, also mounted, is in 

 winter coat, but considerable brown is spread 

 here and there over the dorsal region. But 

 little brown or black tips the tail. 



A third specimen was that of a mimnaied 

 animal in summer pelage. The throat and 

 chest are irregularly marked with white; the 

 abdomen has the same uniform brown of the 

 back. 



The fourth specimen (a skin) had consider- 

 able white on the under parts; but is not 

 evenly distributed. 



It would not be surprising if, when a speci- 

 men in full summer pelage is obtained, we 

 should find that this species differs from the 

 other weasels in wearing throughout a uni- 

 form coat of brown in summer. 



Six of the seven specimens taken have been 

 found in Pennsylvania. The male specimen 

 was caught at Pravo, Jefferson County, Ohio, 

 in a box trap, by a country lad, and he, think- 

 ing it a common ' varmint,' promptly des- 

 patched it by placing the trap in a trout 

 stream. 



Prederio S. Webster, 

 Secretary-Treasurer. 



THE SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND 

 MEDICINE. 



The sixth regular meeting of the Society 

 for Experimental Biology and Medicine was 

 held on the evening of April 20, in the bac- 

 teriological laboratory of the department of 

 pathology of Columbia University, at the Col- 

 lege of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. S. J. 

 Meltzer presided. 



Memhers Present. — Burton-Opitz, Calkins, 

 Gies, Hiss, Hunt, Jackson, Lee, Levene, Lusk, 

 Meltzer, Murlin, Norris, Park, Richards, 

 Wadsworth, Wallace, Wilson, Yatsu. 



Memhers Elected. — J. J. Abel, E. G. Conk- 

 lin, A. R. Cushny, C. B. Davenport, W. H. 



