Febbuaby 17, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



275 



Keading petrel (Oceanodroma kcedingi) , Brandt 

 cormorant {Phalaorocorax penidllattts ) , white- 

 crested cormorant ( P. dilophus cinninatus ) , Baird 

 cormorant (P. pelagious resplendens) , westem. 

 grebe (^chmophorus occidentalis) ,^ Holboell 

 grebe (Colymius holboellii) .' 



It has been estimated that the birds of the 

 island groups, including the migratory birds, 

 number at least 100,000. 



One hundred and thirty-seven species of birds 

 have been listed from the Olympic Peninsula, and 

 are described in the paper of which this is an 

 abstract. 



The full paper will probably appear in the 

 Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. 



The Differentiation of Neuroblasts in Artificial 

 Culture Media: M. L. Shoeey, Milwaukee- 

 Downer College. 



The experiments to be described were conducted 

 for the purpose of gaining evidence regarding the 

 tactors involved in the differentiation of neuro- 

 blasts. Previous experimental work has led to 

 the expression of two radically opposed views; 

 one that they are entirely self-differentiating 

 (Harrison, 1907, Braus, 1906), the other that 

 no differentiation occurs except in the presence 

 of the normal end-organs, or the products of the 

 metabolism of these organs (Shorey, 1909). 



Neuroblasts from the medullary canal of Nec- 

 turus were placed in artificial culture media, one 

 containing the products of muscular metabolism, 

 and the other not. In each the cells remained 

 alive for a considerable period of time, but only 

 in the first were fibers developed. 



in the Mole Crickets: W. J. 



BAUmeABTNEB, University of Kansas. 



The paper will show the method of formation 

 of the tetrads, and the method of maturation 

 division. The work indicates that while Vom 

 Rath is correct in theory, his figures are not at 

 all true to the conditions found in the specimens. 

 His illustrations must have been drawn mostly 

 from imagination. 



The chromosomes in the maturation divisions 

 show a constancy of number, and a constancy of 

 the series of shapes through which the individuals 

 pass. The accessory is present, and one of the 

 tetrads divides unequally. 



This paper will be printed in Kansas Univer- 

 sity Science Bulletin. H. V. Neal, 



Gaiesbtieg, III. Secretary 



' Migratory. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE TOBEET BOTANICAL CLUB 



The first meeting of the club for 1911 was held 

 at the American Museum of Natural History, on 

 January 10, President Rusby in the chair. Dr. C. 

 A. Darling, of the department of botany, Columbia 

 University, was nominated for membership. 



This being the annual meeting, reports were 

 presented by the various officers. 



The report of the treasurer was presented ajid 

 upon motion referred to an auditing committee. 

 The secretary reported that fifteen meetings had 

 been held during the year with a total attendance 

 of 467, as against 411 in 1909, and an average 

 attendance of thirty-one, as against twenty-seven \, 



last year. Twelve persons have been elected to 

 membership, and eight resignations received and 

 accepted. Six illustrated lectures were delivered 

 ouring the season at which the combined attend- 

 ance was 319, as against 251 at seven meetings 

 last year. 



The editor reported that the Bulletin for the 

 year 1910 contains 630 pages and 36 plates, and 

 that the expense of its publication was less than 

 the amount allowed for it by the budget com- 

 mittee. He also reported that only one paper had 

 been published in the Memoirs, this being a paper 

 by Dr. O. Butler on " The Californian Vine Dis- 

 ease." The editor declined to be considered for 

 reelection. 



The editor of Torreya presented a special re- 

 port for that periodical. The volume of Torreya 

 for 1910 contained 292 pages. 



The chairman of the field committee reported 

 that twenty-three meetings were advertised dur- 

 ing the year, one of which was an afternoon lec- 

 ture at the New York Botanical Garden. Eight 

 meetings were not held on account of stormy 

 weather or from other causes. At the fourteen 

 field meetings actually held there was a total of 

 103 persons present, making an average attend- 

 ance of a little more than 7 at each meeting. 



As chairman of the local flora committee, Dr. 

 N. L. Britton gave a brief report of the investi- 

 gations being carried on by Mr. Norman Taylor 

 on the local flora. 



Election of ofiicers for the year 1911 resulted 

 as follows: 



President — ^H. H. Rusby. 



Vice-presidents — Edward S. Burgess and John 

 Hendley Barnhart. 



Secretary and Treasurer — Bernard O. Dodge. 



Editor — Philip Dowell. 



