356 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIII. No. 844 



thickness of more than 18,000 feet, were eroded 

 before the basal conglomerate of the upper coal 

 measures was laid down. 



The paleontologic evidence is almost wholly 

 from the fossil plants, which apparently indicate 

 a time break of considerable duration. Large col- 

 lections were made from both formations and F. 

 H. Knowlton, who is studying them, states that 

 tney contain two distinct floras. However, cor- 

 relations are withheld pending the final study of 

 these fossils. 



The data collected apparently prove that after 

 the lower part of the coal-bearing rocks in the 

 Raton Mesa region, heretofore referred to the 

 Laramie, had been consolidated the mountains to 

 the west were uplifted and part of these rocks, 

 together with all of such younger beds as may 

 have been deposited, were eroded away before 

 deposition of sediments was resumed in this 

 region. The general conclusion is reached that 

 the so-called Laramie of the Raton Mesa is 

 divisible into two distinct formations separated 

 in time by a period of considerable duration. 

 Robert Andebson, 



Secretwry 



THE TOBBEY BOTANICAL CLUB 



The meeting of December 13, 1910, was called 

 to order at the American Museum of Natural 

 History at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 13, 1910, 

 with President Rusby in the chair. One hundred 

 people were present. 



The scientific program consisted of an illus- 

 trated lecture by Dr. Marshall A. Howe on " A 

 Visit to the Panama Canal Zone." 



The visit described by the speaker occurred in 

 December, 1909, and January, 1910, and was 

 undertaken under the auspices of the New York 

 Botanical Garden, with the special object of 

 studying and comparing the marine floras of the 

 Atlantic and Pacific oceans, here within less than 

 fifty miles of each other. 



The marine algae proving unexpectedly scarce, 

 especially on the Pacific side of the isthmus, there 

 was considerable opportunity for taking photo- 

 graphs of general botanical interest and the lan- 

 tern-slides shown illustrated chiefly some of the 

 more striking features of the land flora of the 

 Canal Zone, such as the numerous native palms, 

 the vegetation of the extensive fresh-water swamps 

 between Colon and Gatun, the swampy forests 

 bordering the Chagres River, and the flora of the 

 rocky islands of Panama Bay. A report covering 

 some of these features of the lecture was pub- 



lished in the Journal of the New York Botanical 

 Garden for February, 1910. 



The speaker justified a somewhat extended dis- 

 cussion of the Panama Canal and its history by 

 the general interest in the subject both here and 

 on the isthmus. Among the photographs shown 

 were several of the Atlantic and Pacific entrances 

 to the canal, the Gatun locks, a flood on the 

 Chagres River, the Culebra Cut, the Ancon Hos- 

 pital and the Taboga Sanitarium. The success 

 of modern sanitary methods in combating yellow 

 fever and malaria was especially dwelt upon. 

 The speaker alluded also to incidents of interest 

 in the romantic early history of the isthmus and 

 in the building of the Panama Railroad. Photo- 

 graphs of the ruins of Old Panama, located about 

 five miles east of the present city, were also 

 shown. 



Seeeno Stetson, 

 Secretary pro tern. 



THE AMEBICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 

 NEW YOEK SECTION 



The fifth regular meeting of the session of 

 1910-11 was held at the Chemists' Club on Feb- 

 ruary 10. 



The chairman spoke of the great loss to the 

 society in the death of Professor Kinnicutt and 

 called upon Dr. Clifford Richardson to make a 

 few remarks about his career. Professor Morris 

 Loeb paid a further tribute to Professor Kinni- 

 cutt and then, passing from a matter of deep 

 regret to one of rejoicing, spoke of the festivities 

 connected with the opening of the new chemists' 

 building in New York, beginning March 17. 



The chairman read a letter of regret from Pro- 

 fessor Boltwood, who was unable to be present 

 to read a paper on " Radio-chemistry," announced 

 on the program. He then called upon Professor 

 A. T. Lincoln, of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 

 who presented a rfisumS of recent work on the 

 subject of solutions under the title " The Hydrate 

 Theory." 



The rest of the evening was devoted to a sym- 

 posium on milk, which comprised the following 

 subjects : 



" Determination of Total Solids in Milk," Paul 

 Poetsehke, of the Lederle Laboratories. 



" Milk Costs," W. E. J. Kirk, medical adviser 

 to the Borden's Condensed Milk Company. 



" Raw and Pasteurized Milk and Milk Serums," 

 Edward Gudeman, of Chicago. 



C. M. Joyce, 



Secretary 



