834 



SCIENCE . 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 1119 



in this zodiac, and its symbols reveal ioitimate 

 correspondence with those of other native zodiacs 

 in Yucatan, Mexico and Peru; also in lesser de- 

 gree with the zodiac which we have received from 

 the prehistoric Orient. 

 Archeological Studies in Northwestern Honduras: 



Maeshall H. Savillb. 



During the summer of 1915 the writer and his 

 son made a reconnaissance in the department of 

 Cortfe, Honduras. An examination was made of 

 the archeological conditions along the Xllua River, 

 previously reported on by G-ordon. An important 

 collection of antiquities was brought together il- 

 lustrating the complex features of this section of 

 Central America, objects of several well-known 

 and far-distant cultures being found in the re- 

 stricted area of the broad valley in which flows 

 both the Ulna and Chamelicon rivers. Pottery 

 vessels recalling Tarascan, Nahuan, Costa Eican 

 and Colombian ware in shape and decoration were 

 found, as well as the characteristically Mayan 

 type of polychrome and undecorated vessels. 

 Jadeite ornaments of unquestioned Costa Bican 

 origin occur, and two well-defined examples of the 

 ' ' palma-stones ' ' of the Totonacan class of sculp- 

 tures of Vera Cruz were collected. 



In the mountains toward the department of 

 Santa Barbara, several large groups of mounds 

 were visited, the unknown groups of Mancha- 

 gualla and Chasnigua being of particular inter- 

 est for further investigation and excavation. 

 Mounds and village sites were found also near the 

 borders of Lake Yojoa. 



It is' the intention of the Museum of the Ameri- 

 can Indian in New York to make a survey of Mos- 

 quitia, the region lying along the Caribbean Sea, 

 from the vicinity of the mouth of the Ulua Biver 

 to Bluefields, embracing a vast strip of territory, 

 partly in Honduras, partly in Nicaragua. This 

 area is little known geographically, and less so 

 archeologically. Information was obtained show- 

 ing Nicaraguan and Costa Bican resemblances in 

 the antiquities, such as a'nimal-shaped metates and 

 stools, reported in this country, and shown by sev- 

 eral examples in the collections of the Museum of 

 the American Indian, collected many years ago 

 by the late Dr. Joseph Jones. 



Geokge Grant MaoCoedy, 

 (To ie continued) Secretary 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 

 The 554;th regular meeting of the society was 

 held in the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos Club, 



Saturday, April 8, 1916, called to order by Presi- 

 dent Hay at 8 p.m. vrith 65 persons present. 



The president called attention to the recent 

 death of Wells W. Cooke, treasurer of the society, 

 and announced the appointment of Messrs. Hol- 

 lister, Gidley and Wetmore to draw up appropriate 

 resolutions. 



The president also announced that the council 

 had elected Dr. Ned Dearborn to the vacancy 

 caused by treasurer Cooke's death, and also of his 

 appointment to the committee on publications. 



On recommendation of the council the following 

 persons were elected to active membership: Eobert 

 M. Libbey, Washington, D. C, G. K. Noble, Mu- 

 seum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., 

 and Dr. Howard E. Ames, U. S. Navy (retired). 



The foUovring informal communications were 

 made: 



Dr. E. W. Shufeldt commented upon and ex- 

 hibited specimens of a Japanese salamander, 

 Diemictylus pyrrhogaster, obtained from a local 

 dealer in live animals. 



Dr. Paul Bartsch called attention to the intro- 

 duction of European agate snaU Bumina decollata 

 in certain parts of the southern states; and to the 

 recent publication by J. B. Henderson of a book 

 entitled: "The Cruise of the Tomas Barrera," the 

 narration of a scientific expedition to western Cuba 

 and the Colorados Reefs, with observations on the 

 geology, fauna and flora of the region. 



Dr. M. W. Lyon, Jr., made remarks on the his- 

 tory of the Filaria bancrofti embryos exhibited at 

 the previous meeting of the society. 



Mr. F. Knab discussed the mosquito host of Fila- 

 ria bancrofti, saying that an appropriate species of 

 Culex is found in Washington in the late summer. 



The regular program was an illustrated lecture 

 by Mr. Edmund Heller entitled ' ' Hunting in the 

 Peruvian Andes." Mr. Heller gave an account 

 of a recent collecting trip made by him from the 

 west coast of Peru up into the high Andes and 

 down to the headwaters of the Amazon. He de- 

 scribed the animals collected, mainly mammals, 

 but also birds and reptiles, including the rare 

 spectacled bear, wild llamas, etc. He also com- 

 mented on the habits and customs of the natives. 

 He showed photographic lantern slides not only of 

 the wild life, the inhabitants and physiographic 

 features but also of many points of archeological 

 interest. 



M. W. Lyon, Je., 

 Recording Secretary 



