880 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 1094 



synthesis. The principal generalizations arising 

 from the studies are as follows: 



An JS chinocactus in the open may survive no 

 more than two years at the expense of its surplus 

 food material and water. Similar plants in dif- 

 fuse light have been seen to be sound after six 

 years of starvation^ although the effects were 

 marked. 



Non-reducing soluble sugars which are present 

 in only minute proportions if at all in normal 

 Echinocacti, are noticeable constituents of the sap 

 of desiccated plants. 



Extended desiccation and starvation made no 

 alteration in the integument of Echinocactus, but 

 in a plant which had been thus treated for 73 

 months the cuticle was thicker than the normal, 

 while the outer wall of the epidermal cells was 

 thinner. Cytoplasm and nuclei in the epidermal 

 system were reduced but new cork layers were 

 being formed as in the normal. Division was seen 

 in the epidermal layer at the bottom of the 

 grooves of the stem. The stomata remained per- 

 manently open and many were in a collapsed con- 

 dition. Guard cells of stomata differed from the 

 normal in having anterior walls thinner as com- 

 pared with the posterior walls. 



The palisade layer was thinner than in normal 

 plants of Echinocactus. The cytoplasm was re- 

 duced to small masses in the angles of the cells, 

 and the nuclei were variously deformed and re- 

 duced in size. Vacuoles had disappeared from the 

 nucleoplasm and a thickened granular layer was 

 present in the peripheral portion. 



The most pronounced effects of desiccation and 

 starvation were exhibited by the cortex of Echino- 

 cactus. The changes noted as having been seen in 

 the palisade tissues were followed by the entire 

 disappearance of the protoplasts and the hydro- 

 lyzation of the cell masses formed lacunte as large 

 as 8 cubic centimeters. 



On Wednesday, August 4, Section G and the 

 Biological Society of the Pacific held a dinner at 

 the Hotel Sutter, San Francisco. 



W. J. V. OSTERHOUT Secretary 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 544th meeting of the Biological Society of 

 Washington was held in the Assembly Hall of the 

 Cosmos Club Saturday, November 6, 1915, called to 

 order by President Bartsch, with 90 persons pres- 

 ent. 



On recommendation of the council, Gilbert F. 

 Bateman, Trinidad, Colorado, was elected to active 

 membership. 



The first paper of the regular program was by 

 0. P. Hay, "A New Pleistocene Sloth from 

 Texas." Dr. Hay discussed the finding in Texas 

 of a new member of the genus N ofhrotherium. 

 This discovery extends the range of the genus from 

 South into North America. The specimen was ex- 

 hibited and remarks were made on the interrela- 

 tionships and distribution of the living and fossil 

 American Edentates. 



The second paper was by J. N. Eose, ' ' Botanical 

 Explorations in South America. ' ' Dr. Eose gave 

 an account of his botanical explorations in South 

 America. He outlined first the field work which 

 he and Dr. N. L. Britton had planned in connec- 

 tion with the cactus investigations of the Carnegie 

 Institution of Washington and then proceeded to 

 describe the great cactus deserts of South America 

 which he had visited. During his last trip to South 

 America he spent six weeks in the state of Bahia, 

 Brazil, six weeks in the state of Rio de Janeiro, 

 Brazil, and three weeks in Argentina. Large col- 

 lections were obtained. Many living plants were 

 sent back to the United States for cultivation. The 

 living collection is now on exhibition in the New 

 York Botanical Garden. Several remarkable gen- 

 eric types of cacti were discovered. Dr. Rose's 

 paper was illustrated by numerous lantern slides of 

 regions visited, of cacti in their native environ- 

 ment; and by many interesting botanical speci- 

 mens. 



The last paper of the evening was by Dr. L. 0. 

 Howard, ' ' Some Biological Pictures of Oahu 

 (Hawaii)." Dr. Howard showed a large number 

 of lantern slides from photographs made by him 

 during a short stay the past summer on the island 

 of Oahu. Special emphasis was laid on those which 

 dealt with agricultural problems and economic 

 entomology, many of which are peculiar to the 

 Hawaiian Island. 



M. W. Lyon, Je., 

 Becording Secretary 



THE NEW ORLEANS ACADEMY OP SCIENCES 



The regular meeting of the academy was held 

 in Tulane University on Tuesday, November 16, 

 1915, Dr. Gustav Mann, president, in the chair. 



The paper of the evening was by Dr. W. H. 

 Dalrymple, of the Louisiana State University, on 

 "The History of the Cattle Tick Fight in Louisi- 

 ana." Dr. Dalrymple gave a brief history of the 

 fight in Louisiana, first, by individual effort, then 

 by state effort, and, finally, by federal aid. The 

 paper proved of considerable interest and there 

 was much discussion at the close. 



E. S. Cocks, Secretary 



