314 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVIII. No. 974 



mortality in affected areas of the west is from 

 3 to 5 per cent., but as many as 20 head out of a 

 herd of 200 have been fatally poisoned_^n twenty- 

 four hours. The low larkspur appears to be 

 always dangerous, but the tall only becomes poi- 

 sonous in August after the fruit matures. The 

 poison is a cumulative one and requires from 3 

 to 10 per cent, of the animal's body weight of 

 larkspur plant to cause death or alarming symp- 

 toms. The symptoms consist of general discom- 

 fort, nausea, constipation, a characteristic arching 

 of the back and sudden collapse, followed by par- 

 tial recovery and a repetition of similar attacks, 

 and if the case is a fatal one, to end in respira- 

 tory paralysis and death by asphyxia. Animals 

 do not become immune to the poison. Horses may 

 be experimentally poisoned, but when feeding on 

 the range do not eat into a patch of larkspur 

 enough to consume a toxic quantity. Sheep are 

 naturally immune to the poison and may be fed 

 a continuous diet of little else than larkspur with- 

 out showing any symptoms. The cowboy's treat- 

 ment of the disease is bleeding, but the propor- 

 tion of recoveries by this method is not greater 

 than in natural recovery. Rational treatment con- 

 sists in placing the poisoned animal on sloping 

 ground with the head upward so that the abdom- 

 inal viscera fall back from the thoracic organs. 

 Drug treatment consists of eserine, piloearpiue 

 and strychnine administered hypodermically. 

 Under this method 96 per cent, of poisoned ani- 

 mals recover. Alcohol is also effective, but less 

 practical. The paper was profusely ilustrated by 

 excellent lantern slides, showing the larkspur in 

 detail and on ranges, and numerous animals in 

 various stages of poisoning. The paper was dis- 

 cussed by Messrs. Bailey, Weed, Hitchcock, GiU, 

 Lyon and others. 



The 513th regular meeting of the Biological 

 Society of Washiugton was held in the assembly 

 hall of the Cosmos Club May 3, 1913, at 8 p.m., 

 with President Nelson in the chair and 56 persons 

 present.'. 



Under the heading "Brief Notes and Exhibi- 

 tion of Specimens, ' ' Dr. H. M. Smith called atten- 

 tion to a large whale shark captured during the 

 past year in Florida waters. It originally meas- 

 ured 38 feet in length, but as now mounted, 45 

 feet; it is being exhibited as a curiosity. Pictures 

 of this shark were exhibited and extracts from a 

 letter by the captor read. Dr. Smith's remarks 

 were discussed by the chair and by Dr. Gill. 



The regular program consisted of two commu- 

 nications by Dr. C. Hart Merriam and one by 

 Edmund Heller. 



I. ' ' The Eemarkable Extinct Fauna of Southeii 

 California revealed in the Asphalt Deposits near 

 Los Angeles." Dr. Merriam remarked that as- 

 phalt had been known in this region to the Indians 

 for thousands of years and was mentioned by the 

 early Spanish padres. Although remains of ani- 

 mals in the asphalt deposits had been known since 

 about the middle of the last century they have only 

 lately been extensively studied by Dr. J. C. Mer- 

 riam, of the University of California. The viscous 

 asphalt appears to have acted as a natural trap, 

 first entangling certain birds and mammals, and 

 then these captured animals acting as bait to 

 larger predatory forms. The remains may be 

 roughly divided into three groups: (1) birds, some 

 still existing, but mostly extinct, among them, 

 hawks, 8 genera of eagles, vultures, including both 

 North and South American condors, a condor-like 

 bird, Teratornis of huge size, owls, ravens, herons, 

 a peacock; (2) small mammals, as spermophiles, 

 kangaroo rats, etc., and small carnivorous forms 

 as weasels, skunks, badgers, bobcats, gray foxes 

 (3) large mammals, as deer, antelopes, buffaloes, 

 elephants, mastodons, glyptodons, and large preda 

 tory forms, as wolves, mountain lions, giant lions, 

 saber-toothed tigers and bears. Often several in^ 

 dividuals of carnivorous forms, as giant wolves 

 saber-toothed tigers are associated with a single 

 large ruminant. Discussed by Messrs. GiU, Hay 

 and others. 



II. ' ' Notes on the Big Bears of North Amer- 

 ica. ' ' The speaker commented on the " lack of 

 adequate material for a systematic study of these 

 bears. The black bear and allied forms he re- 

 garded as constituting a distinct genus from the 

 brown and grizzly bears belonging to the genus 

 TJrsus, about 40 forms of which could be recog- 

 nized as inhabiting the North American continent 

 and adjacent islands. 



III. "Distribution of Game Animals in Af- 

 rica. ' ' Mr. Heller spoke of the life zones and 

 areas of East Africa, illustrating the subject with 

 maps, views of topography and characteristic 

 mammals. The following areas, based mainly 

 upon watersheds, were recognized: West Nile, East 

 Nile, Uganda, East African, Abyssinian; and these 

 life zones : Congo Forest, Tropical, Nyika, High- 

 land Veldt, Highland Forest. 



M. W. Lyon, Je., 

 Becording Secretary pro tem. 



