814 
African form which he thinks will form a new 
family in which the forceps are replaced by 
stylets. Dr. H. G. Dyarread a paper on ‘Some 
Structural Points in Saw-fly Larve.’ Mr. N. 
Banks presented a paper on an ‘ American 
Species of the Genus Cxculus,’ a genus new to 
the United States and previously known only in 
Europe. Professor P. R. Uhler exhibited a 
series of American Notonectas and spoke of the 
distribution and structural peculiarities of the 
genus. Asa result of the recent studies of Mr. 
G. W. Kirkaldy nine valid species are now 
known from the United States. 
L. O. HOWARD, 
Secretary. 
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON—281ST 
MEETING, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 
PROFESSOR LESTER F. WARD exhibited speci- 
mens of Prosopis juliflora from Kansas, a species 
not previously found in the region of Gray’s 
Manual; also of Psoralea tenuiflora, remarkable 
as a tumble-weed, and of Lotus americanus, a 
peculiar ‘compass-plant.’ 
Mr. E. L. Morris showed some alcohol speci- 
mens of various vertebrates and invertebrates 
illustrating methods of sectioning to show the 
alimentary canal. 
Mr. Charles L. Pollard presented ‘A Publi- 
cation Problem in Botany,’ drawn from Rafin- 
esque’s Florula Ludoviciana. This book was 
practically compiled from the list of plants given 
by a Frenchman, Robin, who had traveled ex- 
tensively in Louisiana, and had made numer- 
ous field observations and descriptions. Rafin- 
esque based many of hisnew genera and species 
on these field notes, never having seen any type 
material, and Mr. Pollard asked for an expres- 
sion of opinion on the tenability of these names, 
explaining that botanists of the present day are 
divided on the question. The consensus of 
opinion in the Society, elicited by discussion, 
favored the retention of the names in all cases 
where they were identifiable. 
Dr. M. G. Motter presented a paper on ‘Un- 
derground Zoology,’ being the result of a 
careful examination of a large number of disin- 
terred human bodies with a view to ascertain 
the species of animals and particularly of in- 
sects that might be present in order to test 
SCLENCE. 
[N.S. Von. VI. No. 152. 
Mégnin’s ‘ Application of Entomology to Legal 
Medicine.’ Some 75 species belonging to 60 
genera were noted and the conclusion drawn 
that so far as the evidence of his observations 
was concerned the medico-legal aspect of caday- 
erine entomology was enveloped ina haze of 
uncertainty, not to say doubt. 
Mr. F. A. Lucas spoke of the ‘ Fossil Bison 
of North America,’ saying that while remains 
were widely scattered over the United States 
the species were known mostly from horn cores, 
and owing to lack of correlation of these with 
other parts they could not be satisfactorily 
diagnosed. He recognized six species besides 
Bison bison, viz.: Bison alleni, antiquus, crassi- 
cornis, ferox, latifrons and scaphoceras. B. cras- 
sicornis of Richardson, which had been con- 
founded with various species, was perfectly dis- 
tinct, while B. crampianus was probably synony- 
mous with B. alleni. 
Dr. C. Hart Merriam described the ‘ Life- 
zones of the Olympic Mountains,’ noting the 
flora and fauna of the region at some length. 
But two zones were distinguishable, a Hudso- 
nian and a mixed Transition and Canadian. 
F. A. Lucas, 
Secretary. 
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 
AT the 67th regular meeting of this Society, 
the first meeting of the course of 1897-98, held 
in Washington, D. C., on November 10, 1897, 
Mr. Lester F. Ward read a paper on the Cre- 
taceous Formation in Southwestern Kansas. 
Mr. Ward had made a study of the Cheyenne 
formation, as well as of all the Cretaceous de- 
posits in that region lying between the Red 
Beds and the, Tertiary. 
The principal section lay along the Medicine 
Lodge River, extending from a point near Sun 
City, in Barber county, to Fullington’s ranch, 
near the extreme head of that stream, in Kiowa 
county. The center of operations was at Belvij 
dere, and all of the most typical exposures 
of the Cheyenne occur within a radius of ten 
miles from that point. A reconnaissance was 
also made to the southwest as far as the Avilla 
Hill, five miles south of the town of Avilla, in 
Comanche county, and thence northwestward 
to Mt. Nebo, St. Jacob’s Well, the Big Basin, 
