306 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. I. No. 11. 



tendency of some of tlie botanists to include 

 in the flora cultivated plants or plants es- 

 caped from cultivation which do not prop- 

 erly belong there was criticised, as was 

 also the practice of publishing plants in the 

 hsts of additions without seeing specimens 

 and depositing them in some accessible col- 

 lection. F. A. Lucas, Secn-etary. 



NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, FEB. 11. 

 BIOLOGICAL SECTION. 



The following papers were presented : 



The Occurrence and Functions of Rliizohia. 

 De. Albert Schneider. A discussion of 

 the discovery of the adaptability of rhizo- 

 bia to other plants than leguminous. Some 

 conclusions based on investigations carried 

 on at the Illinois experiment station were 

 given to show that it is probable that rhizo- 

 bia may be so modified as to grow in and 

 upon roots of gramineous plants (ex. Indian 

 corn) . 



An Undescrihed Ranunculus from the Moun- 

 tains of Virginia. Prof. N. L. Britton. 



On the So-called Devil's Corkscrews of Ne- 

 braska. Dr. J. L.Wortman. A visit to the 

 locality during the past summer had enabled 

 him to stud}^ many problems in connection 

 with their occurrence, which tend to throw 

 considerable light upon their nature. The 

 formation in which they occur was posi- 

 tively identified as the Loup Fork division 

 of the upper Miocene, which is a true sedi- 

 mentary deposit. The Diamonhelix occurs 

 in a stratum of from 50 to 75 feet in thick- 

 ness always standing vertically, and their 

 tops are not confined to any one level. 

 They vary much in size and character, but 

 so far as observed always present the spinal 

 twist. The fact that they occur in true sedi- 

 mentary rocks, that their tops occupy many 

 levels, together with the lack of evidence 

 to show that there was any disturbance of 

 level during the time the sediment was be- 

 ing laid down, was considered to totally 

 disprove the theory that they represent the 



burrows of animals, which has been so ex- 

 tensiveljf held in explanation of their curi- 

 ous nature. The invaluable presence of 

 plant cells, together with other facts, leads 

 to the conclusion that thej^ very probably 

 represent the remains of roots or stems of 

 some gigantic water plant. 



The excretory System of Clepsine and Nephe- 

 lis. Dr. Arnold Graf. The results of H. 

 Bolsius have proved to be erroneous. The 

 different parts of the nephridium are classi- 

 fied as follows: (1). Infundibidum, consist- 

 ing in Nephelis of six bilobed ciliated cells, in 

 Clepsine of a peduncle cell, pierced by a cil- 

 iated canal, and two bilobed ciliated cells 

 attached to the peduncle. (2). Receptw- 

 cidum excretorium. A vesicle which is in 

 open communication with the funnel and in 

 osmotic communication with the following 

 parts of the nephridium. It is similar in 

 both genera, and filled with disintegrating 

 material. (3). Portlo afferentia. The part 

 of the gland, consisting of a single row of 

 round cells, pierced by a sometimes bifur- 

 cated canal, which gives off branched canals. 

 Similar in both genera. (4). Portia glandu- 

 losa. Row of cells, pierced by a smooth 

 canal without side branches or bifurcation. 

 This part is the largest part of the whole 

 organ. Similar in both genera. (5). Vesi- 

 cida terminalis. In Nephelis a vesicle, lined 

 by a ciliated epithelium, in Clepsine a sim- 

 ple pouch of the epidermis, without cilia. 

 (6). Canalis terminalis. The short canal by 

 which the terminal vesicle communicates 

 with the exterior. Present in Nephelis. In 

 Clepsine it is equivalent to the terminal 

 vesicle. 



The cells formerly called Chloragogencelk 

 should now be called Excretophores. A pre- 

 liminary account of these cells has been sent 

 to the ' Zoologischer Anzeizer . ' Tlie investi- 

 gation has been carried out mainly on Uv- 

 ing tissues, and every source of eiTor has 

 been eliminated. 



Bashfoed Dean, Rec. See'y. 



