May 3, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



503 



sues) of a pair of eloctric batteries in the re- 

 gion between the cranium and anterior ex- 

 tension of the pectoral fins. The family is 

 divisible naturally into three sub-families 

 which should be called Xarcobatinre. Xar- 

 cininic and Hypninte. These sub-families 

 are diftcrentiated Ijy modifications of the 

 cranium and skeleton generally, disk, tail, 

 position of spiracles and structure of teeth. 

 The nomenclature involves a singular 

 point. The name Torpedo was first applied 

 (by Forskal in 1775) as a generic term to 

 the electric catfish of the Xile subsequentlj- 

 called Malapterurus, and was accompanied 

 by a tolerable generic diagnosis. (The full 

 history and etymology of the word Tor- 

 pedo was given.) Therefore Torpedo must 

 be used for the Xematognath fish. The 

 electric ray must consequently receive an- 

 other name, and Xarcobatis, of Blainville, is 

 therefore available. The genera would then 

 have the fallowing names : Xarcobatince, 

 with Narcobatis and Tetranarce; Xarcininw, 

 with Narciue, Discopj'ge, Xarbe (Astrabe) 

 and Temera ; Hypnliur, with Hypnos. 



Mr. L. O. Howard cited the name Taran- 

 tula as a similar case in which a generic 

 name had long been misapplied. It was 

 first given to a scorpion, and after long ser- 

 vice as the name of a spider it has recenth' 

 been restored to its original meaning. Dr. 

 W. H. Ball and Dr. C. Hart Merriam both 

 agreed that in all such cases the strict law 

 of priority should govern. 



Major J. W. Powell spoke on the Classi- 

 fication of the Subject-Matter of Biology 

 and the paper was discussed at length. 

 Frederic A. Lucas, 



Secretary. 



ACADEJIY OF SCIEXCE OF ST. LOtJLS. 



The Academy held its regular meeting on 

 April 15 with President Green in the Chair 

 and twenty-nine members and visitors 

 present. 



Miss Mary E. Murtfeldt read a paper on 



' Habits of Certain Seed Feeding Insects,' 

 giving the result of her observations and 

 experiments with insects which feed \i\yon 

 tlie seeds of weeds and other injurious 

 l>lants. Some of these insects were new to 

 science. !Miss Murtfeldt stated as her con- 

 clusion that the seed feeding insects exer- 

 cise a very pronounced eftect in preventing 

 the spread of weeds, and in many instances 

 almost exterminate them. 



A. W. D0UGL.\S, 



Recording Secretary. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 

 BOTAXICAL GAZETTE, APRIL. 

 Issued April 20, 1895. 64 pp., 2 pi. 

 Present Problems in the Anatomy, Morphology 

 and Biology of the Cactacew: "W. F. Ganong. 

 This is the first installment of a paper (to 

 be concluded in the May number) setting 

 forth in brief statement what is at present 

 known of this group in regard to the topics 

 enumerated in the title, and the problems, 

 mainly to be solved by careful field observa- 

 tion and a study of development, which still 

 remain to be worked out. 



Flowers and Insects, XIV. : Charles Robert- 

 son. 



In this paper and its predecessor (Bot. 

 Gaz. 20 : 104. Mr. 1805) Mr. Robertson has 

 somewhat changed his plan of contributions 

 to the relations of flowers and insects, in 

 now bringing together his information in 

 regard to the several species of a genus, ac- 

 companying it with a voluminous bibli- 

 ograpliy. Species of Gentiana, Frasera, 

 Phlox, Lithospermum, Physalis and Mim- 

 ulus are discussed. 



Xotes From My Herbarium, II. : Walter 

 Deane. 



The herbariitm of Mr. Deane is one of the 

 finest private collections in this country in 

 the; excellence and completeness of the 

 plants represented, viz., those of the range 

 of Gray's Manual. It is specially rich in 



