SCIENCE. 



[Vol. X. No. 237 



suicidal, to establish facts in any other way than by observation. 

 No vote of.the most august scientific body can possibly establish a 

 fact, and no vote can have any weight against a good observation." 

 On these grounds, Mr. Gilbert said, "I am opposed to the classifica- 

 tion by the congress of the sedimentary formations, and likewise to 

 the classification of the volcanic rocks, and I also regard it as ill 

 advised that the congress undertook the preparation of a map of 

 Europe, for that — if more than a work of compilation — is a work 

 of classification;" and "a classification, if it has any value what- 

 ever, is merely a generalized expression of the facts of observation, 

 and is outside the domain of the voter." 



The section was well prepared, after hearing this address, to 

 listen on Friday to several abstracts of reports of semi-official 

 character, by the various individual ' reporters ' of the American 

 committee, and submitted to it for approval at the recent meeting 

 at Spring Lake. These were all read by Dr. Frazer, secretary of the 

 committee, before discussion was opened, and their good judgment 

 and conservatism excited general approval. The abstract presented 

 by Dr. Frazer demands especial attention, both from the care in its 

 preparation, and from its including at once a discussion of certain 

 general principles, and of that most difficult of geological divisions, 

 the Archcean ; and it is to be hoped that these reports may be given 

 to the association for publication, as expressing the matured opin- 

 ions of many able workers on questions most frequently before 

 American geologists. Among the paragraphs of Dr. Frazer's re- 

 port, the following will doubtless be generally commended : "Ameri- 

 can geologists will acquiesce in the recommendations of the com- 

 mittee by sacrificing individual opinion to a reasonable degree, 

 provided that these recommendations do not hamper the efforts of 

 research by requiring more correlation of beds between the two 

 continents than research can justify." " Until such time as the 

 Archaean rocks can be correlated with each other in distant parts of 

 the earth, it is best that geologists should distinguish them from 

 each other petrographically, without attempting to ascribe more 

 than local chronological value to such distinctions." On the other 

 hand, the recommendation that all pre-Cambrian rocks should be 

 called Archasan savors too much of pre-judgment, especially in 

 view of the recent studies of Irving and Walcott. The possible 

 metamorphism of eruptive rocks was properly emphasized ; and, as 

 they are thought to differ more as a result of such changes than by 

 conditions characteristic of their eruption, their classification by 

 composition as indicating age is not recommended. 



The most animated discussion occurred over the recommendation 

 that it should be " officially declared that neither the color-scheme 

 for the proposed map of Europe, nor the classification of the eruptives 

 of Professor Lossen, provisionally adopted by the map committee in 

 order to bring out the map, are other than tentative schemes, sub- 

 ject to alteration when their application to the map shall have 

 shown to what extent they are deficient." It was strongly objected 

 by Major Powell that this implied the official adoption of the color- 

 scheme alluded to, in case serious defects were not discovered in its 

 test on the European map, and that it did not sufficiently dwell on 

 the fact that the scheme of colors had been devised only by a com- 

 mittee of the congress, and not by the congress itself. A resolution 

 approving the action of the committee, and hoping for its continu- 

 ance, was adopted in the evening session ; but it may be mentioned 

 that it received only two or three affirmative votes, although the 

 session was well attended at the time. 



It is difficult to choose among the many papers read before the 

 section, and we mention only the few that our space allows. Prof. 

 H. S. Williams presented a model paper on the different types of 

 Devonian in America ; Mr. Hill gave the results of his recent 

 studies in Texas ; Professor Claypole described ' Lake Cuyahoga,' 

 an extinct glacial lake in Ohio ; Mr. Walcott contributed a paper 

 on the so-called ' Taconic,' that promises, with his other studies, 

 to bring about accord on this vexed problem; and Dr. G. H. Wil- 

 liams gave an excellent general account of petrographic methods 

 and their application. These titles can only suggest others of like 

 interest that are regrettably omitted from our report. 



attendance ' at the Biological Section during the meeting of the 

 American Association, just closed. Reputable scientists no longer 

 avoid the question as formerly, or mention it only in defence, but 

 accept it as the basis for the discussion of questions of structure and 

 classification. Dr. Farlow, vice-president of the section, following 

 in harmony with the subject chosen by the president of the associa- 

 tion, Professor Morse, chose for his subject ' Vegetable Parasites 

 and Evolution.' Botanists have a smaller basis than zoologists for 

 the study of development, owing to the incompleteness of the 

 paleontological record, especially with reference to the lower plants, 

 to which most parasites belong. The study of different degrees of 

 parasitism has, however, rendered it probable that parasites may 

 have originated at a remote period from non-parasitic plants, first as 

 saprophytes, then as true parasites. The parallelism which exists 

 between algse and fungi seems also to indicate that the different 

 groups of fungi have arisen from corresponding groups of algas at 

 different periods in the process of evolution. 



The paper of Professor Cope, on the mechanical origin of the 

 suctorial teeth of the Carnivora, showed in a striking manner the 

 value which mechanical force may in some cases have as a factor in 

 development. His statement, also, that a given structure may or 

 may not be the best which could be devised for performing its par- 

 ticular function, but that it must be such as could be developed 

 from a pre-existing form, is one which, if earlier understood, would 

 have saved much misdirected effort. 



Among the other papers presented, that of Professor Cook on the 

 antennse-cleaners of Hymenoptera, the series of structural papers 

 by Dr. Beal, that of Dr. Schrenk on Brasenia peliaia, and the 

 papers on morphology by Professor Baur, were excellent examples 

 of the present methods of study. The paper of perhaps the most 

 practical importance was that of Dr. Rusby, on the cultivated cin- 

 chonas of Bolivia. 



In the treatment of the topics relating to classification, there was 

 manifested a tendency to restrict the number of species and in- 

 crease the number of varieties. In regard to terminology, there was 

 exhibited on one or two occasions a decided opposition to the intro- 

 duction of comparatively unimportant new terms. 



The proportion of botanical to zoological papers presented before 

 the section was less than last year, although the attendance of 

 botanists was greater. There is still a general desire, on the part 

 of the botanists, to confine the discussions and short papers chiefly 

 to the botanical club, and the necessity is felt of providing more ' 

 time for that purpose. Among the work of the club was the ap- 

 pointment of a committee, consisting of Drs. Vasey, Britton, Wat- 

 son, Morong, and Halstead, to devise a system for the exchange of 

 specimens. 



One of the most enjoyable features of the meetings was the ex- 

 cursions provided by the citizens of New York and the local socie- 

 ties. These gave an opportunity for the members to become ac- 

 quainted, and to compare personal notes. Of especial interest was 

 the excursion of the botanical and entomological clubs to Sandy 

 Hook, which included an informal 'field-meeting' on board the 

 boat during the return. Much is due from botanists to the Torrey 

 Botanical Club, which, besides the delightful entertainments pro- 

 vided, furnished sets of the local plants to those in attendance. 



Section F. 



Those who think that scientists are seriously divided on the 

 question of evolution would have come to a different conclusion by 



The meetings of this section are always interesting on account of 

 the great variety of papers read. At the present meeting the dis- 

 cussions were more lively than they used to be, and this is due to 

 the skilful vice-president. Dr. D. G. Brinton, who encouraged dis- 

 cussion in every way, and, by giving summaries of the doubtful 

 points, elicited remarks from all interested in the subject. 



Among the different classes of papers, archaeological ones take a 

 prominent place. This is somewhat remarkable, when we consider 

 that in many parts of America we have still the very best opportuni- 

 ties of studying the natives themselves ; but the antiquity and doubtful 

 origin of relics have always proved a stronger incentive for scientific 

 remarks than the living neighbor, to whose customs and strange ap- 

 pearance we become accustomed. The most important one among 

 this class of papers was Professor Putnam's report on the purchase 

 of the serpent-mound of Adams County, O., by a number of ladies. 



