RECORDS OF MEETINGS OF 1909 
319 
SECTION OF BIOLOGY. 
November 8, 1909. 
Section met at 8:20 P. m., Vice-President Chapman presiding. 
The minutes of the last meeting of the Section were read and approved. 
The following programme was then offered: 
Charles H. Townsend, A Naturalist in the Straits of Magellan. 
Alexander Petmnkevitch, A Trip through Tropical Mexico. 
The following nominations were made for sectional officers for 1910: 
For Chairman (and Vice-President of the Academy ): 
Prof. Chas. B. Davenport, Director of the Carnegie Station for Experi¬ 
mental Evolution, Cold Spring Harbor, L. I. 
For Secretary. 
Dr. L. Hussakof, American Museum of Natural History. 
Summary of Papers. 
Dr. Townsend gave an account of personal experiences in the Straits of 
Magellan while a member of a scientific expedition to that region several 
years ago. He spoke at length of the more interesting mammals, birds, 
fishes and plants seen or collected. The paper also dealt with the habits 
of the native tribes of that region. Those living along the more westerly 
o o o t.' 
channels of the straits go almost naked, subsist mainly on shell-fish and, in 
the speaker’s opinion, are the lowest among primitive races of man. They 
are fast disappearing and should be carefully studied. 
The paper was illustrated by lantern slides mostly from photographs by 
the author. 
Dr. Petrunkevitch spent two months during the summer of 1909 in the 
lowlands of tropical Mexico collecting arachnida and other invertebrates for 
the American Museum of Natural History. The paper dealt with his ex¬ 
periences in the field. Many interesting forms were observed and collected, 
some of which the speaker exhibited. 
The Section then adjourned. 
L. Hussakof, 
Secretary. 
