1 882.] Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 439 



ture of the mandibles of a Balaninus which bores through hick- 

 ory nuts. The mandibles are reversed, so as to move in a vertical 



Dec. 6. — Mr. Potts referred to three species of fresh-water 

 sponges, the statoblasts of which are provided with long curled 

 tendrils, homogeneous and continuous with the chitinous coat ; 

 these forms constituted the genus Carterella. Mr. Ryder stated 

 that the silver gar and other allied fishes had eggs provided with 

 long cylindrical filaments, which twist with those of other eggs so 

 as to form masses of several hundreds. 



Professor Rothrock stated that in Ceanothus prostratMS, the 

 chlorophyll of the leaves is confined to a layer around inward- 

 growing sacs, in the interior of which are the stomata. These 

 sacs are protected by downward-growing hairs. 



The Biological Society, Washington, D. C, March 3. — The 

 twenty-third regular meeting of the Biological Society was held 

 at the above date in the lecture room of the National Museum, 

 at which ninety members were present, Professor Gill in the chair. 

 A discussion of the shape of the sea-cow's tail, continued over 

 from the previous meeting, was carried on by Mr. H. W. Elliott, 

 Dr. Elliott Coues, Mr. F. W. True, Dr. T. H. Bean, Mr. G. 

 Brown Goode, and Professor Theodore Gill. The committee 

 on lectures announced that in conjunction with a similar commit- 

 tee from the Anthropological Society they had arranged for 

 a course of eight popular lectures on scientific topics. The pro- 

 gramme is as follows: March II, Professor Theodore Gill, 

 '' Scientific and Popular Views of Nature contrasted; " March 18, 

 Major J. W. Powell, "Outlines of Sociology;" March 25. Profes- 

 sor C. V. Riley, "Little-Known Facts About Well-Known 

 Animals;" April 1, Professor Otis T. Mason, "What is Anthro- 

 pology;" April 8, Professor J. W. Chickering, Jr., "Contrasts of 

 the Appalachian Mountains;" April 15, Dr. Robert Fletcher. 

 "Paul Broca and the French School of Anthropology; " April 

 22, Professor William H. Dall, " Deep-Sea Exploration;" April 

 29. Dr. Swan M. Burnett, "How We See." These lectures will 

 be delivered in the lecture room of the National Museum, begin- 

 ning at half-past 3 p. m. 



Boston Society of Natural History, Mar. 15.— Mr. William 

 I release described the structures which favor cross-fertilization 

 m several plants, and Mr. J. S. Kingsley remarked on the em- 

 bryology of fishes. 



April 5. — Professor G. F. Wright described the "Terminal mo- 

 raine of the great ice period in Pennsylvania," and Mr. N. F. 

 Merrill read a second paper on the lithological collection of the 

 Fortieth Parallel Survey. 



New York Academy of Sciences. Mar. 27— Professor 

 nomas Lgleston remarked on the proposed Government Com- 

 miss.on for the testing of iron and steel. 



