1896.] Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 1065 
National Academy of Sciences.—A scientific session of the 
Academy was held in New York, at the Columbia University, begin- 
ning November 17, 1896, at 11 o'clock, A. M. 
The following papers were read: “On Certain Positive Negative 
Laws in their Relation to Organic Chemistry,” A. Michael; “The 
Jurassic Formation on the Atlantic Coast,” O. C. Marsh; “The 
Hydrolysis of Acid Amides,” Ira Remsen; “The Isomeric Chlo- 
rides of Paranitroorthosulphobenzoic Acid,” Ira Remsen; “ The 
Equations of the Forces Acting in the Flotation of Disks and 
Rings of Metal, with Experiments Showing the Floating of Loaded 
Disks and Rings of Metal on Water and on Other Liquids,” Alfred M. 
Mayer; ‘On the Geographical Distribution of Batrachia and Reptilia 
in the Medicolumbian Region,” E. D. Cope; “On the Solar Motion 
as a Gauge of Stellar Distances,” S. Newcome; “Memoir of F. B. 
Meek,” C. A. White; “The Evolution and Pylogeny of Gastropod 
Mollusca,” A. E. Verrill; “On Flicker Photometers,” O. N. Rood; 
“A New Type of Telescope Free from Secondary Color,” C. S. Hast- 
ings; “ A Graphical Method of Logic,” C. Pearce ; “On Mathemati- 
cal Infinity,” C. Pearce. 
A reception was given to the Academy by Mrs. Henry Draper, on 
the evening of Wednesday, November 18. 
Boston Society of Natural History.—November 4th.—The 
following paper was read: Prof. George Lincoln Goodale, “The Re- 
claiming of Deserts.” 
November 18th.—The following papers were read: Prof. George H. 
Barton, “ Observations upon the Inland Ice and the Glaciers Proceed- 
ing from it in the Umanak District, Greenland;” Prof. Alfred E. 
Burton, “ The Topographical Features of the Umanak District, Green- 
land. Other members of the Greenland Expedition were present, and 
took part in the discussion—SAMUEL HENSHAW, Seeretary. 
The Academy of Science of St. Louis.—At the meeting of 
November 2, 1896, Mr. Colton Russell spoke of “ What an Entomolo- 
gist Can Find of Interest About St. Louis,” illustrating his remarks by 
numerous pinned specimens of insects, giving particular attention to 
the butterflies, and speaking at some length of the phenomena of peri- 
odicity, migration, polymorphism, etc., as illustrated by these insects, 
his paper embodying the result of a large amount of field work per- 
formed during the last ten years. Resolutions were adopted opposing 
the passage of the antivivisection bill now before the United States 
Senate. Three persons were elected to active membership. 
