The American Naturalist. 



noticed in formalin hardened brains does not appear to take place when 

 this method is employed. Besides the many general advantage of fix- 

 ing brains by injection, formalin has the especially merit of giving them 

 the best consistency for macroscopic work, and further such brains are 

 available subsequently for the Golgi and Weigert methods as well as, 

 possibly, for cytological methods. Formalin has also the advantage that 

 :i —l be used, as above, stronger than is necessary for fixation and 



thus allowance made for its dilutio 



permeating the 



When only the Golgi method is to be used, an equal volume of a 10 

 per cent solution of potassium bichromate may be added to the formalin 

 instead of wafer. Pieces can be subsequently removed, hardened fur- 

 ther in formalin-bichromate and impregnated with silver. 



Bashford Dean, « On the Supposed Kinship of the Paleospondylus." 

 A favorably preserved specimen of this interesting fossil, received by 

 the writer from Wm. T. Kinnear of Forss, Scotland, appears to warrant 

 the belief that this lamprey-like form was possessed fins, a character 

 decidedly adverse to the now widely accepted view of Marsipobranchian 

 affinities. The structure referred to consists of a series of transversely 

 directed rays, arising from the region of the postoccipital plates of 

 Traquair. From this peculiar character, as well as from many unlara- 

 prey-like features of the fossil, it would appear accordingly that the 

 kinship of the Paleospondylus is as yet by no means definitely deter- 

 mined. — C. L. Bristol, Secretary. 



Nebraska Academy of Sciences.— The following program of 

 papers was presented. First Session— Thursday, Jan. 2, 1896. " Amer- 

 ica the Primitive Home of Civilization," H. S. Clason ; " The Home of 

 the Buffalo Grass," Dr. C. E. Bessey; "Early Rainfall Records in 

 Nebraska," G. D. Swezey; "The Volcanic Ashes of Nebraska," Dr. E. 

 H. Barbour. Second Session— Friday, Jan. :).—" The Relative Impor- 

 tance of Economic Fungi, East and West," F. W. Card ; " Animal 

 Parasites of Nebraska," Dr. H. B. Ward ; « Diatomaceous Deposits of 

 Nebraska," Dr. E. H. Barbour ; " Some Fossil Diatoms from Ne- 

 braska," C. J. Elmore ; " Wind Velocities in Nebraska," G. A. Love- 

 land ; " Report of Progress on the Study of Dtemonelix," Dr. E. H. 

 Barbour ; " Origin of the Present Flora of Nebraska," Dr C E 

 Bessey. 



