526 The American Naturalist. [June, 



within 24 hours thereafter, it was considered fair to deduct these deaths 

 from the total, which reduced the mortality to 4.6 per cent, when the 

 serum was administered in the earlier stages of the disease. The 

 injurious consequences of administering the serum were fully considered, 

 but held to be practically insignificant. It was also stated that when 

 used on persons who had been exposed to but had not manifested the 

 disease, the serum proved an unfailing means of conferring immunity 

 for a certain period of time. Among the advantages in the use of this 

 serum was mentioned that of lessening the chances of secondary infec- 

 tion, so frequent after an attack of diphtheria. 



* A committee presented resolutions on the death of Dr. Charles O. 

 Curtman, for many years a member of the Academy.— Win. Trelease, 

 R'Tonlin;/ Secretary. 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



The Biological Laboratory of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and 

 Sciences will open at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, July 3d, 1896 

 for its seventh session. As in the previous years Prof. Herbert W. 

 Conn, of Wesleyan University is the Director. This year he is assisted 

 by Prof. H. T. Fernald who gives instruction in Embryology, Prof.H. 

 S. Pratt who takes charge of general zoology, Dr. D. S. Johnson, 

 instructor in Botany, Dr. Edward L. Rice Assistant in Biology and W. 

 H. C. Pyncheon instructor in photography. The session lasts six 

 weeks but students, upon special arrangement, can remain longer. 

 The Institute now possesses five buildings for the use of the laboratory, 

 a good equipment of the apparatus necessary for collecting and for 

 investigation and can accommodate about sixty students. The labora- 

 tory fees are as follows : The laboratory fee, including any one course of 

 instruction, the general lectures and the use of the laboratory privileges 

 is $20.00. For each additional course of instruction an additional fee of 

 85.00 is charged. The fee for the course in elementary zoology is 

 815.00. Board is furnished for $4.50 a week ; rooms from 81.50 to 

 $3.00 a week. The total expense for the session is thus from $55.00 to 

 $75.00. For circulars and other information address, Prof. H. W. 

 Conn, Middleton, Ct. 



The second Annual Meeting of the Botanical Society of America 

 will be held in Buffalo, N. Y., on Friday and Saturday August 21 and 

 22, 1896. The Council will meet at 1.30 p.m. on Friday, and the 

 Society will be called to order at 3 p. m. by the retiring President, Dr. 



