362 The American Naturalist. [April, 
The Biological Society of Washington.—January 30, 1897.— 
The following communications were made: “ Brief Informal Notes and 
Exhibition of Specimens ;” C. Hart Merriam “ On the Pribilof Island 
Hair Seal;” C. H. Townsend, “The Origin of the Alaskan Live 
Mammoth Story ;” L. O. Howard, “ Parasites of Shade-tree Insects in 
Washington ;” Frank Benton, “ The Giant Bee of India.” 
February 27.—The following communications were announced : 
“ Brief Informal Notes and Exhibition of Specimens ;” C. H. Town- 
send, “The Distribution and Migration of the Northern Fur Seal ; ” 
Lester F. Ward, “ Description of Seven Species of Cycadoidea from the 
Iron Ore Deposits of Maryland ;” Charles Louis Pollard, “ What Con- 
stitutes a Type in Botany.” 
March 13.—The following communications were made: W. T. 
Vaughan and R. T. Hill, “The Lower Cretaceous Grypbeas of the 
Texas Region;” Chas. F. Dawson, “ The Dissemination of Infectious 
Diseases by Insects;” William Palmer, “The Type (?) of a New-old 
Species ;” Sylvester D. Judd, “ Sexual Dimorphism in Crustacea.”— 
FREDERIC A. Lucas, Secretary. 
Anthropological Society of Washington. — February 27, 
1897.—The following program was presented : 1. “ The Language Used 
in Talking to Domestic Animals,” Dr. H. Carrington Bolton ; 2.“ Pre- 
historic Musical Instruments,” Mr. Thomas Wilson— Weston FLINT, 
Secretary. 
The Academy of Science of St. Louis.—January 18, 1897.— 
Professor H. S. Pritchett presented some results of observations on the 
recent sun-spots, prefacing his remarks by a general account of our 
present knowledge of the constitution of the surface of the sun, and of 
sun-spots in general, and illustrating his remarks by the use of lantern 
slides, 
Two persons were elected to active membership. 
February 1, 1897.—Professor L. H. Pammel read a paper embody- 
ing Ecological Notes on Some Colorado Plants, observing that botan- 
ists who have studied the Rocky Mountain flora have frequently 
commented on the interest attached to the plants from an ecological 
standpoint, but most perplexing to the systematist. It is not stange 
that this should be the case, since there are great differences in altitude 
and soil, and the relative humidity of the air varies greatly. This is a 
most prominent factor in the development of plant life. A cursory 
glance at the plains flora of eastern Colorado shows that there are rep- 
resentatives of a flora common from Texas to British America, and east 
