650 The American Naturalist. [July, 
several and corresponding distances apart, in the two bones when com- 
pared. 
Thus it will be seen that the subfossil bones of birds in this collection 
from the several Bone Caves of Tennessee (so far as I have been able 
to identify them with certainty), belonged only to species still abund- 
antly found in our avifauna, or were found there. Of the species 
enumerated below, it may be said that the Wild Turkey and the Pas- 
senger Pigeon are on the high road toward total extinction. 
Colymbus auritus. Colinus virginianus. 
-Bonasa umbellus. Meleagris gallopava. 
Ectopistes migratorius. Megascops asio. 
Ceophlæus pileatus. 
To these may be added a doubtful Duck aud a Grouse, while still 
other bones represent species that cannot be satisfactorily identified 
until the skeletons are made more complete by the discovery of addi- 
tional material.—R. W. SHUFELDT. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
Torrey Botanical Club.—Wednesday evening, March 31, 1897. 
—The first paper, by Dr. Albert Schneider, “ The Phenomena of Sym- 
biosis,” and a paper by Leonard Barron on “ Horticulture in Botani- 
cal Gardens,” were read by title. ` 
The evening was occupied by a paper by Prof. Edward S. Burgess 
on “ Aster macrophyllus and its Allies,” illustrated by chart of rela- 
tionship and by numerous specimens. The speaker sketched briefly 
the history of the species Aster macrophyllus, in which it has been the 
custom of American botanists to include all large leaved Asters. He 
showed how diverse these Asters are, and in what confusion their as- 
signment toa single species results, and indicated the characters ac- 
cording to which they form two groups each of several species and 
varieties. 
The paper which will soon appear in print, was discussed by Mr. E. 
P. Bicknell, who confirmed the distinctions offered by the results of 
his observations about New York, and by Dr. Britton, who paid a 
tribute to the masterly manner in which Dr. Gray had treated the sub- 
ject of the genus Aster so far as material was then available, and who 
referred to the special need for extended field work and further collab- 
oration which this genus had long presented. 
