400 The American Naturalist. [April 
Biological Society of Washington.—December 13th, 1890.— 
The following communications were read: The Occurrence of an 
Asiatic Cuckoo on the Pribylov Islands; Mr. William Palmer. New 
Notes on the Genus Phylloxera ; Prof. C. V. Riley. The Teeth of the 
Muskrat; Mr. F. W. True. The Wing of Metopidius; Mr. F. A. 
ucas. 
December 27th.—The following communications were read: A Pre- 
liminary Study of Ticks in the United States; Dr. Cooper Curtice. 
Exhibition of a New Rabbit from the Snake Plains of Idaho; Dr. C. 
Hart Merriam. On the OTE of Florida, with Reference to Its- 
Bearing on Fossil Faunas; Mr. W. H. Dall. 
February 7th, 1891.—The following were read: Dis- — 
covery of Vertebrate Life in Lower Silurian (Ordovician) Strata ; Mr. 
C. D. Walcott. A Review of the Discovery of the Cretaceous Mam- 
malia; Prof. Henry F. Osborn. 
March 7th.—Communications: Exhibition of Young Hoatzins; A 
Specimen of Bison latifrons from Florida; Mr. F. A. Lucas. The 
Fishes of Great South Bay, Long Island; Dr. T. H. Bean. A New 
Aster from Southern California ; Mr. J. N. Rose. Color and Odor of 
Flowers in Attracting Insects ; Mr. Geo. B. ae Embryo of a 
Chick with Two Protovertebre ; Mr. J. M. Stedm 
March 21st.—Dr. W. H. Dall spoke upon the mre of the Peace 
Creek Bone-Beds of Florida.” Reference was made to the discovery 
of bones of various sorts by the Coast Survey and other exploring 
parties, while the recent explorations for phosphates have brought 
many more to light. In some counties the sticky clay esp the 
bones occurs in cavities of Eocene and Miocene rocks. 
of bone’ in these localities indicates that the animals had nd become 
mired in attempting to cross swampy ground ; and their pie > 
indicates that they had been gnawed by carnivorous animals. Evi- 
at lightning, A 
Jed the strata 
dences of fire are also present, but it was considered th 
and not man, was the probable cause. Some authors 
containing the bones Miocene, some Pliocene, and some Quatre 
The bones found are those of the Elephas, Rhinoceros, fi 
Llama, Deer, Hippotherium, Equus, Tiger, Tapir, 
therium, Megalonyx, Glyptodon, Porpoise, and Alligator, 
fish fragments. Professor Cope had made a comparison : 
Florida remains and those of the west, particularly the ieee 
beds, of Miocene age. Some forms, however, were similar 
the Equus beds, of Pliocene age. The Florida remains a 
thought, of an epoch between the Loup Fork and the Equus 
