Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 93. 
November 5.—Communications: J. B. Smith, Some Geographi- 
cal Variations of Insects; T. H. Bean, The young Forms of Some 
of our Food-fishes, with illustrations; N. P. Scudder, The Period 
of Gestation in the Common Mouse; H. E. Van Deman, The 
Diospyros kaki in North America; T. N. Gill, Characteristics of 
the Notalian Fish Faunas. ' 
November 19.—Communications: Marshall McDonald, Expla- 
nation of Past Failures in the Culture of the Salmonide; Walter 
B. Barrows, Freshet Notes on the Rio Uruguay; T. H. Bean, 
Description of a new species of Thyrsites from the New England 
Fishing Banks; T. W. True, Recent Works upon Whales; F. A. 
Lucas, An Alcine Cemetery. 
December 3, 1887.—The following communications were read : 
Mr. Charles Hallock, The Great Roseau Swamp; Dr. C. A. White, 
On the Rapid Disappearance of the Cast Antlers of the Cervide ; 
Dr. Theobald Smith, Peptonizing Ferments Among Bacteria ; 
Mr. C. D. Walcott, A Fossil Lingula Preserving the Cast of the 
Peduncle; Dr. Theo. Gill, The Phylogeny of the Cetacea. 
December 17, 1887.—The following communications were read : 
Mr. C. L. Hopkins, Notes Relative to the Sense of Smell in Buz- 
zards; Dr. Cooper Curtice, The Timber Line of Pike’s Peak; 
Mr. Chas. D. Walcott, Exhibition of, and Remarks, on a Section of 
a Fossil Endoceras, over Eight Feet in Length ; Dr. Leonhard Stejne- 
ger. On the Extinction of the Great Northern Sea Cow ; Dr. C. 
a Merriam, Description of a New Mouse from the Great 
ains. 
Boston Soctery or NATURAL History, December 7th, 1887.— 
Professor N. S. Shaler read a paper on the origin of the divisions 
between the layers ot stratified rocks. Professor G. F. Wright 
spoke of the glaciation of the Pacific Coast. Professor G. L. 
Goodale exhibited some new glass models recently obtained by 
oa University which illustrate the structure and morphology 
oi plants, 
THE AMERICAN COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CON- 
GRESS OF GEOLOGISTS.—This Committee met in New Haven, after 
the adjournment of the Society of Naturalists, on December 29th 
and 30th. Present—Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, Chairman; Dr. P. 
Frazier, Secretary, and Messrs. Cook, Cope, Dana, Hitchcock, 
New rry, Powell, Stevenson, Winchell and Williams. The 
reports of the reporters of the different sub-committees were read 
and were ordered to be printed in galley form for further emenda- 
tion, where thought necessary. All the reports were ordered to 
completed by April 1st, 1888. A resolution inviting the Congress 
to meet in the United States in 1891 was adopted. The proposi- 
tion to enlarge the Committee by the addition to it of additional 
members of the United States Geological Survey was not agreed to 
