366 : The American Naturalist. [April, 
from the upper surface only a few stunted rootlets rise, sparsely 
branched. The whole appearance of these roots presents a strong con- 
trast to the branches or young shoots of the red maple, leaving no 
doubt as to their character. Their tendency toward the earth is mark- 
ed, though not reaching it by some eighteen inches. 
What should cause these aerial roots is by no means evident, unless 
the scar has at some time been covered with a loose layer of bark un- 
der which the roots have grown. They serve no purpose and it would 
seem as though they could scarcely survive. As they are now alive, it 
seems best not to molest them for the purpose of determing their exact 
character and mode of growth until after further development has 
been observed. 
Mr. Arthur Hollick presented specimens of fossil leaves from Arro- 
char. 
Mr. L. P. Gratacap remarked upon a series of lower Helderberg 
and Hudson fossils, found in drift bowlders by Mr. Hollick at Arro- 
char. They included finely preserved specimens of Spirifera per lam- 
ellosa Hall; Strophodonta beckii Hall; S. woolworthiana Hall; Stro- 
phomena rhomboidalis Wahl.; Cælospira concava Hall, and Leptena 
sericea Sowerby, besides fragmentary remains of a Pterinea and bryo- 
20008. 
Boston Society of Natural History.—February 7th—The 
following paper was read: Prof. Edward B. Poulton: Theories of 
Evolution. A discussion upon the subject of Professor Poulton’s paper 
followed. ; 
February 21.—The following papers were read : Professor Charles 
Professor 
R. Cross: Physics of color mixture, with experiments ; ; 
E. S. Morse: A recent advance in color printing by a photo-mechani- 
cal process. 
SAMUEL HENSHAW, Secr etary. 
New York Academy of Sciences, Biological Section, Feb. 
12.—The following papers were read: 1. “The Morphology and Sig- 
nificance of the Variations of the Biceps flexor cubiti,” by a 
Geo. S. Huntington. 2. “Our Conception of a ‘ Species’ as mod i 
by the Theory of Evolution,” by Professor N. L. Britton. 3. ier : 
sal of Cleavage in a Sinistral Gasteropod,” by Mr. H. E. Cramp w 
Jr. 4. “On the History of the Archoplasm in the Spermatogene* 
and Fertilization of Lumbricus,” by Mr. Gary N. Calkins. - Pa 
Basurorp Dean, Fee. 
