1886.] Proceedings of Scientific Societies, 209 
exhiLited a device for printing boundary lines automatically ; also 
a track chart of the North Atlantic. Dr. Frazer also drew atten- 
tion to the Geological and Geographical Dictionary of Sig. Villa- 
nova, of Pisa. 
December 4.—Dr. Frazer presented a résumé of the geology 
of York county, Pa. 
Professor Cope read a paper on the physical conditions of 
memory. 
Brotocicay Society oF Wasuincton, Nov. 14.—Communica- 
tions: Mr. Richard Rathbun, Remarks on the Wood’s Holl sta- 
tion of the U. S. Fish Commission; Dr. W. S. Barnard, Specimen- 
mounting case and method; Mr. John A. Ryder, A new and 
practical system of raising oysters on a large scale; Mr. Fred- 
erick True, On a spotted dolphin apparently identical with the 
Prodelphinus doris of Gray. 
Nov. 28.—Communications: Dr. Theobald Smith, A simple 
device for storing cover-glass preparations illustrative of bacterial 
disease; Dr. W. S. Barnard, 1. Environmental digestion; 2. Spe- 
cimen mount: tube-holders, labels and stoppers; Dr. C. Hart 
Merriam, The work of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 
€conomic ornithology; Mr. Charles D. Walcott, Evidence of the 
loss of vital force in certain trilobites on approaching extinction ; 
r. Frederick True, A new study of the American pocket rats ; 
genus Dipodomys. 
Dec. 26—Dr. C.Hart Merriam, Contributions to North Ameri- 
can mammalogy. 1. The genus Tamias; Mr. F. H. Knowlton, 
Multiplication in the Gyneecium of Datura stramonium L.; Pro- 
fessor O. T. Mason, Mutilations of the human body. 
American ORNITHOLOGIST Unton.—The annual meeting took 
place at the American Museum of Natural History, in New York. 
The session opened on Tuesday, Nov. 17, and lasted two days. 
Among the members present were Messrs. J. A. Allen, R. Ridg- 
way, W. Brewster, W. W. Cooke, O. Widmann, Dr. C. H. Mer- 
nam, A. K, Fisher, H. A. Purdie, and E. P. Bicknell. A number 
of Papers of very great interest were read, and there was much 
discussion of knotty points in ornithology. One of the most in- 
teresting features of the meeting was the account by Mr. Brewster 
of his observations carried on at lighthouses during the season of 
migration. By means of these observations the speaker had 
penetrated deeper into some of the secrets in the life of the small 
bight-migrating birds than any one else has yet done. His 
on of what he saw was most entertaining and valuable, and 
pens a new chapter in the history of our birds. The next 
annual meeting will be held in W ashington, D. C. 
aime Society, Lancaster, Pa., Nov. 28.—Dr. S. S. Rathvon 
a highly interesting paper on the Hessian fly and allied in- 
