340 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. IV., No. 87. 



In a paper on the torsion of leaves, Prof. W. J. 

 Beal stated that he had studied the torsion of leaves 

 produced by the effects of sunlight. Those twisting 

 with the sun are two species of Typha, one species of 

 Sparganium, Acorus, Tritallaria imperialis, and Lia- 

 tris. Those twisting against the sun are two species 

 of Allium, Iris, Gladiolus, oats, and Setaria. Twisting 

 both ways are Allium cernuum, Phleum, Bromus, 

 barley, Clawson wheat, Panicum, and Zizania. Cy- 

 peraceae, Setaria verticillata, S. viridis, and S. italica 

 do not twist at all. 



Mr. L. F. Ward read a paper on the fossil flora of 

 the globe; treating the subject from historical, geo- 

 logical, and botanical standpoints. 



The two oldest known species (Oldhamia) have 

 been found in the Cambrian of Ireland. From the 

 lower Silurian, 44 species are known, being chiefly 

 marine algae; upper Silurian, 13 species. The ferns 

 predominate among the 188 species known to the 

 Devonian. In the Permo-carboniferous, nearly 2.000 

 species have been made out, while in the trias 67 are 

 known. In the Rhetic, an advance seems to have 

 been made, which increases to the oolite where 419 

 species have been found. The upper Jurassic and 

 lower cretaceous are sparingly supplied with vegetal 

 remains. The Cenomanian of Atam, Greenland, 

 and the Dakota group of Kansas and Nebraska, give 

 500 species. The Turonian again is almost destitute. 

 Senomanian yields 850 species, while the Laramie , 

 group of western United States gives 333 species; 

 the tertiary eocene, 800; oligocene, a somewhat 

 larger number, while the miocene gives more than 

 3,000; the pliocene gives only 150 species. 



The first type is that of the Florideae, marine algae. 

 Ferns, Equisetineae and Lycopodineae, appear in the 

 lower Silurian. The Devonian of Canada and Brazil 

 shows us the first appearance of the rhizocarps, while 

 the monocotyledons first appear in the carboniferous. 

 The dicotyledons have their first known representa- 

 tive in the Urogonian of Kome, Greenland. All the 

 leading types of vegetation are introduced without 

 going later down the geological scale than the middle 

 cretaceous. Marine algae predominate in the Cam- 

 brian and early Silurian. Ferns flourish in the 

 Permian; Equisetineae and Lycopodineae, in the car- 

 boniferous; Cycadaceae, in the lias or oolite; the 

 Coniferae, in the Wealden; monocotyledons, in the 

 eocene ; monochlamydeous dicotyledons, in the ceno- 

 manian; polypetalous dicotyledons, in the miocene; 

 and the gamopetalous dicotyledons, in the present 

 living flora of the globe. Cellular cryptogams of 

 some kind lived in the Laurentian, and account for 

 the graphite beds there found. Ferns, Equisetineae 

 and Lycopodineae, commenced in the lower Silurian, 

 and had their maximum in the carboniferous. 

 Cycadaceae have their origin in the Devonian, while 

 the maximum is in the middle Jurassic. The Silu- 

 rian shows the first Coniferae, which reach their 

 maximum in the cretaceous, and then decline. 

 Monocotyledons begin in the lower carboniferous, 

 and have their maximum in the tertiary. Dicotyle- 

 dons commence in the lower Jura, and the maximum 

 is in the present age. 



In a paper on fertility in hybridization, Mr. R. B. 

 Roosevelt cited cases of hybridism between species 

 of Salmonidae, and between Alosa sapidissima and 

 the striped bass. In many cases hybridism greatly 

 improves the species. He proved by an extensive 

 practical knowledge^that hybridism in fish at least by 

 no means necessarily implies sterility. 



Mr. H. F. Osborne presented observations on the 

 amphibian brain, containing results of microscopic 

 study upon the frog, Menobranchus, Menopoma, and 

 Amphiuma. His method of study was by making 

 series of sections, in three different planes. The 

 relative position of gray and white matter was the 

 same as that found in the spinal cord of these and 

 other vertebrates. The course of the principal 

 nerve-bundles extending from the medulla forward 

 to the hemispheres was described, showing the 

 course of the transverse commissures, and a com- 

 missure hitherto overlooked in the roof of the third 

 ventricle was pointed out. This demonstrated that 

 each brain segment had its own dorsal commissure. 

 The differences of the cerebellum in the Anura and 

 Urodela were pointed out, and the resemblances of 

 the latter to the mammalian brain were dwelt upon. 

 The pia blood-vessels are all sent in upon the ante- 

 rior face of the pituitary body. The pineal elements 

 were shown to consist of certain very inconspicuous 

 foldings of the epithelium of the roof of the third 

 ventricle, which have been generally overlooked. 

 These foldings represent what remains of the stalk 

 of the pineal gland. 



Mr. S. Garman's paper on Chlamydoselachus, the 

 frilled shark, treated of the internal anatomy of this 

 peculiar shark. The nearest forms are Notidanidae, 

 Hexanthus, and Heptanchus. Hind and fore brain 

 resemble that of foetal sharks; the cartilage is soft; 

 the lateral line is open as in foetal sharks, and con- 

 tinued to the end of the tail. The pelvis is twice as 

 long as broad: the nearest resemblance to this is seen 

 in the foetal Heptanchus. 



The next paper was by Mr. E. D. Cope, on the mam- 

 malian affinities of saurians of the Permian epoch, 

 and referred to the detection of mammalian resem- 

 blance between Theromorpha and reptiles of the 

 Permian epoch. Resemblances in the pelvic and 

 scapular arch were pointed out. The quadrate bone 

 was discussed, referring to the theory of Albrecht. 

 The genus Clepsydrops shows that it has the mam- 

 malian number of bones in its tarsus, and the resem- 

 blance was nearest to that found in the Platypus 

 anatinus. 



Dr. C. H. Merriam gave a paper on the hood of the 

 hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) ; describing it as an 

 inflatable proboscis overhanging the mouth, and ex- 

 tending posteriorly to a point behind the two eyes, 

 lined with nasal mucous membrane, and divided 

 longitudinally by two cartilages. It is not noticeable 

 until the male has reached its fourth year. 



In a paper on some points in the development of 

 pelagic teleostean eggs, Mr. G. Brook, jun., first con- 

 sidered non-pelagic eggs; instancing those of trout, 

 in which the hypoblast originates as an involution of 

 the lower layer upon itself, the space between' the 



