342 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IV., No. 87. 



about of the same length and area, when the morpho- 

 logical characters of the caudal fin would become 

 approximately stable for any one species, as may be 

 shown by measurements of a simple mechanical illus- 

 tration, in which the interaction and composition of 

 the forces which are brought into action are demon- 

 strated. 4. The mechanical demonstration alluded 

 to above, taken together with the fact that the primi- 

 tive or ancestral form of the tail, which is typified 

 by a temporary condition in fish larvae, when the 

 myosomata are rudimentary, but still symmetrical, 

 amounts almost to a demonstration of the principles 

 first laid down by Lamarck, then elaborated by Spen- 

 cer, and more recently applied to special cases by the 

 author and Professor Cope. 



In a communication on growth and death, Dr. C. S. 

 Minot gave the results of ten thousand measurements 

 of weight of growing guinea-pigs and other animals 

 from birth to maturity. The rate of growth was 

 found to steadily diminish from birth onward ; so that 

 the loss of power begins at once, and continues until 

 death. The common views of death were discussed, 

 and the current conceptions of animal individuality 

 were attacked. The author then referred to the 

 bearing of our present knowledge of senescence upon 

 the theory of life, and the relation of life to a mate- 

 rial substratum. 



A paper on the osteology of Oreodon was read by 

 Mr. W. B. Scott, in which this genus was said to 

 belong to the Artiodactyla, although there are some 

 strong resemblances to the Suidae. Vertebrae are ru- 

 minant, markedly in the case of the axis. Thoracic 

 vertebrae have long prominent spines, and small 

 bodies slightly amphicoelous. Lumbars, probably 

 five in number, are heavy, with short spines and 

 broad flat transverse processes. Sacrum contains 

 two vertebrae which touch the ileum. The tail is 

 long and slender, and the legs proportionally long. 

 There are a short head and short metapodials, giving 

 the animal a wolf-like appearance. The radius and 

 ulna are distinct. The carpus consists of eight bones, 

 including the pisiform. There are short unanky- 

 losed metacarpals. The ungual phalanges are long 

 and pointed, as in Hyopotamus. A rudimentary 

 pollex is present, this being the only artiodactyl with 

 one. 



Mr. J. Struthers, in a paper on finger-muscles in 

 Megaptera longimana, and in other whales, records 

 rudimentary flexor and extensor muscles in these 

 animals, and shows that they are more or less used, 

 as the muscular fibres are red and not degenerated. 



Dr. G. M. Sternberg described his experimental 

 research relating to the etiology of tuberculosis. The 

 author repeated the inoculation experiments of Koch, 

 with similar results. The experiments of Formad 

 to induce tuberculosis in rabbits by introducing into 

 the cavity of the abdomen finely powdered inor- 

 ganic material, have also been repeated with entirely 

 negative results. The author held that Koch's bacil- 

 lus was an essential factor in the etiology of tuber- 

 culosis. 



Dr. C. E. Bessey, in a paper on the adventitious 

 inflorescence of Cuscuta glomerata, stated that the 



examination of young plants shows that the inflo- 

 rescence is developed from numerous crowded ad- 

 ventitious buds, and not by the repeated branching 

 of axillary flowering branches as commonly stated. 



In a paper on the hitherto unknown mode of ovi- 

 position in the Carabidae, Prof. C. V. Kiley records 

 habits of Chlaenius impunctifrons, traced from the 

 egg up. The eggs are laid singly in cells made of 

 mud or clay, on the under surface of leaves. 



Mrs. A. B. Blackwell read a paper on the compara- 

 tive longevity of the sexes. The study was exhaus- 

 tive, and made on statistics from all parts of the 

 world ; and the greater longevity of woman over man 

 was established. In old countries the females pre- 

 ponderate, while males lead in newly settled ones. 

 Up to eighteen years the males are in excess of the 

 females : later the females predominate. . 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECTION OF 

 HISTOLOGY AND MICROSCOPY. 



The attendance at this section was very small, 

 partly because the other sections drew away not only 

 many members, but many papers also; partly too, we 

 imagine, because the American society of microsco- 

 pists had held its annual meeting a short time previ- 

 ously. The future of this section is somewhat uncer- 

 tain, especially because many of the members are 

 unwilling to have their histological papers withdrawn 

 from the section of biology. The abolition of the 

 section was much discussed, not only among the 

 members interested, but also in the section itself. 

 As the number of communications and the attend- 

 ance were both of the smallest, the feeling against 

 the continuance of the section, with its separate or- 

 ganization and equal rank with the sections of phys- 

 ics, biology, geology, etc., became very decided with 

 many of those most interested. Finally, Dr. C. S. 

 Minot announced in general session, that he should 

 bring up a motion to amend the constitution so that 

 section G shall be abolished. This amendment will 

 come up for consideration at the next meeting of the 

 association. 



Alexis A. Julien read a paper on an immersion 

 apparatus for the determination of the temperature 

 of the critical point in the fluid cavities of minerals. 

 The extensive occurrence of carbon dioxide in min- 

 erals renders the determination of its critical point 

 important ; yet with the forms of apparatus hitherto 

 described for this use, there have been sources of 

 serious error. The author described a new device 

 for raising a thin section of a mineral, mounted on a 

 glass slide, to an accurately determinable temperature 

 upon the stage of the microscope. The arrangement 

 consists of a thin walled box heated by conduction 

 from a taper through the copper plate which forms its 

 bottom, and which projects beyond the stage. The 

 thermometer has a scale ranging from 22° to 45° C. ; 

 each degree on the scale being two centimetres in 

 length, and divided into tenths. The bore and length 

 are so arranged as to bring that part of the scale near 

 30° on a level with the eye at the eye-piece, in order 



