REPORT OF THE AUTUMN MEETING 
633 
Large numbers of immature shells were secured in order to study the 
development of the shell and its sculpture. Certain shells are smooth or 
without sculpture in the early stages, some remain smooth, others develop 
nodules or spines either early or late in life, or even develop a sculpture and 
later lose it. Other shells are spinose from the start and remain so. The loss 
of sculpture occurs largely in one locality, in the vicinity of which drainage 
changes have probably occurred in relatively recent geological time. 
In the general discussion and summary a brief review is given of inher- 
itance in molluscs, as Mendelian inheritance applies to many of their char- 
acters. The results of recent experimental breedings are applied to the 
interpretation of the variations of these shells. Other topics discussed are 
agencies and means of dispersal, longitudinal distribution in streams, causes 
of variation, geographic range and variation of each of the forms of lo, the 
migration of the environment and migrations and relationships of the various 
forms. The illustrations include figures of the shells, showing the ontogeny 
of shell sculpture, and samples of the shell population at representative 
localities. Diagrams and tables illustrate the quantitative relations and there 
are several maps. The great diversity seen in these shells is probably related 
to the complex mixtures of many strains which has been made possible by the 
complex stream history. 
REPORT OF THE AUTUMN MEETING 
Prepared by the Home Secretary 
The Autumn Meeting of the Academy was held in the American Museum 
of Natural History at New York City, on November 15, 16, 17, 1915. 
Forty-eight members were present, as follows: C. G. Abbot, Becker, Boas, 
Boltwood, Britton, Castle, Cattell, Chittenden, W. B. Clark, F. W. Clarke, 
J. M. Clarke, Conklin, Coulter, Crew, Cross, Davenport, Day, Donaldson, 
Hague, Harper, Harrison, Hillebrand, Holmes, Howell, Iddings, Lindgren, 
Loeb, Lusk, Mall, Mendel, Michelson, Morgan, Morse, A. A. Noyes, H. F. 
Osborn, T. B. Osborne, Pickering, Ransome, Reid, Richards, Rosa, Schuchert , 
Theobald Smith, Van Hise, Walcott, Webster, Wheeler, H. S. White. 
BUSINESS SESSION. 
The Home Secretary announced that since the Annual Meeting in April 
the Academy had lost by death two members, John Ulric Nef, elected 1904, 
who died on August 13, 1915, and Frederick Ward Putnam, elected 1885, 
who died on August 18, 1915; also two foreign associates, Theodor Boveri, 
elected 1913, who died on October 15, 1915, and Paul EhrHch, elected 1904, 
who died on August 20, 1915. 
The Home Secretary made also the following announcements: That Mr. 
Edwin B. Frost had been elected Chairman of the Directors of the Bache 
Fund and Mr. Arthur Gordon Webster had been elected to succeed Mr. Ira 
Remsen. 
