6 BULLETIN OF WISCONSIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. VOL. 4, NOS. 1-2. 
There being- no further business, the society then listened to a 
lecture by Dr. S. Graenicher on "The Mutual Relations of Flowers 
and Insects." 
Dr. Graenicher traced briefly the history of the subject and showed 
the great importance to both flowers and insects of these adaptations. 
Many plants are absolutely dependent on insects for the fertilization 
of their flowers, while many insects are no less dependent on nectar 
and pollen for food. By means of lantern slides he showed many of 
the remarkable adaptations in members of both groups whereby insects 
are attracted to plants ; how the pollen is transported : and cross- 
pollination affected; also how some plants are visited only by certain 
species of insects. The peculiar relations of orchids and yuccas to 
insects was discussed in detail. 
December 28, 1905. 
Regular monthly meeting of the society. 
President Teller in the chair and about 35 persons present. 
A request to exchange publications with the museum of Magdeburg 
was allowed. 
There being no further business, Dr. G. W. Peckham addressed 
the society on "Some Color Problems in Relation to Natural History." 
Dr. Peckham called attention to the inadequacy of the theory of 
natural selection to account for many remarkable cases of coloration 
among animals. He outlined briefly the origin and development of the 
theory of sexual selection, showing the manner in which it acts. 
The structure and coloration of a large number of male Attid 
spiders was discussed at length, and the fact pointed out that in each 
case the peculiarities of coloration w^ere clearly correlated with the 
courtship actions of the males during the mating season. This was 
illustrated by a large series of colored charts of the spiders. After 
some discussion on the part of the speaker and several members, the 
meeting adjourned. 
January 26, 1906. 
Regular monthly meeting of the society. 
President Teller in the chair, and about a hundred persons present. 
The society voted to exchange publications with the Sociedad 
Cientifica de Sao Paulo, Brazil. 
An invitation from the Academy of Sciences of St. Louis was read, 
requesting the presence of a delegate from the society to be present 
at the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation. 
Dr. George P. Barth was named for membership in the society 
and subsequently elected by the directors. 
Mr. John E. Burton then gave an extended talk on "The Two 
Alaskas," describing the Eskimo peoples and their customs and in- 
dustries. The speaker had spent several years in Alaska and described 
many characteristics of the country and its inhabitants that are not 
ordinarily known. At the close of the talk a representative collection 
of Alaskan ethnological specimens was exhibited. 
March 1, 1906. 
Regular February meeting, which had been postponed one week. 
President Teller' in the chair and about one hundred persons 
present. 
