134 
THE SCIENTIST. 
its captive. 
TlieDionaca nuiscipula (Veiius's t\y- 
trap) grows onl}^ in the sand 3^ eastern 
border of Xortli Carolina. Insects are 
eangbt and dio'estod by means of a two_ 
valved body at tbe top of eacb leaf. 
When an insect tonebes one of tlie sbort 
bristles on tbe npper sui-face. tbe trap 
closes so quickl}^ as to captn'-e tbe insect. 
Tbe marginal bristles intercross prevent- 
ing its escape. A glairy secretion is 
poured out from nnnierovis glands and 
macerates tbe insect. Wben tbisis all ab- 
sorbed the trap opens and is rr^id}' for 
tbe next unwary flj'. 
Some leaves are used for tbe stoiage of 
nutritious mattei-. The green ext^rioi- 
of leaves of the Century plant or Agave 
serves as foliage, while tbe interior is a 
storehouse of fai-inaceous matter. In 
the leaves of tbe White Lily tbe lower 
part tbickened with uonrisbnient forms 
one of the bulb scales, while tbe upper 
part is of normal texture and use. 
Some of the leatlets of the compound 
leaves of Vetches are transformed into 
tendrils for climbing. In many cases 
the transformation of tbe leaves causes 
them to loose all resemblence to their 
normal state, as tbe spines of the Bai*- 
bei-r}^ and tbe tendrils of Latbyrus Ap- 
baca. 
The Ainiual Meeting of (Geologists. 
The American Association for the ad- 
vancement of Science met in Washing- 
ton City, Aug. 17tb to Sotb. 
The Geological Society of America, 
met Aug. 2-ltb and 2otb, at tbe same 
place. 
The International Congi-ess of Geolo- 
gists met Aug. 26tb to Sept. 1st. 
The Am. Ass. Ad. Sci . was well atten- 
ded numbering in all six hundred and 
fifty-tbree persons, fifteen of these were 
from INIissouri. The Geological Section 
was well represented by the most promi- 
nent and active Geologists in America. 
Pi'of. Jos. LeConte of tlie University of 
California, was elected President for tbe 
next year, and the time and place of next 
meeting fixed for Rocbester.jST. Y, on tbe 
third Wednesday of August 1892. 
The Ge(>l(>gical Society of America, 
has been in existence three yeai's, and 
numbers 220 fellows. Tb<? state of Miss- 
uori was represented by the following- 
workers in the Geological field; Mr. A. 
Winslow, State Geologist, H. A. Wheeler 
E. F. of St. Louis, Jno. II. Frick, A. M. 
of tlie Central Wesleyan Coll , Warrenton 
Mo., and Prof. G. C. Broadhead, of the 
State University at Columbia, jNIo. 
To be a member of tliis Society, one 
must be an active working Geologist, and 
an autlior of approved Geological works. 
At the opening session of the Geolog- 
ical Society, Prof. X. IL Winchell 
read a memorial tribute t ) tbe late Alex- 
ander Winchell , which brought out fit- 
ting remarks from Dr. C. A. White. 
Piof. Krassnof of Russia made some 
interesting remarks on the "Black Earth 
of the Steppes of Southern Russia." In 
this Prof G.C. Broadhead answei-ed that 
be bad also pi-eviously tbought of this 
earth in tbe same way as Pj-of. K. its 
close resemblan ce to our own black prai- 
i-ie soils. In thiscountiy sucb soils occur 
in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and 
Nebraska. In INIissouri, Illinois and 
Kansas it rests on tbe upper coal meas- 
ures and prevails where limestones do, 
in northwest Missouri and Illinois it rests 
on tbe drift. 
Certain tracks were exhibited from tbe 
Triassic of York Co. Pa., and remarks 
made upon these and others from the 
Connecticut Valley. Prof. Broadhead 
announced that a new horizon for tj-acks 
li'id been discovered in Kansas Citj^Mo, 
in beds of well marked upper coal meas- 
ures and that Mr. E. Butts had made tbe 
discovery, and bad described them in the 
February and March numbers of tbe Kaii- 
sas (Jity Scientist, and that Mi-. Sid. J. 
Hare, of Kansas City, bad all the type 
