Mar., 1915.] 
Meetings of Biological Club. 
47i 
monecious and the difficulties of making pure pollinations would 
be considerable. They appear to represent definite mutations 
which developed without the influence of a determining environ¬ 
ment and without the accumulative effect of a purposeful selection. 
One thing is certain. Among the weeds of the cultivated fields 
are species that are of the same complex composition, as regards 
characters and varieties, as those domesticated forms which have 
been subject to continuous hybridization and selection by man. 
MEETING OF THE BIOLOGICAL CLUB. 
Orton Hall, October 5, 1914. 
The first meeting of the Biology Club for the academic year 
was held on October 5 at its usual place in Orton Hall, with 
Mr. Kostir president. Following the nomination of Dr. Krecker 
and Mr. Markward for membership, it was moved and seconded 
that future meetings be held at the New Biology Budding as 
soon as the necessary lighting facilities should be provided. 
The chair was then authorized to appoint three committees— 
one, for revision of the constitution; another, for nomination of 
officers; a third, to arrange for the Ohio Academy meeting. Reports 
on summer work followed. 
Prof. Osborn gave some results of the work done by him 
at the Maine Experiment Station, on the life history of the 
Jassidae (leaf hoppers) and Cercophidae (frog hoppers) of that 
state. The long adult stage and gradual egg development were 
mentioned. Of special interest was the discovery of the fact 
that a species of Acocephalus has essentially a subterranean 
habit, feeding on the crown and roots of timothy. 
Prof. Schaffner gave some observations upon the drought 
resisting qualities of a new variety of kaffir com. Where other 
kinds would fail, this variety seemed little affected by the great 
lack of rain. 
Prof. Landacre reviewed briefly his work relating to the 
nervous system of the shark, in which the details of defining the 
cranial nerves and marking out the ganglionic boundaries had been 
worked out. 
Prof. Barrows reported several species of orb and triangle¬ 
weaving spiders collected by him in Hocking County. Many 
of these are distinctly southern forms, among which is Latrodectus 
mactans. 
Miss Detmers had spent several weeks in working out the 
succession of forests in Northern Michigan. Specimens of 
spruce, showing interesting variations in the leaves were 
■exhibited. 
