192 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. II, No. 3 . 
MEETING OF THE BIOLOGICAL CLUB. 
Monday Evening. December 2, 1901. 
The Biological Club met in Orton Hall, and was called to order 
by the President, Prof. Mills. 
Under the head of personal observations Prof. Hine reported 
the duck hawk as a new campus bird ; it was captured in 
Townshend Hall. The Zoological department has received 
lately a fine specimen of cassowary from Sells Brothers ; it will 
be mounted and placed in the museum. Mr. Tyler reported 
finding a species of Sphagnum on the shale cliffs north of Worth- 
ington. 
In the reports on current literature Prof. Schaffner reviewed 
Mr. Pieters’ paper on “ The Flora of Lake Erie.” Prof. Osborn 
called attention to the bulletins of the New York State Museum, 
Nos. 46 and 47. 
Prof. Schaffner read an interesting paper on the “ Self-Pruning 
of Woody Plants.” Many wood}' plants get rid of their super- 
fluous twigs in this way, and occasionally these twigs are cut off 
while green, so that green leaves are carried down with them. A 
cleavage plane is usually formed, but in the willows a brittle zone 
is formed near the main branch which answers the same purpose. 
Mr. Morse gave a paper on the “ Reptiles of Ohio,” in which 
he gave a review of the lists so far published. The first list was 
published in the Ohio Geological Survey of 1838. This includes 
twenty-seven reptiles, about two-thirds of the number that we 
now know from the state. Dr. Smith listed thirty-six species. 
Prof. Cope, in the Report of the Lb S. National Museum for 
1898, gives thirty-three reptiles, and Jordan’s Manual gives forty 
reptiles and twenty-seven batracliiaus that might occur in the 
state. 
“The Caladium Rust” was the subject of the next paper by Mr. 
Jennings. This rust is said to appear only on the leaves and 
petioles and on the spathe of various species of Araceae. He had 
found it, however, on the inner surface of the ovulary of Arisaema 
triphyllum. 
Mr. V. H. Davis was elected to membership. The club then 
adjourned. 
F. J. Tyler, Secretary. 
Mailed January 24, 1902. 
