1 1 2 TJic American Geologist. August, 1900 
not apply to both. But some men and women forget this and talk 
differently." * * 
"Washington, April 15, 1888. * * I took a walk the other day 
and got some nice plants which I have seldom seen wild, as leather 
wood (Dirca) which is cultivated at Fairfield, and Dicentra cucullata 
(Dutchman's Breeches). I saw a couple of men in the woods, one 
stout, the other smaller, looking about. They watched me turning 
over logs, etc., and did some laughing, amusing themselves highly at 
my expense. In issuing from the woods I walked near the men, and 
as they turned to look at an embankmenti nearly ran into the largest 
one, who proved to be president Cleveland He gave me a military 
salute, which I returned. 
Among other things I brought home from my walk a handker- 
chief full of the eggs of Rana clamata. I put them in my washbasin, 
and they hatched and I have now several hundred small tadpoles 
swimming actively. They lost the right gill some time ago, but the 
left one still remains. It will soon go, and the work of the internal 
gill will begin. I propose to work out the history of the development 
of the fore leg. This is very singular in the Salientia (the right name 
for Anura). They grow within the bronchial space under the skin, 
and acquire a skin of their own. This is probably by imagination (?), 
or at least it ought to be; but I have not yet been able to detect it. 
The legs come out through the bronchial orifice, and the two skins 
join, forming a seam that is long visible in young frogs. 
I have worked out the history of the ear bones of frogs, that is of 
the two terminal ones, called incus and malleus. Neither of them is 
a part of the hyoid or quadrate arch at any time, so they are not the 
incus and malleus of Mammalia, but distinct structures. Sundry argu- 
ments based on the supposition that they are those bones, thus fall 
to the ground! Dissecting tadpoles' skulls is nice work. I do it with 
a pin, a pair of tweezers; fine scissors, and a glass of X 50. The 
changes in these skulls in growth are astonishing. I found one queer 
thing that I hardly expected. At one time the relations of the hyoid 
and auricular apparatus to the skull in tadpoles is quite the same as 
in certain salamanders (Plethodon, Spelerpes); but the stage does not 
last long. It is great fun to hatch out batrachians. I saw no end of 
toads on my walk. They form long strings and coils thus" 
(sketch) * * * "and they are very pretty. But they are not so 
good to study as frogs, as the toads develope at so small a size that 
they are difjficult to dissect and see. Remas, Acris, Chorophilus, and 
Hj'lapickeringii are noisy now. I suppose they are at Bryn Mawr 
also. Did thee ever catch the last-named? You can do it best with a 
lantern in a swamp at night. They are not then so easily frightened, 
and they will let you creep up on them, without becoming entirely 
silent. One can see them best by the ripples on the water when they 
whistle or by the shine on their throats." * * 
"Washington, D. C, July 15, 1887. Dear F. * * I have 
