difficulties. It is the least that could in reason be asked, or that could in common courtesy be granted as a means of securing a cordial and harmonious support for the new society.

NEW LOCAL SOCIETIES.-The Central New York Microscopical Club was organized some months since, at Syracuse, New York. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Microscopical Society, J. W. Crumbaugh, M. D., president, was organized February 9th.

The Elmira Microscopical Society was organized May 13th, with S. O. Gleason, M. D., for president, and D. R. Ford, Ph.D., vicepresident, and T. J. Up de Graff, M. D., secretary and treasurer.

The Fort Wayne Microscopical Society held its first meeting, September 18th, with F. W. Kuhne, president, C. A. Dryer, M.D., and C. W. McCaskey, M. D.; vice-presidents, C. L. Olds and L. R. Hartman, secretaries, and Paul Kuhn, treasurer.

The Microscopical Society of Central Illinois was organized at Springfield, Illinois, September 23d, F. L. Matthews, M. D., being the first president, and T. B. Jennings, secretary.

The Reading, Pennsylvania, Society of Natural Sciences, which has been in existence for over ten years, held a series of microscopical meetings, of the soirée order, last winter, which were quite successful, and which will probably be continued.

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SCIENTIFIC NEWS.

At the late meeting of the American Association at Boston, Prof. A. Hyatt gave a popular lecture on the transformation of Planorbis as a practical illustration of the evolution of species. The lecture was illustrated with stereopticon views. After the lecture Mr. Carl Seiler threw some microscopical illustrations upon the screen. Prof. Hyatt spoke substantially as follows: The word evolution means the birth or derivation of one or more things or beings from others, through the action of natural laws. A child is evolved from its parents, a mineral from its constituents, a state of civilization from the conditions and surroundings of a preceding age. While evolution furnishes us with a valuable working hypothesis, science cannot forget that it is still on trial. The impatience of many when it is doubted or denied, savors more of the dogmatism of belief than of the judicial earnestness of investigation. Every individual differs in certain superficial characters from the parent forms, but is still identical with them in all its fundamental characteristics. This constantly recurring relationship among all creatures is the best established of all the laws of biology. It is the so-called law of heredity, that like tends to reproduce like. There seems to be only two causes which produce the variations which we observe; one is the law of heredity, the other is the surrounding influences or the sum of

the physical influences upon the organism. The first tends to preserve uniformity, the second modifies the action of the first. The law of natural selection asserts that some individuals are stronger and better fitted to compete with others in the struggle of life, than are others of the same species; hence they will live and perpetuate their kind, while the others die out. An erroneous impression exists that Darwinian doctrines are more or less supported by all naturalists who accept evolution, but it is far from the truth. The Darwinian hypothesis is so very easy of application, and saves so much trouble in the way of investigation, that it is very generally employed without the preliminary caution of a rigid analysis of the facts, and it is safe to say that it is often misapplied. A great amount of nonsense has been written about its being a fundamental law, in all forgetfulness that we are yet to find a law for the origin of the variations upon which it acts; it cannot be the primary cause of the variations, for the laws of heredity are still more fundamental. The speaker then described the situation and character of Steinheim, where numerous shells of the Planorbidæ are found in the strata, which have been very regularly deposited. Hilgendorf claims to have discovered great evidences of the gradual evolution of the various forms from the simplest and oldest specimens, but Mr. Hyatt has failed to find what Hilgendorf describes. By means of a lantern a number of illustrations of the shells were projected upon a screen and quite fully described. Four lines of descendants were shown to branch out from four of the simplest forms, with all the gaps between the species filled with intermediate varieties. Each one of the lines or series has its own set of characteristic differences, and its own peculiar history. It is a fair inference from the facts before us, that the species of the progressive series, which become larger and finer in every way, owe their increase in size to the favorable physical condition of the Steinheim basin. Darwinists would say that in the basin a battle had taken place, which only the favored ones survived. Mr. Hyatt endeavored to present, in a popular manner, the life-history of a single species, the Planorba lævis, and its evolution into twenty or thirty distinguishable forms, most of which may properly be called by different names and considered as distinct species. He also endeavored to bring the conception that the variations which led to these different species were due to the action of the laws of heredity, modified by physical forces, especially by the force of gravitation, into a tangible form. There are many characteristics which are due solely to the action of the physical influences which surround them; they vary with every change of locality, but remain quite constant and uniform within each.

Dr. E. L. Trouessart communicates a valuable essay in defence of the doctrine of derivation to No. 16 (October) of the Revue Scientifique. He states the position of the objectors to

this doctrine to consist in the assertions, that (1) no palæontologist has shown the transition of one species into another; and (2) that the geological record should furnish the history of such changes had they taken place. To this the author of the paper replies (1) that many intermediate forms connecting widely separated living types have been discovered by paleontologists. (2) That the geological record is too imperfect to furnish all the transitions that the theory of derivation requires. (3) That observation of actual transition is not necessary in evidence, since there is reason to believe that transformations have proceeded more rapidly under some circumstances than others, and through changes transpiring during embryonic life. In support of the latter hypothesis, he cites the writings of Dall (1877) and Selys Longchamps (1879) on Saltatory Evolution.

An interesting discovery has been made at Edge Lane quarry, Oldham, England. The quarrymen, in the course of their excavations, have come upon what has been described as a fossil forest. The trees number about twelve, and some of them are two feet in diameter. They are in good preservation. The roots can be seen interlacing the rock, and the fronds of the ferns are to be found imprinted on every piece of stone. The discovery has excited much interest in geological circles round Manchester, and the "forest" has been visited by a large number of persons. The trees belong to the middle coal measure period, although it has been regarded as somewhat remarkable that no coal has been discovered near them. The coal is found about two hundred and fifty yards beneath. Prof. Boyd-Dawkins, of Owens College, has visited the quarry.-London Times.

- Dr. Asa Gray left London for Paris last month, and is probably now botanizing in Spain.

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PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.

BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY, Oct. 6.-Mr. S. H. Scudgave an account of the geology and palæontology of the Lake basin of Florissant, Colorado, famous for its insect and plant remains.

Oct. 20.-Mr. J. A. Allen spoke of the distribution of the birds of the West Indies, with special reference to those of the Caribbee islands. The President showed specimens of the carboniferous centipede, Euphoberia, some of gigantic size, and discussed their relationship to living and extinct types. Dr. W. F. Whitney described the structure of the so-called "sucking stomach" of Butterflies.

Nov. 3.-Prof. E. S. Morse spoke on the Ainos of Yesso, showing some of their implements, etc.; Mr. Scudder exhibited an in

teresting carboniferous fossil from Illinois; Mr. Hyatt described the molting of the lobster; while Mr. Putnam showed a remarkable piece of pottery from an Arkansas mound, and referred to the supposed resemblances between the pottery from these mounds and from Peru.

NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Oct. 11.-Mr. A. A. Julien gave the results of recent observations on mountain-sculpture in the Catskills.

Oct. 18.-Prof. Newberry described the great deposits of crystalline iron ore in Southern Utah; and Prof. Martin exhibited and read notes upon specimens of the fossil leaves contained in the tufa of Brazil.

Oct. 25.-Prof. T. Egleston read a paper on American processes for the manufacture of copper,

APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB, Boston, Oct. 13.—Prof. G. Lanza gave an account of a sojourn in Andover, Maine. Mrs. L. D. Pychowska described Bald hill, Campton, N. H. Carter dome, Huntington ravine and the Montalban ridge were described by Mr. W. H. Pickering; and Prof. C. E. Fay remarked upon a peculiar feature of Mt. Lincoln, Franconia mountains, N. H.

MIDDLESEX SCIENTIFIC FIELD CLUB, Oct. 13.-The Club held its first regular meeting since its adjournment for the summer months. L. L. Dame read a paper on the "Preservation of our Native Plants." The reading was followed by discussions.

Nov. 3.-The President, Henry L. Moody, read a paper on "Mimicry of Insects." The Club adopted measures looking to the establishment of a museum to illustrate the Natural History of Middlesex county.

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, Philadelphia, March 19.A communication was received, entitled "Nodal estimate of the Velocity of Light, by P. E. Chase." Mr. Phillips read a paper describing two very old and curious maps of North and South America. Dr. Greene communicated a paper "On the action of hydrochloric acid and of chlorine on acetobenzoic anhydride."

April 2.-A paper was read, entitled "On the Origin of Planets," by Daniel Kirkwood.

April 16.--Mr. Hall described casts from the State Geological Museum.

May 7.-Mr. Robinson read a biographical memoir of the late M. Michel Chevalier. A paper entitled "Second Contribution to the History of the Vertebrata of the Permian formation of Texas, by E. D. Cope," was presented.

May 21. Mr. Phillips presented a paper on "Some recent discoveries of Stone Implements in Africa and Asia." Prof. Cope remarked on the Lower Tertiary formations.

June 18-Mr. Blodgett made some observations on "Certain features of industrial migrations."

July 16.-Prof. Cope presented a paper "On the Genera of the Creodonta."

Aug. 20.-Two papers were presented, entitled "Notes respecting a re-eroded channel-way" and "Notes on some features of the Geology of Scott and Wise counties, Va.," by J. J. Stevenson.

Sept. 17.-Mr. H. G. Jones presented a paper entitled "Notes on the Cumberland or Potomac Coal basin." Mr. Lesley proposed another Egyptian etymology in Greek, viz, the name of the Eleusinian Sun God, lazzos from azu in the Sphinx name of the Nilotic morning sun god Horus:-Hor-m-azu, The sun on the horizon.

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SELECTED ARTICLES IN SCIENTIFIC SERIALS.

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE-October. Larval Forms: their nature, origin and affinities, by F. M. Balfour. (An attempt to study the relations of the larvæ of Echinoderms; mollusks and worms, and to determine the characters of the common prototype, Pilidium coming nearest to this form in the course of its conversion into a bilateral form; the Trochosphere being a completely differentiated bilateral form in which an anus has become developed. The bilateral symmetry of the larva of Echinoderms is supposed to be secondary, like that of many Coelenterate larvæ.) The Eye of Pecten, by S. J. Hickson. (Its anatomy is exceedingly complicated, and exhibits all the most important structural elements of the eyes of the higher Vertebrata, but the mode of formation of the molluscan eye is essentially different from that of the Vertebrata, and the resemblance in the adult is merely accidental, not homological. The Pecten is probably capable of appreciating very diffused light, for the close approximation of the lens to the retina makes it exceedingly improbable that any image is formed upon the latter; so that its visual power would not enable it to avoid its enemies.) On the terminations of nerves in the epidermis, by L. Ranvier. On the termination of the nerves in the mammalian cornea, by E. Klein.

ANNALES DES SCIENCES NATURELLES, August. On the Metamorphoses of Bryozoa, by J. Barrois. Researches in the fauna of southern regions, by A. Milne-Edwards (based on the geographical distribution of the penguins, with a map and plate).

ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTLICHE ZOOLOGIE-Sept. 10. The anatomy of Distomum hepaticum, by F. Sommer (richly illustrated). Description of the nervous system of Oryctes nasicornis in the larva, pupa and beetle stages, by H. Michels (elsewhere noticed).