with the name Belgium, the speaker explained the duality of languages in Belgium and the ethnic differences between the users of the two tongues.

Immediately prior to the present European war one-tenth of the entire population of Belgium were housed in dwellings which, on easy terms, had become or were becoming the property of the occupants. Thirty-five per cent of the people had accounts in the savings banks and 49 per cent of the inhabitants, male and female, worked at regular callings. Statistics were given to show the thrift of the people, the fertility of the soil, the extent of their foreign trade, and the variety and magnitude of their industries. On each square mile there were 598 inhabitants, and for each inhabitant the railroads annually carried merchandise having a value of $145 as compared with Germany's per capita of $60, and $30 for the United States.

Considerable attention was given to the agricultural commissions a sort of university extension-which brings to the farmers of the country speakers who tell of recent discoveries and improvements in agriculture that would be of value to the people of each community. To this wise provision can be ascribed a large part of the productivity of Belgium.

The profit-sharing dock laborers of Antwerp were described. It was shown that the prosperity of that port was due to the efficiency of its charging and discharging instrumentalities.

The unique town of Gheel was fully described. In Gheel practically every family cares for one or two feeble-minded persons under the supervision of Government officials. If the family is unable to meet the expense of this care it is borne by the state.

The 516th meeting of the Society was held at the National Museum on Tuesday, November 20, 1917, at 4.30 p.m.

Mr. GEORGE JULIAN ZOLNAY addressed the Society on Roumania and her people, illustrating his subject by native music and by lantern slides.

Mr. Zolnay stated that, with the exception of the Roumanian Jews, there are few natives of Roumania in the United States at the present time, and of these a large majority are from Transylvania and the Bukovina. This accounts for the dearth of accurate knowledge.concerning this picturesque country, wedged in between the Carpathian mountains and the Black Sea.

The history of Roumania began in 106 when Trajan conquered Dacia, a country comprising the territory now known as Roumania. At the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century the descendants of the Roman soldiers and the Dacian women had become a distinct nationality, speaking a slightly modified Latin which has remained the language of the Roumanian people to the present day. The established religion has remained that of the orthodox Greek Church, although Roumania was a vassal state of Turkey for more than 300 years. During the Russo-Turkish war Roumania regained her inde

pendence and was proclaimed a kingdom in 1881, later taking her place as a leading country among the Balkan States.

One of the most remarkable traits of the Roumanian is his love of his national music. This music is so distinct from that of all other nations that only the native musician can render it with the mysterious quality that stirs the Roumanian soul.

Although the misfortunes of war have temporarily prostrated Roumania, it is to be hoped, in the light of her past history, that she will emerge intact, to prepetuate her Latin civilization in the midst of her alien neighbors.

FRANCES DENSMORE, Secretary.

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

The 572d regular meeting of the society was held in the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos Club, Saturday, October 20, 1917; called to order by President HAY at 8.15; 42 persons present.

Informal brief notes were presented as follows:

Gen. T. E. WILCOX: Occurrence of California vulture in Idaho. He said: I have been requested to record, as it has been doubted, the occurrence of the California vulture in Idaho, then a territory. In the fall of 1879 I came upon two which were feeding on the carcass of a sheep. They hissed at me and ran along the ground for some distance before they were able to rise in flight. They were much larger than turkey buzzards, with which I was quite familiar, and I was very close to them so that I could not be mistaken in their identity. The cattle-men said that the California vulture or buzzard was not uncommon there before they began to poison carcasses to kill wolves. Dr. Coues gives as their habitat "Rocky Mts. to the Pacific." Boise River mountains rise to over 7000 feet just back of where the vultures were feeding. The exact locality was near the Hot Springs above Boise City, Poison and population have now destroyed that far northern habitat. The Boise Statesman, if any of Editor Kelly's time are now living, may be able to confirm the above statement.

Dr. R.W. SHUFELDT exhibited a small living specimen of the southern tortoise, or "gopher," Testudo polyphemus, and made remarks on its habits.

Dr. L. O. HOWARD, referring to the previous note, called attention to the peculiar insect fauna found in the burrows of the "gopher,' many of the species having the characteristics of cavern dwelling insects.

President W. P. HAY in the same connection remarked on the fact that a species of frog of the genus Rana so far as is known is only found in the burrows of the "gopher."

Dr. T. S. PALMER remarked on bird roosts that had lately been observed in the vicinity of Washington, calling particular attention. to the martins and starlings in them.

Mr. W. L. MCATEE exhibited six rare bird papers which he wished to dispose of for the benefit of the Society.

Mr. WILLIAM PALMER made comments on some of the papers referred to by Mr. McAtee.

Lieutenant LYON remarked that among the comparatively small number of stools of patients that he. had examined at the Walter Reed General Hospital he had found seven containing ova of Necator americanus.

The regular program consisted of three communications:

Dr. T. S. PALMER: A key to ornithological literature. This review of the literature of birds was discussed by Dr. L. O. HOWARD and by Dr. FRANK M. CHAPMAN, who mentioned particularly the literature and the active workers on South American birds.

Mr. A. S. HITCHCOCK: The alpine flora of the Adirondacks and the White Mountains. During August Mr. Hitchcock visited the Adirondack Mountains in New York and the White Mountains in New Hampshire for the purpose of studying the alpine grasses. In the former region collections were made on Mt. McIntyre and on Whiteface Mountain, both of which support an alpine flora at the summit above tree line. Mt. Marcy, the highest peak of the Adirondacks (5344 feet), was not investigated because it was impracticable to make the trip. in one day from any of the surrounding bases. However Mt. McIntyre (5112 feet), being nearly as high, presents the same conditions as those to be found on Mt. Marcy. Four days were spent among the high peaks of the White Mountains. Entering from the east by way of Crystal Cascade, the speaker ascended through Tuckerman Ravine to the summit of Mt. Washington, passing the night at the Lake of the Clouds Hut (Appalachian Mountain Club). The second day's trip was to the A. M. C. Madison Huts, passing the peaks of Clay, Jefferson, and Adams. The third night was spent at Lake of the Clouds Hut, but the return trail was to the east through the Great Gulf. On the fourth day the descent was made through Huntington Ravine over a difficult trail. Nine species of grasses may be classed as alpine, though a few others extend into the alpine zone from the lower zones (e.g., Deschampsia flexuosa, Calamgrostis canadensis). The alpine species are Torresia (Hierochloa) alpina, Phleum alpinum, Agrostis borealis, Calamagrostis langsdorfii, Trisetum spicatum, Deschampsia atropurpurea, Poa laxa, P. glauca, Agropyron violaceum. Most of these are circumpolar species which extend southward in the mountains. The distribution of each species was discussed.

Dr. R. W. SHUFELDT: Notes on some United States batrachians. Dr. Shufeldt gave life histories and the peculiar habits of a large number of North American forms of this interesting group, all the facts presented having been obtained through personal observations, either upon captive specimens or on the animals in their native habitats in the field. Among the forms touched upon were Jefferson's Ambystoma, which the speaker has reared in captivity, and which he illustrated with lantern slides, showing the eggs in the process of hatching,

as well as the young when several months old. Other forms taken from life and thrown upon the screen were examples of the marbled salamander) Ambyst omaopacum) and the elegant spotted salamander (A. punctatum), shown in its terrestrial attitudes as well as seen under water. This form is comparatively rare in the vicinity of Washington, less than ten specimens having been collected within the last thirty years. Some six or eight other species of American salamanders were thrown upon the screen to illustrate their forms and attitudes in life.

The peculiar habit the male of the water newt (Diemyctylus viridescens) has of hugging the female was shown from living specimens in an aquarium maintained by the speaker at the time these studies were made. This habit of Diemyctylus is quite independent of any sexual act during the breeding season, and has been especially referred to in the published life histories of the animal.

Large colored drawings were exhibited, giving the rare Anderson's tree toad and several of the Hylidae. Additional presentations by means of lantern were given of all the frogs, toads, and hylas of the Atlantic States, as well as some southern species. The remarkable gopher frog of Florida was fully illustrated and its life history given in considerable detail.

Dr. Shufeldt's remarks were discussed by Messrs. W. P. HAY, WILLIAM PALMER, L. O. HOWARD, A. WETMORE, and A. A. DOOLITTLE.

The 573d regular meeting of the Society was held in the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos Club, Saturday, November 3, 1917; called to order by President HAY at 8 p.m.; 58 persons in attendance.

Informal brief notes were presented as follows:

Dr. T. S. PALMER called attention to the fact that the first botanical society in this vicinity had been founded one hundred years ago, and that members who failed to attend its meetings were subject to fines. He also exhibited a recently issued Bibliography of British Ornithology, which in addition to the usual bibliographic data contains biographical sketches of the authors of titles listed in the bibliography. Dr. L. O. HOWARD called attention to the recent centennial celebration of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia.

Dr. H. M. SMITH reported that the recent fur-seal census shows an increase of about 10 per cent over the previous census, the total number being 468,000. He also reported that the flesh of whales, owing to the decreasing supplies of other meats, is being used for human food in the United States, especially on the Pacific Coast.

Mr. C. BIRDSEYE remarked that large quantities of palatable seal meat are annually thrown away by sealers along the northeast coast of North America.

Lieutenant M. W. LYON, JR., exhibited a photograph of a human anatomical anomaly in which a kidney and its corresponding ovary and uterine tube were lacking. It was the third case of congenital absence of a kidney which he had encountered in two years.

Mr. WILLIAM PALMER exhibited a sectioned tympanic bone of a whale and called attention to its great density and hardness.

The regular program consisted of three communications.

Rear-Admiral G. W. BAIRD: An unusual human specimen. He commented on and exhibited a lantern slide of a double monster in a native Filipino girl of usual intelligence. The external visible parasite consisted of two lower extremities. She had slight control over these extremities, much less now than when she was a small child.

This communication was discussed by Drs. C. W. STILES, M. W. LYON, JR., and R. W. SHUFELDT.

VERNON BAILEY: How the pine squirrels help to feed the bears of the Yellowstone Park. A general account of the bears in the park was given and it was shown that part of their diet consists of pine seeds obtained from cones cut off by squirrels. Cones from which the bears had extracted seeds were exhibited.

C. BIRDSEYE: The fur industry of Labrador. A detailed account of this industry, including fur farming, was given and choice skins of the more important fur-bearing animals exhibited. This communication was discussed by Mr. A. WETMORE and Dr. L. O. HoWARD.

M. W. LYON, JR., Recording Secretary.