New-York tribune., 1876-08-31
SCIENCE AT BUFFALO.
SEVERAL IMPORTANT SUBJECTS,

SEVERAL IMPORTANT SUBJECTS.
A GREAT AMOUNT or WORK FINfsHED By SUE
DIVISION or sECTIoEs-HUGE FLYING REPTILES
-COLoRs or ASIMAts-FACGs ABOUT INSECTS
FRou 4 STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE rRIBUsEl
BUFFALO, Aug. 29.-1hc good people of this
city are unwcar.cd their endeayors To promote the
comfort aud pleasure OF tie association. Yesterday they
provided an excursion to the Union Iron Works To-day
an excursion train IL provided to Chautauqua Lake. aud
the whole day given o enjoyment On wednesday th'
association will ~ Ia work again.
Prof Henry Lad opportunity 10 describe 10 the
association Yesterday what the Smithsonian Institution
IL dong. For several years IL has had compilation
under way which VIII show the temperature and
meteorological conditions Of each state ana Territory
progress has already been made with these stats
ties.
TIrE PLYING LIZARDS or AiERlCh
Section b. which includes natural history, always
attracts tho largest audience ,of any OF the sectional
meetings Though iis here s large, II H. usually
well ned TIE most interesting tonic there on Monday
was brief essay by Prof o. C. Marsh He spoke some
what rapidly aud without notes giving description OF
the urucpai chlractcst Of American ptorodactyls
The animal l. only through the IjOrs Of gcoogsts
It was nying lizard. The finding OF its remains at the
West ia among the mos, Interesting OF all tie
long series Of discoveries OF fossils In those
little explored regions. The pterodaciyl hEci
esozoc times and IL only found IN the rocks OF that
I
the Iurassic rocks The striking difference between
those reptiles foIud In the two hcmsphores is in point
Of size Many o the ptcrodac.yis Of Europe were not
larger than pigeons; the spread Of their wings rarely
exceeds two three .eet the spread OF the American
pterodactyls was from 10 tO - feet and these flying
lizards could doubtless have taken mp and carried
object OF prey "a large man. The means OF flight
were membranes stretched at the side. The fourth
finger IL gloaty elongated and supported the mem
brane when spread for flight There are six separate
carpal bones besdcs the perod bone which supports the
wing membrane The ptorod Is not true carpal but IL
probably homologous with the small bone I'm the foot of
! bat, which supports ts membrane. Another point of
difference from the European ptcrodHctyls II that they
have the Ecapua and coracoid bone c0O>sed The end
of the srapa or shoulder blade In the European spcc
il fiat; In genus Of American tcrodacyls this
bone has an articuled face. Now II these shoulder
blades bad been firmly fixed together the animal would
have found difficulty In breathing But Prot Marsh has
found a small placed between the shou!Icrhades
lt IL probably the neural spine OF OF the dorsal
| ycrtcbrr
| II il found from tho American specimens that there
has been misunderstanding about the pclyis OF the
! animal The ichia found firmly col Gss!tod on the
medal line and the peyis differs In other particulars
what had been supposed. The American specimens
eivo "a clear idea previously attained of
the mind feet OF the animal The lower end Of the tibia
has pucy-likc articulation similar to the bones of
bird There also AT least two separate tarsll bones.
| There also TINS rCmaIkaDe circumstance. III the
geological horizon where the ptcrodactys found
.s country nll the birds discovered have teeth and
hercc are ankc al other birds while pterodactyls
found hay ing teeth and hence unlike all other ptcrO
| dactyls.
| THE CoLoRs or ANIMALS.
Prof. g. W. Garman of the Museum Of Comparative
| Anatomy, at Cambridge, Mass, read paper the
" Colors of Animals DespIt. she popular notion that
the chameleon and other animals change their color
no WILL be says there Is waut oI scientific evidence In
! favor a. the belief Drawing up for consideration
schedule of animals m two ~ ups Of comparative bril-
lance ana palgncss, nud that light darkness Of
! habat d"trrnpe the cooCs a whole The amount of
aght in .her surroundings Is in inverse relation 20 the
pr lance OF color The dark colcrs found in forests
and on dark soils; the Light colors plains
| and snOw. The bleaching process applies to
| the lower surface the ventral portions OF ant
| mails, by re.cctiON. In the water the
II true the rivers with muddy bottoms being peopc by
darR forms the brilliant colOrs found In hot and
sunHy waters transparent lakes. This shown In
greet variety OF nsanccs taken from large number
OF ar.Iaa m different localities, the coors of the
species changing from dark 10 light according 10 their
| place in sunny shady habitatS. Very numerous
instances given of animals whose lower portions,
exposed to reflections from ground snow, were
| beached thereby.
Prof Morse said that while the facts 10 which aen-
ton had been drawn well worthy OF careful
alteration, there were many instances OF protective
colorng that could not thus bc accounted fer Take the
insects for instance the changes color In these could
not be attributed to light alone Such for instance
the varieties OF color produced by food administered to
insects. Prof Riley said that Prof GGrmtsn had laid
undue stress upon conscious VIII in animals protective