The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-09
NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
PAPERS AND TALKS AT ANNUAL
MEETING.
Prof. Marcus E. Jones Elected Presi-
dent of the Utah Society-Facts
About Birds and Insects.

The Utah Society of Natural History
met at the High school building at
$3.50 p. m. yesterday In the absence
of President C. H. Whiting, Vice Pres
ident j. H. Linford of Logan presided
A kindly greeting from DR.. Whiting to
the society was read by Miss Susan
Stokes as an Introduction to the presi-
dents annual address. In the latter
President Whiting included "A Few
Words on Insect Development" 1t was
very interesting and was well received.
DR.. Orson Howard read a paper on
'Molluscs of the Great Basin" DR..
Howard gave the natural boundaries
of this region, and said that in many
ways to the naturalist it is "a region
by itself" He thinks it is full of as
yet undiscovered facts, which, when
brought together properly, will help to
solve some very vexed problems in BIZ
ology as we'll as other sciences
DR.. Howard is an original investi-
gator. in his study of molluscs he has
compared the fossil ones with living
ones, the main object being to find out
whether there have been any import
ant climatic changes since the Quater-
nary age. The problem is not yet
solved. The arid west is not now rich
in molluscs; neither are the shells bril-
liantly colored. The sea once rolled
over the Wasatch mountains, as is
shown by the kinds of fossils on those
mountains.
Professor Marcus e. Jones gave an
interesting talk on Native Trees of
Utah" He Classics the flora of the
world into two great divisions-the
tropic and the temperate. This is
rather startling. classification, differing
very widely from that of recognized
authorities. 1t is, however, the class
ification of Professor Jones himself,
and he presents cogent reasons for it's
acceptance. The tropical includes
what is ordinarily called the sub-t rop-
zeal, and the alpine, he says, is not
distinct flora at all. Professor Jones
has arrived at this conclusion from
close comparative study of gruna and
species. The tropical flora is represent
ed in the southwest corner of Utah.
This he calls the larrea (creosote bush)
belt, because of the characteristic
plant. All the rest of Utah is in the
temperate division.
Of this division the juniper belt is
characterized by the juniper and sage
brush. though the latter runs over into
another belt or two.
Than came the oak belt, and the
spruce or evergreen belt, reaching up
to the tree line. Above this is what is
called the alpine belt.
Professor Jones then spoke of the
lumber trees of Utah. His lecture was
extremely interesting.
Birds of Liberty Park" by Miss
Mary E. Hall of the Salt Lake High
school, was a delightful talk by one
who loves birds more for their beauty
and music than for their anatomical
Miss Hall expressed the
wish that it may become possible to
study birds without shotguns as neces-
sary aids. Miss Hall uses an opera
glass, and sees more than most peo-
pie think there is to be seen. She says
the robins have been here all winter |
She then gave some interesting obser- |
vations on the manners and customs !
of various birds.
Professor j. II. Linford gave a brief |
report on a twO-headed lamb, which |
he had studied quite thoroughly. He |
exhibited the skulls united by parietal !
bone.
A paper on "a Marine Flowering |
Plant" sent in from California by Ray
e. Chase, formerly of the Salt Lake !
High school, was read.
y committee of three to begin a col |
lection of flora and insects from all |
parts of the state was appointed, as |
follows: DR.. Orson Howard, Miss SUI
san Stokes, Marcus E. Jones.
The election of officers for the ensu-
ing year resulted as follows: Presi- |
dent, Marcus E. Jones; vice president |
at large, ]. II. Linford; vice president |
and treasurer, Mary E. Hall; /
executive committee, Jones, Linford,
Hall and W. D. Neal.
The executive committee will meet /
on May to arrange for the work of |
the coming year.