NATURAL SCIENCES O? PHILADELPHIA. 293 



Notes on a Collection of Birds made by Mr. John Xantus, at Cape 

 St. Lucas, lower California, by Spencer F. Baird. 



Mineralogical Notes, No. II., by William Johnson Taylor. 



Description of new species of the Coleopterous family Hesteridce, by 

 John Le Conte ; and were referred to Committees. 



Nov. 15$. 

 Mr. Lea, President, in the Chair. 



Twenty-seven members present. 



A paper entitled Contributions to American Lepidopterology, No. II., 

 by Brackenridge Clemens, M. L\, was presented for publication in the 

 Proceedings, and was referred to a Committee. 



Nov. 22J. 

 Yice-President Bridges in the Chair. 



Thirty-two members present. 



A letter was read from Mr. Eugene Borda, dated Woodside, Schuyl- 

 kill Co., Penn'a., Nov. 21st, giving information regarding two speci- 

 mens of Lepidodendron presented this evening. 



" One of the impressions is marked on both sides and is evidently the plant ; 

 the other fits exactly on one of the sides of the other. I have seen many Lepi- 

 dodendrons, but never any such specimen ; it is also the opinion of all those 

 who have seen them, and I hope they will be a valuable addition to the col- 

 lection of the Academy. 



The locality is top slate of Back Vein on the south side of Mine Hill, at our 

 Black Heath Colliery, the outlet of which is a tunnel at Wolf Creek, near 

 Minersville. The Back vein is under the Black Heath Vein, some 20 yards 

 west of the Mine Hill Gap. It keeps all the time distant from the Black Heath 

 Vein, but east of the Gap ; the two veins form but one, called the Mammoth 

 Vein, and extensively worked at Clair. ' ' 



A letter was read from George Davidson, Esq., dated San Francisco, 

 Cal., Oct. 15th, giving information concerning a valuable and extensive 

 series of specimens from the Geysers of the Pluton Canon, presented 

 this evening. 



By Express this steamer I shall try to send to the Academy two boxes con- 

 taining specimens of waters and products of the "Geysers," about 72 miles 

 N. N. W. of this city. I made a visit there for two or three days, and went 

 hurriedly over the whole ground, yet noting but a tithe of the wonders. The 

 collection may enable some of you to judge of this great natural curiosity. By 

 the same express 1 shall have forwarded a barrel containing the head, skin, 

 and back bone of a very large bass (?) caught in the bay a couple of clays ago, 

 and which I obtained, a 1 * ; that, if nothing new, it would at least make 



up in size for the want of novelty. Note i of his size, appearance, contents of 

 stomach, &c, were made by Dr. Ayres, but I have not yet obtained them. How- 

 ever, the following newspaper item will give you an idea of the specimen. 

 When weighed his tail and head were just touching the ground, yet the scale in- 



1859.] 



