NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 77 



May 23<f. 

 The President, Dr. Bridges, in the Chair. 



Twentv-two members present. 



The following paper was presented for publication : " An Examina- 

 tion of Birds of the Genus Chrysomitris, &c." By John Cassin. 



Dr. Leidy called the attention of the members to specimens of 

 Gryphaea and Ostrea, from the New Jersey Green-sand, presented this 

 evening, as affording evidence of the existence of a boring sponge, 

 during the Cretaceous period, which penetrated the shells in the same 

 manner as at the present time. 



In answer to a question, Dr. Storer stated that he had observed no 

 true viviparous fishes on the Atlantic coast of the United States, but 

 that Sygnathus carried its young in an abdominal pouch. 



May 30th. 

 The President, Dr. Bridges, in the Chair. 



Sixteen members present. 



The Secretary announced the death, on the 6th inst., of Dr. Wm. 

 Darrach, and ou the 13th, of Mr. Fernando de la Cuesta, late members of 

 the Academy. 



On report of the respective Committees, the following papers were 

 ordered to be published : 



Some Remarks on LABRTJS PULCHER (Ayres.) 

 BY ALBERT OUNTHER, M. A., M. D., PH. D. 



The March number of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, 1864, page 57, contains a paper entitled, " Description of a 

 new Labroid genus allied to Trochocopus (Gthr.), by Theodore Gill," in which 

 the author states that he had been misled by me in considering the Labrus 

 pulcher (Ayres) as a species of Semicossyphus (Gthr.), but having received a 

 specimen of this fish, found "that it has not the 'lateral teeth distinct,' as 

 in Semicossyphus, but au ' obtuse osseous ridge round the edge of the jaws 

 without distinct lateral teeth,' as in Trochocopus (Gthr.), to which Gunther 

 should have referred it." A single glance at pp. 99 and 100 of the fourth 

 volume of my "Catalogue of Fishes," will show that Mr. Gill inverts the 

 characters given by me to those genera. However, his description of the 

 teeth of this fish (p. 58 ) is distinct enough ; and I have no doubt that I should 

 have referred it to Trochocopus, if I had seen it. 



But a few lines further, the author goes on to say : " I (Mr. Gill) previously 

 followed him, (Dr. G.), as he was acquainted with Semicossyphus and Tro- 

 chocopus through autopsy, while 1 was not." This is not correct, as will be 

 perfectly evident on turning to p. 99 of the volume mentioned, where no refe- 

 rence whatever is made to a specimen contained in our collection, and as is 

 curiously enough acknowledged by Mr. Gill himself on the following page, 

 (p. 59 of his paper), where he says, contradicting himself, that Dr. Gunther 

 " was acquainted with neither (viz., Semicossyphus and Trochocopus darwinii) 

 through autopsy." 



1865 ] 



