1886.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 61 



pointed out the correspondence in outline of each division with 

 the form of the two-celled anther. The inner line of stamens 

 were alternate with these divisions, and the whole study led to 

 the conclusion that this little crown was composed of the imma- 

 ture anthers of abortive stamens. He referred to Acer ruhrum, 

 and other plants, where, in the abortion of stamens the anthers 

 were generally almost fully formed before the development of the 

 filament, and remarked that in trul}^ female flowers of this maple 

 there was a course of sterile anthers as in this Spirsea. 



March 16. 

 Mr. Thomas Meehan, Yice-President, in the chair. 

 Sixteen persons present. 



March 23. 

 The President, Dr. Leidy, in the chair. 

 Twenty-eight persons present. 



Fermentation in Perevji^s Fluid. Dv. Benjamin Sharp re- 

 marked that in a bottle of Perenji's fluid (nitric acid 10 per cent, 

 sol. 4 pts., Chromic acid ^ per cent. sol. 3 pts., 95 per cent. 

 Alcohol 3 pts.) effervescence was noticed. On shaking the bottle 

 and removing the cork the fluid frothed violently, resembling 

 very active beer ; when the frothing had to a certain extent sub- 

 sided, another shaking produced another violent frothing. The 

 fluid had been used for hardening chick emlnyoes,and the portion 

 used had been turned back so that a slight sediment was in the 

 bottom of the bottle, and from this sediment the frothing seemed 

 to originate. The sediment was examined with a high power 

 lens, and Bacteria were found in great numbers. Thej^ were 

 probably introduced with the sediment caused by the hardening 

 of the organic tissues upon which thej' lived. 



On the Eye of Pecten. Prof. Sharp further called the atten- 

 tion of the members to the eye of Pecten. In one of his articles 

 (On the Yisual Organs of the Lamellebranchiata, Mitth. 

 Zool. Stat. Neapel, 1884, p. 457), he makes the following asser- 

 tion : " The question as to the function of this organ (the so- 

 called eye of Pecten) is one of considerable interest. Hickson 

 states that a few experiments have been made on this subject, 

 concerning the visual power of this animal ; he says ' It is very 

 doubtful whether they (the so-called eyes) are of much value to 

 the animal in avoiding its enemies. The most reasonable theory 

 of their function seems to be that when in the ebbing tide, a 



