72 



[May, 



plicable to any tissues which had been injected or soaked with a solution of 

 the chloride of zinc, or any other antiseptic. Here decomposition would be 

 impossible, and the gutta-percha was certainly sufficient to prevent the shrinking 

 consequent on evaporation. 



Dr. Brinton then stated that he was still experimenting, and had succeeded in 

 procuring a colorless solution of gutta-percha in benzole and in chloroform, 

 which would supersede the use of the collodion for the adipose matter. These 

 transparent solutions would doubtless be applicable to the preparation of dissec- 

 tions of the nervous system, and to pathological structures. He stated also that 

 he thought possibly an extension of this principle might hereafter be made sub- 

 servient to the preservation of any fresh animal tissue. Further results would 

 be submitted to the Academy. 



May 23c?. 



Vice-President Bridges in the Chair. 



Letters were read 



From Dr. Wm. Wirtenweber, dated Prague, 30th Oct., 1853, trans- 

 mitting several of his works, acknowledged this evening. 



From Dr. W. D. Hartmann, dated West Chester, Pennsylvania, May 

 16, 1854, acknowledging the receipt of his notice of election as a Corres- 

 pondent. 



Dr. Le Conte presented a paper by Mr. C. Girard, and intended for pub- 

 lication, entitled " A list of North American Bufonides, with diagnoses 

 of new species." Referred to Dr. Hallowell, Dr. Leidy,and Mr. Hanson. 



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

 of a huge extinct saurian, from near Greenville, Clark Co., Arkansas. They had 

 been kindly loaned by Mr. W. F. Roberts, an agent of the Arkansas Mining 

 Company, who had discovered them with numerous others. Dr. L. stated, 

 that in his late visit to St. Louis, Mr. Albert Koch, the industrious collector of 

 fossil remains, had exhibited to him a collection of bones from the same State, 

 and apparently of the same animal, which he was on the eve of sending to Berlin. 

 The specimens on the table are remarkable for the robust transverse processes, 

 which project laterally from the lower part of the body, and terminate in a large 

 facet for the articulation of a rib. The bodies are cylindroid, and are terminated 

 by slightly concave or nearly flat articular surfaces. The sides of the body are 

 moderately concave, and have an acute margin at the articular surfaces. On 

 each side of a median prominence pf the under side of the body a large vascular 

 foramen exists. 



These vertebrae resemble those of the Cirnoliasaurus mag?ius, from the green 

 sand of New Jersey, described previously in the Proceedings of the Academy,* 

 but in that the large transverse process is cylindrical, while it is compressed 

 cylindroid in the Arkansas saurian, and probably this latter belongs to a distinct 

 genus, for which the name Brimosaitrus grandis is proposed. The bones are 

 embedded in a hard limestone with mollusca, and they probably belong to the 

 cretaceous or to the eocene period. One of the most perfect of the vertebroe 

 presents the following measurements : 



Length of the body , 3| inches. 



Depth of articular surfaces 5 " 



Breadth of " 6 



Length of the spinal arch ... 3 



References of Plate II. 



Figs. 1 3, Brimosaurus grandis. 

 : 6, Cirnoliasaurus magnus. 



(S 



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Vol. v. p. 325. 



