1852.] 117 



July 6A, 1852. 

 Dr. Elwyn in the Chair. 



A paper was presented from Professor S. F. Baird and Mr. Charles 

 Girard, intended for publication in the Proceedings, entitled " Charac- 

 teristics of some new Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution/' which was referred to Dr. Hallowell, Dr. Le Conte, and Dr. 

 Leidy. 



Dr. Wetherill read a paper intended for publication in the Proceed- 

 ings, entitled ^' Further examination of the Phoenixville Molybdate of 

 Lead.'' Referred to Mr. Ashmead, Mr. Vaux, and Dr. Rand. 



Dr. Wetherill read a second paper, entitled ^' Chemical examination 

 of the food of the Queen Bee." Referred to Dr. Bridges, Dr. Rand, 

 and Mr. Vaux. 



A letter was read from the Secretary of the American Philosophical 

 Society, dated June 21st, 1852, acknowledging the receipt of No. 2, 

 Vol. 6, and index and title page Vol. 5, of the Proceedings. 



Dr. Leidy called the attention of the members to a fragment of a fossil ox head, 

 found by Dr. Samuel Brown in a creek 'emptying into the Ohio river, and now 

 deposited in the cabinet of the Academy by the American Philosophical Society. 

 Notwithstanding its larger size and its locality, Cuvier considered it the same as 

 the Bos priscus. Harlan named it Bos latifrons. It belongs to a species of 

 Bison, and is, with very little doubt, distinct from the Bison priscus, and should 

 be called Bison latifrons. 



Another fragment exhibited belonged to a smaller animal. The horn core is 

 relatively more conoidal and curved than in Bison latifrons. The specimen was 

 found at Big-bone-lick, Kentucky, and probably indicates a distinct species, for 

 which the name Bison antiquus was proposed. 



Dr. L. further stated he had been studying the extinct Edentata of North 

 America, and had come to the conclusion, that there were probably four species 

 of Megalonyx, M. Jeffersonii, Harlan, M. laqueatus, Harlan, ?M. potens, Leidyy 

 and M. dissimilis, Leidy ; one species of Mylodon, the M. Harlani, Owen ; and 

 one species of Megatherium, which is probably distinct from that of South 

 America, and might be called with propriety M. mirabile, Leidy. The jaw 

 figured by Prof. Owen, in the Voyage of the Beagle, Foss. Mam. pi. xxix, Dr.L. 

 observed, he was satisfied did not belong to the Megalonyx Jeffersonii, as sup- 

 posed by Mr. Owen, but to a new genus and species, for which the name 

 Gnathopsis Oweni was proposed. 



July \Zth. 

 Vice President Bridges in the Chair. 



A letter was read from Professor J. P. Kirtland, dated East Rockport, 

 Ohio, June 26th, 1822, accompanying the donations announced at a late 

 meeting of the Academy. 



Also a letter from Dr. Johannes Gistl, dated Munich, April 21st, 

 1852, accompanying his donations to the Library announced this 

 evening. 



raOCEED. ACAD. NAT. SCI. OF PHILADELPHIA. VOL. VI. NO. IV. 19 



