NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 291 



it worth while to reiterate, at the time these objections were made; 

 but concluded to wait till this season, and introduce facts from 

 some plant not already named in connection witli that sexual law. 

 He now exhibited specimens of the common black walnut, 

 Juglans ?u'g'r'a, which furnished excellent illustrations of what had 

 been said on other occasions. Examining the tree at the flowering 

 season, it would be plainly seen by even a superficial observer 

 that there were three o;rades of sji-owino; buds. The larofest buds 

 made the most vigorous shoots. These seemed to be whollv devoted 

 to the increase of the woody system of the tree. Lower down the 

 strong last year shoots, were buds not quite so large. These made 

 shoots less vigorous than the other class, and bore the female 

 flowers on their apices. Below these were numerous small weak 

 buds, which either did not push into growth at all, or when they 

 did bore simply the male catkins. No one who gave this matter 

 any examination with the tree before him, would for a moment 

 entertain the idea that these branches and these buds had been 

 weakened b^^ the effort to produce male flowers. He was full}' 

 satisfied that any one who would go out into the woods and fields 

 for their own facts fresh from nature, would be abundantly satis- 

 fied that there is not so great expenditure of vital force in the 

 production of male flowers as there is in female flowers, and that 

 all he had advanced on the subject was fully borne out. 



June 24. 



The President, Dr. Ruschenberger, in the chair. 



Twenty-six members present. 



The following papers were presented for publication : 



" The Pterostichi of the United States," By John L. LeConte, 



M. D. " Synonymical Remarks upon North American Coleoptera." 



By John L. LeConte, M.D. 



The following gentlemen were elected members : 

 E. C. Claghorn, Dr. Henry C. Eckstein, U. S. N., and Wra. H. 

 Rush, M.D. 



The following papers were ordered to be published : 



