PROCEEDINGS. LXV 



the malar bone formed part of the continuity of the zygomatic 

 arch, correcting the statement of Dr. Coues in his " Monograph of 

 American Rodentia," page 253, with regard to the jugal of the 

 muskrat, which is there described as "a mere splint, not forming by 

 itself any part of the continuity of the arch, for the squamosal and 

 maxillary spurs are absolutely in contact. This is a strong point of 

 Fiber." Mr. Scudder remarked that muskrats were able to live 

 four to six minutes under water, owing probably to the enlarge 

 ment of the abdominal aorta. He believed muskrats to be omniv 

 orous, and said that the same individual could be taken repeatedly 

 in the same trap. 



Dr. R. W. Shufeldt made a communication UPON THE PRESENCE 

 OF RIBS ATTACHED TO THE OCCIPITAL BONE OF THE BLACK BASS, 

 MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES.* He remarked, in the course of his de 

 scription, that he had recently made quite a number of dissections 

 of this fish, and in every instance had found a pair of ribs upon 

 the occipital bone, just above and internal to the foramen of the 

 vagus nerve. They are without epipleural appendages, but other 

 wise like the abdominal ribs. If this fact be new to science, it is a 

 very interesting discovery of great morphological significance, and 

 introduced an important factor in the theory of the segmentation 

 of the skull. It had not been noticed in any of the prominent 

 works upon comparative anatomy generally used as text-books, nor 

 in a recent and very thorough article by Dr. Sagemehl upon the 

 cranial osteology of Amia calva (Morph. Jahrb., Vol. 9, pt. 2, 

 1883). Dr. Shufeldt had also discovered these ribs, thoroughly 

 developed, in the tunny, Orcynus thynnus, and thought that they 

 would doubtless be found in others of the ScombridcB and Centrar- 

 chid<z. 



SIXTY-FOURTH MEETING, May 17, 1884. 



Prof. C. V. Riley, Vice-President, occupied the chair. Thirty- 

 five members were present. 



Dr. J. M. Flint, in a paper on CHINESE MEDICINES, after giving 



* 1884. SHUFELDT, R. W. Osteology of the Large-mouthed Black Bass 

 (Microptertts salmoides}. <Science, III, p. 532, 1884. 



