196 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



at San Bias. In the evening, our faces, necks and hands were badly bitten by 

 myriads of sandflies. The sting of these flies is exceedingly painful, and the effects 

 of them last for several days. Every person visiting San Bias will not easily forget 

 these insects ; each sting produces a reddish swelling, which hardens after awhile, 

 and sometimes remains for eight days and more. We left San Bias on the 15th 

 of March, at 1.30 A. M , and arrived at 5 P. M. at Tepic. The fly-bites were ex- 

 cruciatingly painful. On the 16th we used liquid ammoniac to allay our suffering, 

 but without result. In the forenoon of the 17th I found two small Gollindrinera 

 plants in the streets of Tepic ; I pulled it, roots and all, from the ground, broke 

 them into several parts, and rubbed the milky juice over my sores. In half an 

 hour all the pain had left. Not being able to find any more of the plants, my 

 companion had to suffer for several days longer; which proves, however, that my 

 relief from the tormenting pain was directly to be credited to the medical virtue 

 of the Gollindrinera. 



During my lengthened stay among the natives of Australia, I observed that no 

 black man ever died from the bite of a venomous reptile, — excepting always the 

 dead-adder, (bothrops) — while a white man seldom escaped death. The remedy 

 of the blacks is very simple, consisting merely in sucking out the wound, and in 

 keeping awake the patient for at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The 

 dead adder (bothrops) of Australia is probably the most poisonous reptile. A 

 black man, if bitten by this snake, will be abandoned to death by his friends, they 

 being sure that help is out of the question. I witnessed once the death of a 

 victim of the dead-adder. 



I read in an Australian paper, that a white boy, who was bitten in the finger 

 by a dead-adder, had so much presence of mind, as to chop it off with his pocket- 

 knife. The finger had afterwards to be regularly amputated, but the boy's life 

 was saved. 



An interesting discussion occurred as to the characteristics 

 of various species of trees. 



Regular Meeting, April 3d, 1865. 

 President in the chair. 



Nine members present. 



Donations to the Library : Col. Ransom presented a bound 

 copy of Vols. I and II of the Society's Proceedings. 



Dr. Kellogg exhibited from the Academy's herbarium, ac- 

 companied by a drawing and description, a new species of 



