50 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



massed, oblong- pyramidal, terminal and axilliary racemelets clustered; leaves 

 alternate, short petiolate, ovate-oblong, corneous, acute, entire (or sub-entire,) 

 triplinerved, impressed glandular alike above and below, varnished and vis- 

 cid, strongly recurved. Involucre 3 — 4-flowered, scales in 4 — 5-series, outer 

 shortest, ovate, acute, varnished, viscid, granular and glandular, intermediate 

 lanceolate, oblong, acute, scarcely puberulent, deeply striate-nerved, interior 

 linear, elongated, mostly obtuse scarious, longer than the pappus, shorter than 

 the corolla; corolla ochroleucous, five-toothed border expanded, branches of 

 the style exserted obtuse, ciavate, glabrous; pappus white, single, very min- 

 utely villous, much shorter than the corolla; achenia 10-striate, strife sparsely 

 pubescent. 



On dry rocky ledges of Sierra Nevada Mountains. Two or three feet high, 

 spire shaped top; leaves varnished alike above and below, 1—2 or more inches 

 long, % — 2 wide. Myriads of flowerets with thread-like branches of styles 

 protruding, give it a yellowish hue, and the inner elongated scales glistening 

 with white, so spangle the eye as to give it a peculiar arid appearance, not- 

 withstanding the varnished green leaves intermixed. 



President Davidson gave a very interesting account of the ir- 

 rigation works now in course of construction in British India. 

 The paper was accompanied by maps and diagrams. 



Dr. Hale of New York mentioned a curious case of mimicry 

 observed by him in the Santa Cruz Mountains, viz: a small 

 spider exactly resembling the flower of the Madrono, in color, size 

 and form. 



Regular Meeting, April 17th, 1876. 

 President in the Chair. 



The following new members were elected: S. Lubeck (life) 

 Joel F. Lightner, T. Bechtinger, J. K. "Wilson, J. F. Meyers. 



Robert Chalmers Lord was proposed as a candidate for mem- 

 bership. 



Donations to Cabinet: Spider mimicking madrona flower, from 

 Wm. Barber. Specimens of ore from Samuel Geddes, A. B. 

 Stout, Barry & Patten, C. F. Kirchner, and Governor Purdy. 



Captain C. Bryant, U. S. Treasury Agent to the Pribiloff 

 Group of Islands, Behring's Sea, on the invitation of the Pres- 

 ident, gave an interesting description of the seal fisheries, and of 

 the fur seal. 



