ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. "^ 191 



In springs as well as in California, he had found filamentons algte in 

 water having a temperature ranging from 120 to 163 degrees. In water 

 of a lower temperature— say 110 degrees — they were also found, but 

 with a character greatly modified. Those found in the hottest waters are so 

 small as to be barely perceptible, even under the highest powers of the micro- 

 scope. He thought that the extensive fossil deposits of diatoms in Utah and Ne- 

 vada, indicated that the waters in which they lived were of a high temperature. 



A member said he had detected microscopic animalculoe in boil- 

 ing water, the green appearance of -which led the non-scientific ob- 

 server into the error of supposing the water contained copper. 



Dr. Blake said this upset the theory of those scientists who hold 

 that animal Hfe was impossible before the earth had cooled. 



Regular Meeting, October 2d, 1871. 

 President in the Chair. 



James S. Jamison and J. B. Easterbee were elected resident 

 members. 



H. G. Hanks exhibited a curious formation which was found in 

 the stomach of a deer. Dr. Blake said it was a silicious concretion 

 which was formed from particles which the animal had taken with 

 its food. The specimen excited interest, particularly from the fact 

 that the formation seemed to be laid on in scales — an unusual 

 mode. 



Mr. Hanks also read a paper containing particulars of the pe- 

 culiar phenomenon reported by the ship Tran&ito d^ Alvarez, when in 

 latitude 45 deg. 33 min., longitude 125 deg. 25 min. west, or about 

 85 miles west of Cape Lookout, on the Oregon Coast. The phe- 

 nomenon consisted of a peculiar yellowish haze surrounding the ves- 

 sel, similar to the haze which covered this city just prior to the 

 great earthquake. The atmosphere became so darkened around 

 the ship that the cabin lamp had to be lighted. Birds, affrighted, 

 came flocking to the vessel, and were caught without difficulty. 

 Numbers fell on the deck, dead. 



A sediment was deposited on the vessel, and the captain fur- 

 nished Professor Hanks with a very small portion. This Mr. Hanks 



