20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



Basin, in Nevada.* One of the rocks contained a new trilobite, or 

 at least, one the description of which he could not find in the books. 

 He proceeded to describe the formation of the country in which 

 these fossils were found. He then presented a specimen of salt 

 rock, taken from the same locality, and stated it as his opinion that 

 the origin of the salt found in Nevada was not, as was commonly 

 supposed, oceanic, but was to be found in saline rocks. 



Dr. Ayres called attention to a very beautiful specimen of the 

 sponge family, donated by Mr. W. G. Sherman, together with 

 some Indian weapons, all being from the Phillippine Islands. 

 Sponges were found in all seas, from the Arctic to the Tropical, and 

 were in abundance on the coasts of New England and California. 

 This one belonged to a genus first discovered on the coast of Great 

 Britain. It was known as " Venus' Flower Basket," (^Euplee- 

 tella speciosa) and was a most beautiful specimen, consisting of a 

 series of little straight rods, forming a tube. This tube was woven 

 all over with fine threads, looking more like the work of man's 

 hands than of nature. Each little thread resembled spun glass, but 

 when placed under the microscope, evei-y one was found to com- 

 prise a series of concentric layers. Outside of these were a num- 

 ber of httle ridges, to give it strength. At the bottom w^as a mass 

 of loose flocculent fibres, and it was probable that these were imbed- 

 ded in the ooze or mud of the ocean where the animal dwelt. 



A committee of five, consisting of Messrs. Stout, Logan, Yale, 

 Ayres and Stearns, was appointed, on motion of Dr. Stout, to 

 draw up a report on the subject of the abrupt discontinuance of the 

 Geological Survey. 



Regular Meeting, April 20th, 1868. 



The President in the Chair. 



The committee on the discontinuance of the Geological Survey 

 made a report strongly condemning it, which was accepted by the 

 Academy. 



* Ethmophyllum gracih and E. W/iitiuyi; Meek, in Ainer. Jour. Science and Arts, Jan. 1868. 



