146 



ward recurving apex of the filament). Styles two, closely contiguous 

 (or one, and ])artible), very short, plane on the inside, stigmatic 

 apex flattened and slightly expanded. Ovary sessile, ovate acute, 

 coriaceous and somewhat rugose, one-celled, two-valved, ovides 

 parietal, attached by the edge parallel Avith the valves, m three to 

 five rows, the series laterally ascending. Mature capsule coriaceo- 

 ligneous, oblong-ovoid conic above, slightly compressed valves opening 

 at the median ventral suture from above, the apex of each valve 

 reflex-spreading, gibbously carinate ridged and rugose on the back, 

 seeds flattened and somewhat margmed. 



No. 1 in the Fig. exhibits the outline, size and form of a portion 

 of the root and its crown or base of the amiual stem. No. 2, a 

 section from the lower portion of the cymose panicle, showing the 

 mature capsules with petals, stamens and calyx, as they appear in 

 the withering-persistent state. No. 3, the flower a little enlarged, 

 showhig the glands and relative position of its parts. No, 4, a valve 

 of the capsule of natural size laid open with the seeds in situ on one 

 side, while the opposite side exhibits the scars or umbilical attach- 

 ment of the seeds. , 



OctQher 6, 1861. 



President in the Chair. 



Mr. W. P. Blake noticed the occurrence of some veiy beautiful 

 crystalhzations of silver in the cavities and slags of a brick furnace 

 which had been used in this city for smelting ores of silver with lead. 

 The crystals are found in caAaties, and are in bead-like strings or 

 linear groupings of octahedra, with brilUant surfaces, about the 

 twentieth part of an inch across the bases. Other crystals are flat- 

 tened octahedrons, forming thin triangular plates. The specunens 

 are much like some of the crystallizations of silver occm-iing m mines, 

 and would not generally be recognized as artificial . 



Dr. Kellogg read the amiexed descriptions : 



The following plant is from Mr. C. D. Gibbs, from the head- 



Avaters of Carson River. 



Echinosperuum nervosum, (Kellogg.) Fig. 42. 

 Stem herbaceous, simple, upright, minutely strigose throughout, 

 upper floriferous branches erect, spreaduig, elongated into lax ratlier 



