8o Proceedings of Societies. [zoe 



April ^, i8()2. President Harkness in the chair. 



The President announced the death of Sereno Watson, honorary 

 member, and of William A. Aldrich, resident member. 



The Librarian reported 222 additions to the library. 



Dr. Harkness made some remarks concerning his observation on 

 the life-history of the Cynips infesting the oaks, and discussed the 

 probability of the one attacking the buds being an alternate genera- 

 tion of the one forming the woody galls. 



F. Gutzkovv spoke on certain improvements in his process for 

 parting silver bullion, which he explained to the Academy about a 

 year ago. He stated that it has now been introduced successfully 

 into practice, for instance, at the large refining works of the Con- 

 solidated Kansas City Smelting Company. Among the novel modi- 

 fications of the process the most important is the melting of the 

 crystals of pure sulphate of silver, which are separated in the course 

 of the process with five per cent, of charcoal in the crucible. They 

 are thereby, at a very low temperature, converted into metallic silver, 

 which melts and is poured into bars. Carbonic and sulphurous gases 

 are generated and escape without giving any inconvenience : 



Ag2 SO4 H- C = Ag2 -1- CO2 + SO2 



Charles A. Keeler made a few remarks bearing on the question: 

 " What constitutes a species ?" 



April 18, i8g2. President Harkness in the chair. 



Miss Alice Eastwood and William L. Watts were elected resident 

 members. 



The following communication was read: 



San Francisco. April 18, 1892. 

 Secretary, California Academy of Scie7ices: 



Dear Sir — The proprietors of Zoe have the honor to offer for 

 acceptance of the Academy 50 copies each of volumes I and H of 

 that journal, to be distributed to the principal societies of the world 

 which are in correspondence with the Academy, in grateful acknowl- 

 edgment of favors granted to the California Zoological Club and 

 the California Botanical Club. 



Respectfully, 



H. W. Harkness, 



T. S. Brandegee, 



Katharine Brandegee. 



