natural sciences of philadelphia. 305 



December 6. 

 Mr. Tryox in the chair. 



Twenty-three members present. 



The death of Mr. Jas. H. Orne was announced. The death of 

 Sir Koderick J. Murchisou, a correspondent of the Academy, was 

 also announced. 



The following paper was presented for publication : — 



" Descriptions of new Western Palteozoic Fossils, mainly from 

 the Cincinnati Groups of the Lower Silurian Series of Ohio." By 

 F. B. Meek. 



Prof. Cope made some remarks on a peculiar habit recently 

 observed by Alfred R.Wallace, in the Phi'i/nosomas, in the Zoolo- 

 gical Gardens in London. These animals eject from their eyes, 

 in self-defence, a red fluid like blood. On inquiry of Dr. Edw. 

 Palmer, of the Smithsonian Institution, who had spent some 

 years in Arizona, whether he had observed such a habit in any of 

 the species, he handed me the following extract from the "Arizona 

 Miner" of August 20th, 1869:— 



"Dr. Palmer and party got back liere Wednesday evening last, 

 from Bill Williams' Mountain, E. J. Cook, one of the Prescott 

 party that accompanied the expedition, informs us that a [horned] 

 toad was found on the top of the mountain, which, when made mad, 

 spurted blood from its eyes. It was secured by the doctor. The 

 Prescott party did not find game as plenty as the}^ had expected, 

 yet they succeeded in killing one bear, eight or ten turkeys, and 

 a deer. Thej^ say the country is the most beautiful ever seen by 

 them. The valleys are many and large; pine, oak, and other 

 timber covers the entire region, and the grass was waist-high. 

 The region of country- visited by them lies about 60 miles north 

 of this place, on the line of the 35th parallel railroad route." 



This specimen is in the doctor's collection, now in my hands, 

 and belongs to the species Phrynosoma ornatissima, Gird. 



December 12. 

 The President, Dr. Ruschenberger, in the chair. 

 Thirty-five members present. 



Notice of some Worms. — Prof Leidy remarked that Prof. Hay- 

 den reports the brook trout, Sabno fontinalis, of the headwaters 



1872.] 



