JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 557 



rope: from Bush rod D. Washington; from Alexander Agas- 

 siz, acknowledging his election as a Corresponding Member ; 

 from the Royal Society of Victoria, Naturh. Verein in Pas- 

 sau, and other societies, concerning exchanges. 

 Publications received : 



Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. x., pp. 177-224, 1866, from the Soci- 

 ety. Essay on the Velocity of Light, by M. Delauney, of the Institute 

 of France, from the Author. K. Preuss. Akad. der Wissenschaften : 

 Monatsbericht, Jan., 1866, Berlin, from the Academy. 



George H. Bixby, M.D., was elected an Associate Member. 



June 4, 1866. 

 The President, Dr. Engelmann, in the chair. 



Seven members present. 



Dr. Sander presented a specimen of the rock salt, in the 

 form of a large crystal, from the island deposit in Vermilion 

 Bay, on the coast of Louisiana, and submitted an analysis 

 and comparison with other kinds of salt, in respect of solu- 

 bility and use for practical purposes, by which it appeared 

 that this salt was equal to any in purity and value, consisting 

 of 98.8 per cent, of chloride of sodium, with remainder of 

 sulphate of magnesia and chloride of calcium. The bed 

 was over sixty feet in thickness. In the loam deposits above 

 the salt, remains of elephant and mastodon, and Indian im- 

 plements, such as stoue axes and arrow-heads, had been 

 found. 



Dr. Engelmann exhibited a living specimen of the spread- 

 ing adder (heterodon platyrhinus), and also rushes (equise- 

 tum robustum), interesting as the highest order of crypto- 

 garnous plants, representing the calamites of the geological 

 strata ; and also the Isoetes, a cryptogamous plant from a lo- 

 cality in Illinois. 



Dr. Boisliniere exhibited a specimen of the Vanilla Bean, 

 raised in the West Indies, and stated that it was found 

 necessary to bring the pollen in contact with the pistils, ar- 

 tificially, for fructification. 



Dr. Engelmann remarked that it belonged to the class of 

 orchidaceous plants, the pollen of which is waxy, and must, 

 many of them, be brought in contact with the pistils by the 

 external agency of insects, or man artificially. 



July 2, 1866. 



The President in the chair. 

 Five members present. 

 Letters were read concerning exchanges. 



