prove unsatisfactory, that proposed by Mr. F. W. Putnam, at a 

 late meeting of the Essex Institute, viz : that the rattle serves to 

 call the sexes together, would still prove its advantages to the 

 snake. The best antidote against the bite consisted in large doses 

 of whisky. 



Mr. Riley also exhibited a small worm, an inch in length, and 

 of the thickness of a sewing-needle, which was coughed up from 

 the lungs of a patient of Dr. Clemens, of this city, from whom 

 he had received it. From the double-segmented appearance of 

 the abdominal joints, being apparently twenty-jointed, it was evi- 

 dently the larva of some species of Scenopinus, a two-winged 

 fly, something like the common cheese-fly. These larvae usually 

 live on decaying animal and vegetable matter. The lung must 

 have been far advanced in decomposition to allow the larva to 

 flourish and come to full growth within it. 



A communication was received announcing the death of Dr. 

 M. L. Harter, an associate member of the Academy. 



Messrs. J. F. Wielandy, C. A. Frederickson, Adolph Schmidt, 

 William E. Guy, W. R. Hodges, S. T. Rowley, Charles E. 

 Mitchell, P. G. Robinson, and Rev. Charles Peabody, were 

 elected associate members. 



January 6, 1873. 



The President in the chair. 



Twenty-five members present. 



Minutes of previous meeting read and approved. 



The Corresponding Secretary reported the receipt of a number 

 of exchanges which were properly catalogued by him. He also 

 announced the application on the part of the Illinois Museum of 

 Natural History, and of the Baltimore Academy of Science, for 

 copies of our Proceedings. On motion, he was instructed to grant 

 copies to the Societies mentioned, and to the Recording Secretary. 



Dr. Engelmann communicated the following meteorologica 

 observations : 



Though our present winter commenced pretty early (on November 20th 

 the thermometer indicated 9 , and on November 30th 2°), and the first 

 three weeks of December were colder than common, we were scarcely pre- 



