1884.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 113 



April 1. 



The President, Dr. Leidy, in the chair. 



Thirty-one persons present. 



A paper entitled " A Review of the American species of the 

 Genus Trachynotus," by Seth E. Meek and David K. Goss, was 

 presented for publication. 



April 8. 



Rev. IIenry C. McCook, D. D., Yice-President, in the chair. 



Seventy -three persons present. 



A pn]Hr entitled " Descriptions of new species of Terrestrial 

 Mollusca of Cuba," by Rafael Arango, was presented for publica- 

 tion. 



Dr. Daniel G. Brinton wns inaugurated as Professor of Eth- 

 nology and Archeology, and delivered a lecture on " Prehistoric 

 Man in America." 



April 15. 



Mr. Chas. p. Perot in the chair. 



Twenty-four persons present. 



A paper entitled "A Review of the American species of the 

 Genus Synodus," by Seth E. Meek, was presented for publication. 



On the Process of Digestion in Salpa. — Dr. Ch. S. Dolley 

 remarked that preliminary to giving the full results of a some- 

 what extended study of the histology of Salpa, he desired to make 

 a few remarks in reference to certain statements recentl}'^ made 

 by Dr. A. Korotneff of Moscow,^ which he considered erroneous 

 in so far as they indicate the presence of a huge amoeboid cell or 

 Plasmodium, in the oesophagus and stomach of Salpa, functioning 

 as a digestive organ. Dr. KorotneflF describes this cell as arising 

 from the repeated division of a single cell which earl}' in the life- 

 history of the animal is separated from the intestinal wall. This 

 giant-cell or plasmodium, acting like a huge rhizopod, carries on 



^ Ueber die Knospung der Anchinia in Zeitschr. f. wiss. Zoologie. Bd. 40, 

 Hft. i, 1884. 



