1884,] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 219 



Plumatella, Urnatella, and Cordylophora lacusfris. The fact that 

 all these can thus thrive in absolute darkness throws some doubt 

 upon the supposed sensitiveness of these forms to the presence or 

 absence of light, as does also the fact that while Faludicella 

 Ehrenbergi is said to seek the darkest corners, the speaker 

 found his new species, P. erecta, apparently rejoicing in the 

 glare of the full sunlight. 



Of course mau}^ other creatures than those above named were 

 casually seen in this connection, including chiefly amoebae, free- 

 swimming protozoans and entomostracans, planarian worms, 

 hydras and aquatic insect-larvae ; but the former are particularly 

 mentioned as among the most interesting and beautiful of those 

 that freely and innocently drink of the same cup with ourselves. 



September 23. 

 Mr. Edw. Potts, in the chair. 



Nine persons present. 



The following papers were presented for publication : — 



"A Review of the American Species of the Genus Hemi- 

 ramphus," b}' Seth E. Meek and David K. Goss, 



"A Review of the American Species of the Genus Teuthis," by 

 Seth E. Meek and Martin L. Hoffman. 



"A Review of the American Species of Scomberomorus," by 

 Seth E. Meek and Robert G. Newland. 



Tunisian Flints. — Dr. D. G. Brinton remarked that the flints 

 presented through him this evening had been received from the 

 eminent archaeologist, the Marquis de Nadaillac, whose son, an 

 officer in the French arm}^, obtained them at the station of Ras- 

 el-Oued, near Biban, on the southeastern coast of Tunis. The speci- 

 mens consist of flint chips, arrow-points, and a semi-lunar shaped 

 implement of small size, which resembles the " stemmed scrapers " 

 found in America. This form was obtained from the lower levels, 

 and is characteristic, in France, of the later productions of the 

 stone age, especially of that epoch called by French archae- 

 ologists "'the epoch of Robenhausen," from the locality of that 

 name in Switzerland. Chronologicall}', this is the first epoch of 

 the appearance of man on the globe, the previous implement- 

 using animals being more properly anthropoids. Those made 

 use of stone onl}', not having learned the dressing of bone or 

 horn. This view adds to the interest of the query as to the 

 purpose of these scrapers, as they are called in default of a better 

 name. That they were an important tool to the primitive man is 

 evident from their wide distribution. They have been found in 



