^0. 3.] AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. ITl 



These animals show true characters of the Perisiodactyla in. 

 their deeply excavated palate, solid odontoid process, third tro- 

 chanter of femur, which has also a pit for the round ligament, ia 

 the divided superior ginglymus of the astragalus, etc. 



•ON A SIGILLARIA SHOWING MARKS OF FRUCTIFICATION. 



By J. W. Dawson, L.L.D. 



The speaker explained in detail the nature of the leaf-scars 

 •and marks of growth of this remarkable tree of the coal formation, 

 and then proceeded to describe the scars left on the specimen in 

 >question, which showed the girdles of scars left by the fall of 

 the frurt. He showed that this could not have been of the 

 nature of strobiles or cones, but must have been borne on sepa- 

 rate modified leaves after the manner of some Cycads. The 

 specimen belonged to a new species soon to be described by him, 

 and closely allied to S. Lalayana of Schimper. 



ON THE QUESTION "DO SNAKES SWALLOW THEIR YOUNG?" 

 By G. Brown Goodk, of Middletown University, Conn. 



This paper discussed the habit observed in certain snakes of 

 allowing their young a temporary refuge in their throats, whence 

 they emerge when danger is past. He stated that the question 

 had been a mooted one since the habit was first discussed by Grii- 

 bert White in his "Natural History of Selborne," published in 

 1789. Reference was made to the views of Sir William Jardine, 

 M. C. Cooke and Prof. F. W. Putnam, as well as the recent dis- 

 cussion of the subject in Land and Water. 



The question can only be decided by the testimonies of eye- 

 witnesses. Through the courtesy of the editors of The American 

 Agriculturist a note was inserted asking for observations. By 

 this means and by personal inquiry the testimony of 96 persons 

 had been secured. Of these 56 saw the young enter the parent's 

 mouth, in 19 cases the parent warning them by a loud whistle. 

 Two were considerate enough to wait and see the young appear 

 when danger seemed to be past, one repairing to the same spot 

 and witnessing the same act on several successive days. Four 

 saw the young rush out when the parent was struck; 18 saw the 

 young shaken out by dogs or running from the mouth of their 

 dead parent; 29 who saw the young enter, killed the mother and 

 found them living within, while only 13 allowed the poor parent 

 to escape ; 27 saw the young living within the parent. But as 

 they did not see them enter, the testimony is at least dubious. 



