1866.] 25 [Wyman. 



whole weight of the body being 110 grammes, after the crop was 

 emptied. Twenty " canker worms " were found to weigh 1 gramme, 

 which would give 660 as the number contained in the crop at one 

 , time, a mass nearly equal to one third of the weight of the young 

 bird. The contents of the crop had an intensely acid smell, like that 

 of a stomach in which digestion is going on, and many of the worms 

 appeared to be nearly digested, their empty skins alone being left. 

 The gizzard contained only a few empty skins, some husks of oats, 

 and some stones, which last the bird must have received from its par- 

 ent with the food, as it was wholly out of the reach of them from any 

 other source. 



It would appear from the above facts, 1st, that the pigeons are very 

 large consumers of the pests mentioned above, and 2d, that the crop 

 is probably the place where they are digested. If this last supposi- 

 tion should prove true, the gastric juice must pass upwards from the 

 proventriculus to reach the crop. 



Dr. J. Burnstell of Newton, and Mr. C. P. Dillaway of 

 Roxbury, were elected Resident Members. 



Special Meeting, September 17, 1866. 



The President in the chair. Fourteen members present. 



The President announced in a few appropriate remarks the 

 sudden loss which the Society had recently sustained in the 

 death of one of its founders and Vice Presidents, Dr. Augais- 

 tus A. Gould. 



Mr. C. K. DUlaway moved that a committee of three, con- 

 sisting of the President as chaii-man and two other members 

 selected by him, be appointed to rej)ort a suitable address 

 to be laid before the Society at a subsequent meeting ; 

 being seconded by Dr. J. C. White, it was unanimously 

 voted, and Messrs. T. T. Bouve and S. H. Scudder were sub- 

 sequently selected. 



Dr. J. C. White moved, and it was unanimously voted, 

 that the Society attend the funeral of its lamented Vice 

 President. 



