Atwood.] 100 [December 5 



but in endeavoring to ascertain their real strength, he found that 

 these men could not sustain Avith the extended arms so much as he, 

 being able to support only twenty-three to twenty-five pounds in this 

 manner. The same was the case with many engaged in trade ; they 

 could support great weights, but their fingers could be turned back 

 almost to the wrist, and they were very weak in the arms. 



Dr. J. Wyman remarked that it was a Carib custom to 

 place compressing bandages upon children six to eight years 

 old, one around the ankle, and another just below the knee, 

 which were retained through life. There seemed to be no 

 loss of circulation, but the leg presented a curious appear- 

 ance to the eye, as though it might easily be snapped apart 

 by a shght exercise of physical force. 



Mr. W. T. Brigham remarked that the Chinese had many 

 other curious customs, one among v/hich was to allow the 

 tinger naHs to grow to an excessive length, which, however, 

 they put to very dexterous use in sorting teas, by snapping 

 the different qualities into separate piles. 



Mr. Brigham also said that he had witnessed an attack 

 by a cockroach upon a centipede, in which the roach jumped 

 upon the back of a centipede, four or five inches long, and by 

 successive bites between the upper and under plates, finally 

 kiUed him, and then ate the internal parts. 



Capt. Atwood addressed the Society upon the habits of our 

 native species of Gadidoe. 



The first mentioned by him was the Pollock (Merlangus carhona- 

 rius). In his Report on the Fishes of Massachusetts, Dr. Storer had 

 mentioned two species of Merlangus, but in his last more extended 

 paper had referred them to one. Capt. Atwood had seen only one, 

 and this was considered the same as the European species, which was 

 there called coal fish, whence came the specific name carhonarius. 

 They appear about Cape Cod in schools in early May, frequently 

 passing around Race Point so close to the shore as to be caught by the 

 seine. They do not take to the hook freely, and are seldom seen 

 in quantity along the coast in summer. In the autumn, however, 

 about the 10th or 15th of October, they are caught in large numbers, 

 when coming in to spawn. To effect this they seek rocky places as 



