1837.] 327 IBickmore. 



was believed to be of the genus Alius, but as it unfortunately made 

 its escape from the collector, its identity could not be ascertained. 



The other cup, roofed in a more close and substantial manner ex- 

 hibited no opening whatever, and when an artificial one was made, 

 no spider, young, or eggs, in fact, nothing whatsoever, was discovered 

 within to give a clue to the object of the industrious spinner. It was 

 considered that this was probably an instance of a curious instinct of 

 barren females who sometimes expend a great deal of labor and time 

 in preparing for an imaginary future progeny. 



Dr. E. P. Colby exhibited a specimen of the exceedingly rare 

 Cocchiella similis of Randall, which he had obtained on the 

 summit of Mt. Asciitney, Vt. ; only one or two other speci- 

 mens Avere known. Randall obtained his single specimen on 

 Chelsea Beach, where it had been washed up, and Mr. 

 Sanborn had found one specimen, now in Dr. LeCoate's 

 collection,on high ground in Medford. 



December 4, 1867. 

 Tlie President in the chair. Forty-eight members j^resent. 

 The following paper was read by the Secretary : — 

 Some Notes of a Short Journey ox the Island of Yesso and 



REMARKS ox THE AlXOS. By AlBERT S. BiCKMORE, A. M. 



The islands that now form the empire of Japan are four in num- 

 ber: Kiusiu,on the south, opposite Corea; Sikok, a little to the north- 

 east; Nippon, the gn^at island of Japan, to the north; and Yesso, 

 another large island to the north of the latter. In the most southern 

 part of Yesso, on the wide strait, which separates that island from 

 Nippon, is situated Ilakodadi, its chief city, and only port open to 

 foreign trade. 



Ai-riving at this place on my way noi'thward from Yedo to Siberia, 

 at the solicitation of our Consul, Col. E. E. Rice, the Governor of 

 Yesso gave me the privilege of going some miles beyond the places usu- 

 ally visited by foreigners, and seeing a real village of Ainos — the abo- 

 rigines of these islands, and the least known of all tlie people of the 

 East. 



