THE MUSEUM. 



215 



id-^ 



An Albino Muskrat. Mounted by Adolph B. Covert, Ann Arbor, Mich. 



■first award of this medal was made 

 this year, and the fortunate recipient 

 was Lord Rayleigh, to whom it was 

 given for his discovery of argon in the 

 atmosphere. 



Comparatively few ^ papers were 

 read at the recent meeting. In fact, 

 the original programme contained 

 only twelve titles; but others were 

 announced subsequent to the arrival 

 of out-of-town members. The scien- 

 tific session, which is held in the au- 

 tumn, is more likely to afford a large 

 number of contributions from the 

 members. It will be held on Octo- 

 ber 20, in Philadelphia. One feat- 

 ure of the Academy that deserves 

 a word, in conclusion, is that of the 

 reading of biographical memoirs of 

 each deceased member. This year 

 one on Dr. Lewis A. Rutherfurd was 

 read by Benjamin A. Gould. — Scien- 

 tific American. 



New or Little-known Plants. 



An Arizona Agave. 



No group of North American plants, 

 with the exception, perhaps, of the 

 Cacti, is more difficult than the Agaves 

 to understand from specimens preserv- 

 ed in herbaria; and not much light is 

 thrown upon these plants by the occa- 

 sional isolated individuals which drag 

 out a more or less miserable existence 

 in the confinement of northern glass- 

 houses. Much confusion naturally ex- 

 ists in the identification of plants which 

 have been named for the most part 

 from half-grown and often flowerless 

 individuals in European gardens, and 

 it is more than probable that the same 

 species often appears in books under 

 numerous names. There are no plants, 

 however, that are so well suited to pro- 

 duce certain effects in the garden, es- 

 pecially in countries warm and dry 

 enough to enable them to flourish in 



