31 



Dr. Cabot thought that those referred to could not have 

 been made by birds. Birds which walk in soft mud have 

 widely spread toes to support them. An impression sup- 

 posed to be that of the tarsus, could be plainly seen ; but 

 no wading bird touches the tarsus to the ground. He thought 

 these particular impressions may have been made by rep- 

 tiles, or by animals ranking between reptiles and birds. 



Prof. Wyman remarked that Prof. Owen formerly enter- 

 tained the opinion, that an impression exactly like one of 

 the largest of these, was made by a reptile. 



Dr. D. H. Storer presented a new species of Fish, from 

 Captain N. E. Atwood, of Provincetown, and found in the 

 harbor at that place, which he proposed to call Sebastes 

 fasciatus. 



Sebastes fasciatus Storer. 



Body elongated , not convex in front of dorsal fin as in the 

 Sebastes Norvegicus. Four distinct dark, brown, tranverse bands 

 upon the sides, the broadest at the posterior portion of the body. 

 Length, 3f inches. 



Fin rays as follows : D. 13 - 14. P. 20. V. 1 - 5. A. 3 - 7. 

 C. 19. 



A communication was received from Dr. W. I. Burnett, 

 upon the Poison-apparatus of the Rattlesnake, as follows : 



Notes upon the Poison-apparatus of the Rattlesnake. 

 By W. I. Burnett, M. D. 



In the spring of 1853, I presented to the Society the results of 

 some investigations of mine upon the development of the fangs, 

 and the nature and mode of action of the poison of the common 

 Rattlesnake. But these investigations were not complete in many 

 points, as the specimens examined did not present all the cha- 

 racteristics of structure of this apparatus. 



Since that time, in some parts of Florida, where these snakes 

 are peculiarly abundant, I have enjoyed rare opportunities for the 



