164 



might be principally confined to the bodies of the Crustacea ; 

 and that in his experiments with the oil in distilled water, it did 

 not for several days, and then only in small quantity, rise to the 

 surface ; a fact to be explained by its existence only in very 

 minute globules. 



Dr. A. A. Gould remarked, that whether it be proved or not, 

 that the present impurities of Cochituate water are owing to the 

 oil of these Crustacea, the fact that those now found in the water 

 contain a large quantity of oil, is a valuable discovery, and 

 should be put upon record. He had been accustomed to exam- 

 ine and delineate these animals for many years, and had never 

 before found oil in them, at least in such quantity as they now 

 contain. 



Dr. Durkee said there appeared to be some objections to all 

 the theories that had been advanced in explanation of the singu- 

 lar condition of Cochituate Lake during the last five or six 

 months. He thought that scientific observations should extend 

 over a longer period of time than they had as yet embraced. 

 Perhaps years may elapse before a true and complete solution 

 of the phenomena connected with the impurities of the lake will 

 be arrived at. It is not improbable, that the peculiar taste and 

 odor of the water may be due, in part at least, to causes of a 

 geological character. 



Dr. Durkee read the following report : — 



The bottle of water sent to the Society, a few days since, by 

 Mr. J. W. Foster, and referred to Drs. Durkee and Bacon for 

 microscopical examination, was taken from a well recently dug, 

 and adjacent to his house on the turnpike, near Centre street, in 

 Dorchester. The well is situated in low ground, and is about 

 eight feet deep, at which depth water flows into it qui^e freely. 

 The quantity sent for examination was eight ounces. In it were 

 found some twenty worms, varying in length from the tenth to 

 the fifth of an inch, all alive, and of one species, and known 

 under the scientific name of Planaria. Two kinds of crusta- 

 ccous animalculai were also found in considerable quantities, 

 viz., the Cyclops and the Cypris, all in an active state, but con- 

 taining neither oily matter nor ova, except two or three of the 



