383 



In swimming, the vScaphiopus does not strike the water with 

 the right and left legs simultaneously, but, like the turtles, by 

 alternate strokes. 



The Scaphiopus is nocturnal in its habits, passing the day 

 deeply buried in the earth ; which is doubtless the explanation 

 of its not having been more frequently observed. The process 

 of burrowing resembles that of the toad, the earth being scraped 

 away by thrusting out the feet laterally ; these being provided 

 with a broad and horny ridge, which serves as an excavator. 

 As fast as the earth is removed, the body is thrust backwards 

 into the hole. The pelvis of this animal is very loosely articu- 

 lated with the sacrum, so as to move very freely backward and 

 forwards upon it, as w^as observed while the animal was making 

 its excavation, as well as on dissection. 



Dr. Wyman also stated that nearly all the eggs of Scaphiopus, 

 frogs, and toads, deposited in the latter part of April, in the pond 

 above referred to, w^ere destroyed by a parasitic fungus. Only a 

 small number of these and those which were deposited a few 

 weeks later, came to maturity, the larger part perishing before 

 the embryo was able to leave the egg ; and some of them were 

 attacked after the tadpole was sufficiently developed to swim 

 around. The development of the fungus preceded the death of 

 the embryo. 



Dr. A. A. Hayes asked if any cases of poisoning of 

 animals had been met with from parasitic growths upon 

 their food. He had recently seen several cases of sudden 

 death in horses, where no traces of poison could be 

 detected in the stomach. The food, however, in these 

 instances, which consisted of grain which had been 

 damaged by water, was covered with a parasitic vege- 

 table growth. 



Mr. C. J. Sprague stated that a specimen of Equiselum 

 arvense, (Horsetail,) was handed him a few weeks since 

 by Dr. C. T. Jackson, and it was asserted that this plant 

 had been the cause of the death of a number of horses 

 recently in Vermont. 



Prof: Wyman read an extract from a letter of Mr. 



