PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 161 



Radial formida.—D. VII, I, 9; A. II, 7|; P. 16; V, I, 5. 



Scales, in lateral line, 45 ; above lateral line, 3 ; below, 9. 



Color nearly uniform light, reddish brown, with no blotches. Scales 

 finely jircirJate withback. 



Our description is based upon museum specimen No. 20228. 



Among- the other interesting forms collected in the same locality is a 

 young specimen of Hoplosiethiis mcditerraneus, and also a species of 

 JScorpama, soon to be described. 



inKTALIilC CASTIIVOS OF VEI.ICATC: NATURAI. OBJECTS. 



[Translated. ] 



The following process is recommended by Abbass for producing me- 

 tallic castings of flowers, leaves, insects, &c. The object, a dead beetle 

 for example, is first arranged in a natural i^osition, and the feet are con- 

 nected with an oval rim of wax. It is then fixed in the centre of a paper 

 or wooden box by means of pieces of tine wire, so that it is perfectly free, 

 and thicker wires are run from the sides of the box to the object, which 

 subsequently serve to form air-channels in the mold by their removal. 

 A wooden stick, tapering toward the bottom, is placed npon the back of 

 the insect to i)roduce a runner for casting. The box i.s then filled up 

 with a paste of three parts of i)laster of Paris, and one of brick-diist, 

 made up with a solution of alum and sal ammoniac. It is also well first 

 to brush the object with this paste to prevent the formation of air bub- 

 bles. After the mold thus formed has set, the object is removed from 

 the interior by first reducing it to ashes. It is therefore dried slowly, 

 and finally heated gradually to a red heat, and then allowed to cool 

 slowly to iirevent the formation of flaws or cracks. The ashes are re- 

 moved by pouring mercury into the cold mold and shaking it thor- 

 oughly before pouring it out, and repeating this operation several 

 times. The thicker wires are then drawn out, and the mold needs sim- 

 ply to be thoroughly heated before it is filled with metal in order that 

 the latter may flow into all portions of it. After it has become cold it 

 is softened and carefully broken away from the casting. 



THE OeCUBKEIVCE OF THE t'AIVADA POKC'UPIIVE IN ITIARVJLAXD. 



By OTTO L,r«GEK. 



Eeferring to the paper on the occurrence of the Canada Porcupine in 

 West Virginia by Mr. Goode, in Vol. I, Proceedings TJ. S. National 

 Museum, page 204, I wish to mention that this Porcupine, Erefhizon 

 dorsatns, is still, thougli rarely, found in Maryland. In the museum 

 of the Maryland Academy of Sciences is a specimen from Alleghany 

 Proc. Nat. Mus. 81 11 Aii§r. 11,1881. 



