102 



ing, we use what are called " dip tubes," which are glass tubes 

 drawn out at one end so as to form a small orifice. When the 

 thumb is placed on the larger end, and the smaller brought down 

 under the water until it is almost in contact with the deposit, and 

 the thumb removed, the water will rush in, carrying with it some 

 of the Diatoms. The thumb is then replaced and the tube with- 

 drawn. In this way we can extract any quantity of the deposit 

 we wish. A tube should be used for only one deposit, otherwise 

 we shall be apt to have species from one gathering mixed with 

 another totally different one. I generally have the cork to each 

 of my specimen bottles with a hole in it, and a glass " dip tube " 

 passed through it. Thus each bottle is provided with a tube, and 

 if it pass tight enough through the cork, little or no evaporation 

 of the contained liquid will result. 



When removing water that has been used for washing a de- 

 posit, if we pour it off, and even if we use the guide rod, we shall 

 be almost certain to disturb the deposit, and lose some of the 

 lighter species, w^hich will be decanted with the liquid. To obvi- 

 ate this difficulty, I tip the glass so that the deposit runs down on 

 one side, and then I remove the supernatant w-ater with a large 

 pipette, using it very carefully as the water becomes lower. 

 With a little practice nearly all the water may be removed, and 

 the Diatoms left undisturbed. 



Dr. Henry Bryant read the following paper: — 



A LIST OF BIRDS SEEN AT THE BAHAMAS, FROM JAN. 20th TO 

 MAY 14th, 1859, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW OR LITTLE 

 KNOWN SPECIES : BY HENRY BRYANT, M. D. 



The Bahama Islands are scattered over a space comprised be- 

 tween 20° 55' and 27° 15' North latitude, and 71° and 78° 18' 

 West longitude. They are of every shape and size, from Andros 

 which contains more than a thousand square miles to the merest 

 point of rock, and are numbered by hundreds if not by thousands. 

 Of course in the short space of time occupied by my visit a 

 thorough examination was impossible. The following observa- 

 tions were made principally at New Providence, in the neigh- 

 borhood of Nassau, the seat of government ; I also made excur- 



