Shurtleff.] 58 



September 21, 1864. 

 The President in the chair. 



Thirty-six members present. 



The Secretary read the Report of the last regular meeting, 

 of two sj^ecial meetings held since that time, and extracts fi'om 

 the memorandum of an agreement entered into between the 

 Society and Dr. Wm. J. Walker, relative to the management 

 of the Working Fund. 



The President announced the sudden death, on June 26th, 

 of one of the most j^romising of the younger members of the 

 Society, Mr. Carleton A. Shurtleff, and read a letter from his 

 brother. Dr. Augustine Shm-tleff, presenting on behalf of his 

 family, his papers and his collections, consisting principally 

 of Insects and Plants, begging that the Society would view 

 the gift in the light of a bequest from his brother. 



Mr. S. H. Scudder offered a few remarks upon the char- 

 acter and scientific attainments of Mr. Shurtleff, and presented 

 a paper by him upon " The general Plan of Venation in the 

 Order of Insects and its modification in the different subor- 

 ders," in wdiich Mr. Shurtleff endeavored to show there were 

 six distinct veins in a normal wing, which were coupled in 

 pairs, forming thus three distinct areas, the first or anterior 

 of which, was designed for strength, the second or middle for 

 flight, while the third or posterior area was either supple- 

 mentary to the second, or specially developed for specific 

 purposes, as in the stridulating organs of the male Orthop- 

 tera. The veins of the first area arose from a side-piece on 

 the thorax distinct from that which bore those of the third 

 area, while the veins of the middle area did not appear to 

 arise from either, but to be interpolated between them. Ex- 

 am])les were cited throughout all the suborders. 



The President read a letter from Mr. W.Brigham giving 

 Bome account of observations on animal and vegetable life in 

 liot springs in California. Prof Wyman gave a resume of pub- 

 lislied observations on this point. 



The Corresponding Secretary read the following letters, 

 viz: 



