Stodder.] 102 



Harvev and Bailey's figure of H. punctata has be^ printed, but 

 can hardlv be said to be published as yet. One hundi-ed copies 

 only of their report were printed by order of Congress. Two years 

 as;o, these were in the custody of the Librarian of Congress, and 

 remained in the original package as received from the printer, and 

 it is probable that they yet remain among the unarranged material of 

 the Congressional Library. Fortunately for Science, Professor Asa 

 Gray had some copies printed at his own expense, one of which I now 

 possess. The figure of HyalosLra punctata at once shows its identity 

 with Rhabdonema mii'ificum of Smith. 



WTiich of these names shoidd be accepted ? It is univei-sally ad- 

 mitted that priority of publication secm-es the right of the author to 

 the name. But what is publication ? Is it merely a description in 

 words, or are figures necessary ? Harvey and Bailey's description is 

 fuller and more definite, though they mistook the genus, than Smith's 

 and Arnott's. The two genera are closely allied, but the form in 

 question undoubtedly belongs to Rhabdonema. There can be but little 

 doubt, that Smith knew of Harvey and Bailey's description of Hyalosira 

 punctatum, still less doubt that Arnott and Brightwell knew of it 

 when they wrote in 1858 and 1859; while Ralfs certainly knew it in 

 1860, when he edited the fourth edition of Pritchard, as he publishes 

 descriptions of both species on opposite pages. All these experts, 

 Ralfs. Brightwell and Ai-nott, and probably Smith, were familiar with 

 the description of Harvey and Bailey, and not one of them appears 

 to have suspected even the identity of the two. L'nder these circum- 

 stances I think it must be decided that Harvey and Bailey, although 

 the original discoverers, are not entitled to the priority, but that Smith's 

 name, first figured by Brightwell in 1859, must be accepted, and the 

 name given by Harvey and Bailey to this species, one of the most 

 beautiful of the Diatomacese, must be cancelled. 



March 1, 1865. 

 Mr. C. K. Dillaway in the chair. 



Thirty-seven members present. 



Mr. T. T. Bouve exhibited a Gannet, recently obtained for 

 the Society, in the plumage assumed by the bii-d in its change 

 j&'om the young to the adult stage. 



Dr. Jackson made some remarks on Petroleum, its mode 



