181 [Putnam. 



Mr. F. W. Putnam read a letter fi-om Dr. J. Bernard Gilpin, 

 of Halifax, N. S., containing the description of a Trout, from 

 the St. John River, and exhibited drawings of the fish by Dr. 

 Gilpin. He called attention to the great confusion which 

 exists in regard to the species of the genus Salmo in North 

 America, and how much there is yet to be done before the 

 number of species can be definitely determined. The Trout 

 in question, he thought, was of the same species as the one 

 found in Thompson's Pond, Norway, Maine, but to which of 

 the many named species, if they are species, it should be 

 referred, it was impossible to state from the present data. 



Mr. Putnam called the attention of the meeting to a few 

 observations he had recently made on the Pleuronectidas ; 

 stating that in the young specimens of Achii'us lineatus^ pec- 

 toral fins, composed of four well developed rays, were present, 

 and that these fins did not disappear mitil the fish was nearly 

 half grown. 



He had also noticed that the teeth on the jaws oi Platessa 

 plana were movable in fresh specimens, but that after the 

 specimens were placed in alcohol the teeth became fixed. In 

 P. dentata and P. ferruginea the teeth were not movable in 

 either fresh or alcohoUc specimens. 



The President read a letter from Dr. Brewer of the Geo- 

 logical Survey of California, on the existence of j^lants in 

 warm springs. 



Prof Nevil Story Maskelyne of the British Museum, and 

 Mr. W. T. March of Spanishtown, Jamaica, were elected 

 Corresponding Members ; and Messrs. A. K. Carruthers, A. P. 

 Wingate, Wm. H. Mendell and Wm. M. Gorham, were elect- 

 ed Resident Members. 



On motion of Dr. J. C. White, the Report of the Custodian 

 at the previous meeting was accepted, and on motion of Mr. 

 C. K. Dillaway, it was voted that it be printed under the 

 direction of the Publishing Committee. 



The storm preventing the presence of some members of the 

 Committee appointed at the last meeting upon the cliange in 

 the By-Laws, action upon them was postponed. 



