404 



Mr. C. J. Sprague, exhibited a castor bottle contain- 

 ing red pepper, which was completely riddled by the 

 grubs and perfect insects of a little beetle, apparently the 

 same as he had formerly found committing its ravages 

 among the plants of the Society's herbarium. It was 

 Ptinus fur, according to Dr. Pickering. 



Dr. J. C. White read a report on the parasites of the 

 Orthag-oriscus mola (Sun-fish), referred to him at the last 

 meeting. They consisted principally of female speci- 

 mens of Pennella filosa. Dr. White gave an account of 

 some interesting points in their structure. Attached to 

 the Pennellce were numbers of Cineras vittata. Attached 

 to the bodies of the Cineras and to the ovaries of the 

 Pennella were numerous polyp stems, the Laomedea 

 gelatinosa. 



On the skin of the same fish were other crustacean 

 parasites, usually called " fish-lice," the Cecrops Latreilli. 



The tissue of the sun-fish, which is so elastic as to 

 rebound to a considerable height when thrown upon the 

 ground, was found by Dr. White, on microscopic exam- 

 ination, to consist almost wholly of yellow elastic fibre, 

 interlaced in an intricate manner, and presenting no ap- 

 pearance of true muscle. There may be a little white 

 fibrous tissue intermixed, but the alcohol had so inter- 

 fered with the action of reagents as to render its detec- 

 tion uncertain. 



Dr. Gould spoke of the great difficulty which he had 

 recently found to exist in Europe in obtaining American 

 works on Natural History, although they are eagerly 

 sought for, especially in Germany. He alluded to the 

 high prices charged for American books by the inter- 

 ference of foreign booksellers, and mentioned one, the 

 cost of which in America was $4, and in Europe $24. 



The President nominated as a Committee on the sub- 



