2 proceedings of the academy of [jan.^ 



January 8. 

 The President, Samuel G. Dixon, M.D., in the Chair. 

 Nineteen persons present. 



The death of Baron Edmond de Selys-Longchamps, a corre- 

 spondent, was announced. 



The Food of the Cod. — Dr. Benjamin Sharp called attention 

 to some observations he had made last fall on the contents of the 

 stomaclis of the common Cod. Several hundred stomachs were 

 opened with the hope of finding shells of gastropods and bivalves. 

 Kumerous valuable shells had been taken from the Cod years ago 

 by Stimpson and Gould on the New England coast, north of Cape 

 Cod, and it was supposed that similar finds would come to light 

 from the Cod caught off Nantucket. The stomachs examined 

 were filled almost exclusively with crustaceans and for the most 

 part with species of Panojjeiis. Hermit crabs, Avithout shells, and 

 a few Crepidulte Avere also seen. Here and there young lobsters 

 were found in the stomachs, occasionally two in one stomach. In 

 one Cod, weighing about thirty-five pounds, pieces of a lobster were 

 found which, when placed together, indicated that tlie })ossessor 

 was about eleven inches in length. 



The Cod examined were all taken off the eastern end of the 

 island, between the town of Siasconset and a place called Wawinet, 

 where the tide (current) runs at a maximum of about six miles 

 an hour. The bottom consists of coarse sand and is probably 

 shifting, and consequently not a good bed for mollusks, the only 

 food for the Cod found there being crustacean. 



Dr. Sharp supposed that the decrease in quantity of the lobsters, 

 which has been so marked within the past few years, is partly due 

 to their consumption by the Cod; and as these have of late greatly 

 increased in numbers, owing to the work of the United States Fish 

 Commission, the lobsters have not been able to keeji pace with the 

 increase of their enemies. 



January 15. 

 Mr. Charles Morris in the Chair. 

 Fourteen persons present. 



