MINUTES OF MEETINGS. 91 



sands. A word to those who may wish to make the experi- 

 ment and I have done. 



The attempt should only be made when the eggs are 

 mature. To be secure in this, it will be best for the begin- 

 ner to take the parent fishes when they are engaged in 

 depositing the eggs. After the eggs are forced into the 

 vessel containing the water, they should be stirred about a 

 little, the water poured off, and the vessel filled again before 

 the spermatic fluid is added, after which the water should 

 be a second time agitated, in order that it may come in 

 contact with all the eggs ; this is necessary to the imi^reg- 

 nation of all of them. They should then be placed where 

 they can have running water constantly passing over them. 

 This may be done by having a series of boxes partly filled 

 with coarse sand and gravel, each placed below the other 

 in the form of a stairway, the water j)assing from the first 

 box to the second and so on. It would also be well to have 

 the bottoms of the boxes pierced with small holes in order 

 to prevent the sediment from accumulating, which is very 

 destructive to the eggs. 



These general rules, if followed, will be sure to crown the 

 effort with success. 



Cleveland, February 21, 1854. 



Society met and minutes of last meeting were read and 

 approved. 



Dr. Kirtland read an interesting letter from Agassiz on 

 Fishes, and one from J. L. Comstock, of Lyme, Conn., on 

 Birds. 



Dr. Newberry read a letter from Prof. Baird on Vivipa- 

 rous Fishes, and exhibited cranium of common Beaver and 

 Castoroides Ohioensis, also specimens of Neurojpteris and 

 Cyolopteris from the same plant. 



J. S. Newberry, Sec'y. 



