190 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



December 1st, 18TY. — Biological Section. 

 Four members present. 



Mr. Pratt, exhibited a mouse presented to the Academy by 

 Mrs. Orr, and made the following remarks on its habits: It is a 

 female of the common species — Mus musculus — and is remark- 

 able for its almost constant singing or chirping. The key note 

 is A sharp, one octave above the middle A of the piano, chang- 

 ing frequently to A sharp one octave higher, and to D sharp 

 between and probably touching other intermediate notes, but so 

 rapidly as to be difficult to distinguish. During the night, if 

 not cold, its chattering is continued without cessation, usually 

 loud enough to be heard distinctly throughout a good sized 

 room, and is a clear musical tone. It consists of about four 

 notes per second, with a frequent trill many times more rapid, 

 and running up and down the scale to the extent above men- 

 tioned. During the day it is often still, or sounding so faintly 

 as to be heard at a distance of a few inches only, and resembles 

 the pattering of drops of water. 



Several specimens of the Eel Pout {Lota lacustris, Gill) were 

 reported as having recently been taken in the Mississippi. Two 

 specimens have been presented to the Academy by John Hume 

 and Wm. Gray. 



A finely mounted specimen of "Tarantula" was received 

 from Dr. L. IST. Dimmock, of Santa Barbara, Cal. Mr. J. D. 

 Putnam remarked that it appears to be undescribed, and to be- 

 long to the section Eurypelma Koch, of the genus Mygale^ 

 which is represented in the south-eastern parts of the country 

 by Mygale avicularia DeGeer, M. hentzii Girard, and other 

 species. Under the latter name several spQcies from Colorado, 

 Utah, etc., seem to have been confounded. Specimens of all 

 these species are in the collection of the Academy. The ti'ue 

 Tarantula is a species of Lycosa^ and belongs to an entirely 

 different group of spiders from Mygale, though the habits are 

 somewhat similar. 



Mr. Putnam, on behalf of the author, presented the follow-' 

 ing paper : 



