386 Scientific Proceedings of the 
Dr. Wyman had also examined the recent elephant’s tooth brought from 
Singapore by Mr. Malcom. It indicates greater age than any other tooth 
on record. The successive teeth have 4, 8, 12, 15, &c. transverse plates 
of enamel, up to the eighth set which has 23 plates, which is the greatest 
number heretofore recorded. But this tooth bas 26 plates firmly solidified, 
and some others are broken off from the anterior extremity; indicating a 
very great age for the animal. 
Mr. Tuomas M. PRrewer, alluded to a remark at a former meeting 
when speaking of the cow blackbird. He had said that its eggs could 
not be hatched by the golden-finch, because that bird had not been eb- 
served to breed before the first of August, which is later than the breeding 
season of the cow ie This remark had nearly proved false. At 
a part of June,@Mr. B. had discovered two pairs of finches build- 
ing their nest:, and they had nearly completed them when the weather 
suddenly became very warm, the nests were deserted and the birds disap- 
peared. As yet, therefore his former remark holds good. 
. A. A. Gouin, had examined the marine production presented some 
time since by Mr. Bullister, and commonly called Neptune’s Goblet. He 
had not been able to find any mention of it in Cuvier’s Animal Kingdom, 
or in any scientific work, except in the Asiatic Researches, vol. xiv, p. 
180, where it is described and figured by Col. Hardwicke under the name 
of Spongia patcra. It is not a true sponge however, although it belongs 
to the family of sponges. It is common in the vicinity of Singapore. 
The President, (G. B. Emerson, Esq.,) read a report on the specimens 
of paper and pasteboard manufactured from the Beach grass, and pre- 
sented by its inventor, Mr. Sanderson, of Dorchester. The plant is the 
Arundo arenaria, Lin. It is placed in the genus Calamagrostis by With- 
ering and Decandolle, Ammophila by Hort and Hooker, Psamma by 
Palissot de Beauvais, Torrey, Eaton and Beck, Phalaris by Nuttall. It 
is called sea-reed or mat-reed, in England, and is found on all the shores 
from Iceland to Barbary, and all the Adantic shore from Greenland as 
far south as New Jersey, at least. Its principal use heretofore has been 
a negative one, connected with the very terms of its existence. It effect- 
ually secures the shifting sands on which it grows; and for that purpose 
large sums are annually appropriated by government, that by its cultiva- 
tion important harbors may be preserved. 
Mr. E. had not succeeded in finding the ingenious gentleman who had 
converted the otherwise useless stalks of this plant to so valuable a pur 
pose. The paper is not even, but it is smooth, sofi, and pleasant to write 
upon, and takes ink well. It is firm and very strong, and may be whitened 
readily. The pasteboard appears to be specially valuable. 
Mr. Sanperson has thus opened a new source for industry to the en: 
terprising inhabitants of the most barren parts of New England; and if 
he is a benefactor to his race who makes two stalks of grass to grow where 
