Miscellanies. ' 397 



tiles, fishes, insects and Crustacea. Among them were specimens of 

 the Molossus ater, Didelphis opossum; Surinam toad (Rana pipa); 

 Gymnotus electricus and others equally rare and valuable. 



March 21, 1839. — G. B. Emerson, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Mr. J. E. Tesciiemaciier, read a report on Darlington's "Flora 

 Cestrica.'' This work contains a vast quantity of original and valu- 

 able information; the details are minute and correct- It is the work 

 of a thorough and zealous botanist of the Linnooan school. The 

 minute and faithful description of many plants renders it indispen- 

 sable to the library of the botanist. 



Mr. T. also made a report on some minerals from Franconia ; viz., 

 Garnets associated with iron, and green Epidote, Andalusite or 

 Mackle; this had been analyzed by Dr. C. T. Jackson, but he did 

 not indicate the black substance connected with it. "Upon analysis 

 Mr. T. found it to contain j^^ magnesia, and concluded that it was 



hornblende. 



Mr. T. had examined a doubtful mineral from Franconia, and found 

 it to be the black sulphuret of zinc, or blende, in the unusual form of 

 the rhomboid dodecahedron. It is of rare occurrence, and may in- 



deed be worthy to be considered as a new speci 



Dr. D. H. Storer, spoke of the changeable localities of the Mol- 

 lusca, and mentioned particularly the Nucula thraciceformis, which 

 was not uncommonly found a year since, in the Platessa dentata, 

 taken off Race point. Cape Cod ; but though these fishes have been 

 taken there more abundantly than usual during the past winter, only 

 a single specimen has been heard of. The same fact with regard to 

 other species sometimes found abundantly on our coast, was adverted 



to by Messrs. Emerson & Gould. 



Dr. J. Wyman, made a report on three specimens of bats, two of 

 which were from Surinam, and the other from this slate. The form- 

 er were specimens of the Molossus atcr, a male and female. The 

 Molossi are characterized by incisors |}, those of the lower jaw 

 seeming to be crowded out of their places by the great development 

 of the canines ; ears broad, meeting on the median line over the nose ; 

 tragus round, outside of concha; hair black ; tail not developed by 

 interfemoral membrane. The other specimen was the Vespertilio 



4 



emarginatus. 



60. British Antarctic Expedition.— The British Government have 

 determined to send out an expedition for scientific discovery in the 

 Antarctic seas, under command of Capt. James C. Ross. The scientific 

 instructions prepared for the expedition, by the Council of the Royal 

 Society, are given in the London Athenteura, August, 1839. 



