23 



Jan. 6tlt, 1855 - 



Aunual meeting by adjournment. Col. L, 

 Ransom in the chair. 



Reports were received a' id placed "ii file from 

 the Trustees, the Treasurer, the Li! rarian, the 

 Curat- >rs, and the Corresponding Secretary. 



The following officers for the year ensuing were 

 elected : 



President — Dr. A. Randall. 



First Vice President — Col. L. Ransom. 



Second Vice President — Dr. H. Gibbons. 



Recording Secretary — Dr. C. F. Winslow. 



Corresponding Secretary— Dr. W. P. Gib- 

 bons. 



Treasurer — Mr. T. J. Nevins. 



Librarian — Mr. T. J. Nevins. 



Curator of Zoology — Dr. W. 0. Ayres. 



Curator of Botany — Dr. T. L. Andrews. 



Curator of Geology and Mineralogy — Dr. 

 W. P. Gibbons. 



Committee of Publication — Mr. Wm. Heff- 

 lby, Dr. W. U. Ayuios, Dr. H. Gibbons. 



Jan. 8th, 1855. 



Col. L. Ransom, Vice President in the chair. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and 

 approved. 



Mr. Davis of Mercantile Library Associa- 

 tion presented Uvo specimens of stalactite 

 and stalagmite, taken fiom a limestone cave 

 in Santa Cruz, Cal. 



Dr. Kelloirg exhibited a specimen of Cupres- 

 sus Tkyoides or White Cedar from the head- 

 waters of the Sacramento; — also the drawing 

 of a a new' variety of Quercus provisionally 

 named Querent Ransomi, from the vicinity 

 of the summit of Tejon Pass. 



Mr. Sloat presented a specimen of Gryl- 

 lotnlpa from Mr. Mathews. 



Dr. Ayres read the following paper on two 

 species of Liparis. 



Liparis pulchellus, Ayres — Of this singular 

 little fish, but a single specimen has yet been 

 observed. It was among a number of small 

 fishes, at a fish-stall in one of the markets, 

 and was probably taken in company with 

 them, in some of the shallow waters of the 

 Bay. it is six inches in length. 



Form elongated, much compressed posteri- 

 orly, breadth and depth nearly equal anteri- 

 orly. Head subquaurangular, the sides being 

 nearly vertical, with the upper and lower sur- 

 faces horizontal. Dorsal outline of the head 

 •loping to the snout, which is very abrupt, 

 [FEB. l.| 



appearing as though truncate transversely. — 

 Breadth of the head contained six times in 

 the total length; length of the head a very 

 little greater than its breadth or depth. 



Eyes placed midway in the length of the 

 head; distance between the eyes equal to half 

 the length of the head; diameter of the eye 

 equal to half the distance between the eyes. 



Gill-opening above the base of the pecto- 

 ral fin, small, only about equalling the diam- 

 eter of the eye; the minute, slender opercu- 

 lar bone forming a small projection backward 

 covered with the skin. 



Mouth equalling in transverse diameter the 

 distance between the eyes, but extending 

 very little posteriorly, by no means reaching 

 the line of the orbits. Lips smooth and fleshy. 

 Teeth numerous, even, fine in each jaw, ar- 

 ranged in tesselated regularity, like those of 

 some of the Rnys; each tooth has a central 

 prominence, causing its apex to appear par- 

 tially tridentate. Similar teeth are found on 

 the pharyngeals; none on the palatines or 

 vomer. Lower jaw shorter than the upper. 

 Mouih nearly terminal. 



Anterior aperture of the nostrils tubular, 

 about half way from the eye to the snout; 

 posterior aperture smaller, seeming like a mu- 

 cous orifice near the orbit. 



Mucous pores numerous and large, espe- 

 cia'ly about the head. 



Skin smooth, scaleless, so loosely attached 

 by cellular tissue to the muscles beneath as 

 to be largely movable. 



Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins united, so as 

 not to be distinguished. 



Dorsal fin single, elongated, arising far for- 

 ward (less than half an inch from the head,) 

 its greatest height, which is in its posterior 

 half, equalling half the length of the head. 



The anal arises about half an inch poste- 

 rior to the origin of the dorsal, which fin it 

 equals in height. 



The rays which occupy the place of the 

 caudal fin are, like those of the' true dorsal 

 and anal all simple; a few of the central ones 

 project beyond the general outline of the fins, 

 and indicate a true caudal, giving a rounded 

 lanceolate termination. 



The pectorals arise each from a base equal- 

 ling in length the breadth of the head, and 

 extending forward beneath the throat so as 

 almost lo meet its fellow of the opposite side, 

 the two when closed covering and conceal- 

 ing the ventral disc. The upper portion of 

 the fin, equals in height the length of the 

 base; it then diminishes to less than half that 

 height, while further forward still the height 

 increases and tin' rays are free at their lips, 

 the extreme anterior rays being again veiy 

 short. 



