28 



mens of the 01ive,(£Mea Europea,) with notes illu- 

 strative of its emblematic use in all ages. 



'This native Asiatic tree is well acclimated in 

 California, from San Jose, south at all the old 

 Missions: these specimens were brought by Col. 

 L. Ransom of the U. S. Survey, from San Fer- 

 nando. 



Along our sea-roast declivities and sloping val- 

 lies where the soil is sweet, or tree from stagnant 

 moisture, and mostly composed of calcareous and 

 granitic, or schistous and micaceous debris, com- 

 monly known as "flat gravel," the olive is very 

 thrifty and prolific. It grows to the height of 

 twenty or twenty-five feet with a trunk of eighl 

 or ten inches in diameter, and forms a picturesque 

 ornament to avenues, and out-grounds, as well as 

 in plantations : an eminent instance, among the 

 many thai claim our notice, of the bountiful re- 

 sources with which Providence lias blessed our 

 State. No tree is more useful in every point of 

 view, than the olive — its extreme longevity — 

 graceful branches -evergreen foliage — close- 

 grained useful wood — rapidity ol growth and 

 early maturity, yielding after the second year, 

 and bearing for ages east' ol propagation. by 

 simply planting a chip of the stump, or a cutting, 

 in short for unnumbered reasons, it cannot fail to 

 reccommend itself to the attention of the public. 

 There arc several species, with some varieties in 

 the form of the fruit and foliage not necessary to 

 notice. 



Dr. Win. 0. Ayres presented the following de- 

 scription (with the specimen) of a Lamprey from 

 this vicinity. 



Petromyzon plvmbeus, Ayres. — Form elonga- 

 ted, slender, sub-cylindrical anteriorly, compress- 

 ed posteriorly; length of the only specimen yet 

 observed, four inches and three fourths. 



Eyes large, distant twice their own diameter 

 from the anterior border of the head; length of 

 the head, to the posterior margin of the orbit, 

 not quite one twelfth of the total length. 



Branchial orifices small, circular, disposed in 

 nearly a straight line on each side, occupying a 

 space about equal to the distance from the ante- 

 rior one (which is near the eye) to the front of 

 the head. 



Mouth provided with smooth fleshy lips, not 

 quite united posteriorly. 



The appendages, commonly described iis"tceth" 

 are only two, near the lips, one superior, and one 

 inferior, both elongated transversely. The supe- 

 rior is low in the middle, and elevated to a point 

 at each end. ranging il at first sight to appear 

 double* The inferior is serrated, having eight or 

 nine smooth nearly even points. In the throat 

 i .1 partial, smooth, horny ring, or rather ridge. 



The Ant dorml fin arises a little nearer to the 

 tip of the caudal than to the front of the head : 

 it is very low.arelied.and has a length about equal- 

 ling one eighth of the length of the fish. 



The second dorsal, separata! from the first by 

 an interval equalling about half the length of 

 that tin. is at first low, rises to a height about 

 twice that of the first dorsal, then decreases until 

 at a point half an inch from the tip of the cau- 

 dal its height is very small, and continues nearly 

 evenly SO through the remainder of the dorsal 

 space. At the extremity of the body, and in 

 all the region occupied in other species by the 

 muil. scarcely even the semblance of a fin can be 

 traced. 



This species is of a plain, uniform lead eolor, 

 inclined to green, above; bright silvery beueath. 



P. plvmbeus is apparently quite distinct from 

 any previously recognized type of this genus. — 

 The only one from which it is not widely separa- 

 ted in the arrangement of the "teeth" is the large 

 species described as inhabiting the Columbia 

 River, l J . tridentatus, G-aird. Witib any of the 

 European forms, or those found on the eastern 

 slope of this continent it is scarcely necessary to 

 compare it : the ■•teeth, - ' the fins, the colors, the 

 size distinguish it. from tridentatus. It is un- 

 doubtedly always a small fish. 



The specimen described was taken in the Bay 

 of San Francisco, in November 1854. 



I have not been able, as yet. to ascertain the 

 occurrence of Lampreys in any of the rivers of 

 ( 'alilornia. 



A letter was received from the Royal Acade- 

 my of Sciences at Berlin, acknowledging the re- 

 ceipt of the first No, of the Proceedings of this 

 Academy; also a letter from Prof. Henry of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, promising to send to the 

 Academy a suite of Meteorological and Mae net 

 ic instruments. 



On motion of Mr. Sloat, it was 



Resolved, that the proposition of Dr. W. P. 

 Gibbons to deliver a course of Chemical Lec- 

 tures, in aid of the funds of the Academy, be ac- 

 cepted. 



Mr. Ilelllv was elected Recording Secretary. 



Feb. 12, 185f.. 



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



Dr. .). I». Trask, presented three specimens of 

 Naiades, with descriptions, from the Sacramento 

 River, and Lagoons. 



Anodonta Randal 1 1, Trask. — Shell, obtusely 

 triangular, rather thick, posterior margin alated, 

 attenuate, obtusely rounded, anterior margin 

 roundly-pointed, posterior margin sub-accuminate 

 near the line of the ventral margin, ventral mar 

 gin nearly straight, slightly compressed along the 



lii f the edge laterally and internally, rather 



acutely rounded at the posterior end, an elevated 

 ridge extends from the umbo to the posterior an- 

 gle of the ventral margin, umbones much corro- 

 ded, rather indistinct, lateral ridge sub-acute and 

 rounded, becoming somewhat obsolete as it ap- 

 proximates the umbo, dorsal line arcuate inclu- 



