1] 



October, 9th, 1854. 

 Col. L. Ransom in the chair. 

 Donations to the Cabinet. Mr. Ross gave 

 a bottle of Mineral water from a spring three 

 miles east of Oakland. 



Mr. Loomis presented specimens of crys- 

 tallized quartz from Mendocino. 



Dr. Trask furnished specimens of Salt, 

 crystallized from sea-water, from the Island 

 of Carmen, Gulf of California. 



Dr. Kellogg presented a drawing of a Mal- 

 vaceous shrub, furnished him by Dr. Tra.-k. 

 It was originally discovered on the Island of 

 Anacapa, and is now found growing luxuri- 

 antly in gardens near Santa Barbara. It is 

 from 12 to 15 feet high, branching, and near- 

 ly 8 inches in diameter at the base. The 

 flowers, which it bears in great profusion, are 

 of a beautiful bright pink color, with the petals 

 reflexed when the flower is fully developed. 

 Dr. K. presented also a drawing of a very 

 large species of Viola in fruit, from a speci- 

 men furnished by Dr Andrews, the flower 

 of which has not yet been seen. 



Lieut. Stone, U. S. N. gave a fresh specimen 

 of a fish, Ckimcera Colheei, specimens of 

 Balanus, of Granite, Lignite, Silicificd wood, 

 and 2 undetermined species of Insects from 

 Puget's Sound. 



Dr. W. 0. Ayrcs exhibited a new species 

 of fish, the Clypeocottus robustus, and gave 

 the following description of it. 



Clypeocottus robustus. — Ayres. — This spe- 

 cies often attains a weight of five or six 

 pounds, though my description is drawn from 

 one only seven and one fourth inches long. 



Head large, broad, depressed, body taper- 

 ing posteriorly, becoming compressed near 

 the caudal fin. Length of the head, to the 

 opercular angle, a little more than one-third 

 of the entire length; breadth two inches and 

 one iourth. Eyes far forward, rendering the 

 Ion-head very abrupt, almost vertical. Gape 

 of the mouth small, not extending beyond the 

 anterior line of the orbits. 



Head strongly spinous, mailed (as in Trig- 

 la and Prionotus.) only a few small spaces 

 being left naked by the bony plates which 

 encase it. The plates are rough with granu- 

 lations, which on some are arranged in rows. 

 The preopercnlum has commonly four spines: 

 (he first is at the posterior, superior angle, 

 straight, stout, three fourths of an inch in 



length, p33cng directly backward; the sec- 

 ond is a ie below this, about a fourth of an 

 inch in ferrgth; the third is shorter; the ante- 

 rior inferior angle forms the fourth, strong and 

 well marked, about equal to the second in 

 length. The operculum, along its superior 

 border, has a stout, angular, straight, sharp 

 pointed ridge, seven tenths of an inch long, 

 perfectly analagous to the first preopercular 

 spine (though no part of it is free,) the two 

 lying parallel, side by side, similar in appear- 

 ance, both granulated, nearly coterminal; the 

 membranous operculum extends a little be- 

 yond the ridge; the inferior angle presents al- 

 so a spine, comparatively feeble, partly con- 

 cealed. The gill-covers, when extended, give 

 the head an aspect as formidable as that of 

 any of the Acanthocotti. Each nasal bone 

 forms a small spine. The crests of the or- 

 bits are somewhat ridged, though not spinous, 

 and from each a ridge passes backward the 

 length of the head. 



The lateral line is marked by an imbrica- 

 ted row of strong, granulated plates, similar 

 to those covering the head. The largest, 

 those nearest fhe head, are half an inch 

 across vertically, which is about twice their 

 longitudinal diameter. They are obscurely 

 ridged not spinous. The other parts of the 

 surface are destitute of plates or scales. 



Teeth even, fine, and crowded on the low- 

 er jaw, inlermaxillaries and vomer; none on 

 the palatines. 



The first dorsal arises a little in advance 

 of the opercular angle, and is an inch and 

 one fourth in length, rounded, the greatest 

 height (equal to half the length) being at the 

 third and fourth rays. The rays are spinous, 

 but not rigid. 



The second dorsal, separated from the first 

 l>y an interval of one fourth of an inch, ie an 

 inch and a half long, an inch high, rounded; 

 rays very slightly divided — this is true of the 

 articulated rays of all the fins except the 

 caudal. 



The anal, opposite the second dorsal, is en- 

 tirely similar to that fin in height and in form 

 but is a little shorter; the rays are free at 

 their tips. 



The pectorals, on a base of an inch and one 

 fourth extending forward almost to the ante- 

 rior preopercular spine, are an inch and si\ 

 tenths in height, rounded, of the cottoid form; 

 there are no separate or detached rays. 



The ventrals, opposite about the middle of 

 the insertion of the pectorals, are an inch in 

 height; the last ray is so connected to the 

 body by membrane as to restrain the motions 

 of the tin to a certain degree. 



The caudal, nearly square, is an inch and a 

 fourth in height, on a base of half an inch ; 

 rays branched. 



