55 



Dr. K. exhibited drawings and specimens of four 

 species of Ctanothus, or Tea-tree, to wit: 



C. cuneatus. This species we think deserves the 

 attention of ornamental gardners and culturists. It 

 is one of our most promising native shrubs ; forming 

 evergreen interwoven mats of the densest verdure, 

 even in the dryest soils and seasons. As a beautiful 

 border for walks we think it much preferable to the 

 Box, Baccharis, and other shrubs. Its flowers are 

 fragrant and of a delicate lilac color ; i. e. calyx, co- 

 rolla and pedicels. The whole shrub exhales a bal- 

 samic odor. 



The specific description seems to be at fault so far 

 as our own observation extends ; the leaves are not 

 " entire," but always with two or more conspicuous 

 teeth with mucronate points at the obtuse extremity; 

 reticulately pitted and glaucous beneath, but never 

 "tomentose-canescent;" glabrous. 



The specimens from the interior are dwarfish, 

 growing only a few inches from the earth ; branches 

 dark cherry-red, not pubescent, but sometimes hoary. 

 This species is quite distinct from the following with 

 which it has been confounded. 



C. macmcarpus. The fruit of this species as its 

 name imports, is unusually large. The flowers are 

 white and calyx expanded, the points not indexed or 

 cowled as usual. The leaves of this species are very 

 small, sometimes 2 or 3-toothed at the apex, and 

 the branches also opposite and sub-alternate The 

 short lateral condensed racemes, opposite, usually 

 four together, decussated, leafy at the base, about 

 six flowers in each, with a distinctly alternate inser- 

 tion, but so closely approximated as to appear like 

 umbels. 



C. azareus, Kellogg. This ipscies is supposed to 

 be new. The provisional name indicates the exqui- 

 site beauty of its flowers, which are the most vivid 

 azure or cobalt-lilac color. Stem dull red, minutely 

 warty, with occasional pubescence : branches terete. 

 The young branches and racemes short canescent 

 pubescent. Leaves ovate, sub acute ; lesser leaves 

 obtuse, somewhat fasciculate, glandulously serrate, 

 strongly 4-nerved from the base ; densely white vel- 

 vety beneath and along the veins, glabrous and 

 shining as if varnished above. Flowers on axillary, 

 elongated, compound racemose-peduncles leafy at the 

 base, about three- inches in length; fascicles of flowers 

 covered by a single ovate, acute, pubescent bract, at 

 length descending. 



The fruit we have not seen. The largest leaves 

 are scarcely one inch in length, five-eighths broad, 

 on short petioles from one-eighth to one quarter of 

 an inch in length ; the smaller and more numerous 

 fascicles of axillary leaves about one-quarter to one- 

 - half these dimensions. 



C. Califomieus, Kellogg. This species is nearest 

 allied to C. Oreganus, hence to contradistinguish it 

 we give the above provisional name. 



Branches robust, bright green, glabrous, swelled at 

 the axils ; those of the present season's growth thick, 

 tender and succulent ; leaves in the young state lan- 

 "ceolate, acute and long acuminate, becoming broadly 

 ovate, cordate at base, acute, or sub-acuminate, three 

 nerved, veins very prominent, lamina thin, entire, 

 glabrous above, glaucous beneath, sparsely pubes- 

 cent, with oppressed hairs along the veins. 



Stipules conspicuous, texture leafy lanceolate- 

 acuminate, numerous short shoots of tender axillary 

 branchlets- Flowers white, on long, stout, lateral 



CAL. ACAD. NAT. SCI. MAY, 1855. 



branch-like compound paniculate peduncles, 6 inches 

 in length, one or more leaves at the base. Appears 

 to be a deciduous species. 



Dr. K. exhibited a drawing and specimens of As- 

 clepias aeornulum — Kellogg. 



Herbaceous stem glabrous, purple, decumbent, 

 leaves large, much spreading, cordate, amplexicaul, 

 broad-acute, veins purplish ; umbel terminal, pedun- 

 cles dark lilac purple, sparsely pubescent, calyx 

 strongly pubescent, sepals lanceolate, acute, brown 

 madder purple ; petals oblong-ovate, acute, slightly 

 pubescent on the margins and back, at the apex ob- 

 scurely 5-veined, dark purple expanded or loosely 

 renexed, the involuted leaves of the staminal crown 

 without any horn from the hollow centre as is usual 

 in this genus, both the upper inner margins ascend- 

 ing into points scarcely longer than the crown. 



The Academy are indebted to E. W. Garvitt, of 

 Placerville, who furnished the above specimens. 



Col. R. D. Cutts presented for the Library Owen's 

 Report on the Survey of Wisconsin and Minnesota ; 

 Lieut. Maury's Astronomical Observations, at the 

 National Observatory, Washington, D. ft, 1845 ; An- 

 nals of the Observatory of Georgetown College, D. 

 ft, No. 1.; Catalogue of N. A. Reptiles, Part 1., Ser- 

 pents, — Baird and Girard ; Five volumes of the Pro- 

 ceedings of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science; and the Report of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution for 1852. 



Dr. Ayres presented two specimens of a new species 

 of fish, with the accompanying description : 

 Apodichtuts virescens — Ayres. 



Form elongated, much compressed, tapering both 

 anteriorly and posteriorly, dorsal and abdominal 

 outlines gently arched. Greatest depth not quite 

 one seventh of the total length; head sloping, with 

 the muzzle somewhat rounded : length of the head a 

 little less than one-tenth of the total length. 



Mouth oblique ; a line vertical to the tip of the 

 superior maxillary intersecting the pupil. Teeth con- 

 ical, blunt, not numerous, arranged in a single row 

 along the side of each jaw, and somewhat irregularly 

 placed anteriorly ; one or two on the vomer, none on 

 the palatines. 



Eyes nearly circular — their diameter contained 

 scarcely six times in the length of the head ; distant 

 nearly their own diameter from the border of the 

 upper jaw. 



Branchial apertures tolerably free, continuous, the 



membranes forming a complete union beneath. 



Scales small, imbedded. Lateral line not percepti- 

 ble. 



Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins united. 



The dorsal fin arising above the base of the pecto- 

 rals, is of almost uniform height in its whole length, 

 the height being about equal to the diameter of the 

 eye. Rays all spinous, enveloped in a thick mem- 

 brane. The point at which it joins the caudal is 

 manifest from the difference in the character of the 

 rays, though the union is complete. 



The anal fin, arising at a point nearer to the root 

 of the caudal than to the tip of the snout by twice the 

 length of the head, is of nearly uniform height, 

 (about equal to that of the dorsal) rays all soft, ar- 

 ticulated ; the point of its junction with the caudal 

 is a little posterior to that of the dorsal with the 

 same fin. It is preceded by a lanceolate bone, con- 

 cave on its anterior surface, joined to the fin like a 

 spinous ray ; the membrane covering this is incom- 



