56 



plete at the tip, so that the anterior concavity is a 

 chamber communicating with the surrounding water, 

 but no duct can be traced opening into this chamber 

 from the internal organs. 



The pectorals are short, broad, and rounded, their 

 height being less than half the length of the head. 



Ventral fins, none. 



Caudal fin rounded, its height just half the length 

 of the head. It has twenty-six rays ; the rays of the 

 dorsal and anal can scarcely be counted, from the 

 thickness of the membrane. 



Color almost uniform greenish olive, in some in- 

 stances a bright pea-green. A narrow, vertical, 

 black vitta runs from the lower border of the eye 

 downward ; another of similar breadth, from the up- 

 per border inward and backward to the occiput 



A. virescens is taken in the bay of San Francisco, 

 but is apparently not common. The largest speci- 

 mens yet seen are about nine inches and a-half in 

 length. 



From A.flavidus, G., a species said to be found 

 here, but which we have not yet seen, the present is 

 distinguished by the length of the head, the gape of 

 the mouth, the size of the eye, and the coloring ; — 

 from A. violaceus, G., it is separated by the length 

 of the head, the absence of a lateral line, the form of 

 the dorsal, the extent of the anal, the union of the 

 caudal with the two adjoining fius, and the coloring. 



Sax Francisco, May 28, 1855. 

 Col. L. Ransom in the Chair. 

 Mr. James Tallant and Mr. Henry C. Macy were 

 elected resident members. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 

 From B. W. Brooks, a specimen of Sandstone from 

 the vicinity of Lake Merced. 



From 0. H. Thomas, a fossil tooth and part of a 

 tusk from Matelot Gulch, near Columbia, Tuolumne 

 Co. 



From F. Johnson, a species of Eutainia, taken near 

 the Presidio. 



The thanks of the Academy were voted for the 

 above donations. 



From II. G. Bloomer, specimens of the Rafincsquia 

 Californica. 



From J. B. Trask, specimens of a Murex and of 

 Ranella Trigonal if. 



Donations to the Library. 

 Characteristics of some Cartilaginous Fishes of the 

 Pacific Coast of North America, by C. Girard, from 

 the author. 



Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural LTis- 

 tory, vol.5, pages 81 to 96, from the Society. 



Dr. Kellogg exhibited drawings and specimens of 

 two species of violet from the interior, neither of 

 which are described, so far as we are able to learn. 

 Viola montana, Kellogg. Acaulescent, branches 

 procumbent, glabrous, angled ; leaves thick, some- 

 what succulent, pale green, and slightly glaucous, all 

 pedately 7-lobed, lateral lobes largest, oblique, deep- 

 ly 4 to 5 toothed or sub-lobed ; middle lobe- simple, 

 or cuneate tridentate ; stipules broad, obliquely ovate, 

 lanceolate incisely dentate, acuminate ; peduncles 

 rather longer than the leaves, sepals broadly lanco- 

 late, acute, the lower broader, somewhat oblique ; 

 two upper petals, glabrous, lilnc-'ilue on ths bat k, 

 delicate straw color in front, with blue lines ; lateral 



petals yellow, with blue veins and a tuft of short vel- 

 vety pubescence; lower petal beautifully striated 

 with dark brown radiating lines on a shaded ground 

 of orange, deeply emarginate, glabrous ; spur short, 

 appendages of anthers carinate, not spurred, as long 

 as anthers ; style attenuated towards the base, stig- 

 ma capitate, hirsute especially on each side, glabrous 

 on the lower side, foramen large. About three inch- 

 es in length. 



Viola purpurea, Kellogg. Stem strongly angled, 

 purple, hirsute, as also all parts of the plant, except 

 the upper surface of the leaves, lower leaves round, 

 deeurrent into the thick grooved petiole, \ipper leaves 

 ovate, sub- acute, obtusely crenate, lamina thick 

 fleshy, granular and glabrous above, veins purple ; 

 pubescent and purple beneath ; stipules very broad- 

 ly fin-shaped, thin, about 6-nerved, sctaceously den- 

 tate, long mucronate-acuminate ; peduncles nearly 

 twice the length of the leaves ; two setaceous bracts 

 near the middle ; pistil clavate, attenuated below, a 

 tuft of long hairs on each side only, foramen large, 

 stigma purple ; spur very short, obtuse ; sepals sub- 

 emarginate behind, lanceolate, acute, mucrouate. 



The flowers medium size, all the petals light brown 

 madder purple outside, yellow within ; upper petals 

 not striated ; the lateral, with three or four brown- 

 ish purple lines, a minute tuft of hairs near the up- 

 per margin, lower petal slightly emarginate, striated, 

 capsule canescently pubescent (in the specimen be- 

 fore us) marked with three broad stripes of purple, 

 alternating with three green. 



Dr. Kellogg also exhibited specimens and a draw- 

 ing of a species of Sentcio, to which the provisional 

 name of 8. spatulifolia has been given. 



Stem fastigiate, striate, sparsely arachnoid tomen- 1 

 tose, upper leaves linear-lanceolate entire, margins 

 revolute, sessile, sub-hastate at base, arachnoid to- 

 meutum beneath deciduous ; lower and radical leaves 

 narrow-lanceolate, spatulate on very long and slender 

 petioles, expanded insertion, thick fleshy, very glaii- 

 cous entire,mid-rib prominent, obscurely triplincrvcd; 

 corymb simple, flowers few (about six to eight), 

 large, on long fastigiate peduncles, with three to five 

 alternate bracteal scales ; involucre large, cylindri- 

 cal, somewhat swelled at the base, calyculate by a 

 few subulate bracteoles, scales glabrous, (light green 

 tipped with orange) rays four or five, long reflexed or 

 lax-recurved. 



This species is found near Placerville, the involu- 

 cral scales about 18, achenia 5-augled 40 to 50 ; rays 

 | inch long 3 toothed ; leaves 4 to 5' inches in length, 

 J to | inch in width, stem 1 to 2 feet high. 



Also a drawing and specimen of Triaitalis Ameri- 

 cana, or Chickwecd Wintergreen. 



The specimens we have examined have six instead of 

 seven divisions to the calyx, and the same of the co- 

 rolla, divisions ovate-acute, not "acuminate," also 

 six stamens; the whorl of (Helical <t the top 



of the naked stem, are very broad and large, oblong- 

 lanceolate or obovate-laaoeolate, acuminate, entire, 

 not "serrulate:" upwards of 3 inches in length, about 

 1 j inches in width. 



Dr. K. also exhibited specimens and drawing of a 

 beautiful Pentstcnwn or Beard-tongue, supposed to 



be new. 



P. TKNKI.l.l s— K.llogg. 

 Stem perennial, somewhat ascending glabrous, 

 lower leaves numerous, very narrow lano -.-pa dilate 

 OB long attenuated petioles, in . .j >].. •>; t o and decus- 

 sate lasieulate clusters, acute, mucronate, entire; the 

 u i 'per leaves opposite, Mssile, narrow ly lance-point nl, 

 cordate clasping at base, the lower portion of the 





