66 



Ilume, for this and several other plants from the in- 

 terior. 



July 30, 1855. 



Col. Ransom in the Chair. 



Dr. J. A. Veatch, of Red Bluffs, Dr. Henry Bates, 

 of Shasta City, Dr. J. N. Hume, of Humboldt Bay, 

 were elected Corresponding members. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 



From Dr. Lanszweert, two specimens of Pituophis 

 catenifer, from the Mission Dolores. 



From Dr. Behr, a species of Phelipaea. 



From Dr. Kellogg, a species of Clematis, sent from 

 Placerville by Mr. Garvitt. 



From Mr. Win. A. Wallace, specimens of bark, &c. 

 obtained from Los Angeles, at 38 feet below the sur- 

 face, by artesian boring. 



From Col. Ransom, a collection of plants from 

 Mariposa county. 



Dr. J. B. Pigne Dupuytren presented for the Libra- 

 ry, 25 Nos. of ''La Science," for which the thanks of 

 the Academy were voted. 



Very beautiful drawings of plants, from the interi- 

 or of the State, embracing apparently several new 

 species, were exhibited ; the drawings were made by 

 Miss M. M. Kroh. 



Dr. Behr stated that his observations demonstrated 

 that Eutainia ordinoides, B. & G., is truly a vivipa- 

 rous species. The remark was confirmed by Dr. 

 Lanszweert. 



August 6, 1855. 



Dr. L. Lanszweert in the Chair. 



Dr. J. Eckel was elected a resident member of the 

 Academy : Mr. D. E. Hough, of Alameda Co., and 

 Mr. Broome Smith^of Clear Lake, were elected Cor- 

 responding Members. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 



From Dr. Lanszweert, specimens of Bascanion fla- 

 viventris, B. & G. and of Pituophis catenifer, B. & 

 G., with descriptions, showing in what points these 

 individuals differ from those first described. 



From Mr. T. J. Nevins, a specimen of the Barn 

 Owl, from Alameda. 



From Dr. J. A. Veatch, of Red Bluffs, a box of 

 specimens of mineral waters and deposites, which 

 were referred for examination to Dr. Luiszwccrt. 



From Dr. Kellogg, a specimen of Pogogenia with 

 a drawing, Dr. K. called the attention of the Acad- 

 emy to Torrey's Chamcebatia foliosa, as being iden- 

 tical with his drawing made last year. 



From Mr. Ainsa, specimens of silver and lead from 

 Sonora, Mexico. 



The thanks of tne Academy were voted for the do- 

 nation. 



From Mr. C. H. Raymond, a specimen of gold 

 from Australia. 



The thanks of the Academy were voted for the do- 

 nation. 



From Dr. John Torrey were received for the Li- 



brary, Plantaa Fremontianie, Observations on the 

 Batis maritima, and a Report o.. the Darlingtonia 

 Californica. 



The thanks of the Academy were voted fur the do- 

 nation. 



Dr. Ayres presented the following description of a 

 fish representing a type, entirely new to our waters. 

 Sauhus lucioceps — Ayres. 



Form elongated, nearly circular in outline ante- 

 riorly, becoming somewhat compressed posteriorly. 

 Greatest depth, which is at the commencement of 

 the first dorsal tin, contained about niue times in the 

 total length. Head flattened above, pointed anteri- 

 orly ; it-* length equal to twice the depth of the 

 body. 



Mouth very large, a line vertical to the extremi- 

 ty of the superior intermaxillary passing behind the 

 orbit of the eye. Lower jaw the longer. Entire 

 border of the upper jaw formed by the intermaxilla- 

 ries, to which the very small maxillaries seem but as 

 appendages on their superior posterior border. 



Teeth numerous, sharp, very uneven (large and 

 small intermixed), in both jaws, on the tongue, pal- 

 atines, and inferior pharyngeals ; those on the 

 tongue and pharyngeals are less uneven than the 

 others. 



Eyes large, elliptical, their longitudinal diameter 

 equal to one fourth the length of the head. Distance 

 between the eyes, equal to their own length. 



Border of the operculum very evenly arched. Op- 

 ercular apparatus entirely smooth. 



Nostrils on the upper surface of the head, nearer 

 to the eye than to the snout; posterior aperture the 

 larger. 



Scales rather large, quite conspicuous, with their 

 sides nearly parallel to each other, and the free bor- 

 der of each obtusely angular. The border of inser- 

 tion is deeply scolloped; the concentric lines very 

 line and numerous. The scales cover the entire 

 body, gill-covers, and cheeks ; the top of the head, 

 lower jaw, and throat are naked ; as are also the 

 fins. About seventy-live scales occupy the length 

 of the latera' line, with eleven above it in an oblique 

 line at the origin of the first dorsal. The lateral 

 line, curving at first very slightly downward, runs 

 thence nearly straight to the caudal fin. 



The first dorsal rin arises at a point distant from 

 the tip of the snout, by twice the long lb of the head. 

 Its lengih equals half the length of the head. It is 

 trapezoidal in form, highest anteriorly, the length of 

 the third ray being a little more than one eighth of 

 the length of the fish. 



The adipose dorsal, whose height only equals half 

 the lengih of the eye, is separated from the caudal 

 fin by a l'ttle more than the length of the first dorsal. 



The anal fin is longer and lower than the first dor- 

 sal ; its length being equal to the distance from the 

 snout to thrt posterior border of the eye. and its 

 greatest height only one third the length of the head. 

 It is a little higher anteriorly than posteriorly. It 

 terminates a little posterior to the plane of the adi- 

 pose fin. 



The pectorals, rounded, have a height a little grea- 

 ter than the length of the anal ; their length is con- 

 tained in their height about three times and a half. 



The ventral s are situated rather nearer to the 

 plane of origin of the first dorsal than to that of the 

 pectorals. They are larger than the pectorals, iheir 

 height beintr about one nlf greater. They have he 

 form quite characteristic of this group of fishes, the 

 rays increasing in length, from without inwaul.so 

 that the greatest height of the fin is at its inner bor- 



