74 



From Mr. Swan, specimens of shells, and the skull 

 Of a Phocaena, from Japan. 



From Lieut. E. S. Stone, of the U.S. Coast Survey, 

 specimens of shells from the Santa Barbara Channel. 



From Col. Ransom, a large specimen of Crystal- 

 lized Salt, found forty miles N. E. of the TejonPass : 

 specimens of the rock formation of Point St. Quentin : 

 rattles from species of Crotalus. killed near Kern 

 River 



From Mr. D. E. Hough, of Oakland, a specimen of 

 Cooper's Hawk. 



From Mr. Isaac Lea. of Philadelphia, were received 

 the following volumes of his works, for the Library : 

 Contributions to Geology ; Description of a new 

 Mollusk from the Red Sandstone ; Rectification of 

 Conrad*s Synopsis of the Naiades ; Notice of t e 

 Death of R. C. Taylor ; Fossil Footmarks in the Red 

 Sandstone ol Pottsville ; Description of new species 

 of Colimacea : Notice of an Oolitic Formation in 

 America, with descriptions of its organic remains ; 

 On a Fossil Saurian of the New Red Sandstone of 

 Pennsylvania, and an account of Fossil Mollusks in 

 the Carboniferous Slates ; Synopsis of the Family of 

 the Naiades; Description of a new species of genus 

 Vhio ; Description of new Fossil Shells, from the 

 Tertiary of Petersburg. Va.: Observations on the ge- 

 nus Unio. 



Dr. Ayres offered the following remarks concern- 

 ing a collection of fishes made by Lieut \Y. P. 

 Trowbridge, at or near Cape Flattery, W. T. 



The species were gathered at random, and may 

 therefore be considered as representing, in their de- 

 gree, the entire series of species occurring at that lo- 

 cality. They are thus valuable illustrations of the 

 geographical distributions of types on this coast — 

 The collection comprises the forms here mentioned : 

 Leptocottas armatus. Gir. Sebastes rosaceus. Gir. 

 var. parvus. Ayres. Sebastes variabilis? Cuv. Oph- 

 iodon e/ongatus. Gir. Gasterosttus plebeius, Gir 

 Salme rivn/aris. Ayres Clupea mirabilis, Gir. Ga- 

 dus proximvti. Gir. and Chimaera Co/liaei, Gray. 

 Every one of these species is identical with those oc 

 curring in our own immediate vicinity. The only 

 additional type in the collection is an Ammodytes. 

 Of this we have not as yet found any representative 

 in California. The species is so closely allied to the 

 European A. tobianus. that it is difficult to detect 

 any features which may separate it. The points, in 

 consideration of which A. Ameriranus was removed 

 from tobianus, are here, in the Pacific type, complete- 

 ly restored to their European form ; and though their 

 wide removal from each other in habitat is of course 

 a strong argument against their specific identity, it 

 is not of itself conclusive. 



It may be stated in this connection, that a species 

 of Pelamys lias recently been brought to our mar 

 kets. which is without question the P. sarda. The 

 closest examination fails to distinguish it from the 

 Atlantic form. 1'revious to this time we had n 

 itive knowledge of any fish in the low latitudes which 

 inhabits our waters and those of the Atlantic. 



Sax Francisco, Nov o. 1865 

 Col. Ransom in the Chair. 

 Mr. Wm. Stimpson of Boston, Mass.. Mr. Norris 



W. Palmer of Alameda, and M. Rene Lenormand of 

 Vire. France, were elected corresponding members 



Mr. D. E. Hough of Oakland, presented a specimen 

 of Cooper's Hawk. 



Dr. Ruschenberger presented, for the Library, a 

 catalogue of Medical and Surgical Works, published 

 by Blanchard &■ Lea. 



Letters were read from Mr. Isaac Lea, Dr. Wm. 

 Darlington, and Mr. Joseph Delafield. acknowledg- 

 ing their election as Honorary Members of the Acad- 

 emy. 



Nov. 12, 1855. 



Dr. Randall in the Chair. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 



From Dr. Randall, Geological specimens illustra- 

 ting the infusorial beds near Monterey. 



From Maj. H P. Heitzelmann, specimens of Chest- 

 nuts from Cape Mendocino, the fruit of a tree sixty 

 to eighty feet high, and one to two feet in diameter. \ 



Dr. Lanszweert presented the following communi- 

 cation : 



An article which appeared in the Evening Bulle- 

 tin of Nov. 10, ot the means of preventing smut in 

 wheat, seems to render appropriate the publication 

 of the following recipes, which have been used tor 

 that purpose with entire success for nearly a centu- 

 ry. Having been first employed by one of my ances- 

 tors, they have since been introduced in various parts 

 ofFrance and Germany, and are now constantly used 

 there. 



No. 1. 



Take of arsenic, and lime in powder, each two 

 pounds: boil with sufficient water to make a thin 

 paste ; when cold, macerate in this the seed wheat 

 about twelve hours, and then dry it as usual. The 

 quantity given is sufficient for five bushels of wheat. 

 No. 2 



Take one pound of the arsenic and lime, as mixed 

 in No. 1. add one pound of green vitriol or blue stone ; 

 mix and boil : use as above. 

 No. 3. 



Dissolve of nitrate of silver 72 grains, of common 

 salt and cream of tartar each 154 grains; use as 

 above for one bushel of wheat. 



No 4 

 Takp of lime in powder, and sulphate of iron, each 

 one pound : mis and use as in No. 1. 



Nov. 19. 1855. 



Col. Ransom in the Chair. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 



From Mr. Joshua E. Clayton of Mariposa, a num- 

 ber of specimens of seeds, gathered near the head 

 waters of the Mariposa, Fresno and Merced Rivers, 

 one species being known in that vicinity as the Fres- 

 no Wheat. Also a suite of specimens of the granite 

 rocks of the Yo Hamite Valley. 



From Mr. H. G. Bloomer, a cone of the Taxodium 

 gigantenm. 



Mr. Bloomer was appointed a Committee to fur- 

 nish to H. P. Partwell, of Penn Yan,N. Y., a suite of 

 the seeds of grasses and other plants from our Cabinet- 





