87 



From Capt. Maltby, specimens of gold-bearing 

 quartz from Kern River. 



From Mr. D. S. Marvin, specimens of Scolopenda, 

 from Forest City. 



From Mr. J. P. Buckley, a collection of Insects. 

 The thanks of the Academy were voted for the above 

 donations ; also, to the Pacific Express Co. for the 

 gratuitous carriage of specimens. 



Donations to the Library. 



From the Linnean Society, of London, the second 



volume of their Proceedings. 



San Francisco, March 31, 1856. 



President in the Chair. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 



From the Arizona Mining Company, Red Oxide of 

 Copper, containing eighty per cent, of the metal ; 

 Grey Sulphuret of Copper ; Malachite, and Black 

 Oxide of Copper from Arizona. 



From Mr. George Black, specimens from the cre- 

 taceous rocks of Vancouver's Island, consisting of 

 Inoceramus, Ammonites, Baculites, &c. The thanks 

 of the Academy were voted for the above donations. 



From Dr. Eckel, a specimen of Gordius, from 

 Grass Valley. 



From Br. Lanszweert, two larvae of Dyticus and 

 three specimens of Collambites. Dr. L. mentioned 

 that the Saturnia Californica, our native Silk 

 Worm, had made its appearance at the same time as 

 the blossoming of the Ceanothus. 



Dr. Kellogg exhibited a drawing of the Balsam oi- 

 hiza deltoidea, or Balsam Root Sunflower. The 

 roots are baked in the earth and eaten by the In- 

 dians. This specimen was brought from Red Bluffs, 

 Shasta county, by Dr. J. A. Veatch ; a specimen 

 from Placerville, has no serratures at the base of 

 the leaf (?) like the present one. 



Donations to the Library. 



From Mr. W. P. Blake, a pamphlet containing 

 papers read by him at the meeting of the Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, at Providence, R. I. 



The American Journal of Science and Arts, Vol. 

 21 No. 62, was received. 



San Francisco, April 7, 1856. 



Dr. Trask in the chair. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 



From Dr. Lanszweert, a species of Piano rbis, be- 

 lieved to be new. 



From Dr. Trask, a specimen of Graphite from Mt. 

 Washington Mine, Shasta Co., from a bed seventeen 

 feet thick ; also, two specimens of fine Limestone 

 from near Vaca Valley, Solano Co. — it receives a 

 high polish and would answer for ornamental pur- 

 poses — it is abundant ; also, three specimens of Lu- 

 traria from Tomales Bay. 



San Francisco, April 14, 1856. 

 Mr. F. Marriot and Mr. Thos. Rollandson were 

 elected Resident Members. Dr. Henry Wheatland, 



of Salem, Mass., was elected a Corresponding Mem- 

 ber. 



Donations to the Cabinet. 



From Mr. J. C. Brown, three specimens of Sul- 

 phur, one of Alum, one of Selenite, four of Copper, 

 one of Scoria, one of Efflorescent Sulphur, one of 

 Limestone and one Cactus, from Tres Virgenes. 



From Mr. Bloomer was received a donation oi 

 Plates of Numbers for Cases. 



San Francisco, April 21. 1856. 



Dr. Kellogg in the chair. 



From Dr. Lanszwert, were received specimens of 

 Coleopterous and Dipterous insects. 



From the Boston Society of Natural History was 

 received a copy of their Proceedings, Vol. 5, pp.289, 

 304. 



Dr. Kellogg's Paper. 



Dr. Kellogg exhibited a drawing and specimen of 

 an Ephedra or Joint Fir : — 



A low shrub, known among southern miners, as 

 Tea Twigs, from its general use as tea. Many prefer 

 it to the China tea, but we think nothing known is 

 likely to equal, much less supercede, the latter ; 

 although, from actual experience, we feel confident 

 our species must prove one of the very best substi- 

 tutes — it is scarcely to be compared with many herbs 

 we hear so often extolled in this respect. The tea 

 is a tonic astringent, with the odor of cinchona, and 

 evidently a restorative stomachic. It leaves a rich, 

 mellow, persistent, somewhat aromatic flavor upon 

 the palate, similar to the best black tea; and we 

 think must prove salutary in relaxations, chronic 

 diarrhoeas, etc.; in fact, one species of this family, 

 found in Asia, was formerly kept in the shops and 

 used by physicians. 



Capt. Maltby, of Kern River, has'the thanks of the 

 Academy for these specimens. We are greatly in 

 want of the iruit and flowers, and hope soon to re- 

 ceive them. This is probably the E. Americana. It 

 differs from the species found at Salt Lake. The 

 green branches sire clustered and opposite, without 

 leaves, in place of which are two opposite, very 

 minute membranous-like scales, of a brown madder 

 color, without points, the twigs striated, somewhat 

 seven sided, jointed like an Equisetum or Scouring 

 Rush — they readily separate and fall apart at these 

 joints, hence the origin of the common name Joint 

 Firs. 



San Francisco, April 28, 1856. 



President in the Chair. 



M. A. Le Plongeon was elected a Resident Member. 



From Mr. Tallant were received numerous speci- 

 mens of Algne, Sertularias, &c. 



The following paper, "On some Californian Crus- 

 tacea," was received from Mr. Wm. Stimpson, Zoolo- 

 gist to the U. S. Expedition to the North Pacific. 



The Californian coast is apparently not as rich in 

 marine invertebrata, especially of the lower orders, 

 as the generality of coasts in the same latitude ; 

 which may be owing to the want of variety in station, 

 and the paucity of inlets, bays, and islands, which 

 afford shelter to such animals. The Crustacea, how- 

 ever, although they cannot be said to be numerous, 

 can scarcely be included in this remark, as a respec- 



