﻿ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES. 
  139 
  

  

  contracted 
  state 
  the 
  animal 
  measures 
  about 
  ten 
  inches 
  long, 
  one 
  

   and 
  seven-tenths 
  inches 
  across 
  in 
  one 
  direction, 
  and 
  one 
  and 
  one- 
  

   tenth 
  inches 
  the 
  other. 
  The 
  free 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  polyp-bearing 
  

   pinnce 
  measured 
  two 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  inches 
  ; 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  pinnce, 
  

   six-tenths 
  of 
  an 
  inch. 
  The 
  cavities 
  with 
  which 
  these 
  different 
  

   sets 
  of 
  pinnce 
  communicate 
  are 
  apparently 
  totally 
  distinct, 
  being 
  

   separated 
  by 
  a 
  mesentery 
  which 
  is 
  attached 
  to 
  an 
  axis 
  running 
  the 
  

   whole 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  This 
  axis 
  is 
  firmly 
  calcified 
  in 
  its 
  middle 
  

   portion, 
  the 
  two 
  ends 
  being 
  formed 
  of 
  a 
  softer, 
  chitonous 
  substance. 
  

   This 
  axis, 
  except 
  as 
  regards 
  its 
  length, 
  is 
  apparently 
  the 
  counter- 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  long 
  twigs 
  that 
  were 
  received 
  some 
  months 
  since 
  from 
  

   Burrard's 
  Inlet. 
  As 
  regards 
  the 
  functions 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  sets 
  of 
  

   pinnce, 
  I 
  think 
  they 
  are 
  connected 
  w^ith 
  the 
  water 
  supply 
  to 
  the 
  

   somatic 
  cavities, 
  as 
  they 
  contain 
  numerous 
  tubes. 
  Should 
  this 
  be 
  

   the 
  case, 
  a 
  connection 
  must 
  exist 
  between 
  the 
  cavities 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  mesentery. 
  These 
  pinnce 
  are 
  thickly 
  studded 
  with 
  calca- 
  

   reous 
  spiculce. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Stearns 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  larger 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  presented 
  by 
  

   Dr. 
  Blake 
  was 
  undoubtedly 
  a 
  Virgularia. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Cooper 
  suggested 
  that 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  the 
  adult 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  de- 
  

   scribed 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Gabb 
  in 
  the 
  Academy's 
  proceedings, 
  some 
  years 
  ago. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Goodyear 
  read 
  the 
  following 
  paper 
  : 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Situation 
  and 
  Altitude 
  of 
  Mount 
  Whitney.* 
  

  

  BY 
  W. 
  A. 
  GOODYEAR, 
  C. 
  E. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  27th 
  day 
  of 
  July. 
  1873, 
  Mr. 
  M. 
  W. 
  Belshaw, 
  of 
  Cerro 
  Gordo, 
  and 
  

   myself, 
  rode 
  our 
  mules 
  to 
  the 
  highest 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  peak 
  southwest 
  of 
  Lone 
  Pine, 
  

   which, 
  for 
  over 
  three 
  years 
  now, 
  has 
  been 
  known 
  by 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Mount 
  Whit- 
  

   ney, 
  and 
  which 
  was 
  ascended 
  and 
  measured 
  as 
  such 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Clarence 
  King, 
  in 
  

   the 
  summer 
  of 
  1871. 
  A 
  full 
  account 
  of 
  Mr. 
  King's 
  ascent 
  of 
  this 
  peak 
  is 
  

   given 
  iu 
  his 
  "■Mountaineering 
  in 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada," 
  pp. 
  264-281. 
  

  

  I 
  know 
  this 
  peak 
  well, 
  aud 
  cannot 
  be 
  mistaken 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  identity. 
  As 
  seen 
  

   from 
  Lone 
  Pine, 
  it 
  appears 
  perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  prominent 
  peak 
  in 
  the 
  whole 
  Sierra; 
  

   and 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1870, 
  when, 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  Mr. 
  0. 
  F. 
  Hoffmann 
  

   and 
  Mr. 
  Alfred 
  Craven, 
  I 
  made 
  a 
  trip 
  for 
  the 
  State 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  through 
  

   Owen's 
  Valley 
  and 
  the 
  Inyo 
  Mountains, 
  this 
  peak 
  was 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  constant 
  

   observations 
  by 
  us 
  for 
  a 
  month 
  or 
  more, 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Mount 
  Whitney, 
  

   — 
  which 
  we 
  then 
  supposed 
  it 
  to 
  be. 
  Moreover, 
  since 
  Mr. 
  King's 
  ascent 
  of 
  it 
  in 
  

  

  ♦Published 
  in 
  advance, 
  August 
  6th, 
  1873. 
  

  

  