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  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  B. 
  F. 
  Ellis. 
  Shells 
  from 
  San 
  Pedro, 
  Cal. 
  ; 
  presented 
  by 
  George 
  

   Davidson. 
  Double-headed 
  Snake, 
  from 
  Tuolumne 
  County, 
  Cal. 
  ; 
  

   also, 
  specimen 
  of 
  Petrified 
  Wood 
  (Mesquit 
  ?), 
  from 
  Prescott, 
  

   Arizona; 
  presented 
  by 
  Henry 
  Edwards. 
  Branch 
  of 
  California 
  

   Nutmeg 
  Tree 
  {Torreya 
  Calif 
  ornic 
  a) 
  , 
  yfith 
  Fruit, 
  by 
  A. 
  R. 
  Saus- 
  

   man. 
  Specimens 
  of 
  California 
  Fishes 
  : 
  Chiropsis 
  pictus, 
  Girard 
  ; 
  

  

  C. 
  constellatus, 
  Girard 
  ; 
  and 
  Pleuronichthys 
  coenosus, 
  Girard 
  ; 
  

   presented 
  by 
  Dr. 
  F. 
  Steindachner. 
  Lithographic 
  Limestone, 
  from 
  

   Solenhofen, 
  Bavaria 
  ; 
  presented 
  by 
  Jacques 
  J. 
  Rey. 
  

  

  In 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  piece 
  of 
  wood 
  from 
  the 
  Weskie 
  Tunnel, 
  

   the 
  donor 
  states 
  that 
  " 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  a 
  log 
  which 
  was 
  cut 
  off 
  in 
  

   driving 
  the 
  tunnel, 
  350 
  feet 
  from 
  its 
  mouth 
  and 
  750 
  feet 
  vertical 
  

   distance 
  from 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  log 
  lies 
  in 
  aurifer- 
  

   ous 
  gravel 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  bed-rock, 
  and 
  the 
  portion 
  not 
  removed 
  to 
  

   make 
  way 
  for 
  the 
  tunnel 
  still 
  remains." 
  The 
  above 
  specimen, 
  

   which 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  light, 
  not 
  being 
  petrified, 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  red- 
  

   wood 
  (Sequoia'). 
  Of 
  the 
  portions 
  of 
  (petrified) 
  root 
  presented 
  with 
  

   the 
  above, 
  it 
  is 
  stated 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  " 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  tunnel, 
  and 
  

   within 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  of 
  the 
  log" 
  ; 
  and 
  were 
  found 
  "imbedded 
  in 
  a 
  

   seam 
  of 
  slate 
  bed-rock," 
  and 
  " 
  were 
  broken 
  from 
  a 
  root 
  which 
  had 
  

   every 
  appearance 
  of 
  having 
  grown 
  where 
  he 
  found 
  it." 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Stearns 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  turtle-shell 
  presented 
  by 
  Capt. 
  Metz- 
  

   gar 
  as 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  family 
  Cheloniidoi 
  and 
  the 
  genus 
  Caretta 
  

   of 
  some 
  authors 
  {Eretmoi 
  helys 
  of 
  others) 
  ; 
  the 
  carapace 
  before 
  us 
  

   belongs 
  to 
  the 
  so-called 
  " 
  hawk-bill 
  turtles," 
  and 
  the 
  large 
  scales 
  

   furnish 
  the 
  tortoise-shell 
  so 
  highly 
  prized 
  in 
  the 
  arts. 
  The 
  shelly- 
  

   plates, 
  preparatory 
  to 
  being 
  manufactured, 
  are 
  washed, 
  boiled, 
  and 
  

   steamed, 
  and 
  while 
  moist 
  and 
  flexible 
  are 
  flattened 
  by 
  pressure. 
  

   From 
  the 
  hole 
  near 
  the 
  anterior 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  shell, 
  and 
  just 
  below 
  

   the 
  ridge, 
  it 
  is 
  supposed 
  that 
  the 
  turtles 
  are 
  procured 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  

   a 
  spear, 
  as 
  other 
  shells 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  region 
  are 
  similarly 
  perfor- 
  

   ated. 
  The 
  flesh 
  of 
  the 
  above 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  esteemed 
  as 
  highly 
  as 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  green 
  turtles 
  ( 
  Chelonia) 
  which 
  belong 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  fam- 
  

   ily, 
  and 
  are 
  also 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  California. 
  

  

  The 
  President 
  stated 
  that 
  the 
  fossil 
  remains 
  near 
  Lake 
  Merced, 
  

   referred 
  to 
  by 
  him 
  at 
  a 
  previous 
  meeting, 
  had 
  been 
  secured 
  for 
  the 
  

  

  