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  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  tific 
  periodicals 
  on 
  tlie 
  different 
  families 
  of 
  Coleoptera, 
  his 
  knowledge 
  of 
  this 
  

   extensive 
  and 
  difficult 
  order 
  of 
  insects 
  being 
  wide 
  in 
  the 
  extreme, 
  while 
  his 
  

   " 
  Eevision 
  of 
  the 
  Coccinelidas 
  " 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  the 
  standard 
  of 
  all 
  tlie 
  in- 
  

   formation 
  we 
  possess 
  upon 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  that 
  group. 
  Just 
  previous 
  to 
  his 
  

   death 
  he 
  had 
  undertaken 
  the 
  revision 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  American 
  Phytophaga, 
  and 
  

   had 
  already 
  published 
  some 
  valuable 
  information 
  concerning 
  this 
  family. 
  Ilis 
  

   energy 
  and 
  enthusiasm 
  in 
  the 
  pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  objects 
  of 
  his 
  special 
  study 
  knew 
  

   no 
  bounds, 
  and 
  the 
  knowledge 
  he 
  possessed 
  of 
  their 
  habits 
  enabled 
  him 
  always 
  

   to 
  discover 
  new 
  species, 
  even 
  in 
  localities 
  which 
  had 
  previously 
  been 
  subjected 
  

   to 
  a 
  somewhat 
  strict 
  and 
  careful 
  search. 
  As 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  his 
  skill 
  as 
  a 
  col- 
  

   lector, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  stated 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  few 
  months 
  he 
  passed 
  on 
  this 
  coast, 
  he 
  

   added 
  between 
  three 
  and 
  four 
  hundred 
  species 
  to 
  our 
  collections. 
  He 
  had 
  planned 
  

   a 
  trip 
  to 
  Central 
  America, 
  and 
  subsequently 
  one 
  to 
  the 
  Islands 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific, 
  

   and 
  to 
  Australia, 
  both 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  cut 
  short 
  by 
  his 
  untimely 
  death. 
  

   The 
  grass 
  which 
  covers 
  the 
  grave 
  of 
  George 
  Robert 
  Crotch 
  will 
  grow 
  above 
  

   the 
  remains 
  of 
  a 
  most 
  able 
  naturalist, 
  a 
  true 
  and 
  generous 
  friend, 
  and 
  an 
  accom- 
  

   plished 
  and 
  genial 
  man. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Use 
  of 
  Giant 
  Powder 
  (Dynamite) 
  foi' 
  Obtaining 
  Speei- 
  

   mens 
  of 
  Fish 
  at 
  Sea. 
  

  

  BY 
  A. 
  W. 
  CHASE, 
  U. 
  S. 
  COAST 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1873, 
  1 
  made 
  some 
  experiments 
  off 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Santa 
  

   Catalina 
  with 
  giant 
  powder, 
  which 
  have 
  some 
  points 
  of 
  interest. 
  They 
  were 
  

   not 
  undertaken 
  at 
  first 
  as 
  otforiug 
  any 
  field 
  of 
  research, 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  more 
  utilita- 
  

   rian 
  purpose 
  of 
  obtaining 
  fish 
  for 
  " 
  chowder." 
  

  

  I 
  was, 
  however, 
  so 
  much 
  struck 
  with 
  the 
  variety 
  and 
  number 
  offish 
  procured, 
  

   and 
  also 
  with 
  some 
  curious 
  facts 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  suspension 
  of 
  animation 
  in 
  

   the 
  nerve 
  centers 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  stunned, 
  that 
  I 
  wrote 
  to 
  the 
  late 
  lamented 
  Agassiz 
  

   on 
  the 
  subject. 
  In 
  his 
  reply, 
  which 
  is 
  dated 
  June 
  18th, 
  1873, 
  he 
  states 
  that 
  the 
  

   letter 
  is 
  full 
  of 
  interest, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  experiments 
  should 
  be 
  continued 
  and 
  va- 
  

   ried, 
  and, 
  of 
  course, 
  asked 
  me 
  to 
  send 
  specimens, 
  etc. 
  But 
  further 
  correspond- 
  

   ence 
  on 
  a 
  subject 
  which, 
  to 
  me, 
  promised 
  to 
  be 
  exceedingly 
  interesting, 
  was 
  cut 
  

   short 
  by 
  his 
  death, 
  and 
  the 
  specimens 
  I 
  afterwards 
  obtained 
  are 
  lying 
  in 
  alcohol 
  

   with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  that 
  Dr. 
  Steindachneriook 
  with 
  him 
  to 
  Vienna. 
  

  

  As 
  you 
  are 
  all 
  doubtless 
  aware, 
  giant 
  powder 
  No. 
  1 
  is 
  simply 
  nitro-glycerine, 
  

   with 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  an 
  absorbent 
  earthy 
  powder, 
  an 
  infusorial 
  earth 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   Europe 
  being 
  the 
  principal 
  material 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  factory 
  here. 
  The 
  powder 
  thus 
  

   prepared 
  has 
  the 
  appearance 
  and 
  consistency 
  of 
  soft 
  putty, 
  and 
  is 
  put 
  up 
  in 
  car- 
  

   tridges 
  the 
  length 
  and 
  shape 
  of 
  an 
  ordinary 
  candle. 
  In 
  using 
  it 
  for 
  explosion 
  in 
  

   water, 
  the 
  cap 
  is 
  fitted 
  on 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  fuse, 
  and 
  both 
  buried 
  deep 
  in 
  the 
  soft 
  

   powder, 
  a 
  string 
  being 
  then 
  tied 
  tightly 
  around 
  the 
  fuse 
  where 
  it 
  comes 
  in 
  contact 
  

   with 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  paper 
  wrapper. 
  The 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  cartridge 
  is 
  then 
  tallowed, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  ready 
  for 
  use. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  ordinary 
  water-proof 
  fuse 
  will 
  burn 
  about 
  one 
  foot 
  to 
  

  

  