20 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [January, 



ness before the Society to be the election of officers, stating that he thought 

 he had served his full time in an executive capacity, and that he must 

 be released from further duty- He therefore declined another term in 

 his present office, but assured the members that his interest would be 

 even greater than heretofore, and that he v^ould give all the assistance 

 possible to the new officers. He then reviewed the history and condi- 

 tion of the organization, and gave expression to some hopeful ideas as 

 to the future scope and extent of its work. 



The following were elected for the ensuing year : — President. Rev. 

 VV. J. Holland. D. D. ; First Vice-President. Prof. James M. Logan ; 

 Second Vice-President, C. C. Mellor ; Recording Secretary. Dr. H. 

 DePuy ; Corresponding Secretar}^ George ]\L Clapp ; Treasurer. C. 

 G. Milner ; Curator, Herbert Walker. 



In taking the chair. Rev. Mr. Holland said : — Nothing l)ut the as- 

 surance that we shall continue to have the help and co-operation of the 

 retiring President has influenced me to consent to my nomination. In 

 taking the chair I desire to emphasize a point which he has touched 

 upon ; that is. the desirability of enlarging the scope and purposes 

 of our body — in fact, making it the initial point for a grander enterprise. 

 Pittsburgh and Allegheny are rich in brain and talent as well as in 

 wealth. Whv should we not have an academy of sciences which should 

 unite in that fellowship and co-operation which we have found so pleas- 

 ant not onlv those who are devoted to the art of microscopy, but those 

 who are cultivating the great sciences to which the use of the micro- 

 scope is simplv subsidiary ? We have chemists, electricians, astrono- 

 mers, botanists, ornithologists, and geologists in the present ranks of 

 the Society. Whv not through these, our brethren, reach forth, and 

 draw into the larger society, of which ours shall form a section, the 

 great bodv of thinking men among us. many of whom have a more than 

 local reputation. If Philadelphia, when half the size of this com- 

 munity, laid the foundations of an academy of sciences, the fame and 

 power of which is world-wide, why should not we ? •• If Buflalo, Cleve- 

 land, and Cincinnati support such institutions, why should not Pitts- 

 burgh and Allegheny? " 



Dr. J. A. Lippincott and Prof. J. G. Ogden were elected members, 

 making the total enrollment 88. The regular meeting night was 

 changed to the second Tuesday of each month in order to accommo- 

 date the members who belong to the Allegheny County Medical So- 

 ciety. It was also tlecided to give a public soiree next month, with the 

 object of securing funds for scientific equipments. 



Nove7nber ij. — Mr. C. C. Mellor read a paper on •• StepJiarioceros 

 eickhornii" a rotifer rarely met with, and which w'as discovered in 

 1 761 by Eichorn, of Dantzic. The paper was illustrated with draw- 

 ings. 



Prof. Logan exnibited by polarized light a fine specimen of basalt 

 from Bridgeport, Conn. Rev. W. J. Holland exhibited a parasite, 

 presumably a species of Anobium, which he had found feeding upon 

 the tissues of a Goliath beetle. The animal was remarkably tenacious 

 of life, having lived 48 hours in an atmosphere of hydrocyanic acid. 

 Other exhibits were : — crystals of Guanadine and acctanalide : section 

 of lower jaw of pup. Aspcrffcll?!!; jjii^cr . or mould fiuigu< from diseased 

 Innnan ear. and sponge spicules from Inclian Ocean. The Society has 



