Ill 



Prof. Morse gave some facts concerning what might be 

 called carnivorous plants, those which absorb and assimi- 

 late the juices of insects, and even of pieces of meat. 

 The leaf of the fly-trap has a row of spines on the edge, 

 and some fine hairs at the centre, with a substance attrac- 

 tive to insects upon them. As soon as an insect touches 

 these hairs the leaf closes, the spines interlock and hold 

 him a prisoner. The same action is observed on touching 

 the hairs with a piece of meat. Other plants present 

 similar phenomena. This was a new field of investiga- 

 tion and might lead to important results. 



For the above facts he gave full credit to Darwin 

 and Gray, referring also to the observations of Mrs. 

 Treat. 



Vice President F. W. PUTNAM was next introduced, 

 and gave an account of the shell heaps at the light-house 

 and at Eagle Hill, and alluded to the remains of the 

 various animals that had been found in these deposits. 

 He appealed to the residents of Ipswich who perhaps 

 may explore the heaps, to be watchful for human bones, 

 as the late discoveries by Prof. Wyman in the shell heaps 

 in Florida had proved that cannibalism existed there, and 

 perhaps it may be found that our New England Indians 

 also were given to feasting on human flesh, though, as 

 yet, it had not been proved that they were guilty of that 

 practice. 



Mr. Putnam then gave an account of a singular fish 

 that had recently been presented by the Proctor Brothers 

 of Gloucester. This fish, which had been named by 

 Bloch, Chauliodus Sloani, heretofore had been found only 

 in the Mediterranean. The present specimen was taken 

 from the stomach of a cod caught on George's Banks, 

 and was a most interesting addition to our fauna. 



