AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 165 



One member, Mon. Chazot, gives to the society a thousand 

 francs for experiments on the domestication of the Ostrich in 

 Algeria. 



One member, M. Bossin, presents wick made of Georgia long 

 staple cotton, and seeds of that cotton for distribution among our 

 southern departments, and in Italy, Spain and Portugal, that its 

 culture may be faithfully tried by our members resident in those 

 countries. 



Some extracts were read from notes of Professor Joly, an his- 

 torical document relative to the powerful protection given by the 

 Empress Josephine, to the efforts to introduce new vegetables 

 into France. There is a remarkable letter written by her to the 

 botanist, Raffeneau Delile, during his travels in North America. 

 The Empress also extended her protection to the eflforts to^ intro- 

 duce useful animals. She endeavored to introduce herds of 

 Alpacas and Lamas, could not succeed on account of the political 

 situation of France then, but they were landed in Spain. 



The Minister of Agriculture desires from this society a report 

 on all things relative to the seven species of Bonibyx, (silk worm,) 

 procured by the society from China, India, Senegal, Brazil and 

 the United States. 



The Minister of War requests information relative to the possi- 

 bility of introducing pisciculture into the rivers and streams of 

 Algeria. 



M. Bouvenot desires a committee to take charge of experiments 

 on improvement of poultry by means of males of various races. 

 Referred to the second section. 



M. Manduyt remarked that three Senegal cranes had been kept 

 near Poitiers, in good health, since 1847, but they had not repro- 

 duced. 



One member, Mr. Sace, presented a pair of China pigs. A 

 hardy race suited to rough mountainous districts where there are 

 no means of feeding large hogs. 



Mous. Gosse — As to the oil of Duzouz, (Halicone Indicus,) 

 considered as a substitute for codfish oil, from which it differs by 

 having no disagreeable tase, and also having no lode in it. Mons. 

 Chatin doubted its value without the lode. 



MORE IGNAMES OR YAMS. 



Our honorary member, Mr. Piddington, at Calcutta, announces 

 the sending of some tubers of a peculiar species of this Batatas 

 Dioscorea to France and Algeria. They come originally from 

 New Zealand. 



