Ixxxi 



by conducting the electricity. But the soil itself was a perfect 

 conductor of electricity, and this fact should be borne in mind. 

 He had himself observed in the past that these hurricanes were 

 always most severe in the lowest places, and he cited Millcreek 

 Valley as an example. They passed over the country in the 

 form of a whirling inverted cone, and the lower part of the cone 

 had the greatest force. 



Mr. Joseph Shippen was elected an associate member. 



May 6, 1872. 



Dr. Engelmann, Vice-President, in the chair. 



Eleven members present. 



Publications received were laid upon the table. 



Mr. C. V. Riley presented to the Academy a copy of his fourth 

 annual report on the Insects of Missouri. 



Mr. Riley stated that he had in his possession a specimen o^^ 

 Menobranchus, taken from a water-pipe in the city, which he 

 would turn over to the Academy whenever it could be properly 

 cared for. 



Dr. Engelmann remarked that there were several species of 

 these animals known in this country, but only one species known 

 in Europe. They belonged to the lowest order of reptiles, and 

 were the only actual amphibia endowed with lungs as well as 

 gills, which are classed among the lowest batrachia approaching 

 the fishes. We have at least two distinct animals of this nature 

 here in our waters : one is the Menobranchus which lives in our 

 river and is occasionally discovered in the water-pipes of the 

 city ; the other and the smaller is the two-footed siren found in 

 the lakes and rivers. Two others, the Salamandrops and Am- 

 phiuma, are found in the United States. A fifth one, the 

 Axoltel, is found in the lakes of Mexico ; while a single one, the 

 Proteus, lives in the subterranean waters of Austria. Four allied 

 forms live in the tropical regions of South America and in Af- 

 rica. It is a singular fact that these ten almost embryonic ani- 

 mals constitute, as now understood, ten monotypic genera. 



Mr. Hager presented a piece of oak-wood from Frederick, 

 County, Me., stained with green, and stated that it was taken 



