Dr. Geo. J. Engelmann exhibited a specimen of Venus's Flower 

 Basket { E uplrciei/a speciosa)^ h6\ongin^ to the sponge family, 

 and made some remarks as to its nature and habits. 



Dr. Geo. Engehiiann presented an appendix to his paper on 

 Yucca, stating that the genus is purely American, extending from 

 Virginia to Guatemala, but not occurring in South America. 



Mr. Riley stated that the Yucca is not only an interesting 

 plant botanically, but that entomologically it is curious as nour- 

 ishing, first, that most anomalous of moths Pronuba yuccasella ; 

 second, a rather anomalous butterfly, having so much the aspect 

 of a moth that it eflectually links the Rhopalocera with the Hete- 

 rocera. The larva of this butterflv bores the stems and roots of 

 the diHerent species of the genus, and through the kindness of Dr. 

 J. H. Mellenchamp of Bluftlon. S. C he had lately succeeded in 

 rearing this butterflv. It was long since described as Eiidatnus 

 yuccce by Boisd. et Lee. from Georgian specimens ; aftei'wards 

 catalogued as Castnia yucciv by Dr. F. Walker of the British 

 Museum, and finally made the type of a new genus, ^legathy- 

 tnus^ by one of our own entomologists, Mr. S. H. Scudder. 



Dr. Galnev presented some paper pulp made from corn-pith. 



Judge Holmes called attention to a valuable work on the Great 

 Ice Age, by Mr. James Geikie, who brings out and establishes a 

 glacial period of great cold, followed by an interglacial period in 

 which the ice-sheets were melted and retired into the valleys — 

 followed then by submergence — then another glacial period — 

 then a warm period down to the present time. 



Mr. O. H. Fethers and Dr. L. A. Richardson were elected 

 Associate Members. 



May 4, 1S74. 

 W. T. Harris, President, in the chair. 



Twelve members present. 



Dr. Briggs exhibited a living specimen of Arctomys Ludovi- 

 cianus, which derives its popular name of Prairie Dog from its 

 bark resembling that of the dog. He reminded the Academy that 

 this animal is classed with the Muridae, although it appears to be 

 the connecting link to the Sciuridai, its dentition resembling that 



