Zoology. 291 



2. Note on the genera Hexapus and Arges of De Haan ; by J. D. Dana. 



The genus Hexapus of De Haan, in his first publication of lis charac- 

 ters, (in Decade I. and 11. of the Fauna Japonica, pp. 5 and 35,) is 

 arranged near Pinnothera, which it resembles in its short obese form 

 and small size. But in his last Decade, published in 1849, which con- 

 tains his final remarks on classification, at p. xiv, the genus is referred 

 to the vicinity of Pilumnus. — The outer maxilh'peds are as in Pilumnus. 

 The genus is peculiar in the 5th pair of legs being obsolete. The spe- 

 cies is the H. sexpes, (Jap., p. 63 and pi. 11, f. 6, Cancer sexj^es of 

 Fabricius, Ent. Syst., Suppl., p. 344, f. 37.) 



The genus Arges of De Haan, (Faun, Japon., p. 21,) includes only 

 a fossil species. It is Cancroid in its outer maxillipeds and near Pilum- 

 nus and also iMenippe. The abdomen in both sexes is 7-jointed ; in 

 the male oblong-trigonal, in the female ovate. The lateral margins 

 of the carapax are parallel and entire, and the general form is much 

 hke that of Cyclograpsns Audoiiinii and the allied. Distance between 

 the eyes one-fifth the breadth of the thorax. — Sp. A.parallelus (F. Jap., 

 p. 52, and pi 5, f. 4) from Japan. 



3. On the ResiiscUation of Frozen Fish ; by Prof. 0. P. Hubbard. 

 With a previous notice on this very interesting subject in the Am. 



Journal, vol. x, p. 132, I made a request that correspondents would 

 communicate other examples of the kind. In reply I have received 

 the following letter from Prof. J. P. Kirtland, M.D., which details a 

 remarkable instance of resuscitation. 



To Prof. O. P. Hubbard, Dear Sir: — In accordance with your re- 

 quest, as expressed in the foregoins article, I will communicate in de- 

 tail some facts in regard to the resuscitation of frozen fish. 



To persons familiar with the locality, it is known that a brook or 

 small rivulet arises from springs, among the granite hills between Dur- 

 ham and Haddam in the state of Connecticut and ultimately discharges 

 itself into Connecticut river a little south of the city of Middletown. 

 In its passage among the high bluffs, it in one instance winds its way 

 through a marsh of several acres in extent, immediately below which, 

 a high dam is thrown across it from bluff to bluff. This raises the wa- 

 ter some eight or ten feet over the marsh and forms a reservoir for the 

 purpose of supplying a series of mills on the stream below, during the 

 droughts of summer. At the approach of winter the artificial outlet is 

 usually closed by a gate and the water collects till it is wanted during 

 the following season. 



In this pond or reservoir had accumulated large numbers of the 

 common eel and as they were usually restrained from descending the 

 stream at the approach of winter, as is their habit when left to them- 

 selves, many of ihem had attained a large size. 



The autumn and winter of 1819-20 or of the succeedmg year 

 (which, I am not certain,) was distinguished for the scanty supplies of 

 ram and the low stages of water in the streams in that section of coun- 

 try- VVinter set in with heavy and repeated falls of snow, the drought 

 still continuing, A heavy body of ice formed on this pond and upon 

 >t rested eighteen inches or more of snow. About mid-winter the mill 

 owners drew off all the remaining water and the ice rested on the soft 

 ^ud at the bottom. The immense pressure seemed to incommode the 

 6gIs in their winter quarters and they commenced collecting in the 



