Miscellaneous. 79 
The only genus of the above in which the structure of the feet 
is well known is Phenacodus. It is partially known in Catathleus. 
The only genus of Meniscotheriide is distinguished as follows :— 
Inferior premolars consisting of two V’s ........ Meniscotherium. 
Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., March 21, 1882, p. 95. 
Domestication of Wild Ducks. 
In a paper “ On the Domestication of some of our Wild Ducks,” 
Mr. Charles Linden, the author, states, after efforts to domesticate 
several of the species, capturing them young or raising them from 
eggs, that none of those transferred to the barn-yard “ adapted 
themselves thoroughly to this state excepting the mallard, dusky 
duck, and Canada goose, the progeny of which prospered well and 
attained a greater weight and size than the ordinary domesticated 
stock. Some of them are still living, and betray, in many instances, 
a tendency to revert in point of plumage to their original condition, 
while the majority have become completely metamorphosed into 
ordinary barn-yard fowl. No hybrids from any two different wild 
species, which bred only within the enclosure, were ever obtained, 
excepting from crosses between the mallard and dusky duck.” The 
crossing was readily accomplished “ without any need of resorting 
to special inducements.” He says, “it is evident that the dusky 
duck is fully as domesticable as the mallard, which has been thus 
far supposed to be the originator of our common tamed ducks,”— 
Amer. Journ. Sct., May 1882, p. 421. 
On Balanoglossus, de. 
Prof. Leidy stated that in a recent trip to Atlantic City, he had 
observed the singular worm, Balanoglossus aurantiacus. It occurs 
in moderate number along the shore of a pond between the beach 
and the lighthouse. In the same position he had collected Solen 
ensis, specimens of which were presented this evening. As this oc- 
curred in considerable number, he had procured a sufficient quantity 
to try it as an article of food, and had found it to make excellent 
soup. In the vicinity he had picked up a number of specimens of 
Actinia rapiformis, which had recently been thrown upon the beach. 
On a tormer occasion, at Atlantic City, he had observed another 
Actinia, the Bicadiwm parasiticum, which is parasitic on the large 
jellyfish, Cyanea arctica, so frequently thrown on shore during the 
summer.—Proc, Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. Mar. 7, 1882, p. 93. 
On a new Species of Sagitta. 
Prof. Leidy stated that in a recent trip to Atlantic City, N. J., he 
for the first time met with the singular worm Sagitta. It occurred 
in large number in the same pond in which he had previously 
noticed Balanoglossus. Whether it was there at the time of his 
