386 Scientific Proceedings of the 



Dr. Wyman had also examined the recent elephant's tooth brought from 

 Singapore by Mr. Malcom. It indicates greater age than any other tooth 

 on record. The successive teeth have 4, 8, 12, 15, &c. transverse plates 

 of enamel, up to the eighth set which has 23 plates, which is the greatest 

 number heretofore recorded. But this tooth has 26 plates firmly solidified, 

 and some others are broken off from the anterior extremity ; indicating a 

 very great age for the animal. 



Mr. Thomas M. Krewer, alluded to a remark at a former meeting 

 when speaking of the cow blackbird. He had said that its eggs could 

 not be hatched by the golden-finch, because that bird had not been ob- 

 served to breed before the first of August, which is later than the breeding 

 season of the cow blackbird. This remark had nearly proved false. At 

 the latter part of June, Mr. B. had discovered two pairs of finches build- 

 ing their nest-, and they had nearly con)pleted them when the weather 

 suddenly became very warm, the nests were deserted and the birds disap- 

 peared. As yet, therefore his former remark holds good. 



Dr. A. A. Gould, had examined the marine production presented some 

 time since by Mr. Ballister, and commonly called Neptune's Goblet. He 

 had not been able to find any mention of it in Cuvier's Animal Kingdom, 

 or in any scientific work, except in the Asiatic Researches, vol. xiv, p. 

 180, where it is described and figured by Col. Hardwicke under the name 

 of Spongia patera. It is not a true sponge however, although it belongs 

 to the family of sponges. It is common in the vicinity of Singapore. 



The President, (G. B. Emerson, Esq.,) read a report on the specimens 

 of paper and pasteboard manufactured from the Beach grass, and pre- 

 sented by its inventor, Mr. Sanderson, of Dorchester. The plant is the 

 Arundo arenaria, Lin. It is placed in the genus Calamagrostis by With- 

 ering and Decandolle, Amtnophila by Hort and Hooker, Psamma by 

 Palissot de Beauvais, Torrey, Eaton and Beck, Phalaris by Nuttall. It 

 is called sea-reed or mat-reed, in England, and is found on all the shores 

 from Iceland to Barbary, and all the Atlantic shore from Greenland as 

 far south as New Jersey, at least. Its principal use heretofore has been 

 a negative one, connected with the very terms of its existence. It eff'ect- 

 ually-secures the shifting sands on which it grows; and for that purpose 

 large sums are annually appropriated by government, that by its cultiva- 

 tion important harbors may be preserved. 



Mr. E. had not succeeded in finding the ingenious gentleman who had 

 converted the otherwise useless stnlks of this plant to so valuable a pur- 

 pose. The paper is not even, but it is smooth, sofi, and pleasant to write 

 upon, and takes ink well. It is firm and very strong, and may be whitened 

 readily. The pasteboard appears to be specially valuable. 



Mr. Sanderson has thus opened a new source for industry to the en- 

 terprising inhabitants of the most barren parts of New England ; and if 

 he is a benefactor to his race who makes two stalks of grass to grow where 



