270 



Secretary of the Chicago Historical Society; W. R. L. Ward, 

 of New York ; William Sharswood of Philadelphia, Pa. ; 

 Charles B. Norton of New York. 



A discussion relative to certain Reptiles was next intro- 

 duced in which Messrs. R. H. Wheatland, S. P. Fowler and 

 F. W. Putnam participated and elucidated several douljtful 

 points of enquiry which had heen raised. 



Mr. Jacoh Batchelder propounded a question about the 

 black henbane (Hyoscyaimis nig-er') solved by the Chair* Its 

 singular re-appearance after being lost for many years, and 

 then mostly in old cellars or upon ruins and perchance in 

 rubbish heaps, had been observed by many persons. This 

 plant has abundance of seeds yet very few seem to vegetate; and 

 the cause may be an imperfect impregnation or else something 

 peculiar in the soil may be unfavorable to its germination. 

 It forms an exception in these respects to most foreign spe- 

 cies, which the most trou])lesome weeds in our cultivation: 

 and the reasons why this is so, would form an interesting 

 enquiry for the agricultural chemist or for the naturalist. 

 The Chair remarked on the occurrence likewise of other rare 

 plants — upon some species of mosses found on the rocks of 

 Nahant, and upon the facilities, which so bold an exposure 

 to the ocean afforded to the algologist in studying the algse 

 of these northern shores. 



B. F. Mudge spoke of the geological and mineralogical 

 characteristics of this peninsula. He said that it abounded 

 in a variety of minerals ; perhaps no less than fifteen or 

 twenty kinds may be found here ; of which he instanced five 

 sorts of garnet, green epidote, sulphate of copper &c., &c. 



A colony of cliff swallows (^Hlrundo fulva, Vieillot) having 

 been noticed under the eaves of the meeting house, and their 

 nests to the number of twenty or more being singularly affixed 

 presenting a very curious appearance, gave origin to a series 

 of observations upon birds and their habits in which 

 Messrs. Batchelder, Fowler, Mudge and the Chair took part, 

 and which elicited some interestino- matter. 



