Jo6 West American Scientist. 



the Smithsonian Institution, including all those bearing upon 

 Microscopy. A special vote of thanks was tendered Congress- 

 or his good offices in procuring this donation. 



A very h : ecimen of crystallized sulphate of baryta, 



from Derbyshire-, ngiand, was received from Thos. Clark of the 

 Birmingham Natural History Society It bore a most remarkable 

 resemblance to a transverse section of a vegetable stem. 



Mr. Howard showed specimens of Noctiluca miliaris, the inter- 

 esting little organisms to which is mainly due the well-known 

 "phosphorescence" of the ocean. The gathering (which was a 

 very plentiful one) also contained numerous specimens of the 

 rare Leptodiscus medusoides (Hertwig), an organism allied to 

 Noctiluca, but distinguished from the' latter principally by the 

 entire absence of any transveisely-striated tentacle, and by the 

 very regular reticulate appearance of the contained protoplasm. 



A block of diatomacious earth, sent by R. E. Wood of St. 

 Helena, for examination, was referred to Mr. Howard. 



On motion, the Chair appointed a committee to consider the 

 matter of printing annual reports, and also of making the exhibit- 

 ing of attractive slides a regular feature of each meeting, after the 

 disposal of the routine business. 



A slide of arborescent silver crystal was handed in by Dr. E. S. 

 Clark. A slide of native gold crystals from quartz, also mounted 

 by him, was of unusual beauty. 



Reference was made to the newly discovered deposit of fossil 

 diatoms at Oamaru, New Zealand, which is attracting much atten- 

 tion at present in microscopical societies by reason of its great 

 richness and the large number of forms entirely new to science 

 found therein. A slide of this beautiful deposit was examined, 



. Santa Babara Society of Natural History, February 

 26, 1887. R. F. Bingham, on the Honey producing qualities of 

 the Eucalyptus; H. C. Ford, on fossil botany and the advantages 

 of its study, and n^tes on the Northwestern fish crow; Hon. John 

 Doan Cay ton, an address on scientific matters. 



California Academy of Sciences. — February 15, 1887. Dr. 

 H. H. Behr, on the power and adapation of insects; Dr. H. W. 

 Harkness, on fungoid growth affecting the sycamores. 



March 7. Dr. C. C. Parry, Alders of the Pacific Coast; Mary 

 K. Curren. Lichens of the vicinity of San Francisco. 



March 21 — A curious piece of sandstone, having the impression 

 of a fig leaf upon it, from San Diego county, was presented by 

 John Dolber. F. L. Clark, on the recent eruptions of Mauna Loa, 

 S. I.; J. G. Cooper, on the West Coast pulmonata fossil; Geo. 

 Davison, Occultation of the stars; H. W. Harkness, Pacific Coasts 

 fungi. The secretary and librarian tended their resignations. 



Geographical Society of the Pacific. — ^January i8th, 

 1887, KosMos, the new monthly journal, edited by the sec- 



