NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 785 
crown of different density of foliage, he counted the leaves falling 
into the hollow space and calculated by repeated measurements 
the average number of leaves of the whole tree and the average 
surface of them. 
The loss by evaporation was measured at different hours of each 
day, from the 18th of May to 24th of October ; this reduced the 
average loss for a square inch surface, and from this was calculated 
the average loss from all the leaves of the tree during the season. 
Many minute precautions were taken, which to mention here is 
not necessary; but it may be remarked that when exposing the 
leaves for evaporation he suspended the twigs in the shade, and as 
the cut twigs during the experiment were deprived of any succor 
from the tree, the loss is to be considered as a minimum. 
The intention was not to find the exact amount of transpira- 
tion, but to prove that during the season the tree evaporates con- 
siderably more water than it receives by rainfall, and so the method 
answers the purpose.—Frep. BRENDEL, Peoria, Il., 9th of June, 
1871. 
ZOOLOGY. 
SPAWNING OF THE Goose Fisa (Lophius Americanus).— During 
the summer season the fishermen on the New England coast often 
notice a substance floating in the water, which they term “a purple 
veil” the precise nature of which has caused much speculation on 
their part, and which answers singularly well to its designation. 
During a late cruise I encountered one of these veils, which 
presented the appearance of a continuous sheet of a purplish 
brown color, twenty or thirty feet in length and four or five in 
width, composed of a mucous substance which was perfectly 
transparent, to which, as a whole, a purple color was imparted by 
the presence of specks distributed uniformly throughout the mass 
to the number of about thirty or more to the square inch. I was 
unable to ascertain whether this was actually a simple sheet or a 
collapsed tube, as the material was so extremely slippery that it 
was impossible to retain it in a position where it could be easily 
examined. With much effort we succeeded in bringing a portion 
upon the deck of our boat, when it ran out almost immediately 
through the scupper holes. To our surprise on closely: examining 
the specks, which gave color to the mass, we found them to consist 
of embryonic fish, moving vigorously in their envelope but without 
