
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. , 223 
Professor Agassiz claimed that the group was an order of Ganoid fishes 
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e power of sliding the palatine-bone forward. 
The brain greatly i Dei that of a sturgeon. Four families were 
mentioned belonging to the 
Jan. 3.—Mr. George L. Yone read a communication on the flattened 
and distorted pebbles in the conglonierate near Rangely, Maine. 
reviewed the different theories accounting for their form, and exhibited 
drawings and tracings taken from the stones themselves. He endeavored 
to show that the changes had occurred when the pebbles were hard, and not 
necessarily, as urged by Dr. Hitchcock and son, when in a plastic condi- 
point of resistance, with an abrupt depression of the central portion of 
the aigoa pebble. 
— The Secretary read a paper by Mr. A. M. Edwards, of New 
iy in chien the author attempted to show that the division of the 
Diatomacee into fixed and free genera, was unnatural. He believed that 
all of these microscopic sD were free during one portion of their 
lives, and adheren nt during anothe 
Feb. 5.— Dr. T. M. Brewer saa a paper on the house-sparrow of Eu- 
Tope „defending itfrom fhe charge of destructiveness alluded to in a recent 
communication by Dr. Pickering. He showed that all the best English 
rnit ologists were either silent on this point or satisfied that the bird 
did far more good than harm. He read an extract from the report of a 
commission to the Senate of France, A or wg strong evidence in 
àS to become a calamity, destroying crops. In Hungary, Bavaria, and dif- 
oe districts of France, the sparrow had been introduced and stringent 
a New York; commodious, thatched houses have been 
nstructed for them, and, in some of the parks, they are regularly fed. 
Teat expectations are formed in regard to the services they will ren- 
ma in this country, not only in keeping down the measure-worms, but in 
troying canker. r-worms, caterpillars, and possibly curculios 
OTE.—~ We regret that we cannot report more fully the meetings of Setentit jarake 
very piper read, or abstracts of ali the remarks made, but only 
W 
t “cannot give the titles of e 
of the most general interes 

