252 General Notes. [April, 
branches of a maple tree. The female had scarcely time to warm — 
her abode before a lot of sparrows came and during the meélce 
the former was vanquished and driven away. The nest was then 
- pulled up and partially destroyed. In the spring of 1875 a pair 
of robins came (and I doubt not but that they were the same), 
examined the débris which had beén pretty well settled during 
the winter, and commenced the construction of another nest. 
This time they were unmolested until after the eggs had been 
deposited. I commenced to feel more secure for my little neigh- 
bors, but my gratification was of short duration. About a week 
had elapsed when the sparrows made another attack, finally con- 
quering their opponents and driving them away. They tore the 
nest into one mass of rubbish, when all but one pair retired, 
which then worked an entrance and fitted it up, where they 
remained until two broods were hatched. In the spring of 1876 
the limbs were sawed off of the trees, preventing probably áa 
recurrence of similar exhibitions of strife, or in other words, 
downright cruelty — W. F. Hoffman, M.D. 
THE LARGEST OF ALL FRESH-WATER PoLyzoa.'—There is in 
this neighborhood a fresh-water lake in which are produced curi- 
ous jelly-like substances, covered on the outside with small seed- 
like bodies. These structures are of various sizes, from that of a 
cocoa-nut to that of a half-bushel basket, and are transparent for 
a thickness of two or three inches, the inside of the mass being 
tinged with red and green. They apparently begin their growth 
on a submerged stick or stone, and when grown large loosen and 
float about for a time, and then gradually dissolve or decay. The 
body of the jelly-mass is firm and cuts with a knife nearly as hard 
as a ripe melon.— XK. Cruger, West Chester Co., N.Y. 
Mr. Cruger apparently refers to the largest of all known fresh- 
water Polyzoa, Pectinatella magnifica Leidy. 
Two New GENERA OF NORTH AMERICAN FRESH-WATER FISHES 
oglossum. The only species known is named Lagochila lacera, a 
other genus is Acanthopterygian, and is placed by Prof. Jordan 
between the Percide and Aphredodiride. \t agrees with Aphredo- 
dirus in several particulars, but has a posterior vent. The typica 
species is quite small, and is found in the rivers of Arkansas and 
Texas. It is the A/assoma zonatum of Jordan. 
A New Genus or CysTIGNATHIDZ FROM Texas has recently o 
been determined by Prof. Cope from specimens discovered by ©- _ 
1 Abstract of a letter communicated by the Smithsonian Institution. 
