1396.] Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 347 



N. R. Harrington, in " Observations on the Lime Gland of the 

 Earthworm," described the minute structure of these glands in L. 

 terrestris, and showed that the lime is taken up from the blood by 

 wandering connective tissue cells which form club-shaped projections 

 on the lamellae of the gland, and which pass off when filled with lime. 

 The new cell comes up from the base of the older cell and repeats the 

 process. This explanation is in harmony with the fact that in all other 

 invertebrates lime is laid down by connective tissue cells. Histological 

 structure and the developmental history confirm it. 



Dr. Bashford Dean offered some observations on " Instinct in some 

 of the Lower Vertebrates." The young of Amia calva, the dogfish of 

 the Western States, attach themselves, when newly hatched, to the 

 water plants at the bottom of the nest which the male Amia has built. 

 They remain thus attached until the yolk sac is absorbed. As soon as 

 they are fitted to get food they flock together in a dense cluster, follow- 

 ing the male. When hatched in an aquarium they go through the 

 same processes. The young fry take food particles only when the par- 

 ticles are in motion, never when they are still. The larva of Necturus 

 also take food particles that are in motion.— C. L. Bristol, Secretary. 



American Philosophical Society. — January 17th. — Prof. Hil- 

 precht presented a paper on " Old Babylonian Inscriptions, Chiefly 

 from Nippur," Pt. ii. 



February 21st.— Prof, A. W. Goodspeed read a paper on the Ront- 

 gen method, with demonstration. Remarks were made by Prof. Hous- 

 ton, J. F. Sachse, Prof. Robb of Trinity College, and Prof. Trowbridge 

 of Cambridge. 



March 6th.— The following paper was presented: "Eucalypti in 

 Algeria and Tunisia from an Hygienic and Climatological Point of 

 View," by Dr. Edward Pepper. 



Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia— Anthropo- 

 logical Section.— February 14th.— The following papers were read : 

 Dr. Allen on " Prenasal Fossae of the Skull ; " Dr. Brinton on " Hu- 

 man Hybridism ; " Dr. McClellan, Skulls and Photographs exhibited. 

 Chas. Morris, Recorder. 



The Academy of Science of St. Louis.— February 17, 1896. 

 —Dr. Adolf Alt spoke of the anatomy of the eye, and, by aid of the 

 projecting microscope exhibited a series of axial sections representing 

 the general structure of the eye in thirty-one species of animals, com- 

 prising two crustaceans, the squid, three fish, two batrachians, two rep- 

 tiles, ten birds, and eleven mammals. 



