336 Proceedings of Scientific Societies. [March, 1885. 
; $ 
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB, Jan. 8, 1885.—Mr. T. W. Bick- 
nell described a summer trip to Alaska, with lantern slides, illus- 
trating the topography of the Northern Pacific Railroad, Alaska, 
its products, mines, people, houses, dress, customs, social and re- 
ligious, seals, glaciers and icebergs. 
Jan. 14.—Annual meeting. The reports of the secretaries and 
the treasurer were presented, and the annual election of officers 
held. W. H. Pickering presented a paper, illustrated with the lan- 
tern, entitled an ascent of Vesuvius on the Pompeiian side. 
AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, Jan. 13, 1885.—Professor 
F. H. Cushing, of the Smithsonian Institution, who has dwelt for 
some years among the Zuñi Indians, delivered a lecture upon his 
explorations and researches on the discovery of Zufi or the ancient 
province of Cibola and the seven lost cities, illustrated by ancient 
costumes, paraphernalia and stereopticon views. 
PHILADELPHIA ACADEMY NATURAL Sciences, Nov. 13.—Dr. 
Randolph stated that he and Mr. S. G. Dixon had experimented 
on cutaneous absorption by placing one to fifteen drops of nico- 
tine on the breasts of rabbits, taking care to previously remove 
the hair without abrading the skin. Death resulted in from halt 
an hour to four hours, and nicotine was found in the blood before 
death, proving that it was absorbed by the uninjured skin. 
Nov. 20—Dr. Leidy presented specimenns of Urnatella gracilis, 
showing that at the approach of winter the polyps die, the stalk 
alone remaining securely anchored and ready to reproduce in 
spring from the summit of the terminal joint. Mr. Potts stated 
that he had seen examples with seventeen joints, and that the 
number seemed to be limited only by the time of growth. 
The latter speaker also describes a rhizopod, apparently a new 
species of the genus Acanthocystis. It was collected on mica 
schist west of the Schuylkill. The protoplasm filled about one- 
third of the cavity of the capsule. 
Professor Heilprin called attention to a boulder found at Sum- 
mit, N. J., and containing Airypa reticularis, a form of Stropho- 
mena, and several other species, proving that the material came 
from the Lower Helderberg, the nearest locality of which is sixty 
miles from where the boulder was found, while the nearest locality 
in a direction of the glacier’s movement was at least a hundred 
miles. 
Nov. 27.—Mr. Ford detailed the finding of Pholas truncata, 
Pierispata, and Littorina irrorata upon the beach at Atlantic City, 
also the discovery of capsules of Fulgur carica with living em- 
bryos. The Rev. Dr. McCook described a collection of the 
a _ towers of turret spiders, some made with cotton and other mate- 
= rials supplied to them, others with their own materials. The 
-work of individuals which have just emerged from the egg shows 
e ; i Rok f 88 snow 
that at that age their instincts are perfectly developed. 
