Putnam.] 280 [January 16, 



in the size of the ovaries and the contained eggs, to the speci- 

 men exhibited, in which the eggs were still so small as only to be 

 seen by a lens of considerable magnifying power, and not yet ready 

 to be excluded, though the ovaries themselves were large and full. 

 The fact of the great rarity of eels with eggs, and the occurrence 

 in these specimens of ovaries in various stages of development, seem 

 to show that, in contrast with the more usual slow development 

 of the eggs in fishes generally, the eels rapidly attain their sea- 

 sonal development, the ovaries immediately after the eggs are laid 

 being reduced to a minute size. 



As seen in the specimen exhibited, the ovaries are white, or 

 colorless, slightly plicated, and of great length, extending from the 

 base of the liver along each side of the intestines to and beyond the 

 anal opening, the left ovary passing for some distance into a 

 cavity of the muscles on the side of the anal fin, while the right 

 ovary does not extend quite so far. 



The eggs, when mature, are dropped into the abdominal cavity, 

 from which they must pass by two very small peritoneal outlets, sit- 

 uated on each side of, and just posterior to, the anal opening. There 

 is a very vascular, and apparently sensitive, region on the inner side 

 of these peritoneal outlets, with a free communication from side to 

 side. 



It may prove of importance to note that these eight female eels 

 are all silvery on the under side and are the form known as " silver 

 bellies." Will the " golden bellies " prove to be the males? 



The thanks of the Society were voted to Mr. A. J. Lewis 

 for specimens of birds presented to the New England col- 

 lection. 



General Meeting. January 16, 1878. 



The President, Mr. T. T. Bouve, in the chair. Thirty- 

 five persons present. 



The President showed a curious mass of silver ore from 

 Norway, having some fine crystals and a nodule amazingly 

 resembling a tiny bird. 



