Hitchcock.] 392 [December 6, 



Mr. C. S. Minot stated that the potato crop in some parts 

 of Maine had been much injured during the past summer by 

 the attacks of Capsus quadrivittatus^ which, puncturing the 

 leaves, induced decay. 



December 6, 1871. 



The President in the chair. Forty-three persons present. 



Prof. Chas. H. Hitchcock made some remarks in regard to 

 his recent survey of the Ammonoosuc gold fields, and prom- 

 ised a more detailed communication at a future meeting. 



Dr. Chas. T. Jackson said that when engaged in the survey 

 of New Hampshire, he had never found Labrador feldspar in 

 situ. The more he thought of the andalusite macles in Ster- 

 ling and Lancaster, the more he became convinced that they 

 were not in place, but had been brought a long distance. 



Prof. Hitchcock said, in answer to a question from Dr. Jack- 

 son, that he had found fossils in Littleton, but nowhere else 

 in the White Mountains. In this place a large number of 

 corals had been found, but no other fossils. These cor- 

 responded with those of the Helderberg rocks on Lake Mem- 

 phremagog. 



Prof. Shaler made some remarks on the rattlesnake and 

 Natural Selection, 1 showing that the note of the rattlesnake 

 closely resembles that of the Cicada, and thus seems to decoy 

 insectivorous animals. The rattle is, therefore, useful to the 

 snake and cannot be used as an argument against Mr. Dar- 

 win's theory. 



A discussion on this subject followed, participated in by 

 Messrs. Hitchcock, Farlow, Tuttle, Hyatt, and others. 



1 See American Naturalist, Vol. vi, p. 32. 



