Allen.] 260 [March 16, 



all directions. I went many times that way to watch the success of 

 this small orchard. The very first year about one half were com- 

 pletely dead. The second year took five more, which had been lan- 

 guishing all summer; and now five out of the twenty are living and 

 in good condition; and, strange to say, these five are those which were 

 set with their branches dipping east. Do they OAve their life to the 

 fact that after being transplanted they occupied the same relative 

 position with regard to the points of the compass as before? or is it 

 only a curious coincidence? It is more than I can tell. My experi- 

 ence is not sufficient to allow an opinion in this matter; time will 

 throw light upon the subject. 



The following paper was also presented : — 



Notes on Massachusetts Reptiles and Batrachians. 

 By J. A. Allen. 



Plestiodon fasciatus D. & B. (Blue tailed Skink.) 

 A living specimen of this species was received a few months since 

 by the writer from Mr. R. C. Ingraham, who, in company with Mr. 

 George Hunt, captured it in June, 1869, " near Howland's Spring, so- 

 called, in New Bedford." This species occurs sparingly in the south- 

 ern counties of New York, and still less frequently in southern 

 Connecticut. In Massachusetts it is almost unknown, this being the 

 second known instance of its capture in this State. Dr. Storer re- 

 ported the capture of the first specimen in Barre, where it was taken 

 by Dr. Joseph N. Bates, 1 nearly thirty years ago. The New Bedford 

 specimen is preserved in the Society's collection. 



Malacoclemrnys palustris Agassiz. (Marsh Terrapin.) 

 This species having been long known to occur in considerable num- 

 bers on Long Island, and the opposite shore of Connecticut, I had 

 supposed that it might also exist on the southern coast of Massachu- 

 setts. In kind response to inquiries addressed to him respecting the 

 subject, Mr. Ingraham, of New Bedford, wrote me some months since 

 as follows : " The Marsh Terrapin is found here up the river. The 

 fishermen send them to New York; here they are seldom eaten. 

 They are more plenty in Wareham, and are also, as a gentleman in- 

 formed me, found in Nantucket." This was the first information I 

 received of its occurrence in this State, no instance of its capture in 

 Massachusetts being heretofore on record. About two months since 



1 Storer's Report on the Fishes and Eeptiles of Massachusetts, p. 219. 



