Putnam.] 114 [Oct. 15, 



Mr. F. W. Putnam described the structure of the sucker 

 in the fishes belonging to the family Liparidse. Mr. Putnam 

 also said that Dr. Packard had recently dredged in Salem 

 Harbor a species of Liparis new to the Massachusetts fauna, 

 the L. lineatus or vulgaris, of Europe. The L. Montaguii 

 has also been found in our bay, and we thus have two species 

 of the genus common to both Massachusetts and Europe. 



The donation of a large and very valuable series of fossils, 

 obtained by Prof. Hyatt in Europe, and presented to the 

 Society through the liberality of John Cummings, Esq., was 

 announced. 



October 15, 1873. 



The President in the chair. Eighty-one persons present. 



Mr. S. H. Scudder described a cat and kittens which he 

 had seen at Plymouth, N". H., supposed to be a cross between 

 the rabbit and the cat. The animals had a short rabbit-like 

 tail, long haunches, and a rabbit's gait, but in other respects 

 were feline. The owners of the three specimens were all 

 earnest in their declaration of the rabbit-cat ancestry of their 

 pets. Mr. Scudder could not believe in the possibility of a 

 cross between animals so far apart in the natural system, and 

 asked for information from those present. 



Mr. R. Bliss, Jr., said he had seen similar cats, for which a 

 like pedigree was claimed, in Middleton, Ct. 



Mr. F. W. Putnam thought a cross between two animals 

 belonging to two different orders, the carnivora and rodentia, 

 impossible, and that the case would no doubt turn out to be 

 the same as with the racoon cat, which had been discussed 

 in the "American Naturalist ". He believed such forms to 

 be accidental monstrosities, like the famous Ancon sheep. 



