Garman.] 1Q4: [March 19, 



feet deep. To while away the time we fished, but either our tackle was 

 too clumsy or our bait unsuitable, for we had not even a bite all day. 



As night came on we kept our lines in the water, merely for experi- 

 ments' sake without the remotest idea of catching anything. The sea 

 was calm, and the darkness intense. Between 9 and 10 p. m. we caught six 

 water snakes on hooks of large size, baited with salt pork, and resting 

 quietly on the bottom. They were of about the same size, 3 feet long, 

 with small head and neck, but very thick and strong body; scales thick, 

 rough, and sharply ridged and edged; body compressed laterally; tail 

 wide and flattened, making an excellent swimming organ. General color 

 blackish brown, with yellowish white bands on the sides. These snakes 

 are often seen in the bay, swimming with the head above the surface 

 to breathe; they are sluggish in their motions, progressing by lateral 

 undulations of the body. They probably come down into the bay, which 

 is salt, from the river Pasig, in which I have often seen them where 

 the water is fresh. They were very savage, snapping at everything 

 within their reach with a mouth well provided with small teeth of uniform 

 size. The natives believe their bite to be dangerous, and such is the usual 

 opinion in regard to the Hydrophidce or water snakes. 



That they have natural constrictor powers, like the anacondas and boas, 

 I judge from the fact that while holding one suspended by the hook in 

 its mouth, its prehensile tail by accident was inserted in the ring of the 

 heavy steamer lantern which we were using on deck ; the tail instantly 

 closed around it, and so tightly that I raised by it the heavy lantern, at 

 least 15 lbs. in weight, and kept it up until I could hold it no longer. 



It would be interesting to know precisely what is the modification of 

 the organs of respiration and circulation, which enables these animals to 

 remain so lon< 

 deep water. 



General Meeting, March 19, 1884. 



The President Mr. S. H. Scudder in the chair. Thirty-two per- 

 sons present. 



The following paper was read : 



ON THE USE OF POLYNOMIALS AS NAMES IN ZOOLOGY. 



BY S. GARMAN. 



Among the Airnaras and Quichuas, Indians of Peru, the names 

 of animals are very often mere imitations of the sounds or cries 

 they utter. A certain bird is called "Leke leke," another "Po- 



