﻿272 proceedings of the , [Jan., 1858. 



Contributions to the Library. 

 Mercury Office: Patent Office Report, (Agricultural,) for 

 1856. 



Boston Society of Natural History: Proceedings, Nos. 16 

 17. Vol. VI. 



Commander Thos. J. Page: Tract Survey of River Para- 

 guay; three charts. 



Members Elected. 

 Rev. R. S. Baker, Henry L. Johnson, Esq. 



Geo. A. Gordon, Esq. Plowden C. J. Weston, Esq. 



JANUARY 15, 1858. 



Vice President, W. Wragg Smith, in the chair. 



Editors of Charleston Mercury, presented, through the 

 Elliott Society, to the Museum of the College of Charleston, 

 specimens of Lead Ore, from Cameron's Mine, Spartanburg 

 District. 



Prof. McCrady made some remarks on the spontaneous 

 fission of the young of Actinia cavernosa. See p. 275. 



Prof. L. R. Gibbes made the following remarks, "On the 

 representatives of the genus Cactus in this State." 



Elliott, in his Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina, says, 

 under Cactus opuntia, that, it is probable, there are now three 

 distinct species on the sea-coast covered under this name, but 

 but neitber he, nor any other botanist, appears to have paid any 

 close attention to them. In excursions during tbe past year, I 

 have had the genus in view, and have endeavored to collect its 

 representatives ; and now lay on the table four, if not five, distinct 

 forms, obtained within a few miles of Charleston — possibly four 

 distinct species. 



1. The first, which we will call Opuntia tunoidea, falls under 

 Engelman's sub-genus Platopuntia, section Grandes, is erect, or 

 sub-erect, with large ovate joints, armed with yellowish spines, 

 tipped with brown, about three-quarters of an inch long. The 

 flowers and fruit we have not yet procured. The plant is 



