58 
THIS] TALLEY IsT^TTJI^JLLIST 1 . 
and while sitting on the deck after supperi 
Albury espied a large one not far of thrust- 
ing its head out of the water, it was dark, 
but getting into the dingy with the turtle 
pegs the sailors skulled carefully toward it, 
after some time we heard a splash and an ex- 
clamation from the boys. We felt sure of 
turtle steaks for breakfast and eagerly await- 
ed the return of the boat, but alas it brought 
no turtle. They had hit one and were about 
to put it in the dingy when they discovered 
that it was chained to a stake. Some spong- 
er had wounded it and left it there tempor- 
arily. The next morning the owner re- 
claimed his prize. "We found Vaccas Key 
to be quite large, it was covered with man- 
groves, Chamerops Palmetto, etc. There 
were a few cocoanut trees. We obtained 
about the same species, of shells as elsewhere 
—both land and marine, a few forms were 
interesting such as Turbinella muricatum, 
Chiton picens, Aplysia or sea hare, etc. Here 
were obtained the monster star-fish {Oreas- 
tergigas), some of them fifteen inches in 
diameter. 
In a geological point of view Yaccas Key 
is interesting, a portion of its surface being 
rough, and the coral limestones broken into 
fragments and fretted with numerous fis- 
sures and holes. Dr. Velie caught here sev- 
eral very good species of fish, such as Sting 
Rays, Toad Fish, Cow Fish and Sharks. Hav- 
ing spent as much time here as was thought 
best, we decided to visit Sandy Key and Cape 
Sable. The former lay about twenty miles 
distant across Florida Bay. The next morn- 
ing opened clear with a high wind but as it 
was in the right direction we set sail and 
were soon crossing the Bay at the rate of 
seven knots an hour. The run only occupied 
three hours and about noon we came to an- 
chor under shelter of Sandy Jvey, this was a 
mere sand bank about a mile long and forty 
rods wide. Getting into the dingy we went 
ashore, we found a number of large trees, 
such as gum, mangrove, etc. The ever pres- 
ent cactus was also there. While wandering 
around I saw for the first lime in its live 
state the land shell Orthalicus Zebra, they 
were hibernating according to habit upon 
the gum trees about five feet from the 
ground. Further investigation showed a 
number of the shells in a cactus thicket near 
by, Dr. Brown and myself went in regardless 
of cactus or anything else and secured every- 
thing of value including some soldier crabs 
of immense size which we found occupying 
large Pyrula shells. 
Although winter time, there was anything 
but an arctic breeze blowing on Sandy Key. 
Though dressed lightly we suffered from the 
heat, the perspiration ran in streams. We 
had no soothing syrup along, not even water, 
our limbs were bleeding from numerous cac- 
tus pricks, but we worked on bravely and at 
night made up for our sufferings by discus- 
sing the day's events over a bottle of claret in 
the cabin of the Rose Bud. About twelve 
o'clock to-night a tremendous " norther " 
came up and our schooner was tossed about 
like a feather. The Captain ran out another 
anchor, and knowing that we were safe we 
slept tranquilly on until daylight. Then go- 
ing on deck we found everything calm again 
and the Rose Bud almost aground. The tide 
was out and thousands of acres of " mud 
flats" were bare of water, this was a wel- 
come sight of which more anon. 
W. W. Calkins on a New Coal Meas- 
ures Fossil. 
Poly phemop sis Vermillionensis, Calkins. 
Shell of moderate size, grad- 
ually tapering to an acute apex. 
Volutions seven, swollen, in- 
creasing in size to the last, 
which is prominent. Sutures 
well marked. Outer lip thin, 
aperture narrow; surface 
smooth. Length one inch ; breadth seven- 
sixteenths inches. 
Locality and position : Shales of the Lower 
Coal Measures. Big Vermillion River, La 
Lalle County, 111. 
Remarks: This species differs from any 
that I have seen from other localities in the 
same horizon. Associated with it was a spe- 
cies of Nucula, perhaps N. infiata. Discov- 
ered by Amos C. Baldwin of Deer Park, 111. 
My cabinet. Cabinet of Davenport Acade- 
my of Sciences. 
To Correspondents. 
All communications for this paper should 
be accompanied by the name of the author, 
not necessarily for publication, but as evi- 
dence of good faith on the part of the writer. 
Write only on one side of the paper. Be par- 
ticularly careful to write the scientific names 
plain 
Articles for publication may be accompa- 
nied with small sketches or outlines of 
insects, plants or leaves, etc., which we will 
have engraved for publication. All contribu- 
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the first of the month, if sketches accompany 
the articles, they should be send four weeks 
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mense space of time to engrave them. Cor- 
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We shall take pleasure in naming any 
specimens of plants and insects sent by cor- 
respondents. Persons who have already sent 
or may hereafter send small collections of 
specimens to be named, will please inform 
us if any of the species sent are from other 
States than their own. Lists of species found 
in any particular locality are of especial inter- 
est, as throwing light upon the geographical 
distribution of species. But to make them 
of real value, it is requisite that we know for 
certain whether or not all the specimens in 
any particular list come from that particular 
locality, and if not, from what- locality they 
do come. 
Agents, this is a splendid chance to 
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lowed. 
1 
Causes of the Buzzing of Insects, by 
M. J. Perez. 
Since the experiments of Chabrier, Bur- 
meister, Laudris, &c, the buzzing of insects is 
attributed to the vibrations of the air rubbing 
against the margins of the stigmatic orifices 
of the thorax under the action of the motory 
muscles of the wings. The latter organs are 
considered only to play a minimum part by 
modifying more or less the sounds produced 
by the respiratory orifices. I have repeated 
all of the experiments of the above authors 
and have not always arrived at the results an 
nounced by them, or I have thought that I 
could put upon them an interpretation dif- 
ferent from theirs : 
%. It is quite true that by sticking together 
the wings of a fly (Sarcophaga carnaria), as 
Chabrier did, we do not prevent the sound 
from being produced, but not that the wings 
can thus be kept in a state of complete im- 
mobility. The flexibility of these organs al- 
lows the base, which is not stuck, to obey the 
contractions of the muscles of flight; this 
base vibrates, and the buzzing is produced. 
But all buzzing is stopped, if, by holding the 
wings pressed together, over as large an ex- 
tent as possible, so as to exert a certain trac- 
tion upon their bases, all movements of these 
organs is rendered impossible. However 
the wings be retained, provided their immo- 
bility be complete, the buzzing absolutely 
ceases ; contrary to Hunter's opinion. 
2. By removing the scaly parts with which 
the margin of the stigmata is furnished, is 
far from doing away with the buzzing, as as- 
serted by Chabrier, it is not even modified, 
provided the operation has not weakened the 
animal. 
3. The respiratory orifice may be more or 
less seriously injured in different ways, we 
may introduce into them, solid bodies of con- 
siderable size without preventing the buzz- 
ing or altering its timbre. 
4. If the thoracic stigmata be stopped her- 
metically, as was done by Burmeister, the 
buzzing is by no means annihilated; it is on- 
ly weakened in proportion to the weakening 
of the flight itself. 
There are then produced, especially in the 
Diptera,. effects which merit notice. The 
animal becomes slow and lazy, and no longer 
flies willingly. If it flies, its flight which is 
badly sustained, soon stops; then the insect 
sinks down and gives no more signs of life. 
I once saw an Eristalis {E. tenax) which, 
having escaped quickly from my fingers 
towards the window after the occlusion of 
of its stigmata, fell without movement at my 
feet, completely exhausted by a flight of a 
few centimetres. This result is not always 
produced so rapidly, but it never fails to 
supervene after a few efforts at flight. It is 
easily explained by the complete absorbtion 
of the provision of oxygen contained in the 
tracheas of the thorax, in consequence of the 
contraction of the muscles of flight. It is 
true asphyxia. In a few moments however, 
the fly returns to life owing to the afflux of 
air through the abdomen into the thorax, 
