Edward Drinker Cope. — Frazer. 71 
kind. When they go out they lean on each other for sup- 
port, a group of three leaning on one in the centre, whom 
they also support by their mutual pressure. Two are some- 
times seen leaning on one in the middle but this is rare, 
cliques of more than four being more numerous than those 
of smaller numbers. A few of the people, here and there, 
retain some ossification of the backbone, from which arises 
my suspicion that the race is descended from a backboned 
people and that they have degenerated through the eating 
of sugar. These backboned people are disliked by the 
others, who are apparently jealous of them, and obstruct and 
interfere with them in every possible way. They have a 
system of laws which are apparently designed to extirpate 
this class, for they compel people who perform any labors by 
their own exertions to prove at every turn that they are not 
stealing or lying. In the case of the cartilaginous people 
these laws are inoperative,, first, because these people rare- 
ly do anything but eat sugar; and secondly, because as the)- 
go in cliques of four or more, they can always bring plent)- 
of witnesses to prove anything they please. * * The result 
of this gelatinous state of Petromolgi is, that they are con- 
tinually engaged in taking care of their feelings. They can- 
not bear contact with hard bodies, so they wear an innumer- 
able quantity of cushions. Their mental feelings are equal- 
ly sensitive. They are constantly struggling to avoid the 
consideration of difficult questions, and in general appear 
to ha\'e no opinions at all. * * Their only institute of learn- 
ing is the Asineum. Here they have meetings once a 3'ear, 
and issue their proceedings called by-laws, once in five years. 
* * The zoology of Glycaphuatl is no less remarkable than 
the geology. The genera to which I gave the most attention 
are those which have been called Potatoblenna, Noodlodon, 
Gyascutus, and Holoprocta. In these remarks I must con- 
fine myself to the leading species of these genera: Po- 
tatoblenna suffocans, Noodlodon serribellimus, Gyascutus 
obstreperus, and Holoprocta apertura. The P. suffocans 
and N. serribellimus have been heretofore known b}- 
their popular names only, as the Boojum and the Noodlion. 
* * The Boojum consists of a series of large oval bodies, 
connected by a rope-like axis. * * Each of its larger seg- 
ments is nearly filled with a gelatinous semi-fluid which be- 
comes thick on exposure to the air. When it desires to 
capture an animal it simply squirts this fluid from certain 
repugnatorial pores in its sides, and covers the creature with 
it, more or less. As the fluid soon stiffens, the prey is un- 
able to escape, and is quickl)- swallowed by the boojum." 
