recent specimen had been obtained, and that was freed from the
epidermis. The statement that the shell was _hirsute_, was
founded upon the cicatrices observed upon the surface, Mr.
Gabb, who has recently returned from a trip to Mariposa, was
successful in finding a few specimens, by which the diagnosis
may be enlarged, and conjecture resolved into certainty. The
whole surface is covered with an epidermis, of a yellowish
brown colour, thickly studded with slightly curved rigid
hairs about one-twentieth of an inch in length. The animal
is of a reddish brown color, with the tentacles of a smoky
hue; tentacular sheaths darker than the body, which is small,
slender, finely granulated and unusually long and tapering
behind.
The shell bears the same relations to _H. Dupetit Thouarsi_,
Deshayes, that _Helix infumata_, Gould, bear to _H. fidelis_,
Gray. In the description of _infumata_, an important omission
occurs, owing doubtless to the imperfect condition of the type
specimen. In good specimens, all of the last whirl, except a
circle round the umbilicus, is covered with _very short_ and
thickly studded soft hairs, feeling harsh when dry, but velvety
to the touch when moistened.
_Achatinella Alexandri_, Newc.
Ach. testa perforata, sinistrorsa, elongato sub-cylindracea,
nitida, rufo-brunnea, nigro-elongato-venulato-inosculante
picta; anfr. VI convexis, regulariter accrescentibus; apice
obtusiusculo; sutura modice impressa, non emarginata; apertura
parva, sub-ovata; labro acuto; columella alba breve, sub-recta,
truncata, infra in plicam tortam terminante.
Long. ·6 pol., Diam. ·25 pol., Aper. long. ·2 pol. ·1 lata.
Hab. Insula Sandwich, (Maui).
Shell perforated, left handed, elongately sub-cylindrical,
shining, reddish-brown, with painting of elongate, inosculating
black veins; whirls six convex, regularly (but slowly)
increasing; apex a little obtuse; suture moderately impressed,
not emarginate; aperture small, sub-ovate; lip acute; columella
white, short, almost straight, truncate, terminating by a
twisted plait passing within.
This species is more cylindrical than any of its congeners,
resembling most _A. Renyi_, Newc., which is longer, not
umbilicate, more pointed at the apex, with a twisted, not
truncate columella.
From _venusta_ and _citrina_, Mighels, it varies both in
form and color. With some varieties of _picta_ it claims
analogy only in the general plan of painting. Its striking
characteristics are its blunt apex, slightly rounded whorls,
small aperture, short and white columella, umbilicus, and
general plan of coloring.
A few specimens were collected at an elevation of 7,500 feet,
on West Maui, by the Rev. M. Alexander, to whom the species is
dedicated.
Description of New Species of Marine Shells from the Coast of California.
BY WM. M. GABB.
The following are a few of the shells collected by Dr. J. G.
Cooper, of the State Geological Survey, during his explorations
along the coast of this State. The specimens are preserved in
the collection of the Survey; most of them appear to be very
rare in a living state, though I have encountered several of
them in the later Tertiary deposits, especially in the Post
Pliocene.
MUREX, Linn.
_S. G. Muricidea_, Swains.
M. BARBARENSIS, G.
M. t. unicolor, fusca; varicibus V-IX, haud magnis ad angulum
auctis; varix ultima prælata; anfractu primo lævi, anfractibus
V supra recte truncatis, infra parum convexis; tota superficie
liris spiralibus et squamosis induta; apertura subelliptica,
intus lactea; labio incrassato, polito; labro extante,
tuberculis intus ornata; canali interdum recto, interdum
recurvato.
Long. ·77, lat. ·46, long. aper. ·2, long. canal ·24.
Shell small, brown; whorl six, the first smooth, the remainder
angulated, horizontally or a little concavely truncated above
and very slightly convex below the angle; varices variable,
from five to nine, usually about six or seven to a whorl,
angular but not very prominent, except on the angle, where
they are sometimes prolonged into long recurved processes, in
other cases only making a prominent angular tubercle; the whole
surface is covered with strong revolving ribs, crossed by fine
squamose plates; aperture sub-elliptical, lips prominent, white
within, the outer lip with five or six tubercles internally,
last varix forming a broad lateral expansion to the lip; canal
closed, straight, or more usually a little recurved.
Hab. Catalina Island, 40 fms., and Santa Barbara Channel, 20-30
fms. Dr. Cooper.
Nos. 515 b, c and d, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
PLEUROTOMA, Lam. 1799.
_Turris_, Bolt. 1798, not _Turris_, Hump, 1797.
S. Gen. _Surcula_, H. & A. Ad.
P. PERVERSA, G.
P. t. sinistra, unicolor, rufo-brunnea; sub-fusiformis;
anfractibus XI vel XII lævibus rotundato-compressis; apertura
angusta, labio tenui, acuto.
Long. 1·2, lat. ·35, long. aper. ·45.
Shell sinistral, elongate sub-fusiform, apex acute, sometimes
slightly bent, nuclear whorls two, very convex, loosely twisted
and white; whorls, eleven or twelve, slightly convex; color
a light reddish brown, somewhat lighter on the middle of the
whorl; aperture narrow, canal short, inner lip moderately
encrusted with a white callus, brown on the outer margin;
columella twisted; outer lip acute, sinus rounded, shallow,
broad and adjoining the suture.
Hab. Catalina Island, 60 fms., Dr. Cooper. Also fossil, not
rare, in the P. Pliocene at San Pedro. One specimen from that
locality is two inches long.
No. 1020, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
P. (S.) CARPENTERIANA, G.
P. t. fusiformis; anfractibus VIII, prope suturam concavis;
tota superficie confertim et spiralitur costulata; colore
aurantiaco, lineis rufo-brunneis interruptis induta; apertura
angusta; sinu postico lato, haud profundo.
Long. 2·, lat. ·7, long. aper. 1·1.
Fusiform, spire high, acute, whorls eight, slightly concave
near the suture, convex below. Surface marked by numerous
rounded revolving ribs, sometimes alternating in size,
especially on the lower part of the body whorl. Color, orange
with broken revolving bands of a bright reddish brown; these
lines or bands usually occupy the larger ribs, and are more
distant on the middle of the whorl and more closely placed
above and below; they average about a tenth of an inch apart.
Aperture narrow, growing proportionally broader in older
shells; canal moderate, slightly twisted, inner lip lightly
encrusted; outer lip acute, sinus broad and shallow.
Hab. A beach specimen retaining color, from San Diego, and a
younger dead shell dredged from 120 fms. by Dr. Cooper. Also,
two fossil specimens from P. Pliocene, Santa Barbara. The
finest of these measures long. 3·, lat. 1·1; long. spir. 1·6.
Nos. 819 and 1021 Survey Moll.
CLATHURELLA, Carpenter.
_Defrancia_ Millet, non Müll.
C. CONSTRICTA, G.
C. t. albida, solida, lævis, sub-fusiformis; anfr. VII; regione
infra-suturali haud constricta; apertura lata, labio parum
incrassato, labro sub-acuto; sinu posteriore profundo, suturam
attingente.
Shell white, solid, smooth, sub-fusiform; whorls seven,
suddenly constricted at the upper portion, near the suture;
suture impressed; body whorls rapidly expanded below the
constriction; aperture wide, columellar lip encrusted; canal
short; outer lip acute, prominent in the middle; posterior
sinus deep, angular above and adjoining the suture.
Hab. Santa Catalina Island, 80 fms. Dr. Cooper.
No. 1055 Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
C. CRYSTALLINA, G.
C. t. parva, fusiformis; anfr. II lævibus; anfr. normalibus IV,
supra oblique planulatis, infra, convexiusculis; superficie
minutis et confertim concentricis costulis instructa, media
parte sola excepta, in qua sunt III vel IV costæ moniliformes;
apertura lata; labio parum incrassato; labro crasso, margine
sub-acuto; sinu postico profundo lato; colore candidissimo,
nitente.
Long. ·35, lat. ·13, long. aper. ·16.
Shell small, fusiform; nuclear whorls two, smooth, normal
whorls four, obliquely truncated above, angulated, below
the angle somewhat convex; surface marked by numerous small
revolving ribs, except on the middle of the whorls, where
they are larger, more distant and ornamented by small nodes;
aperture rather broad; inner lip lightly encrusted; outer lip
thickened behind, sub-acute on the margin; posterior sinus
moderately deep, round and with a polished and thicked margin,
placed close to the suture; canal very slightly twisted; color,
a pure white, polished.
Hab. Catalina Island, 40 fms. Dr. Cooper.
No. 1052, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
DAPHNELLA, HINDS.
D. CLATHRATA, G.
D. t. parva, fusiformis, tenuis; anfr. III nucleosis, lævibus;
anfr. normalibus III+ supra oblique truncatis; superficie
confertim clathrata; striis radiantibus obsoletis circa
basim; apertura magna; columella parum tortuosa; labio parum
incrassato; labro acuto; sinu postico sub-profundo, supra
acuto, ad suturam attingente; colore albido, sparsim brunueo
punctato.
Long. ·37, lat. ·14, long. aper. ·22.
Shell small, fusiform, thin, aperture longer than the spire;
nuclear whorls three, smooth; normal whorls three or more,
obliquely truncated above, convex below, this truncation
is partially obsolete on the last whorl; surface closely
clathrate, except on the lower part of the last whorl where
the radiating lines become obsolete; aperture large, columella
somewhat twisted, slightly encrusted; outer lip thin, acute,
posterior sinus moderately deep and narrow, adjoining the
suture and angular at its upper corner; color, brownish white
with minute brown spots sparsely scattered, usually placed on
the larger of the revolving ribs.
Hab. Santa Catalina Island, 60 fms. Dr. Cooper.
This little shell looks not unlike the young of _Pleurotoma
Carpenteriana_, _supra_, but on a critical comparison, shows
several characters incompatible with such a reference; the
strongest of these is the peculiar shape of the posterior
sinus. In addition to this, the whorls of the present species
are much more numerous in proportion to the size, the first six
whorls of _P. Carpenteriana_ making a shell three or four times
the diameter of this one.
No. 1053, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
MANGELIA, LEACH.
M. HEXAGONA, G.
M. t. parva, fusiformis, gracilis; apice sub-acuto; anfr. II
lævibus; anfr. norma libus V, costis radiantibus VI acutis
induta; tota superficie minute et confertim clathrata; colore
albido, lineis rufo-brunneis spiralibus fasciato; apertura
angusta; columella vix tortuosa, labro acuto; sinu postico
lato, haud profundo.
Long. ·34, lat. ·1, long. aper. ·15.
Shells small, slender, fusiformis; spire sub-acute, nuclear
whorls two, smooth, normal whorls five, slightly sub-angular
and ornamented by six large acute radiating ribs with broad
concave interspaces; besides these, the whole surface is
cancellated by minute raised lines; color brownish white
ornamented by a few reddish brown revolving bands, one much
larger than the rest, in the middle of the whorl; aperture
narrow, columella very slightly twisted; outer lip acute, sinus
almost obsolete.
Hab. one specimen from Catalina Island, 40 fms., another from
the beach at Monterey. Dr. Cooper.
No. 425, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
TURBONILLA, RISSO.
_Chemnitzia_, d’Orb.
T. GRACILLIMA, G.
C. t. elongata, gracili, albida vertice?; anfractibus XI(?)
subplanatis; sutura impressa; costis radiantibus, circiter
XXIII obtusis, sub-obliquis, ad basin evanidis; apertura
sub-rotunda; columella incrassata.
Long. ·32?, lat. ·06, long aper. ·04.
Shell small, very slender, long, white; vertex broken; whorls
eleven or more, flattened on the sides; suture strongly
impressed; ribs about twenty-three, large, obtuse, running
from the suture to the margin of the base; base convexly
subtruncated, smooth; aperture subcircular; columella thick.
Hab. Monterey; a single specimen. Dr. Cooper.
This shell can be readily distinguished by its extremely
slender form and the strong, slightly oblique ribs.
CANCELLARIA, Lam.
S. Gen. _Narona_, H and A. Ad.
C. (N.) COOPERII, G.
C. t. subfusiformi; anfractibus II lævibus; anfr. VII
sub-angulatis; regione infrasuturali excavata, angulo coronato;
regione infra-angulari oblique costata; costis circiter XII;
tota superficie concentrice et confertim lirata; colore luteo
lineis fuscis regulariter et concentrice lirato; canali
elongato; columella vix tortuosa; plicis II; umbilico nullo;
labio parum incrassato; labro acuto.
Long. 2·4, lat. 1·05, long. aper. 1·25.
Broadly subfusiform, nuclear whorls two, smooth, round; normal
whorls seven, subangulated, concavely excavated above the
angle; angle acutely tuberculated; below the angle the surface
is ornamented by about twelve slightly oblique ribs, each rib
ending in a tubercle at the upper angle; the whole surface
is ornamented, besides these ribs, by small, closely placed,
revolving ribs; color yellowish brown crossed by about a dozen
brown revolving bands; these bands usually cover the larger of
the concentric ribs; canal elongate, columella but slightly
twisted; umbilicus obsolete; inner lip but slightly encrusted,
bearing two sharp oblique folds; outer lip acute, simple.
Hab. One beach specimen, San Diego; another inhabited by a
crab, Monterey, 10 fms., and a fragment much larger than the
others, Monterey, 16 fms. All collected by Dr. Cooper.
No. 463, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
CALLIOSTOMA, SWAINS.
_Zizyphinus_, Gray.
C. TRICOLOR, G.
C. t. conica, spira vix elevata; anfr. I nucleari, lævi; anfr.
VI ad marginem truncatis, supra declivibus, infra planulatis;
tota superficie confertim costata; costis minute granulatis;
colore fulvo, lineis purpureis albo maculatis, spiraliter
fasciato; apertura subquadrata, intus margaritacea; labio
crasso, labro acuto; umbilico albo.
Long. ·45, lat. ·5, long. aper. ·19, lat. aper. ·24.
Shell conical, spire somewhat elevated, nuclear whorls smooth;
other whorl sloping above, truncated on the margin, nearly flat
below; surface marked by numerous, finely granulated, revolving
ribs; color yellowish brown, banded by a variable number of
spiral purple lines, interrupted by white spots; aperture
subquadrate, nacreous within; inner lip heavy, outer lip and
base acute, umbilicus white.
Hab. San Pedro, five alive on the sand shoal; and Half Moon
Bay, beach; also San Diego. Dr. Cooper. Also fossil in the Post
Pliocene, San Pedro.
No. 602, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
The brown lines are variable in number, the under side of one
specimen showing two and of another six of these lines. The
granulation of the ribs is arranged in the lines of growth.
N. Gen. PTYCHOSTYLIS, G.
Testa Calliostomati similis, conoidea; spira elevata; apertura
subquadrata; columella antice truncata, plicis obliquis duabus
induta, labro acuto, umbilico nullo.
Shell resembling Calliostoma, Swains, (_Zizyphinus_, Gray,)
conical not umbilicate, internally pearly, spire moderately
elevated; aperture subquadrate; columella bearing two oblique
folds, the lower of which ends abruptly at the end of the
columella; outer lip and base acute, smooth or internally
striate; operculum unknown.
P. CAFFEA, G.
T. conoidea, tenui; spira elevata; anfr. I nucleari, lævi,
anfr. V ad marginem subangulatis, supra recte declivis, ultimo
infra sub-planato; sutura valde impressa; tota superficie
concentrice tuberculato costata; costis circitur XVIII ad ult.
anfr.; epidermide flavida; apertura oblique sub-quadrata, intus
albida.
Long. ·55, lat. ·58, long. aper. ·26, lat. aper. ·28, ang.
diverg. 58°.
Shell conical, thin; spire elevated; one nuclear whorl, smooth,
five perfect whorls, subangulated at the margin, obliquely flat
above; body whorl very slightly convex at the base; suture
strongly impressed; surface marked by revolving tubercular
ribs, about eighteen on the body whorl, one broad one on the
margin and about eight or nine on the under side; these ribs
are less numerous on the preceding volutions, only four can
be counted on the upper side of the penultimate whorl; the
tubercles are arranged so as to present an irregular quincunx;
epidermis a rich coffee brown, darker between the tubercules
than on their summits; aperture obliquely quadrangular, outer
lip and base acute, internally pearly white, columella bearing
two strong folds, the lower one of which borders the truncated
end and terminates in a faint tubercular enlargement; behind
the columella is a slight groove running from the base to the
end of the upper columellar fold.
Hab. Monterey, 20 fms. Dr. Cooper. Also fossil, not rare, in
the Post Pliocene of San Pedro and Santa Barbara, where some
specimens have been found an inch in height.
No. 355, Mollusca, Survey Collection.
This shell appears to be allied to the genera _Calliostoma_ and
_Thalotia_, from which it is separated by the peculiar mouth.
In the absence of the operculum, it is impossible to define its
position certainly.
EMARGINULA, Lam.
E. BELLA, G.
E. t. alba, oblongo-ovalis, subelevata, antice parum
convexa, postice excavata, parte anteriori angustiori; apice
excentrico, prominente, parum recurvato; sinu mediocri; costis
radiantibus circiter XIX cum costis minoribus interstitialibus
irregularitur alternantibus, per lineas concentricas clathratis.
Long. ·55, lat. ·36, alt. ·22.
Shell oblong oval, somewhat elevated, narrowest anteriorly;
apex excentric, posterior, prominent and somewhat recurved;
outline in front of the apex slightly convex, from the apex
to the posterior margin slightly excavated, sides descending
nearly straight; sinus moderate, variable, situated at the
extremity of a strong rib; surface ornamented by about nineteen
large radiating ribs, with smaller ones interposed, all crossed
by moderately prominent concentric ridges; color white.
Locality Monterey, Dr. Cooper. “Two dredged dead.”
No. 466, Survey Mollusca.
GADINIA, Gray.
_S. Gen. Rowellia_, Cooper.
Animal tentaculis ultra testam porrectis, latis, compressis,
margine anteriori rotundato, pectinato; pes mediocris,
circularis.
Testa _Gadiniæ_ similis.
Animal with broad flat tentacles, rounded and pectinated in
front, projecting beyond the shell; foot moderate, round. Shell
as in _Gadinia_.
G. (R.) RADIATA, Cooper.
Animal album; testa sub-circularis; apex centralis; color
albus vel ex albo virens; superficies XXX costis radiantibus
dichotmis induta, per lineas concentricas cruciatis; intus alba
vel livida, margine crenulato; fovea siphonalis bene impressa,
margo prope extremam foveam parum incisus.
Long. ·90, lat. ·85, alt. ·45.
Animal white; shell sub-circular; apex central or sub-central;
color white to greenish externally, internally white, livid
or various shades of a light purple; surface marked by about
thirty radiating and sometimes dichotomous ribs crossed by
irregular concentric lines; internal margin crenulated, the
teeth corresponding to the external ribs; muscular scar
horseshoe-shaped with a little supplementary scar adjoining the
left limb; siponal groove rather strongly impressed, producing
a very faint emargination on the edge of the shell.
Localities, Farallone Islands, Half Moon Bay, New Year’s Point,
Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina Islands. Cooper and Rowell.
No. 826, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
TYLODINA, Raf.
? T. FUNGINA, G.
T. testa sub-elliptica, elevata; apice sub-centrali; epidermide
rufo-brunnea, prope apicem lutea, ultra marginem testæ
projecta; intus lutea, prope marginem cærulescens.
Long. 1·3, lat. 1·1, alt. ·5.
Animal unknown, shell sub-elliptical, elevated; apex
sub-central, blunt; epidermis reddish brown, yellowish on and
near the apex, projecting beyond the margin of the shell; color
internally straw yellow, shading towards the margin into a
bluish white.
The above measurements are approximate, making allowance for
the epidermis which in the dry specimen is contracted and
incurved around the margins to a width of about a tenth of an
inch.
A single specimen, fresh, though without the animal, was found
by Dr. Cooper on the shore of Santa Barbara Island.
No. 994, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
CIRCE, Schum.
S. G. _Lioconcha_, Morch.
C. (L.) NEWCOMBIANA, G.
C. t. tenui, trigono-ventricosa, polita, minute et concentrice
striata; apicibus magnis, subcentralibus; lunula haud profunda,
cordata, margine arata; colore gilvo, lineis angulatis, rufis
pieto; intus pallida.
Long. 1·2, lat. 1·37, alt. ·45.
Shell thin, trigonally ventricose, polished, marked by minute
concentric striæ; beaks large, subcentral; anterior end
prominent, narrowly rounded, posterior a little the widest,
base convex; lunule not excavated, bounded by an impressed
line; color yellowish white, variously lined with brown angular
lines; interior whitish; internal margin smooth; hinge teeth
delicate.
Hab. two valves, Catalina Island, 120 fms. Dr. Cooper.
No. 1058, Mollusca, Survey Cabinet.
The relative length and width of the two specimens is
different, the smaller specimen not being so convex at the base
as the one measured.
YOLDIA.
Y. COOPERII, G.
Y. t. tenui, compressiuscula, valde inæquilaterali, antice
angusta, postice expansa; umbonibus minutis, per positionem
anteriorem excentricis; epidermide olivacea, nitida;
concentrice et confertim lirata; liris minutis, sub lamellosis;
intus lactea; cicatricibus muscularibus magnis.
Long. 1·25, lat. 2·6, alt. ·25.
Shell thin, somewhat compressed, very inequilateral, beaks
placed about a third of the length from the anterior end,
minute; anterior end narrow, sub-acuminate, posterior end
broadly rounded; base most prominent just posterior to the
middle of the shell; surface sculptured by numerous small
concentric ribs, rarely dichotomous or anastomosing on the
widest part of the shell; these ribs are flat and abruptly
truncated on the side nearest the beak, giving the surface,
under a glass, the appearance of an overlapping. Epidermis
shining, olivaceous; internally a bluish white; muscular scars
large, the anterior triangular, posterior a third the largest,
broadly suboval.
A single fresh valve was found on the beach at Santa Cruz,
Cal., by Dr. Cooper.
Earthquakes in California during 1864.
BY DR. JOHN B. TRASK.
FEB. 26TH, 0 h. 40 m.—A light shock of earthquake at San
Francisco. At 5 h. 45 m. a smart shock, having three distinct
vibrations. On the day previous, an “_Electric Storm_”
prevailed between Visalia, Tulare Co., and Los Angeles, which
was very violent in its effects on the telegraph lines.
On the 27th, a heavy “Norther” commenced and continued till the
eve of the 28th. This earthquake was felt at San José, fifty
miles south, at the same hour, and was marked by two very smart
shocks following each other in quick succession.
MARCH 5TH, 8 h. 49 m.—A smart shock of earthquake at San
Francisco. The earthquake began at the above hour. The first
wave was in a direction north and south, and lasted one and
three-fourths seconds. Nearly one and a half seconds elapsed
before the second shock, which occurred at forty-nine minutes,
three seconds past eight o’clock, and had a duration of one and
one-half seconds. The motion in this shock was rotatory.
Magnetism was _not_ suspended in this nor either of the other
shocks, this year. The total length of time included in this
earthquake, was nearly 5 seconds. These observations were made
at the height of 20 feet 4 inches above the ground, but persons
situated at a greater height felt the vibrations longer and
more severely.
We have brief details of this earthquake from Santa Rosa, at
the north, to Santa Cruz at the south, and from Stockton at the
east, for which we acknowledge our obligations to the Telegraph
Company. At Santa Rosa it occurred at 8 h. 50 m. the shock was
light. At Petaluma 8 h. 50 m., also light. At Stockton _about_
9 h., shock was severe. At Santa Clara 8 h. 40 m., the shocks
were very severe. The church spires waved to and fro, and the
earthquake is reported to have continued over two minutes, with
light vibrations between the heavier waves. At Santa Cruz no
time is given.
MARCH 10TH, 14 h. 8 m.—A light shock was felt in San Francisco.
” ” 16 h. 30 m.—Another shock at San Francisco, marked by two
distinct vibrations and lasting three and one-half seconds.
MARCH 20TH, 23 h. 45 m.—A light shock of earthquake having
four distinct tremors, and occupying a little more than three
seconds.
MARCH 22D, 13 h. 0 m.—A smart shock was felt at Stockton,
causing some little commotion.
MAY 20TH, 18 h. 1 m.—A light shock of earthquake at San
Francisco. At Stockton the shock was quite severe and occurred
nine minutes later. At San José it also was very sharp. At Napa
the earthquake, which was quite severe at this place, occurred
at 18 h. 57 m. At Sacramento the shocks occurred at 18 h.: and
was very severe. There were two distinct waves felt at this
locality. This earthquake was felt as far north as Long Valley,
in Mendocino County, and was followed by two loud reports like
artillery, almost instantly.
JUNE 6TH, 11 h. 7 m.—A light shock of earthquake at San
Francisco.
JUNE 22D, 20 h. 53 m.—A smart shock of earthquake at San
Francisco, consisting of three distinct waves and a profound
low rumbling sound. Each of the shocks were marked by a
peculiar abruptness, like sudden sharp jolts. They were
followed by a series of lessening tremors which gradually died
away.
This earthquake was felt as far north as Healdsburg, (about 80
miles distant), at Napa, at Pacheco, at Stockton, and at San
José, south of this city fifty-two miles, making a distance of
one hundred and thirty-two miles, north and south, over which
its influence was well marked.
JULY 5TH, 20 h. 3 m.—An earthquake at San Francisco, not
severe; this consisted of four distinct vibrations occurring
during a period of seven minutes. The second vibration and the
longest lasted nineteen seconds. The shortest vibration was six
seconds in length. The elapsed time between the waves varied
from forty seconds to one and one-fourth minutes.
JULY 21ST, 2 h. 7 m.—A smart shock was felt at San Francisco.
” ” 22 h. 40 m. 38 s.—A very smart shock of earthquake at San
Francisco, consisting of two waves at four seconds apart. The
direction of the motion was north thirteen degrees east. The
displacement was one and a fourth inches, at twenty feet four
inches from the ground. Pendulum suspension eighteen inches.
The earthquake was experienced at San José at the same hour,
and consisted of four strong shocks. At Stockton the earthquake
was severe, and took place twelve minutes later than at this
city. The earthquake was felt at Los Angeles, but was not very
heavy. No time is given from this latter locality.
JULY 25TH, 23 h. 56 m.—A shock of earthquake at Los Angeles.
AUG. 17TH, 22 h. 39 m.—A light shock of earthquake at Nevada
and vicinity.
AUG. 18TH, 5 h. 18 m.—A very strong shock of earthquake was
experienced at Grass Valley and Nevada, which threw down a wall
of stone and brick in the well of Dr. Fellows. This earthquake
was felt at Gibsonville at the north and at Marysville to the
west; at the latter locality it was twelve minutes later than
at Grass Valley.
SEPT. 6TH, 10 h. 3 m.—A shock of earthquake at San Francisco.
SEPT. 20TH, 11 h. 0 m.—A light shock of earthquake at San José;
it was observed at the Mission Dolores.
SEPT. 27TH, 10 h. 32 m.—A heavy shock at Mission San Juan,
Monterey Co.
OCT. 6TH, 21 h. 9 m.—A smart shock of earthquake at San
Francisco.
OCT. 14TH, 1 h. 8 m.—Two heavy shocks of earthquake were felt
at Mission San Juan, and another severe shock at 10 h. 25 m.,
the movement was from west to east.
DEC. 11TH, 20 h. 52 m.—A shock of earthquake at San Francisco.
This shock was felt at San José at 20 h. 51 m., and was
evidently more severe there than at San Francisco.
During 1864, we have had twenty-one days on which earthquakes
have occurred, and of at number there have been two days,
(March 10th and July 21st) in which more than one shock has
taken place within the twenty-four hours of each day.
The _British Colonist_, of Victoria, Vancouver Island,
furnishes the following statement:
From a gentleman who has resided on Vancouver Island for 15
years, we learn that slight earthquakes have occurred annually,
with one or two exceptions, during the entire period. Only on
one occasion (1858) does he remember experiencing a shock at
all approaching in severity that of Saturday morning, October
29th 1864. The oscillation, as on this last occasion, has
almost invariably been from west to east: and he accounts
for this, by supposing that the internal convulsion of the
earth beneath, has to find vent in the crater of Mount Baker,
situated to the east of us. This volcano has not had any
visible eruption for several years. On the last occasion, it
sent up a dense volume of smoke, and occasionally a bright
flame was seen to issue from the fiery furnace. Another old
resident informs us, that the appearance of the summit of Mount
Baker has undergone a material change within late years, giving
room for the conjecture that large portions have crumbled away
and descended into the yawning abyss of the crater which lies
between the two highest peaks.
Relating to earthquakes at San Francisco and its immediate
vicinity, we have an item of interesting information relating
to their effects at the Farrallones Islands, situated some
fifteen miles to the west of the city. It appears, upon the
testimony of the lighthouse-keeper at these Islands, and who
has resided there for several years, (seven or eight), that but
_two_ of the whole number occurring at this city, have been
felt at the Islands, and of these he made an official record.
The first was the shock of Dec. 23d, 1862, and that of June
22d, 1864.
From 1857 to date, we have seven years, during which time
twenty-five shocks have been authenticated at San Francisco,
while two only of the number have been felt at the above
locality west of the city.
REGULAR MEETING, JAN. 16TH, 1865.
Dr. Kellogg in the chair.
Twelve members present.
Mr. Melville Attwood was elected a resident member.
A communication was read from Rev. J. M. Neri, acknowledging his
election; also one from M. Le Normand.
REGULAR MEETING, FEB. 6TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Fourteen members present.
Mr. Charles F. Hoffman was elected a resident member.
Prof. J. D. Dana, of Yale College, was elected a Corresponding member.
Prof. W. P. Blake communicated the following:
New Mineral Oil Regions in the Tulare Valley.
BY WILLIAM P. BLAKE.
Recent examinations of prospecting parties, have added largely
to the well-known oil-bearing portions of the State. A district
some sixty miles in length, on the inner slopes of the Coast
mountains, towards the Tulare Valley, has been found to abound
in oil springs, or indications of oil. Oil exudes from the
surface in large quantities, and collects rapidly in small pits
sunk by prospectors. The soil about these pits is very black
and saturated with oil. The gases escaping from this soil are
inflammable, and many of the prospectors have been startled to
see flames spreading over the ground, beyond their camp fires.
In digging pits about these springs, large quantities of bones
of various kinds have been thrown out, and all are wonderfully
well preserved. These bones appear chiefly those of the horse,
deer, and elk, though there are many others which I have not
been able to recognize. The teeth of the horse, sent to me,
are of unusual size, and induce the question, whether they are
not of greater antiquity than the present race of horses. I am
assured that the variety of bones and teeth of many kinds is
very great.
The oil found gives an excellent article for lubricating
purposes, and must be very similar to the oil found near
Zanesville, Ohio, according to the descriptions given of the
latter.
Note upon the occurrence of Sphene in the Granite of the Sierra Nevada.
BY WILLIAM P. BLAKE.
Sphene, in small hair-brown or amber-colored crystals, appears
to be abundantly distributed in the granite of the Sierra
Nevada. It may be found at the sources of the American River,
in the exposures of granite about Slippery Ford, and other
points, and upon the Mokelumne River, further south. The
crystals are seldom more than the thirty second part of an
inch in diameter, and are not conspicuous, but may be found in
almost any specimen of the rocks.
It appears, that this mineral is also of common occurrence
in the granite of the British Islands. In a report to the
British Association, (1863) upon the composition of the granite
of Donegal, it is stated, that the rock contains, almost
universally, small crystals of sphene, in some varieties so
abundantly, as to induce the authors of the Report to term it
“sphene granite.” It is also observed that this mineral has
long been known to exist in the granite of parts of Scotland,
and in that of Galway.
REGULAR MEETING, FEBRUARY 20TH, 1865.
Dr. Kellogg in the chair.
Ten members present.
Discussion as to various matters pertaining to Natural History.
REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 6TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Twelve members present.
William Hillebrand, M. D., of Honolulu, S. I., was elected a
corresponding member.
Donations to the Cabinet: Dr. Behr, in behalf of Mr. Smith, presented a
curiously formed chicken, having four legs.
REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 20TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Twelve members present.
Mr. Otto Schmidt and Dr. E. Cohn were elected resident members.
Donations to the Library: Descriptions of new species of Birds; presented
by the author, Mr. George N. Lawrence. Catalogue of the College of
California, 1864-5; Proceedings of the Essex Institute, Vol. 4, No.
4; Supplementary Catalogue of the Library Company at Philadelphia;
Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for
September and October, 1864.
Dr. Behr read the following letters from Major Preiss, of Mazatlan, as
to the efficacy of the _Euphorbia prostrata_, as a remedy for the bite of
the rattlesnake and venomous insects:
Euphorbia Prostrata as a remedy for the bite of venomous animals.
BY MAJOR EDWARD PREISS.
Mazatlan, January 7th, 1865.
...I send you herewith a sample of Gollindrinera, (Spanish,)
_Euphorbia prostrata_, (Linn.) It is found growing in the
territories of New Mexico and Arizona, in the United States,
and the provinces of Sonora and Sinaloa, in Mexico. In Jalisco
this plant is more scarce, and occurs mostly in a poor
condition.
It thrives in hard, sandy or stony soil, and therefore is most
frequently found on roadsides, in the streets of villages and
in house-yards. In Mazatlan I found a plant with branches,
measuring two feet.
It is a remedy against the bites of snakes and other venomous
animals.
During my voyage in New Mexico, I camped on the 5th of June,
1864, at noon, between Cubera and Pawate, near a waterhole. A
Pueblo-Indian approached me, and entered into a conversation.
He could read and write Spanish, and was very well versed on
the map of the country. Noticing a snake in the waterhole, I
asked him whether there were many rattlesnakes in those parts,
to which he gave an affirmative answer. On questioning him
whether Indians frequently died from snake-bites, he answered:
“No, as they have an antidote against the poison.” At my
request, accompanied by a gift of some cigarritos, he brought
me a plant, which he gathered from the roadside, and which he
called “Gollindrinera.” He told me that nobody ever died, not
even from the bite of a rattlesnake, if this plant was applied
in time. At the same time he told how it was used.
In Mexico I also found the country people well acquainted with
the property of this plant. They apply it when their domestic
animals are injured by venomous amphibia or insects.
The branches and roots of this plant contain a quantity of
a milky sap. This is obtained by pounding and squeezing the
plant, and is given to the patient in doses of about one
drachm. The remaining fibres of the pressed-out plant are
externally applied on the wound. The dose is repeated every
hour,—or in aggravated cases, every half hour,—until the
patient feels relieved; which will occur in a few hours. The
external application must be frequently renewed.
I ascertained from reliable authority, that two dogs, being
bitten by rattlesnakes, were cured, one after four, and the
other after six repetitions of the dose. The poultice was
frequently changed. Both dogs were perfectly restored within
twenty-four hours.
Tepic, March 28th, 1865.
...Myself and companion arrived on the 14th of March, 1865,
at 3 o’clock P. M., at San Blas. In the evening, our faces,
necks and hands were badly bitten by myriads of sandflies. The
sting of these flies is exceedingly painful, and the effects of
them last for several days. Every person visiting San Blas will
not easily forget these insects; each sting produces a reddish
swelling, which hardens after awhile, and sometimes remains for
eight days and more. We left San Blas on the 15th of March, at
1.30 A. M., and arrived at 5 P. M. at Tepic. The fly-bites were
excruciatingly painful. On the 16th we used liquid ammoniac to
allay our suffering, but without result. In the forenoon of
the 17th I found two small Gollindrinera plants in the streets
of Tepic; I pulled it, roots and all, from the ground, broke
them into several parts, and rubbed the milky juice over my
sores. In half an hour all the pain had left. Not being able
to find any more of the plants, my companion had to suffer for
several days longer; which proves, however, that my relief from
the tormenting pain was directly to be credited to the medical
virtue of the Gollindrinera.
During my lengthened stay among the natives of Australia,
I observed that no black man ever died from the bite of
a venomous reptile,—excepting always the dead-adder,
(bothrops)—while a white man seldom escaped death. The remedy
of the blacks is very simple, consisting merely in sucking
out the wound, and in keeping awake the patient for at least
twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The dead adder (bothrops)
of Australia is probably the most poisonous reptile. A black
man, if bitten by this snake, will be abandoned to death by his
friends, they being sure that help is out of the question. I
witnessed once the death of a victim of the dead-adder.
I read in an Australian paper, that a white boy, who was bitten
in the finger by a dead-adder, had so much presence of mind, as
to chop it off with his pocket-knife. The finger had afterwards
to be regularly amputated, but the boy’s life was saved.
An interesting discussion occurred as to the characteristics of various
species of trees.
REGULAR MEETING, APRIL 3D, 1865.
President in the chair.
Nine members present.
Donations to the Library: Col. Ransom presented a bound copy of Vols. I
and II of the Society’s Proceedings.
Dr. Kellogg exhibited from the Academy’s herbarium, accompanied by a
drawing and description, a new species of _Pentachæta_, very abundant on
the dry hills of Marin County—_Pentachæta purpurea_ of Kellogg.
REGULAR MEETING, APRIL 17TH, 1865.
Dr. Behr in the chair.
Seven members present.
Mr. Stearns made some remarks, and offered an appropriate resolution on
the death of President Lincoln, which was ordered to be spread upon the
Minutes, after which the meeting adjourned.
REGULAR MEETING, MAY 1ST, 1865.
President in the chair.
Ten members present: Messrs. Kennicott, Dall and other gentlemen
connected with the Russian American Telegraph Expedition as visitors.
Donations to the Cabinet: Specimens of native copper and native silver
from the Copper Falls Mine, Keewenaw Point, Lake Superior, presented by
Mr. Stearns.
Donations to the Library: Four volumes of the Congressional Globe:
Finance Report, 1864; Report on the Foreign and Domestic Commerce of
the United States; Patent Office Report, (Agriculture,) 1863; from the
Hon. John Conness. Embryology of the Star Fish, by Alexander Agassiz,
presented by the author; Annual Report of the Museum of Comparative
Zoology of Cambridge; Proceedings of the Essex Institute, Vol. III,
1860-63; Silliman’s Journal for March, 1865; Proceedings of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The following was received from Prof. W. H. Brewer, in reference to the
occurrence of fossils in the auriferous slates of California:
Occurrence of Fossils in the Auriferous Slates of California.
BY PROF. W. H. BREWER.
I find in published _Proceedings of the Academy_, just
received, that some remarks I made at the meeting of October
3d, 1864, were not published, that I wish recorded.
In the discussion on the occurrence of fossils in the
auriferous rocks of California, I stated that fossils had been
found by the Geological Survey, in the rocks associated with
gold, along a line nearly 300 miles in length, extending from
Pitt River to the Mariposa Estate; that the associated rocks of
similar age, bearing gold, had been traced upwards of 550 miles
in the Sierra Nevadas, and that _Jurassic_ fossils had been
found in the “auriferous slates,” along a belt of 200 miles of
this distance, and that both _Jurassic_ and _Triassic_ fossils
had been found in considerable numbers near and in Genesee
Valley, Plumas Co.
REGULAR MEETING, MAY 15TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Eight members present.
Mr. John Klippart, of Columbus, Ohio, was elected a corresponding member.
Dr. Kellogg called the attention of the Academy to the _Œnotheræ
graciliflora_, with a variety of the same. Mr. Bolander made some remarks
upon the isolated position of the Red-woods upon the hills back of
Oakland.
REGULAR MEETING, JUNE 5TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Eleven members present. Dr. C. T. Jackson, R. Kennicott, and W. H. Dall,
visitors.
Donations to the Cabinet: Marine shells from the neighborhood of Hong
Kong, by Mr. Stearns.
Donations to the Library: Notes on the habits of some species of Humble
Bees, and the Humble Bees of New England, by F. W. Putnam and A. S.
Packard, Jr., presented by the authors; Proceedings of the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for November and December, 1864.
Messrs. Kennicott and Dall made some remarks on the workings of the Essex
Institute.
Dr. Jackson spoke of the progress and condition of the Boston Society of
Natural History.
Dr. Jackson also mentioned the discovery by him, in the Mammoth Mining
District, near Austin, Nevada, of Tungstate of manganese and Tungstate of
lime.
REGULAR MEETING, JUNE 19TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Nine members present.
Donations to the Cabinet: Specimen of coral from the Farallone Islands,
by Mr. Hubbard; Specimens of silver and copper ores and cinnibar from
Mexico, by the Editor of _La Voz de Mejico_; Skull of the Sea-otter, (dug
out of the sand near the Cliff House,) by Mr. Daniel E. Webb; Fibrous
bark from China, by Mr. C. A. McNulty.
Donations to the Library: Notes on the Genus Gundlachia and of the fossil
crab of Gay Head, by Dr. Wm. Stimpson; Proceedings of the Philadelphia
Academy of Natural Sciences for January, February and March, 1865;
Silliman’s Journal, May, 1865; Annual Report of the Museum of Comparative
Zoology of Cambridge; Report of the ninth census Of the U.S.
Mr. Hubbard presented the following paper from Mr. W. H. Pease, of
Honolulu:
On the existence of an Atoll near the west coast of America, and proof of
its elevation.
BY W. HARPER PEASE, OF HONOLULU, H. I.
Having read an interesting paper by Dr. Blake, in a late number
of the _Proceedings California Academy_, on the proofs of a
recent elevation of the coast of California, it occurred to
me that I had in my note book, information unpublished on the
same subject. As it lies within the field occupied by your
Academy, I furnish it herewith for publication. My information
was gathered from a Journal kept by Lieut. Griswold,[11] (a
young gentleman of scientific taste, and a close and accurate
observer,) during a cruise off the west coast of Mexico, in
search of guano. Among the islands visited, was “Clipperton
Rock,” which is the locality I refer to.
Before giving any extract, I will state what was known of the
island.
It is situated in Lat. 10° 17’ N., Long. 109° 19’ W., and was
discovered by Capt. Clipperton, in 1705. He appears to have
sighted only the tall volcanic rock, which stands near the
south end of the island, and passed on without learning of the
existence of the island. It appears not to have been noticed
again for more than a century, so that its position, and even
its existence was doubted.
The only published account of its having been visited
since, are those by Capt. Benj. Morrell[12] and Sir Edward
Belcher.[13] The former called there during a sealing voyage,
in 1825, and gives a meagre account of it in a few lines,
remarking, that “it produces a little shrubbery and some coarse
grass, among which, I think, fresh water might be found by
digging. Among the few vegetable productions of this island,
we found a plant resembling sarsaparilla, which badly poisoned
several of the crew who handled it.”
Sir Edward Belcher, during his surveying expedition, wishing
to verify the existence and position of the island, searched
and found it. He did not land, but gives the result of his
examination from the mast-head. With other remarks, he states
that “it is a coral lagoon island, three miles long N. and
S., and the same E. and W. There are two entrances, both on
the weather side, which at high-water may be safe, but at the
moment we passed, the surf was too heavy and the reflux showed
the rocks bare. On the beach several large trees were observed,
but no living trees were seen.” (May 8, 1839.)
Lieutenant Griswold notes in his journal, as follows: “On the
6th of August, 1861, we lay on our oars, just outside the
breakers on the N. E. side. At half past six we were ashore,
shooting in on a high roller, which left us high and dry upon
the beach, with a hole stove in our bow. The beach was covered
with drift wood, and while the crew were collecting it, I
started to examine the island.
“Upon every side it is girdled by a broad barrier of coral,
about fifteen feet above the level of the ocean. There is no
entrance to the lagoon, neither does it communicate with the
ocean by subterranean passages, as the water inside is _fresh_
and _potable_. It is slightly brackish, but will appease
thirst. The ‘ROCK’ is a ragged pile of volcanic formation, on
the south end of the island, gray and splashed over with the
deposit of the birds. It is cracked and split in every possible
direction, here and there shooting into tottering pinnacles.
As you wander through the caverns and clefts, with which it is
perforated, there is an incessant splashing and dropping of
water. On the very topmost pinnacle, which I reached after
a hard climb, I found a little basin containing a couple of
buckets full. The caverns were dreary looking places, dark and
wet, and echoing to the hoarse cries of the sea-birds. The
rock, on its sides, is rounded and smoothed by the action of
the waves, at some long past time, and in many places ‘_the
walls are crusted with coral_.’
“The highest pinnacle of the rock is about 120 feet high, and
it covers, I should think, about two acres. It stands on the
edge of the lagoon, or rather within it, being connected with
the coral barrier only by a narrow isthmus of coral clinker.
Between this rock and the sea, however, the barrier, instead of
being as elsewhere, a solid platform of coral, is only a heap
of fragments, piled in winrows by the waves, 250 or 300 yards
in width. The lagoon is a quiet fresh water pond, two miles
long and about one broad, with a long spit of mud running out
into the middle of it, but elsewhere of a light green color,
which seemed to indicate a considerable depth. Its shores are
abrupt, the coral platform in most places projecting out over
water of a considerable depth. I did not find the least sign of
vegetable life upon the island.
“The only plant[14] seen, grew in considerable quantities in
the lagoon, which I pulled out of the water, where it was
growing. There is nothing but a coral platform, coral clinker
and coral sand. We found nothing to detain us and left the
island on the afternoon of the day on which we landed.”
Mr. Darwin, on his remarks on the geographical distribution of
reef-building corals, states that he could find no evidence
of their living on or near the west coast of America, and
consequently discredits the statement made by Sir Edward
Belcher; for after examining a Ms. chart of Clipperton Rock,
at the Admiralty Office, drawn by Sir Edward, came to the
conclusion that it was more of the shape of a crater. The
Island is, however, a true Atoll and has been elevated at least
100 feet.
It must have been closed since 1839, and the freshening of the
water has probably been caused by rain.
We may also add, that it stands within the limits of reef
building corals, as deduced by Mr. Dana, from tables of the
temperature of the sea, and consequently is confirmatory of his
opinion.
We might add other facts in support of Mr. Dana’s theory, but
from other parts of the Pacific.
[11] Lieut. Griswold was killed at the head of his regiment,
gallantly leading them into action, at the battle of Antietam.
[12] A narrative of four voyages to the South Seas, &c., by
Capt. Benj. Morrell. N. Y., 1832, page 219.
[13] Narrative of a voyage round the world in H. M. S.
_Sulphur_, by Capt. Sir Edward Belcher. London, 1843. Vol.
II, page 219.
[14] Specimens of the plant referred to by Mr. Pease, were
received by the Academy.
Discussion as to the adaptation of certain semi-tropical plants to the
climate of California.
REGULAR MEETING, JULY 3, 1865.
President in the chair.
Eight members present. Prof. John Torrey, R. Kennicott W. H. Dall, Horace
Mann, and Capt. Wright, visitors.
Donations to the Cabinet: A collection of Rocky Mountain plants, by Mr.
Bolander.
General discussion as to the motions of the Flying-fish.
Remarks by Mr. Kennicott and Dr. Behr upon the relation of the Esquimaux
to the North American Indians. Dr. Behr stated that the Esquimaux could
be considered only as a kind of Indians, their language being of the same
structure, and their different habits were owing to physical influences.
He further stated, that the Esquimaux lived formerly farther south. Mr.
Kennicott remarked, that from his observations and information derived
from Madam Roshkin and from St. Zagoshins’ Report, he believed the
natives, for some hundreds of miles up the Kvichpak or Yonkon River, were
Esquimaux rather than Indians.
Dr. Torrey stated, that he found on a trip to the Yosemite Valley, a
plant that he described twenty years ago, and which he had not since seen
in the collections examined by him. He named the plant, finding it to
be a new genus _Kelloggia_; the plant is quite common in the valley and
vicinity, and belongs to the family of Rubiaceæ; the aspect of the plant
is, in regard to its ramification, much like that of a _Galium_, while
its leaves and their arrangement resemble an _Epilobium_. It was first
discovered by some member of Com. Wilke’s Expedition, somewhere along or
near the Sacramento River.
Dr. Torrey also stated that he found _Sarcodes Sanguinea_, (Torrey), the
Snow-plant of the Californians, to be apparently indifferent as to what
plant it fixes itself or derives its nourishment from; he found its fibre
penetrating into the root of a _Rumex_, and not as has been supposed into
the roots of _Sequoia gigantea_. He also spoke of the great beauty and
fragrance of the California White Lily, (_Lilium Washingtonianum_,) and
of its being quite common in the vicinity of the Yosemite Valley. Its
habits are much like that of the common white lily, (_Lilium candidum_).
This evening, at 7 o’clock, a magnificent rainbow was observed, the
colors of which were unusually vivid.
REGULAR MEETING, JULY 17TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Ten members present.
REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 7TH, 1865.
President in the chair.
Nine members present: Dr. C. T. Jackson, visitor.
Donations to the Cabinet: Three boxes of shells; Duplicate fossils of the
U. S. Exploring Expedition; Types of Dana’s Geology; Fossils from the
Upper Missouri; Miscellaneous fossils of the United States, received from
the Smithsonian Institution; Trachytic porphyry from the “Basalt” Cliff,
three miles from the Big Tree Grove, Calaveras, presented by Dr. Jackson.
Donations to the Library: Annual Report of the Museum of Comparative
Zoology of Cambridge, 1864; Proceedings of the Academy of Natural
Sciences of Philadelphia, for January, February and March, 1865;
Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, June-September,
1864; Review of American Birds, by Prof. S. F. Baird; Proceedings of
Albany Institute; The Law of Increase and the Structure of Man, by F. A.
Liharyik; Oration and Poem delivered at the Commencement of the College
of California; Proceedings of the Royal Horticultural Society of London;
Meteorological Results, Toronto, 1860-2; Magnetical Abstracts, Toronto,
1854-60, 1856-62.
Dr. Ayres remarked the appearance of a species of Barracouta, (_Sphyrena
Argentea_,) on the coast of California, off Point Conception.
Dr. C. T. Jackson read the following paper, relative to the Big Trees of
Calaveras County.
MEASUREMENTS OF THE HEIGHT AND CIRCUMFERENCE OF TWENTY-FIVE OF THE “BIG
TREES,” (_SEQUOIA GIGANTEA_,) IN CALAVERAS COUNTY, BY DR. CHARLES T.
JACKSON AND MR. JOSEPH B. MEADER, AUGUST 2D AND 3D, 1865.
Instruments made use of:—
1. Sir H. Douglass’ Reflecting Semicircle; (Cary).
2. A Reflecting Level; made by J. H. Temple, of Boston.
3. A common Measuring Tape.
The horizontal point was fixed upon each tree, and the angle
measured by the Reflecting Semicircle, and protracted by it.
The circumference of the trees was measured above the swell of
the roots, about six feet, where the stem takes its proper form.
Several measurements, originally made with too high an angle,
were taken over again with a longer base, so as to avoid the
error of refraction in the glasses of the mirrors.
We trust, therefore, that the following measurements will be
found to be correct.
====================================+=========+=========
| HEIGHT. | CIRCUM.
NAME OF TREE. | |
| Feet. | Feet.
------------------------------------+---------+---------
Arbor Vitæ Queen | 258 | 31
Pride of the Forest | 260 | 50
Andrew Johnson | 273 | 32
Bay State | 280 | 48
Edward Everett | 265 | 46
Henry W. Beecher | 291 | 45
William C. Bryant | 305 | 49
Abraham Lincoln | 281 | 44
Mother of the Forest[15] | 305 | 63
Daniel Webster | 270 | 49
General Jackson | 320 | 42
General Scott | 327 | 45
General Washington | 284 | 52
Beauty of the Forest | 258 | —
Two Sentinels | 315 | —
Old Kentucky | 277 | 45
Mother and Son | 269 | 64
T. Starr King | 366 | 50
Trinity | 308 | 48
Salem Witch | 310 | —
Henry Clay | 241 | 44
Empire State | 275 | 50
Vermont | 259 | 44
Granite State | 286 | 50
John Torrey, (Nobis) | — | 50
| |
(All the above-named trees are the _Sequoia Gigantea_.)
| |
A Sugar Pine, (_P. Lambertiana_) | 165 | —
A Yellow Pine, (_P. Engelmann_) | 232 | 27
Another of same species | 220 | 19
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[15] Bark off Mother of the Forest to the height of 121 feet.
The stump of the “Original Big Tree” measured in six diameters,
gives for mean, 23 ft. 1⅓ in., diameter inside of the
bark,—which was two feet thick.
REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 21ST, 1865.
Mr. Fisk in the chair.
Nine members present.
Donations to the Cabinet: Specimen of Chromic Iron, from Tuolumne County,
by Mr. Hanks.
Mr. Bolander submitted a paper on the Grasses of Arizona, with the
following remarks:
The following List of Grasses, accompanied by the very
judicious and practical observations of the Corresponding
Member of our Natural History Society, Mr. C. J. Croft, of
the 1st Cavalry California Volunteers, was received by mail
from Fort Goodwin, Arizona Territory, some little time since.
From the same intelligent source, we have, from time to time,
received many valuable specimens, preserved with uncommon care,
and reaching us in a state quite unusual, even from localities
far more favorably situated. We are very hopeful, we shall
shortly be placed in possession of specimens of the seed of
the _White Layia Mexicana_, for ornamental culture, as also
of a species of native Potato, from the same indefatigable
individual, who has also furnished us with a very interesting
account of numerous species of the Cactus family, of that
District.
The Grasses of Arizona.
BY C. J. CROFT, U. S. A.
The grasses of this Territory, principally consist of four
varieties:
No. 1. (_Pleuraphis Jamesii_, Torr.,) is the lowland Grama
which grows in great profusion along the valley of the Gila,
and constitutes the principal feed for our animals, which do
quite well upon it, moderately worked.
No. 2. (_Aristida purpurea_, Nutt.) The highland Grama, growing
upon the sand “mesas,” or highlands, seems to differ but
little, if any, from that found in some portions of California.
No. 3. (_Muhlenbergia pungeus_, Thurb.) Black Grama, or, “Grama
China,” as vulgarly called by the natives, is the most valuable
as feed; upon it animals will fatten. It grows on the highlands
in sandy arid soil. I have never met any of this variety in the
valley of the Colorado, and but very little in the territory of
New Mexico. At this post we have had as many as 700 animals,
and the scarcity of forage required us to herd our stock upon
this grass during the winter. We were often obliged to make
rapid and distant marches in pursuit of Indians, over a country
almost impassable, yet our horses stood it well, fed only upon
this grass. Our cavalry here had no grain during the entire
winter. This Grama, like the other species, grows in bunches
several feet apart, and the lower stalks are green during the
winter season.
No. 4. (_Sporobolus airoides_, Trin.) This grows in the
valleys. A great portion of the Gila Valley is covered with it.
Animals eat it readily when green; it is however a powerful
diuretic. As a winter grass it is of no account.
Besides these four enumerated grasses, the letter contained
three others from the same locality:
1. _Panicum capillare_, L.
2. _Tricuspis pulchella_, Kunth.
3. _A Poa_, much of the habitat of _Poa sudetica_. Vivid
green; leaves plane, rather large; spikelets four-flowered,
oval; lower glume one, and the upper three nerved; lower palea
distinctly three-nerved, scabrous on the Red nerve. The nerves
of the glumes, as well as of the lower palea, are of a vivid
green color, and exceedingly prominent. The whole aspect of the
plant sent, would rather suggest that it is not indigenous to
that section of the country.
REGULAR MEETING, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 1865.
Mr. Minns in the Chair.
Eight members present.
Donations to the Library: A paper on the origin and formation of
Prairies, by Leo Lesquereux; Report of the Vancouver Island Exploration,
1864; Review of American Birds, by Prof. S. F. Baird; Silliman’s Journal
for July; Proceedings of the Essex Institute, January, February and
March, 1865; Illustrated Catalogue of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
of Cambridge; The Naturalists’ Directory, Part I.
Dr. Ayres presented the following paper from Prof. W. P. Blake:
Note on the abundance of Iron Ore in Northern Arizona.
BY WM. P. BLAKE.
In 1863 I observed an iron formation of considerable extent
and interest upon and near the William’s Fork of the Colorado,
near its mouth. The ore is chiefly the micaceous variety of
Hematite, or “specular iron,” and occurs in thick beds and in
thin sheets, in a ferruginous limestone or dolomite, evidently
metamorphic, and tilted up at a high angle.
It forms a belt of peculiar appearance, that may be traced
by the eye for miles across the country, in a direction
a few degrees south of west. This rock and iron ore is
inter-stratified with chloritic and talcose slates and granite,
and the series also bears copper ores and gold.
From the collections made by Lieut. Whipple’s party, in 1853,
in the mountains north, it would appear, that similar rocks
exist in the Cerbat and Aquarius Mountains, the extreme
geological antiquity of which, was commented on by me in the
Pacific R. R. Reports, Vol. III, p. 59. It is possible that
this ferriferous formation is connected with the extensive iron
formation of the coast of Mexico, south of Acapulco, described
by Mr. Manross, (Am. Journ. Sci., XXXIX, 358,) and it may be of
pre-Silurian date.
Descriptions of New Marine Shells from the Coast of California.