Regular Meeting, March 4th, 1867.
President in the Chair.
Twenty-nine members present.
Messrs. J. M. Sibley, William Norris, Henry Pickel, John W. Nystrom, Ross E. Brown, Cornelius B. Miller and Theodore P. Painter were elected Resident Members.
Donations to the Cabinet: “Electro-Silicon,” (Infusorial Silica) from Six-Mile Cañon, near Virginia City, Nevada, from Dr. Lanszweert; Fossil Fruit, from Long Valley, Mendocino County, from C. Beottie; Fossil Shells, from the line of the Erie (Steuben County, N. Y.) Railroad, by A. T. Beardsley; Magnesium Wire, by C. Z. Wilson; Fragment from the “Pyramid of Cheops,” by Mr. Elliott; Two Specimens of Petrified Wood, from Sonoma County, Package of Coffee Seed and Specimen of Nest of Trap-Door Spider, from Dr. Kellogg.
Prof. Whitney announced the death of Alexander Dallas Bache, and read a notice of his life and eminent scientific services.
Mr. Stearns read the following communication, prefacing it with some remarks on the hibernation and æstivation of land shells:
Remarkable Instance of Vitality in a Snail.
In that invaluable work to the conchological student, entitled “Recent and Fossil Shells,” by S. P. Woodward, pp. 18 and 19, reference is made to certain genera and species of land shells, and several instances are cited proving the remarkable vitality of these comparatively insignificant animals, and their ability to exist for great lengths of time without food.
Particular mention is made of a specimen of the snail Helix desertorum, which was affixed to a tablet in the British Museum, March 25th, 1846, and upon the 7th of March, 1850, it was observed that the animal must have come out of the shell, as the paper was discolored in the attempt to get away, but finding escape impossible, it had withdrawn inside of the shell and closed the aperture with the usual glistening film, which led to its immersion in tepid water and marvelous recovery. It will be noticed that this period embraced nearly four years.