Length, 19½ inches.
Habitat, Lower California.
Remarks.—The specimen described above, was captured at Margarita Bay, by Mr. White, of the whaler Rambler, to whom I am indebted for a valuable collection of objects of natural history.
Dr. Ayres remarked that he had recently received from Tomales Bay specimens of an ichthyic type, new to this coast, and probably new to science. The species is closely allied to Scomberesox, though the jaws are but moderately elongated. It is judged worthy of record, even previous to any description, since no fish of that group has hitherto been found in the waters of California. The specimens exhibited to the Academy were from five to eight inches in length. He also gave notice of the acquisition of a specimen of Thrasher, taken in the Bay of San Francisco. The species is a very close representative of the Atlantic form Alopias vulpes, differing, however, in the proportions of the dorsal and anal fins, and in the position of the branchial apertures; the tail constitutes decidedly more than half of the entire length. The specimen is about five feet in length.
Dr. Ayres presented a specimen of Barnacles, found floating at sea in lat. 33° 8´ N., lon. 129° 35´ W., by Capt. Geo. Goodrum of San Francisco. They were of the Anatifa type, but exhibited the remarkable feature of being attached, not to some extraneous substance, as a fragment of wreck, for instance, but to a spherical, fleshy receptacle, apparently a portion of their own system. This receptacle was of a light, yellowish color, about the size of a small orange, which it somewhat resembled in aspect. To it were attached, by the usual flexible pedicles, about a dozen Barnacles, allied to Anatifa, as above indicated, but differing from it in the breadth of the dorsal plate, and in the projection of a strong keel at the base of both dorsal and lateral plates. When this specimen was procured, myriads like it covered the sea for miles in the track of the vessel. Barnacles aggregated in this manner of growth do not appear to have been hitherto reported.
Regular Meeting, October 5th, 1863.
President in the Chair.
Seven members present.
A donation to the cabinet of several species of fishes from the Sandwich Islands was received from Mr. Andrew Garrett.