Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-27

Municipal Affairs.

A regular session of the city council was
held last evening. The petition of S. r.
Haywood and others, for sidewalks on Crown
street, was referred to the committee on side
walks. 1t was ordered that the committee on
the fire department consider and report
whether something cannot be done to prevent
fires in dry houses, &c. Alderman Crompton
offered an order, requiring of those intending
to move buildings through the streets, to give
previous notice of such intention in some
daily paper of the largest circulation, with
description Of the building, destination, &c.
Referred to the committee on highways. The
bill from the State Lunatic Hospital, to the
amount Of seventy nine dnllarS, for the board
of patients belonging to the city, was referred
to the board OF Overseers of the poor.
Alderman Hobbs, from the military COM
mittee, offered an order, which had its first
reading, appropriating So, 900 in payment of
allowances to Worcester soldiers.
PhinehaS Ball was elected aqueduCt COM
missioner, by concurrent vote, receiving five
votes to three for Levi Barker in the board of
aldermen, and nine votes to six for Col. Bar
ker in the common coSncil.
In joint convention, Edward Earle was
elected commissioner Of shade trees and pub
lie grounds for three years, James i. Blake
for two years, and Henry Prentice for one
year, in compliance with the legislative enact
ment Of last year.
An election of councilman in ward three
was ordered, to take place on Monday, Feb
9, TO fill the vacancy caused by the resigna-
ton of Stephen P. .Twiss.
In executive session of the board of alder
men, the watchmen were constituted police
officers.
In the common council, the president being
absent Andrew McF. Davis, Esq, was elect
ed president pro TEN. Both boards adjourned
for two weeks at - P. M.
The NATURAL HISTORY SoCIETY.-At the
meeting last Saturday evening the following
persons were elected curators and assistants
of the various departments for the ensuing
year:
Botany-ATiss Annie B. Earle.
Mineralogy and Geology-Prof James
Bushee, C. b. Whiting.
Comparative Anatomy-Dr. Rufus Wood
ward
Ornithology-W. A. Smith, Jas. S. Rogers.
Neutrality-suspicious. Salisbury, Jr.
Ichthyology-J. X. Lombard.
Mammualia-Nathaniel Paine, Charles W.
Gilbert.
Mollusca-James G. Arnold.
Arliculata-T. w. Higginson, Samuel A.
Arnold, Miss Helen NJ. Knowlton.
Radiata-Mrs. J. Il. Arnold.
Paleontology-R Hamant, G. w. Holden.
Several curators submitted reports of the
condition of their respective departments at
the close of the year-exhibiting gratifying
increase in the number of specimens-some
of which are of great local value.
Charles +. Mecorney read paper on the
stormy petrol, or Mother Cary's chicken, as it
is called. This bird is the terror of the sailor,
who considers it the precursor of storm. 1t
is the smallest Of the web-footed birds. Few
storms are violent enough to keep it from
wandering over the waves in search of food
which the disturbed water casts to the surface.
Button says it is from its singular habit o.
walking upon the water that the whole genus
have received the name petrol from the apos-
tie Peter.
Charles w. Gilbert gave an interesting re-
port on the fox, recently presented from Way
land, Mass. He introduced vivid descrip-
ton of fox hunt, and some incidents anus
ingly illustrating its proverbial cunning
DIR. Rufus Woodward explained at some
length the growth, composition and uses of
teeth. He illustrated his remarks with draw
ings on the board, and with specimens of the
teeth OF the horse, whale, elephant, porpoise
and sheep. He showed that the uses of teet.
are not limited to the mastcaton of food, but
in some animals are weapons and are their
means of climbing. The higher orders of the
animal kingdom have the most perfect teeth
Contributions were received from r. W.
Higginson, Horace James, Messrs. Pratt &
Manning, w. A. Smith and James G. Ar
mold.
At the annual meeting Nathaniel Paine was
elected treasurer.
The cabinet room is, as usual, open to the
public every Wednesday afternoon.
The next meeting of the society will be
held February l4th.