Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-28
THE LOCAL SCIENTISTS.

THE LOCAL SCIENTISTS
Meeting Of the Linn:ran Society.
The society met on Saturday afternoon,
September %, at 9 O'clock, in the ante
room of the museum, the president, Rev.
J. s. Stahr, in the chair; five members
and five visitors president.
After the preliminary business the fol
lowing donations were made to the mu-
scum and library:
1. Three specimens of embryo opossums
by Mr.. Stoncr, of North Queen street.
Lancaster. These are part of 4 litter of
eleven taken from the matrix OF a female
Didelphis rirginiGna by a friend of Mr..
Stoner's and 10y him donated to the So
ciety.
9. Adult and young specimens of 7Aeua
Mtipes, or "Horncd Tree-hoppcrs,' by S.
p. Eby, esq, accompanied by the small
branch on which they had been found,
which they had punctured and much de-
pleted.
3. Specimens of Baridius Jinotatus, or
potato-weasel." from Mr.. Lyte, of Lam
peter township. These insects bore into
the potato stalks and injure them very
much.
4th. Larvae of Lencdaid anipuncta, or
'tarmy worm," from Mr.. Geo. Shreiner:
of Mannheim township. Mr.. Shreiner found
them feeding Oh his tobacco plants in June
last.
9Th. Specimens of Hdltica pubescens from
Mr.. Il. Scott, of Marietta. These arc the
famous "tlca-beetlc" which so extensively
depredates upon the tobacco plants.
9th. Specimens Of Calcareous spar from
Quarryville, Lancaster county, by Mr..
William ROehm.
7th. Two English sparrow nests found
in widening one of the sheds on the east
side of North Queen street.
9Th. Three sprOutcd lemon seeds. show
ing that the seeds of the lemon occasion
ly throws out germs and roots within the
sound fruit; and were discovered when
opened.
9th. DR.. Dubbs donated 4 very peculiar
buff-cOlored brick, manufactured at Mil
waukec, Wisconsin.
10th. Several specimena of R5dalgus juren
cus from Mr.. Henry Nolty. Mr.. NOlty says
that from about the Goth to the 24th of
the present month lc found these insects
very abundant in the northwest part of
this city. Within q space of ten yards
square he captured over three hundred
specimens. When the sun was warm
many of them were on the wing, but when
it was cool, or in the evening or morning.
they were found about the leaves of the
common rag weed (4mJrosia). AS many
as dozen would be found clustered around
a single plant, and on pulling up the plants
a few would be found among the roots, and
around the weeds holes were visible where
they seemed to have come up from the
ground nor did he find any around any
other plants. He found no larv:r nor pupe,
the question, therefore is, what connection
have they with these plants?
Mrynosoma. The living specimen of this
animal was kept confined since the last
meeting of the society in 4 globe aqua
rum with earth on the bottom, and
gauze cover, to prevent its escape. Living
grasshopper and flies were confined with
it, but it did not appropriate any of them
indeed it itappearcd to be unconscious of
their presence. During the whole month
of its incarceration it scarcely ever rested
for moment, except it may have been at
night, but from morning until the family
retired from the room at night, it neverrc-
laxcd its efforts to make its escape. So far
as my experience goes, it is incapable of
dOmesticatiOn or familiarization. When
taken out of the tank and laid on the floor
it did not seem anxious to escape. Before
immersing it in alcohol, attempted to
drown it, but it would not drown, and when
immersed it remained motionless for 20
minutes, and then made frantic efforts to
escape, and only succumbed after alternate
struggles, continuing half a hour.
think therefore that PHryncsonaa is not |
only untamablc, but also endowed with a |
vital tenacity which enables it to endure |
great privation and to exist under circum- |
stances which would DC fatal to many other |
animals, and yet when handled it is per-
fectly gentle and harmless
Library.
Parts 9, 10, II, 12, vol. 1S, of the patent
Office Gazette parts and }, bureau of ed
ucation also five circulars Office of inte-
rior /; Lancaster Farmer for September,
1880; three catalogues and four circulars
relating to valuable books.
Historical.
Part Of an old bell clamp, by Lewis
Haldy. When the old German Reformed
church was torn down this fragment was
found in the bclfry. 1t bears date March
1722, which gives it an antiquity of 15S
years. 1t probably belonged to some old
bell used in the first church built by that
Three envelopes containing twenty
eight historical and biographical scraps, s.
8. r.
Papers Read.
Notes upon the Prynosoma, or Horned
Toad" and on gcrminated, or sprouted
lemon seeds, by S. s. r.
Professor Haldeman having been an
honored correspondent of the Linnean So
ciety, on motion S. S. Rathvon and DR..
Davis were appointed a committee to re-
port an expression of the sense of the So
:iety on the great loss which science has
sustained by his removal.
After the passage of sundry small bills
md the usual intercourse among those
present, the society adjourned to the 3Oth
IF October next.