Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-06-29
TIE LlNNEAN SOCIETY.

TIE LlNNEAN SOCIETY.
The business brought Before 1t ON Sat,.r-
day.
The Linnnan society met at O'Clock p.
m., ON Saturday, in the antc-rOom Of the
museum President Prof j. 5. Stair ia the
chair. six members and one visitor in
attendance. After organization. and the
usual preliminary business, the following
donations to the museum and library were
made:
I. 4 female Red or. Northern Bat
and three young, were donated by Mr.. W.
f. Liant, of 2l9 East King street, Lasncas-
ter. These were the Itspertilie noreborecs-
MS, and were interesting Oh account Of the
triplicate occurrence of the offspring, the
bat being a 6immoed animal.
,. An alcoholized Tadpole" of a
species Of Rama, or frog. that had been
kept in an aquarium all last winter, and
only died about ten days ago, without
having increased in size, or shown any
advance in development since November,
1879.
3 \ bottle containing specimens of the
''army worm that infested the wheat
fields OF Lancaster county the present
season from MesSrs. Shreiner. of Peters
burg, and Hershey, of Mannheim. These
worms are becoming considerably varied ;
those from the wheat fields being much
darker in color than those now found in
Il field of Mr.. s. s. Spencer; therefore
their identity can only he determined from
the appearance of the moths bred from
them.
4. n bottle containing large specimen
of the Millipede' (Spirobolm Marginn-
Ms) This is the largest species OF Nyr'-
0p0la found in Lancaster county, and feeds
on vegetation. ''Centipedes' feed ON an.
imal subsistence. have less number of
feet, and their bodies are tattencd. They
are also swift runners. The former are
injurious to vegetation, but the latter, i'll
noxious, and may be regarded rs friends
but when large they should be severely
let alone" as they are apt to defend them
selves.
Library.
l. A copy of Genesis and Exodus. spell
ing book, and four tracts, all in the Bur
mese language, donated by Miss ). 5. l.e-
fever.
,. Numbers %, 2:;, "a and 81, of the
OGciM Gasette of the U. $. patent office.
3. Educational Bulletin, from the De-
partment of the Interior.
!. Lancaster Farmer for June, 1880.
). Sundry catalogues and circulars.
Microsc0plcaI.
DIR. NJ. l.. Davis presented five mount,d
specimens Of insects-namely, one each "f
Epitrir cueumeris ct pnbesce"s, one of Symn-
Murus hortensis, and two of u very small
undetermined Mmipter, all Of which inicSt
the young tobacco plant.
Papers Read.
Mrs. Zell read 4 paper Oh the ''red chick
weed," accompanied with the plants in
bloom. This is species of !Stei"ri" and
belongs to the great Pink Family (C"ry"p
hillaeen) and contains the active principle
of Doctor StOy's celebrated remedy i"r
hydrophObia. 1t is a common plant in
fields and gardens and widely distributed
over the greater portion of our country.
1t is often used as relish to Gagged
birds, and canaries seem to be especially
fond of it, both when it is young and crisp
and also when it is in fruit. DIR. Rathvon
read paper on some of the peculiar char
acteristics of bats and their relation to
other animals in scientific classification.
Although this much despised animal has
been regarded as a mOngrel--' between -
bird and beast yet, in its physical
structure and anatomical afinities, the
order Quadrumdna is the only ole
that separates it from the order Bimnnn,
which include the various races of mon.
But as an important element i'll the ecOn"- -
my of nature the bat performs no useless
part. All the species in our country are
purely insectivOrous, and take their prey
while Oh the wing, in the evening and
early part of the night. Many thousands
OF nlSht-fiying insects fall victims 10 theif
voracity every night, and colony Of bats
would do more in "cleaninG out the
moths Of the various army worms, cut
worms and apple cOdlings than any RENE
dy that could be devised by man. II bats
are an evil, they are permitted evil for the
prerention of some greater evil, the length
and breadth of which is not cOmprehen'led
by our limited philosophers.
Under . Scientific Gossip, views were
inter communicated, ideas suggested, and
general ''taiks' indulgcd in, during which
it was rather deplOred that there are few.
who take an active interest in natural his
tory-that is a aoorking interest. The field
is white, but the active laborers are few.
The society then adjourned to meet OH the
last Saturday i'll July.