2 [Jan. 



the race : the greater the antiquity, the more decided were these 

 characters. 



Dr. Morton thought that it would be now admitted that at the 

 earliest period known, the groups of the human family presented as 

 great diversity as at present. The Egyptian crania in his collection, 

 taken from the identical tombs referred to, at the base of the great 

 Pyramid, as well as those from Thebes and Memphis, when compared 

 with the figures in Dr. Lepsius' plates, exhibited a most marked resem- 

 blance. The Egyptian tombs, although occupied by successive families, 

 still contained the original occupants, and in all places presented 

 skulls possessing the same peculiarities of type. The modern Egyptian 

 Fellahs are the old Egyptians crossed with the Arabs. The skull of 

 the old Egyptian cannot be confounded with that of any other race. 



January 22d. 

 Dr. Morton, President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Conrad read a paper, intended for publication in the Journal, 

 entitled, " Descriptions of eight new species of Eocene Shells." Re- 

 ferred to Mr. Phillips, Dr. Griffith and Dr. Wilson. 



A paper by Mr. Peter A. Browne, entitled " Examination and 

 descriptions of the tegumentary appendages of the Ornithorynchus 

 paradoxus," was read and referred to Mr. Phillips, Dr. Morton and 

 Mr. Cassin, 



Dr. Morton havino; resisined the Chair to Dr. Ruschenberser, made 

 some remarks supplementary to those offered at the last meeting, and 

 also in continuation of the subject of his Memoir on the size of the 

 Brain in Man. 



January 29th. 



Mr. Phillips in the Chair. 



The Publication Committee announced that Part 4, Vol. 1, New 

 Series of the Journal, would be ready for distribution at the next 

 meeting, February 5th, 1850. 



The Society, after the transaction of some other business, then pro- 

 ceeded to an election for Standing Committees for the ensuing year, 

 with the following result : 



COMMITTEES FOR 1850. 



Ethnology. 



S. G. Morton, J. S. Phillips, 



Charles Pickering. 



Comparative Jlnato7ny and General Zoology. 



Joseph Leidy, S. G. Morton, 



Edward Hallowell. 



