318 [Nov. 1847. 



Upright stems of Lepidodendra and Sigillarise, with Stigmaria- 

 like roots, are frequent in the same area, the fruits being some- 

 times found under their roots. I have broken up several of these 

 Fossils, and found decisive marks of internal structure exhibiting 

 their membranes of carbonaceous matter, and small pipes of Iron 

 Pyrites terminating in scars on the external surface, supposed to 

 be seed cells. I cannot find any decribed fossils resembling 

 them more nearly than the Fruit of Podocarya from the oolite, 

 in Buckland's Bridgewater Treatise. 



"e v 



A letter was read from Mr. Wm. Thompson, addressed to 

 Dr. Griffith, dated Tunbridge Wells, Oct., 1857, announcing 

 his intention to present certain Mollusca nudibranchiata, in 

 spirits, and British Echinodermata and marine Algse, and 

 also some fossils, to the Academy. 



Dr. Leidy read a paper "On a new genus and species of 

 Fossil Ruminantia, Poebrotherium Wilsonii ;" which was 

 referred to a committee composed of Drs. Pickering, Bridges, 

 and Morton. 



Dr. Hallowell communicated a paper on the "Horned. 

 Viper of Western Africa," with a figure. Referred to Prof 

 Haldeman, Dr. Pickering and Dr. Leidy. 



Professor Johnson exhibited a specimen of a boiler sediment 

 derived from a steam boiler used at Burlington, New Jersey, 

 which uses clear spring water. It is dark brown, has a specific 

 gravity of 1.235, contains 34.88 per cent, of earthy residue, and 

 65.12 per cent., of combustible material, melting only at 900 

 1000 degrees, though it softens at 260, and exhales an empy- 

 reumatic odour at 430 ; and at 450 p becomes reddish-brown and 

 brittle. The sediment pulverized and boiled in alcohol gave, by 

 slow evaporation, an oily substance, which separates in a white 

 hydrated condition but the water is lost below the boiling point 

 of alcohol, leaving the oil a reddish-brown, capable of softening 

 at 150, and becoming fluid at 180. The earthy matter contains 

 carbonate of lime and magnesia, as well as silicate of alumina 

 and oxide of iron. 



Prof. Johnson also offered some observations on the fossil 

 bones from Dr. Joel Y. Shelly, deposited this evening, which, 

 from the appearance of the rock adhering to the specimens, 

 he judged to belong to the formation which overlies the edges 



