40 [April, 1846. 



member, Mr. Wm. A. Foster, now resident in Lima. " This 

 cemetery/' observes Mr. Foster, "lies on the face of a sand-hill, 

 sloping towards the sea. The extent of surface occupied by these 

 tombs, as far as we explored, I should say was five or six acres. 

 In many of the tombs three or four bodies were found clustered 

 together, always in the sitting posture, and wrapped in three or 

 four thicknesses of cloth, with a mat thrown over all." 



The most interesting circumstance connected with these heads 

 is the fact that with two exceptions they present the artificial 

 form of horizontal elongation, though in very variable degrees. 

 The most casual notice will convince any one, that this conforma- 

 tion has been in part produced by compresses on the forehead, 

 and partly, as Dr. Goddard has suggested, by the use of simple 

 rotary bandages. Thus a double compress has been applied to 

 the forehead, one bearing on each side of the frontal suture of in- 

 fancy ; these have been kept in their places by a bandage brought 

 from the base of the occiput obliquely over the forehead ; while the 

 parietal bones have been depressed by carrying the same band- 

 age alternately over the top of the head, immediately behind the 

 coronal suture. 



Any person who is acquainted with the form and pliableness 

 of the infant head at or soon after birth, will readily conceive how 

 effectually the above plan would operate in moulding the cranium 

 into the elongated or cylindrical form ; for while it prevents the 

 anterior portion from rising, and the sides from expanding, it al- 

 lows the occipital region an entire freedom of growth ; and thus 

 without diminishing the volume of the brain, merely forces it into a 

 different, though unnatural direction, and preserves, at the same 

 time, the symmetry of the whole structure. 



The series of skulls presents, in a most satisfactory manner, 

 all the grades of this process ; leaving no longer a doubt as to the 

 . precise means by which it has been accomplished. 



Stated Meeting, April 21, 1846. 



Vice President Morton in the Chair. 



Mr. Gambel read a paper containing remarks on 

 the birds of Upper California, which was referred to a com- 



