92 [August, 1846. 



tained by Mr. Augustus E. Jessup, from a farm "in the vici- 

 nity of Wilmington, Delaware, where they had been raised. 

 These birds present certain characters, which justify the pre- 

 sumption that they are hybrids between the common domes- 

 tic fowl and the guinea fowl. They will be fully described 

 in a subsequent number of the Proceedings. 



A report from the Building Committee was presented and 

 read, stating that a contract had been entered into with a 

 competent person, for making the proposed alterations and 

 additions to the Hall ; the work to be commenced forthwith, 

 and to be completed on the 1st of February next. 



Stated Meeting, August 11, 1846. 



Dr. Bridges in the Chair. 



Dr. Morton read a letter from Mr. Charles Lyell, dated 

 London, July 14, 1846, enclosing a communication from 

 Prof. Owen, entitled, ' Observations on the fossils from the 

 geological cabinet of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, collected from the Brunswick Canal, Georgia, 

 by J. Hamilton Couper, Esq., and presented by the latter to 

 the Academy.' 



The paper was read and referred to the following commit- 

 tee : Dr. Morton, Dr. Hallowell, and Mr. Richard C. Taylor. 



Mr. Lyell stated in his letter that the fossils described in 

 the paper, and transmitted to Prof. Owen through himself for 

 that purpose, would be shortly returned to the Academy, with 

 a drawing of Harlanus Americanus. 



A letter was read from Dr. Asa Gray, Corresponding Sec- 

 retary of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences of 

 Boston, dated Cambridge, Mass., Aug. 4, 1846, announcing 

 that a copy of vol. 2, new series, of the Memoirs of that So- 

 ciety, had been forwarded for the Academy, and offering to 

 supply any other published vols, of the Memoirs not already 

 contained in its Library: also requesting in exchange the 

 publications of the Academy. 



