NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 95 



June \%th. 

 Mr. Cassin, Vice President, in the Chair. 

 Nineteen members present. 



June 20(h. 

 Mr. Cassin, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Sixteen members present. 



The following papers were presented for publication : 



New species of Mordellidae." By C. A. Helmuth, M. D. 



" Note on the species of Myodites," and " Notes on the species of 

 Harpalus, &c." By John L. LeConte, M. D. 



" On a new Genus of Serraninae." By Theo. Gill. 



The death was announced of Mr. William Parker Foulke, member 

 of the Academy, on the 18th inst. 



By resolution, Mr. Aubrey H. Smith was requested to prepare a 

 biographical notice of Mr. Foulke for publication in the Proceedings. 



Dr. Leidy directed the attention of the members to some shells, bones, 

 fragments of pottery, &c, which had been recently obtained at Cape Hen- 

 lopen. He stated that, during the last week, he had accompanied a small 

 party in a steamboat excursion to the Delaware Breakwater. The boat 

 having anchored inside the latter, he went ashore opposite the little town of 

 Lewes and strolled along the beach towards the light-house. About half a 

 mile inland, and about a mile from Lewes, he observed large accumulations 

 of shells. These extended over a space of about half a mile, at the foot of a 

 high sand dune which had encroached upon and partly destroyed a forest of 

 pine and cedar trees. The accumulations of shells consist mainly of those 

 of oysters and clams, many of large size, but most of them small, and gene- 

 rally more or less comminuted, as if by the action of fire. The loose white 

 sand of the piles, when scraped from the surface, exhibited intermingled 

 black pulverulent matter, apparently carbonaceous, and in some places pieces 

 of charcoal. Many fragments of rude pottery were strewed among the shells, 

 being of the sort made by the Indians, and consisting of baked clay with 

 powdered shells. Some of the fragments are coarsely ornamented on the ex- 

 terior. On scraping the sand and shells at random, a clay smoking-pipe 

 was discovered. The specimen, exhibited by Dr. Leidy, is about four inches 

 long, and has a conical bowl, bent at an obtuse angle from a thick stem and 

 ornamented with bands and triangles of points. A few rude arrow heads 

 and many small chips of yellow and red jasper were found among the heaps. 

 In one of the piles portions of a human skeleton were discovered, of which 

 Dr. L. exhibited fragments of the skull, jaws, and a humerus. 



Dr. L. observed that, notwithstanding the interest of this North American 

 Indian " Kjokkenmoduing, ' or kitchen refuse heap, he had but an hour to 

 examine it. 



The part of Cape Henlopen on which the accumulations are situated is 

 composed of loose white sand with few pebbles or shells, and is remarkably 

 barren. Oysters and clams are not now found living within some miles of 

 the shell heaps. The Captain of the steamboat, who lived at Lewes, stated 

 that the heaps were known to the neighboring people under the name of 

 Indian heaps. 



1865.] 



