1855.] 287 



Journal, but in the last edition of Dana's Mineralogy the locality was 

 given, but without credit. 



April 10 th. 

 Vice President Bridges in the Chair. 



Letters were read 



From Capt. Geo. B. McClellan U. S. A., dated April 6th, 1855, ac- 

 knowledging the receipt of his notice of election as a Correspondent. 



From the Geological Society of London, dated Nov. 16th, 1854 ; ac- 

 knowledging the receipt of Nos. of the Proceedings and Journal. 



From Ed. de Vernueil, dated Paris, March 20, 1855, acknowledging 

 the receipt of his notice of election as a Correspondent, and making in- 

 quiry relative to the publications of the Academy. 



Mr. Isaac Lea read a letter from Dr. Deane, of Greenfield, Massachu- 

 setts, accompanying a photographic impression of some footprints in 

 sandstone, specimens of which he desires to dispose of. 



Mr. Cassin read a letter from Capt. F. Bernsee, of the Ship Cou- 

 rier, wrecked on the S. W. point of East Falkland Island, in April, 

 1854, of which the following is an extract. 



" The next morning when we found ourselves homeless and houseless, as well 

 as reduced to poverty, we commenced looking round for something to eat. In 

 this we had no trouble, for game and birds (of the kind I send you) weie more 

 abundant than I had ever seen them before ; and as few human beings had ever 

 trod that part of the Island, they were fearless and would come up to look at us ; 

 and we could get any quantity by knocking them down with sticks and stones. 

 The wolves, of which there were but few, would also come to look at us; 

 and would take a duck from one of our hands, while with the other we would 

 knock them on the head with a stick. I seldom saw more than one of them at a 

 time. Some wolves were caught alive by swinging a small line with a stone 

 tied to the end of it round and round the head with force, and when the wolf 

 would come for a duck or a goose which another man would shake at him, we 

 would let the stone with the line swing round his legs, and tangle him up so that 

 we could secure him. At one time we had six, ail caught in that manner, and 

 tied in different places around our tent, which we had fixed as a shelter from 

 wind, snow and rain, for winter was coming on. During the time we bad these 

 wolves prisoners, some fifteen or twenty would visit them at night, and make a 

 strange noise that would sometimes sound like the bark of a dog, and then 

 change to a snarl and a howl. They would get quite tame in two or three 

 days, but not sufficiently so to let them go loose ; they, however, would not bite 

 when we put our finders in their mouths, or threw them across our shoulders 

 and carried them like a dog. They appeared to be very playful, as those that 

 were not caught would come up in the daytime and have great times with our 

 dog ; but his courage generally failed him and he Avould run off and come up to 

 the men. They burrow in the sand hills : and I often found two or three open- 

 ings, which led through long channels underground to their kennel. They feed 

 chiefly on the large-sized geese sent you, as I have reason to believe from the 

 great number of wings, feet, and feathers I found. These wolves I found to be 

 very short-winded. They do not run even short distances with great speed; and 

 my sailors would often outrun them, when they would all at once turn short 

 round, and give up, blowing heavily with the tongue hanging far out of the 

 mouth, and then make the same noise as above stated. But they would never 

 make at us or show fight, but stand still and show their teeth. 



