270 [May, 1845. 



STATED MEETING, May 16, 1843. 

 Vice President Morton in the Chair. 



DONATIONS TO MUSEUM.^ 



Skins of the following Birds, from Western Africa, were pre- 

 sented by Mr. Cassin, viz : 

 Chizasrhis variegata, Lauius cissoides, 



Centropus Senegalensis, mollissimus, 



Pterocles tricinctus, Buphaga Africana, 

 Merops hirundinacea, Lamprotornis leucogaster. 

 erythropterus, 



Cast or model of the stump of a fossil tree, found near New 

 Harmony, Indiana. This cast represents but one-fourth 

 the size of the original specimen, which is nearly two 

 feet in height, and from nine to ten inches in diameter. 

 Presented by Dr. D. D."~Owen, of New Harmony. 



VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Dr. Owen accompanied his presentation with the following 

 remarks, explanatory of the geological position of these fossi^ 

 trees : 



They were discovered twelve miles from New Harmony, 

 in excavating in a slaty clay in the bank of Big Creek, a tri- 

 butary of the Wabash, about fifteen feet below the surface, 

 and about the same distance above the bed of the stream. 

 Since the first commencement of operations there have been 

 found, as nearly as can be ascertained, from twenty to 

 twenty-five stumps, though the whole superficial area of the 

 excavation is only about 3000 feet. They were all standing 

 erect, and nearly on the same general level. Dr. 0. had him- 

 self excavated three ; the largest of these was about three 



