THE NAUTILUS. 141 



not been actuated by the same spirit of inquiry. With the excep- 

 tion of some twenty species of fossils from the Tertiary beds of New 

 Mexico, sent here for identification, and a few inquiries relative to 

 exchanges, there i^ nothing outside of my own personal observations 

 to report. It may be proper to state that the New Mexico speci- 

 mens were collected arid sent by a gentlemen not a member of our 

 Association. 



The Chapter was instituted primarily to encourage the study of 

 ccmchology, and commemorates the achievements of the honored in- 

 dividual whose name it bears. 



My visits to the beach during the past year have been few, and 

 the visits I made were for the purpose of delving into the raised 

 beaches at San Pedro, or of excavating the rocks at Dead Man's 

 Island in search of buried treasures. Since my visits to these locali- 

 ties, a few months ago, and especially since the heavy rains of the 

 past few weeks, I found that the alluvial of the bluff's that overlie 

 the reefs of shells has been loosened and have fallen in large masses, 

 almost, and, in some localities quite, obscuring the collecting grounds, 

 so that collecting is very much obstructed or entirely destroyed. I 

 succeeded, however, in unearthing a few very fine specimens, mostly 

 of recent species ; one specimen of Lunatia lewini Conrad being five 

 inches in diameter and as symmetrical and perfect as a living form. 



But it was at Dead Man's Island, an older and more interesting 

 formation, that I devoted most of my time and efforts. To one who 

 has spent as many pleasant and profitable hours in this lonely spot, it 

 cannot but cause an abiding sorrow to witness the devastation that is 

 constantly and rapidly going on by the relentless waves. Within 

 the recollection of the persons now living, the island has diminished 

 one-half or more, and there are now living those who will see the 

 tides sweeping over the spot where the receeding island now stands, 

 unless some steps are taken to protect it. 



I have found nothing new or especially rare at this island during 

 the past year, but the specimens are so perfect and life-like that it is 

 always a pleasure to see them, and a desire to possess them is usually 

 so strong that they are secured and added to one's collection. The 

 specimens which, to me, are the most interesting, are those found 

 imbedded in the sand rocks that have fallen from a ledge near the 

 top of the island. They are referred to the Pliocene period, and so 

 perfectly are they preserved that when eroded from their matrix 

 and mingled with the dead shells of the same species that are scat- 



