NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 109 



B. Eyes distinct, composed of a few aggregated lenses : 



Antenna? with one short basal joint, and a long club 



having traces of transverse sutures F u s t i g e r . 



Antennae (? without basal articulation), with a broad club 



of homogeneous structure Articerus. 



The distribution of these genera is peculiar: Claviger is found in Europe and 

 Asia ; Adranes in North America ; Fustiger in Brazil, Syria and North America ; 

 while Articerus, with the exception of a species found in Copal, is confined to 

 New Holland. 



The species of Fustiger are : 1. F. braziliensis, (Articerus braz. West- 

 wood, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 2d ser. iii. 277, pi. xvii. f. 5,) from Brazil; 

 2. F. syriacu s, (Articerus syr. Saulcy, Ann. Ent. Soc. France, 1865, p. 15,) 

 from Syria ; and 3. A new species from Tennessee, which will soon be described 

 by Dr. Brendel, who is now occupied in studying the Pselaphidae of the United 

 States. 



Westwood mentions, in the description of the Brazilian species, and exhib- 

 its in the figure the short basal joint of the antennae, but does not allude to the 

 obsolete transverse sutures of the mass of the antennas. 



Saulcy describes the structure of the antennae very accurately, and it is 

 owing to his observation that I have detected a very short and indistinct joint 

 between the visible basal Joint of the antennas of Adranes, and the bottom of 

 the frontal foveas in which they are inserted. 



Dr. Leidy remarked that Mr. J. F. Clew, one of the proprietors of the salt 

 mine of the Island of Petite Anse, Louisiana, had that day called upon him, 

 announcing the donation to the Academy of a mass of 150 lbs. of pure rock 

 salt. Mr. Clew further informed him of an interesting fact in connection with 

 the history of primitive man. The salt mines of Petite Anse were discovered 

 during the late rebellion. A salt spring had been previously known to exist. 

 During the war, as this failed to produce the amount of salt required, a well 

 was sunk in the hope of procuring a greater supply. At the bottom of the 

 well the workmen met with a solid rock which turned out to be pure salt. 

 This is covered with about fifteen or more feet of soil, mainly composed of sand 

 and mud. A specimen of this soil having been submitted to Dr. Leidy, he was 

 surprised to find mingled with it grains of precious garnet and olivine. Mr. 

 Clew stated that a number of pits had been opened to reach the salt. In 

 several of the pits at the depth often or fifteen feet they discovered in the soil 

 bones of the Elephant, well preserved, and beneath these, within a few inches 

 of the rock salt, abundance of matting. Portions of this m ttting, exhibited to 

 Dr. Leidy, were composed of a tough, flexible, split cane, and were plaited 

 diagonally. The pieces were well preserved, and evidently specimens of 

 human art. On being asked the question, Mr. Clew said he was under the 

 impression that some stone implements had also been found in a similar 

 position, but he was not certain. He further added, that at the sides of one of 

 the pits, bones of the Elephant, and beneath them pieces of matting, could yet 

 be seen, as they had been allowed to remain undisturbed. The facts were so 

 interesting in connection with these remains, and the geology of the Island of 

 Petite Anse, that Dr. L. thought a competent person should be sent there to 

 make an exploration. Mr. Clew has offered every facility to any one disposed 

 to undertake the investigation. 



May 29th. 

 The President, Dr. Isaac Hays, in the Chair. 

 Twenty-six members present. 

 1866.] 



