62 [March, 



proper to take all precautions to insure genuineness. Skulls taken from large 

 cemetries, or from sepulchres of whatever form erected with care, may be deemed 

 authentic, saving always the chance of intermarriage with distinct tribes, which 

 is usual, because the bodies of slaves are left neglected in the woods. The 

 Chinooks, for instance, preferring to buy wives from the Chihalis or Cowlitz, tribes 

 of Sehlish origin. If I get time to finish ray general report this winter you will 

 find further details, supposing always you are not tired of these. I have never 

 been able to get an authenticated skull of a white half breed. These also are 

 never flattened, the pride of intercourse in the mother preserving to the child 

 the attributes of the superior race." 



March 18 f/i. 

 Vice-President ]3uidges ia the Chair. 



Letters were read 



From Signor A. Saavalle, dated Havana, 10th Feb., 185G, trans- 

 mitting donations to the Academy. 



From Mr. Win. P. Blake, dated Washington. 16th March, 1856, 

 acknowledging receipt of liis notice of election as a Correspondent. 



Dr, Leidy presented a paper for pablication from Dr. F. B. Meek 

 and Dr. F. V. Ilayden, entitled, " Descriptions of new species of Gas- 

 teropoda and Cephalnpoda from the Cretaceous for 'nation of Nebraska 

 Territory ;" which was referred to Mr. Isaac Lea, Dr. Leidy, and Dr. 

 Wilson. 



Also a paper from Drs. B. F. Shuraard and L. P. Yandell, entitled, 

 " Notice of a new Fossil genus belonging to the Family Blastoidea 

 from the Devonian Strata near Louisville, Ky." Referred to Dr. Leidy, 

 Mr. Rogers, and Mr. Lesley- 



Also a paper entitled, " Notices of Remains of extinct Reptiles and 

 Fishes, discovered by Dr. F. V. Hayden in the ' bad hinds ' on the 

 Judith River, Nebraska Territory, by Joseph Leidy, M. D." Re- 

 ferred to Mr. Lesley, Dr. Le Conte, and Mr. I. Lea. 



Dr. Leidy remarked that he had examined the specimen transmitted 

 by Mr. Billings, of Ottowa, U. C. Upon removing the matrix he had 

 discovered the hind legs of a young aiiiinal, which he believed to be a 

 seal ; but whether extinct or not he could not decide. 



March 25th. 

 Vice-President Bridges in the Chair. 



The Cominitteo on papers by Dr. L;iidy, entitled, "Descriptions of 

 some remains of Fishes from the Carboniferous and Devonian formations 

 of the United States;" and " Descriptions of some remains of extinct 

 Mammalia," reported in favor of publication in the Journal of the 

 Academy. 



The Committees on Drs. Meek and Hayden's papers, read 11th 

 and 18th insts. ; on Dr. Leidy's, of 18th inst. ; and on Drs. Shumard 

 and Yandell's p;iper, read same date, reported in f:ivor of publication in 

 the Proceedings. 



