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ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



Feb. 20. The following letter was read from Mr. Isaac G. Strain, 

 of the U. S. Navy*, Corresponding Member of the Academy, ad- 

 dressed to Dr. Morton as Vice President. 



Rio de Janeiro, 7th December, 1843. 



Knowing the interest you, as well as the other members of the 

 Academy, take in any subject tending to throw light upon the hi- 

 story of the human race, I take the liberty of giving you the synopsis 

 of a translation I have made of a letter addressed by Dr. Lund, of 

 the Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, to the Historical 

 and Geographical Society of Brazil, of which he is an honorary 

 member. 



Dr. Lund has for some time been pursuing his investigations in 

 the province of Minas Geraes ; and has devoted his attention parti- 

 cularly to the fossil remains found in the calcareous rocks of that 

 region. At present he is engaged in the publication of a work en- 

 titled, Blik paa Braziliens Dyreverden, or a view of the animal crea- 

 tion which inhabited Brazil immediately preceding the present state 

 of things. The Doctor states it to have been his wish to have pub- 

 lished in French ; but not being ready, he immediately communi- 

 cated with the Geographical Institute, with the remark, however, 

 that being written in a language little known, he expects to ensure 

 but few readers. He commences by referring to the question of the 

 coexistence of man with the extinct terrestrial mammiferous animals, 

 as a point which the naturalists of the old world have not been able 

 to resolve decisively ; that some few facts appear favourable to an 

 affirmative, but more to a negative solution ; that, though he has 

 had an opportunity to submit the question to a new examination in 

 this part of the world, he has not had proofs to arrive at a definite 

 result, although his labours in zoology have terminated most happily. 

 The geological archives of the history of our planet are found (says 

 the learned Doctor) in the caverns of the calcareous rocks, which 

 enter, as a constituent part, into the most extensive formations in 

 the interior of Brazil. The animals whose remains he has met, are 

 for the most part different from those which actually exist on the 

 surface, showing that they belonged to a distinct creation. 



He has already examined nearly two hundred caverns. The spe- 

 cies of animals he has examined, of the mammiferous class alone, 

 number one hundred and fifteen, which much exceeds the number 

 now existing of this class, which he has reduced to eighty-eight. 



From the mutilated state in which they were generally found, it 

 appears probable they owe their introduction to the beasts of prey 



* Mr. Strain left the United States in the summer of last year in a Government 

 vessel for South America, as the head of a scientific exploring party into a portion 

 of the interior of that country, and which promises important and interesting re- 

 sults. Mr. S. goes out under the auspices of the U. S. Government, aided also by 

 members of this Institution and other individuals, and is amply furnished with every 

 requisite for the successful prosecution of his hazardous and arduous undertaking. 

 Since his arrival at Rio, he has also been fortunate enough to obtain every facility 

 and encouragement from the Imperial Government. The letter above referred to 

 was written on the eve of his departure on his journey. 



