OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



319 



Professor Agassiz expressed his great satisfaction at the 

 announcement of Professor Rogers. Geologically speaking, 

 its importance could hardly be over-£stimated. We have 

 now, he remarked, a standard level upon which to build up 

 the formation of the metamorphic rocks. It also confirms the 

 universal law, as elsewhere illustrated, of the creation and 

 development of animal life. 



Dr. Kneeland presented, in the name of Dr. Augustus C. 

 Hamlin, of Bangor, Maine, very perfect casts of an inscription, 

 supposed to be Runic, upon a rock on an island near Monhe- 

 gan, Maine. 



Dr. Jenks expressed his gratification at having at last an 

 opportunity of examining so perfect a copy of the inscriptions 

 in question. He had not, although he had been quoted as 

 so doing, given any decided opinion as to their character. 

 Copies had been transmitted to Copenhagen, and he hoped 

 before long information would be received which would 

 throw light upon these interesting inscriptions. 



The thanks of the Academy were voted to Dr. Hamlin for 

 his valuable donation. 



Professor Agassiz made a few remarks upon the Orthago- 

 riscus mola, of which he had recently had an opportunity of 

 dissecting a specimen. This fish, which has been well de- 

 scribed by Dr. Storer, and figured by Dr. J. Wyman in the 

 Journal of the Boston Society of Natural History, has been 

 placed heretofore in the same family with Diodon and Tetra- 

 odon. Professor Agassiz found that its internal structure was 

 such as to be entirely incompatible with such a classification. 

 The stomach he has ascertained to be directly continuous 

 with the intestine, without any indication of difference, either 

 in form, or structure of the mucous membrane ; the whole tract 

 resembling a long hose from one orifice to the other. He 

 therefore considered it as the type of a distinct family, but 

 want of time prevented his going into further details of its 

 anatomy. 



Professor W. B. Rogers gave an explanation of the causes 



