OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 321 



was then Corresponding Secretary of the Academy. Dr. Jenks 

 having stated that there was probably other vakiable corre- 

 spondence among the papers left by Mr. Willard, Joseph Lov- 

 ering, Daniel Treadwell, and Francis Bowen were appointed 

 a committee to confer with the descendants of Mr. Willard in 

 regard to the publication of such matter as might illustrate 

 the early history of the Academy. 



Dr. Jenks also stated that he had received a communication 

 from Dr. Hamlin, offering to obtain for the Academy the fa- 

 mous Dighton Rock, at an expense of not far from seventy-five 

 dollars, and urging the expediency of the measure, on the 

 ground that the inscription upon it is fast wearing away, and 

 that its situation is such, being covered by every tide, that it 

 is impossible to obtain an accurate cast of it in its present po- 

 sition. It was voted, — 



" That the whole subject of the expediency of copying or trans- 

 porting the rock be referred to a committee of three, namely, Dr. 

 W. F. Channing, Dr. A. A. Gould, and Dr. C. T. Jackson." 



Professor E. Horsford referred to the statement made at a 

 former meeting, on the authority of Mr. Daniels of Wisconsin, 

 that the bones of a foetal child had been found in that coun- 

 try transformed into pure phosphorus. He exhibited a stick 

 of phosphorus having a rude resemblance to the thigh-bone 

 of a child, and which had been put in his hands as evidence 

 of the statement. It was an ordinary stick of phosphorus, 

 and could not have resulted from spontaneous decomposition 

 of human remains. Mr. Horsford had calculated that the body 

 of a child weighing ten pounds could not furnish more than 

 an ounce of phosphorus. 



Dr. G. T. Jackson expressed his concurrence in the remarks 

 of Professor Horsford. 



VOL. III. 41 



