ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 195 



Eeqular Meeting, November 6th, 1871. 

 President in the Chair. 



Eighteen members present. 



Donations to the Cabinet : Professor Davidson presented a speci- 

 men of "crjptomorphite," obtained by A. W. Chase, of the Coast 

 Survey, resembUng in appearance French prepared chalk. Pro- 

 fessor Davidson said it was found in nodules varying in diameter 

 from four or six inches to as many feet. It was the best substance 

 for polishing that he had ever seen, as it left not the slightest 

 scratch. It was found in Nevada in .extensive deposits, the locahty 

 of which the discoverer declined to disclose. 



Dr. Blake said he had analyzed the substance, and found it to 

 contain boracic acid and lime, being a form of borate of lime. 



W. G. W. Harford presented shells of the Helix Ayresiana, 

 found on San Miguel Island in abundance. 



Mr. Hanks, on behalf of Capt. Wakeman, presented a specimen 

 of the flying fox, from Navigator's Island ; also on behalf of Mr. 

 Raymond, a specimen of an Athoracophorus, brought here living 

 from Australia, in fern-leaves. 



Mr. Harford exhibited a "Colorado Turkey" (Wood Ibis, Tanta- 

 lus loculator'). Several of the species have been shot near Stock- 

 ton, but it was very scarce on this part of the Coast. He also ex- 

 hibited a part of a fossil sea-turtle, found near the top of a mount- 

 ain on San Miguel Island. 



Mr. Harford also displayed several Indian curiosities dug by him- 

 self and W. G. Blunt, who are studying the traces of the extinct 

 race of Indians formerly occupying the San Miguel, Santa Rosa 

 and Santa Cruz islands. They were taken from Indian graves or 

 pits, one of which he mentioned as being about twenty-five feet in 

 length. The bodies had been thrown in irregularly. The skulls 

 showed marks of violence, many of them being smashed in. The 

 curiosities consisted of glass beads, shell and bone arrow-heads, 

 pipes, rude ornaments, paint, etc. In one of these pits only stone 

 relics were found, everything in it appearing of much older data. 



Professor Davidson said the explorations had proved the islands 



