1891.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 7 



de premiere instance de la Seine, contenue en son proces verbal 

 d'ouverture et de description des d. lettre et testament en date da 

 meme jour enregistr^s. De la Palme. 



The Chairman then called on members for communications. Dr. 

 Brttton stated that in continuation of his study of South American 

 plants he had examined the herbaria preserved at Kew, Paris, and 

 Geneva. He had also studied the old types as seen in the Linnsean 

 Collection at Burlington House, and those of Jussieu and Lamark 

 at Paris, and of de Candolle at Geneva. The results were chiefly 

 of a technical nature and would be given on another occasion. 



Prop. D. S. Martin spoke of having attended the three great 

 scientific meetings at Washington, details of which he reserved for 

 the future. 



Mr. George F. Kunz spoke of mineralogical observations made 

 by him in Bohemia, in the Ural Mountains at the platinum wash- 

 ings, etc. 



Mr. a. L. Rawson spoke of a visit to the supposed wall near Cleve- 

 land, Tenn., and stated that it had not been determined whether the 

 wall is natural or artificial. The wall is about one thousand feet 

 long, built in three courses of sandstone about eight feet high, and 

 rests on sandstone. The courses are joined with a red cement not 

 easily separated. Between two courses are strange characters re- 

 sembling inscriptions cut by man, and the speaker exhibited a sketch 

 of a portion of these characters. 



Dr. Britton asked if the markings were in relief, and Mr. Raw- 

 son, by the aid of the blackboard, explained the position and nature 

 of the so-called characters. 



Dr. Bolton referred to the fact that alkaline solutions, especially 

 calcareous, sometimes infiltrate sandstones and produce peculiar 

 forms in attempting to crystallize out in the pores, imitating the 

 work of man. 



Mr. Kunz referred to the quartz markings on septaria. 



Dr. Bolton being called upon by the Chair, stated he had been 

 engaged in bibliographical studies abroad, especially in the libraries 

 of London, Paris, Strassburg, Darmstadt, and Berlin. He praised 

 the advantages offered scholars at the British Museum, and spoke 

 of the unsatisfactory arrangements at the Bibliotheque Nationale, 

 Paris. He had experienced courtesies everywhere. 



The Secretary announced the presence of Prof. F. R. Mallet, 



