Trans. N. Y. Ac. Sci. 62 Feb. i8, 



February iS, 1884. 



The President, Dr. J. S. Newberry, in the Chair. 

 Twenty-three persons were present. 



The resignation of Mr. Charles H. Trask as Resident Mem- 

 ber was received and accepted. 



There were exhibited by Mr. G. F. KUNZ, two images, the Llama 

 and Vicuna, from the interior of Peru. 



They weighed six ounces each and were both of soUd silver, with 

 the exception of the bodies, which were filled with some earthy ma- 

 terial. The Llama had evidently been acted upon by substances in the 

 soil which left the silver in a remarkably pure state, and the work- 

 manship on this figure, especially the hair reproduction, was very fine. 



The Vicuna was not of as pure silver, and was in a very good state 

 of preservation. 



Mr. KuNZ explained that a famine in the interior of the country had 

 caused the graves to be despoiled of many thousand ounces of orna- 

 ments, which were carried to the seacoast and there sold for their 

 weight in silver and gold. 



In speaking of the lapidary work done in agate, jade, and chalce- 

 dony at Oberstein and Idar in Germany, many articles made and sold 

 there were described, and some perforated carnelian ornaments were 

 exhibited, in which the perforations were round at one end and over 

 one inch across, ran to an acute point, and varied in length from 2+ to 

 4 inches. They are sent to the interior of Africa, and sold at from four 

 to five cents each, and are there worn by the natives. 



A jade pendant was shown, over i^ inch long, being one of a lot 

 of over 200 lbs. of jade made up and sent to New Zealand. Mention 

 was made of a mass weighing nearly 300 lbs., to be used for the same 

 purpose. The cost of making these ornaments at Oberstein was about 

 40 cents each, which was much less than they could have been made 

 for by native or skilled New Zealand labor. 



There was also exhibited an oval carnelian disc, that had been 

 shaped for cutting by chipping with a small hammer ; this chipping is 

 equal to any that can be seen on American stone antiquities, and the 

 entire cost perhaps one cent. 



Some onyx beads were also shown, that in London or Ceylon would 

 bring from £\o \o £10 sterling per string, and were here made for as 

 many dollars. 



Mention was made of an American who achieved a fortune by im- 

 porting the Elcphanttim dentalium from the Red Sea and selling it 

 to our American Indians. 



