1868.] MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. 293 



lished, might have been of some service ; but which should not 

 have come before the Association. We give above the annual 

 address of the President, and the following abstract of most of 

 the papers read in the Natural History section, acknowledging our 

 indebtedness to Prof. Newberry, and other members; and to the 

 editors of the American Naturalist, for notes of papers, and 

 proofs, kindly furnished us. 



Considerations drawn from the study of the Or- 



THOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA; by S. H. SCUDDER, of 



Boston. -This paper was a lengthened, comparative view of the 

 North American and European orthopterous faunas. The groups 

 characteristic of each continent were detailed, and the conclusion 

 inferred, that, under similar climatic and other conditions, this 

 family of insects is much richer in species and individuals in 

 North America than in Europe. 



Traces of ancient Glaciers in the White Mountains 

 of New Hampshire ; with a few remarks upon the geological 

 structure of that part of the group.— The author recounted" the 

 observations made by him on the geological structure ami 

 grouping of the rocks in the region of the Androscoggin, Peabody, 

 and other valleys in the White Mountains, and the traces they 

 bear of glacial action. His observations tended to confirm the 

 opinion that these valleys have been occupied by local glaciers, as 

 well as by a general one. 



On the origin of the Lignilites, or Epsomites; by 

 Prof. 0. C. Marsh, Yale College, New Haven.— These name; 

 have been applied to the columnar markings, and more or less 

 detached columns, occurring in the seams between strata, among 

 limestone rocks of all ages. Prof. Marsh, after stating the 

 conflicting opinions hitherto held and published by geologists, on 

 the cause of the structure, exhibited a fine series of specimens 

 showing it to be due to pressure. He has found that a shell, or 

 other foreign substance, often forms the nucleus of one of these 

 columns. 



The Fossil Insects of North America; by S. H. 

 SCUDDER.-This paper was a summary of all that is yet known 

 on the subject. Eighty species have been determined and 

 described; while a few fragments are so badly damaged that it is 

 impossible to identify them. The Orthoptera have the greatest 

 number of representatives in the North American rocks; and 

 no species of coleoptera has yet been found. The oldest 



