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politics from 1854 to 1857. About 1858 he removed to 

 Ciiicago. His rtink as a savant was at the very front and 

 his reputation world-wide. 



Mr. F. W. Putnam being called upon spoke of Col. 

 Foster's eminence as a geologist and archjeologist. He 

 was also one of the early government surveyors, and with 

 Prof. Whitney, surveyed the mineral regions of Lake 

 Superior, their joint report being printed by the United 

 States government. Col. Foster had made several discov- 

 eries in geology and especially in connection with the for- 

 mation of the Laurentian hills. Of late years he paid 

 especial attention to the study of the mound-building 

 race, and only a few days before he died, his volume on 

 the prehistoric race of America was published. 



Mr. Putnam then proceeded to speak of toads and 

 fishes. The young toads now abound on the margin 

 of the pond, having just passed from the tadpole state, 

 the tail being nearly absorbed. Mr. Putnam described 

 the hatching and growth of the tad[)oles. They are first 

 provided with external branchiai which are soon lost, and 

 the internal gills are developed ; these are in turn ab- 

 sorbed and, tiie lungs developing, the young toads are 

 gradually forced to seek air above the surface of the 

 water. They then rapidly assume their perfect form, 

 leave their aquatic life and becoiuc terrestrial animals. 

 To-day we have seen myriads of young toads undergoing 

 this important change, and these young will probably 

 remain along the damp margin of the pond until a warm 

 rain comes, which will induce them to wander off, and, as 

 in the course of their march they will possibly be seen by 

 persons, perhaps in the act of crossing a street or garden, 

 it is very likely that we shall hear of another instance of 

 "toads raining down." 



