121 



Mr. Samuel Todd, of Topsfield, wa> called upon, and 

 he described a neighboring high ridge of red gravel, 

 bowlders and clay, bringing forward additional proofs 

 ( besides what he had advanced on a previous occasion) 

 to the effect that this was a deposit brought hither on 

 drifts of ice, and not a deposit in place. 



Vice President F. W. Putnam described the fishes 

 taken from Ipswich river, all representing one great 

 group, including the pickerel, the sucker, the shiner, and 

 the chub, and pointed out the characteristic differences of 

 the several forms. He also described the wasp, and its 

 habits in building nests and propagating and feeding the 

 voting, illustrating his remarks by nests collected. * 



Several Indian implements were placed upon the table, 

 and Mr. Putnam also spoke upon that subject. A tine 

 Indian mortar made of stone and found in Topsfield was 

 presented by Mr. Samuel Todd. 



Mr. B. P. Adams, of Topsticid, presented a curiously 

 wrought specimen of stone, recently discovered at the 

 town farm, remarking that it differed materially from the 

 more common specimens in this vicinity, and requested 

 Mr. Putnam's opinion of its origin. 



Mr. Putnam said it seemed probable that this was an 

 ornament or insignia of official position among the abo- 

 riginal dwellers of our continent, but this peculiar form 

 is more frequent at the west, among the relics of the 

 Mound-builders, than here at the east. 



Mr. Charles J. Peabody gave a brief history of 

 Topsticid. whose Territory was once in possession of the 

 Agawam Indians. He narrated incidents from the early 

 settlement here by whites in 1639, down to modern times, 

 alluding to the organization of the town Under its present 



Essex Inst. Bulletin. vi in 



