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its prominent place, it is not a little interesting to notice that 

 those ranges of hills and mountains which are actually known to 

 have been raised previous to the deposition of the oldest fossili- 

 ferous rocks, such as the primitive mountain ranges on the north 

 bank of the St. Lawrence, the granite ranges of Lake Superior, 

 and the iron bearing old slates of that country are all more or 

 less parallel to the equator. It would seem as if in these early 

 times, there had been a prevailing disposition on the part of the 

 earth crust to wrinkle in that direction. (We take it for granted 

 that these old hills are the result of a shrinkage in consequence 

 of the cooling of the earth's surface rather than a positive 

 upheaval.) It is only at a later period that we meet with 

 wrinkles running in the opposite direction (north and south.) 



Mr. Alger said, that the gold found in Vermont, which he 

 supposed was the authority for M. De Beaumont's allusion to the 

 gold mines of that State, had proved to be of artificial origin. It 

 was gold which had been thrown into a stream forty or fifty 

 years since by counterfeiters, who were suddenly disturbed in 

 their counterfeiting operations. 



Dr. Cabot exhibited as part of the donation of Mr. Alger- 

 non Coolidge, the following birds, namely : Paradisea 

 regia, P. sexijpennis, P. superba, and Epimachus alba. 

 He also announced the donation from Mr. Theodore 

 Lyman, of a specimen of Red-throated Loon, Colymbus 

 septentrionalis, in a peculiar state of plumage. The white 

 on the side of the head was more extensive than usual, and 

 the back differed somewhat from common specimens. It 

 was also larger than the septentrionalis usually is. Dr. 

 Cabot thought it not impossible that two species had been 

 confounded under the same name. He likewise announced 

 the donation of several valuable ornithological specimens 

 from Florida, from Dr. Henry Bryant, a member of the 

 Society. He also presented in the name of Mr. Elliot 

 Torrey a specimen of wood perforated in every direction 

 by white ants. The thanks of the Society were voted for 

 the donation. 



