36 



repairing it by a secretion from the arms, as has been proved 

 by experiment by Mrs. Powers, in Italy. It has been said 

 that the females alone have shells, and then only at the time 

 of depositing eggs ; this idea seems to have been recently 

 confirmed by specimens carried home by the English Ex- 

 ploring Expedition. 



Dr. John Bacon exhibited a part of the collection of 

 Minerals, which accompanied the collection of Shells. In 

 the whole, there are somewhat more than 800 specimens, and 

 of these about 400 are from the mines of Peru, and com- 

 prise many valuable gold and silver ores. Amongst them 

 are an ancient Peruvian implement in silver ore, and a speci- 

 men presenting a polished surface, supposed to have been 

 used as a mirror. Specimens of salt and water from the 

 Dead Sea were also received with this collection. 



Mr. T. T. Bouve stated, that no better arrangement than 

 the present could be made for the Greenfield Fossils. 

 Though they were not in their proper place, nor in a good 

 light to be examined, he thought they might safely remain 

 where they are until accommodations could be provided 

 for them. 



Dr. Gould said he was reminded by circulars sent from 

 the Natural History Society of Portland, that the Boston 

 Society of Natural History had it in their power to furnish 

 that Society with many duplicates from their shelves, parti- 

 cularly in the department of Conchology. He hoped that 

 such of the duplicates belonging to the Society as might be 

 selected, when the Portland Society of Natural History was 

 ready to receive them, might be presented to that Society. 



Dr. H. R. Storer stated that he had come to the meeting 

 expressly for a similar purpose, to move that a set of the 

 " Journal " of this Society be presented to the Portland 

 Society of Natural History ; and on his motion it was 



