207 



that many of the local cases of fishy taste may be caused by the 

 entrance of dead fish into the pipes. It has often happened that 

 the water in a street shall be very pure, while that in a neigh- 

 boring locality, or even at a few doors distance shall have a 

 very fishy taste and smell. Had not this fish escaped in the way 

 he did, his body would have probably become impacted in some 

 pipe, and have contaminated all the water filtered through its 

 decaying flesh ; and perhaps led the occupants of the house to 

 wonder why their next door neighbor should have pure water, 

 while they were drinking an infusion of fish." 



The letter of Dr. Kneeland was referred to the Cochitu- 

 ate Committee. 



Prof. H. D. Rogers exhibited and explained a New Geo- 

 logical Map of the United States, recently completed by 

 him. The surface delineated extends from the Atlantic to 

 the Pacific, including the regions explored in the late expe- 

 dition to the West. It is based wholly upon reliable, and 

 the most satisfactory authorities, and nothing which is at all 

 speculative has been introduced ; it is intended for the 

 new edition of Johnston's Physical Atlas, now publishing in 

 Edinburgh, as an accompaniment to the Map of Europe, 

 by Murchison and Nicol. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson presented, in the name of Mr. Henry 

 A. Hildreth, of New York, two specimens of anthracite 

 coal, brought from Japan by the United States steamship 

 Mississippi. This coal was made use of by the steamship 

 almost exclusively on her return voyage from Japan. 



Prof. H. D. Rogers remarked that these specimens were 

 very interesting, on account of the peculiarity of the cleav- 

 age structure, exhibiting the characters of anthracite pass- 

 ing into bituminous coal. 



At the request of the President, the Recording Secretary 

 read to the Society a " Notice of Shoals of Dead Fish 



