EXTRACTS FROM THE CORRESPONDENCE. 125 



city of Mexico, and within from thirty to fifty yards of the main road, is, what 

 S Apposed to be, an aerolite." Governor Connolly saw at nearly every year 

 for twenty years, the last time in 1S46, and he describes it as follows: _ 



.'It is a Lge mass of solid iron, standing like a post in the earth, from whic 

 it projects verdcally about four feet. Itsdiameter at the surface of the eai_th 

 is from two to three feet. It diminishes in size a little from the eaith to its 

 apex which is irregularly rounded. How far it is imbedded m the earth had 

 neve; be n ascertafned. Some small pieces, or chip., had been detached by 

 cold chisels and carried off as curiosities; but these pieces were insignificant 

 L point of size, and their removal has not disfigured the general mass as a 

 specimen;' The governor says he thinks the portion above ground would 



"t!t would ".p'^from this and other information received at the Institution 

 thit an immense fall of meteorites must have taken place, ma recent geological 

 period, iu New Mexico.] 



Fro7n T. A. Conrad. 



Philadelphia, February 16, 1866. 

 "Chalk has at last been found in this country-genuine chalk, with flints 



^"^S^HUl^^, is an outlying mass of ^V^^^^^;^^ 

 mainder of a vast mass which denudation has removed. If any expeditious 

 Xould be gotng that route, it is well the scientific members of it should know 

 this." 



University of the State of New York, 



Albany, January 12, 1866. 



At a meeting of the regents of the University, held this day, the following 

 resolutions were unanimously adopted : ^ , 



Resolved, That the regents of the University of t^e State of New lot 

 grateSly acknowledge the receipt of the following -l-^^^/^f;^^°^^^^^^^^ 

 Collections of the State cabinet of natural history, presented by the Smithsoman 



^"^ A 'ser^s'ot' pecimens of rocks, minerals, and building stones and a collection 

 of neai-ly five AoTsand shells belonging to almost twelve hundred species. 



'''^:^X:t^^:S^t^ to the Smithsonian Institution a copy 

 '''?tJ:S^^M^Z^..^^^ a true copy from the minutes of the 

 regents of the University. ^ ^ WOOLWORTH, Secretary. 



[The following letter was refen-ed to the Institution by Hon. I. Donnelly. 

 of the House of Representatives : 



From S. Y. 3fcMasters. 



St. Paul, Minnesota, 



January 23, 1866. 



My Dear Sir: I have recently received a ^^"P^^^^l'^f^l^^Zn^^ ^'^' 

 Charles Reynolds, missionary in New Mexico, m which is the following . 



