V 



49 



April 20, 1859. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. T. T. Bouve read a communication as follows : 



By the kindness of a friend, the vahiahle work on the Fossil 

 Footmarks of the Connecticut Valley — The Ichnology of Massa- 

 chusetts, by President Hitchcock,: — has been loaned me for perusal. 

 A few days since my-surprise was great upon opening the vohirae 

 to find a number of pages devoted to the question of who first 

 scientifically described the Footmarks, introduced by the following 

 remarks : — 



" Some readers of this Report may be aware that about four- 

 teen yeafs ago ^ discussion took place between me and Dr. James 

 Deane, of Greenfield, in the American Journal of Science, re- 

 specting the first discovery of the fossil footmarks. Having each 

 of us had the opportunity to say what we pleased, it has ever 

 since -been my determination to trouble the public no more on the 

 subject. But since the death of Dr. Deane, which occurred dur- 

 ing the printing of tliis Report, some of his friends have thought 

 it proper to revive this discussion, and, if correctly reported in the 

 newspapers, to take such ground as does me great injustice, and 

 casts such imputations upon my character, that I cannot suffer 

 this last opportunity to pass, without a brief attempt to vindicate 

 myself to the citizens of Massachusetts, and especially to its legis- 

 lators, who have so liberally published this Report.. I refer par- 

 ticularly to the Eulogy upon Dr. Deane by Dr. H* I. Bowditch, 

 and to the statements of T. T. Bouve, Esq. before the'^Boston 

 Society of Natural History. Were it not for the high respecta- 

 bility of these gentlemen, I should not feel called on to enter 

 up6n this defence." 



Before proceeding further, I wish to say a word upon the 

 remark, that " since the death of Dr. Deane some of his friends 

 have thought it proper to revive this discussion," inasmuch as in 

 citing the instances, he refers particularly to statements made by 

 me before this Society. I wish to deny for myself, as distinctly 

 as it is possible for me to do it, not only having had any thought 

 of reviving a discussion, but even having had, at the time my 



PROCEEDINGS B. S. N- H. VOL. VII. 4 JUNE, 1859. 



