151 



larger in the upper, and the reptiles are more numerous in the 

 lower. At Scliuyler's Lake the reptiles, fishes, and shells are the 

 same as in the former, with the addition of an alasmodon^ anodon, 

 unio. and hjmnea ; the last, L. gracilis^ is found on the bulrushes, 

 flags, and lily pads, from one to two feet from the water ; the 

 specimens were about half grown, being perfect about the middle 

 of October. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson alluded to the occurrence of white 

 marl in the bottom of a pond in New Hampshire, the 

 water flowing into which from a peat bog is highly 

 charged with crenate of lime ; this he thought the source 

 of the marl, and perhaps, by decomposition, of the car- 

 bonate of lime in the living shells. 



Dr. Hayes alluded to the above action of peat waters 

 on lime as exceedingly interesting ; it may be noticed 

 wherever dark waters are changed into green-coloted. 

 In waters highly charged with crenate and hum ate of 

 ammonia, there is found a great increase in the numbers 

 of shells. Crenic acid is an important world-builder and 

 world-destroyer ; it is found in all sea-water, especially 

 in that from great depths, combined with lime. Car- 

 bonate of manganese is attacked by crenic acid, and 

 waters containing this acid, flowing over manganese 

 rocks, always become darker. 



Mr. Putnam presented, in the name of Prof. Agassiz, 

 30 species of fishes from the Sandwich Islands, all new 

 to the cabinet, and about one half of them undescribed. 



Dr. Kneeland presented a parafline candle made from 

 the cannel coal of Boone Co., Kentucky, a specimen of 

 which was presented by Mr. J. W. Richardson some 

 months ago. 



Dr. Haves observed that this coal deserves rather the name of 

 a compound rock, being full of minute spangles of mica inter- 

 spersed with the vegetable matter of the coal ; on this account 

 it leaves more ash. This structure indicates that the coal was 



