287 



for clay ; but " infusorial earths " are generally called " marls," 

 even scientific persons not being acquainted with the difference 

 between them and true marls. The species found in it are : 



That »S'. Baileyii is as distinct a species as many others cannot 

 be doubted, but whether it will eventually be found to be only a 

 variety of S. acuta is at present difficult to determine ; and 

 though, as I have already said, I am indisposed to admit species 

 into our Botanies which have as yet only been found in a dead 

 condition, I am of opinion that S. Baileyii will be proved to be a 

 good species. It has as yet, I believe, been only found in this 

 country. 



The Baisley's Pond peat was thrown out in large quantities 

 while making excavations for the Brooklyn waterworks, at Baisley's 

 Pond, about 2^ miles south of the town of Jamaica, Long Island. 

 There were, at the time, said to have been two millions of square 

 yards of it thrown out, but I have since ascertained that the 

 quantity would be more correctly represented by two hundred 

 thousand square yards. Portions of the skeleton' of a mastodon 

 were found in the peat, but fell into powder soon after being 

 exposed to the air. The species in it are : 



Amphora ovalis, Eimantidium bidens, 

 Cocconeis jilacentula, " gracile, 



Cocconema lanceolatum^ Pinnidaria major, 

 Cymbella cuspidata, " mesolepia, 



Gomphonema acuminatum, •" viridis, 



" cuspidatum, Siauroneis pho&nic enter on. 



" vibrio, 



I have one or two more deposits, beside the above, yet unde- 

 scribed, and many more will doubtless be hereafter discovered ; 

 in fact, the number that have been found thus far show that Prof. 

 Bailey was right when he said that deposits similar to that he 

 found at West Point would be discovered under every pond and 

 marsh in the country. 



Mr. S. H. Scudder made some remarks upon the 

 American white ant, the Termes frontalis of Haldeman. 



