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Ajml 1, 1846. 

 J. E. Teschemacher, Esq., in the Chair. 



Mr. J. E. Teschemacher exhibited specimens of vegetable 

 remains from the anthracite coal-beds of Mansfield, Mass. 



He remarked that the subject of fossil vegetables was exciting 

 increased attention annong naturalists, and that the study of them 

 was very much facilitated by the new system of classification 

 introduced by Presl, founded upon the venation of the leaves, 

 in place of that based upon the fructification. The leaves were 

 often well preserved, while the fructification was rarely shown 

 so perfectly as to be of service. Mr. T. announced his intention 

 of devoting some time to the study of the American coal-plants. 

 He had already been able to detect several mistakes, into which 

 Brongniart and others had been led, to which he would refer at 

 some future time. 



Prof. H. D. Rogers expressed the opinion that different species 

 of vegetation would be found to characterize different beds of coal, 

 according to the age of the deposit. 



Dr. A. A. Gould read a letter from J. Hamilton Couper, 

 Esq., dated at Bainbridge on the Chatahoochie River, 

 Georgia, March 15, 1845. 



Mr. Couper had found the silicified limestone of that neighbor- 

 hood, commonly called the hurr mill-stone by reason of the use 

 to which it was sometimes applied, to be very abundant. It is 

 filled with fossil shells, none of which appear to be identical with 

 the Claiborn fossils as described by Conrad and Lea. Few of 

 them are identical with the cretaceous shells represented by Dr. 

 Morton, though Mr. C. considered them to belong obviously to 

 that formation. The most striking and abundant shell is an 

 Ostrea, six inches by four or five, somewhat resembling O. 

 panda. Pectens of several species are very abundant ; as is also 

 a species of Nummidites, probably N. Mantelli. Mr. C. also 

 found several Turritellce, Spatangi^ Echini and their spines, a 

 small Ammonite, a Scutella, a Sigaretiis, and a Conus two and 



