47 tScudder. 



carvTQg of animals' heads in the window keys, and of the 

 Society's seal over the main entrance was executed by Mr. 

 Garret Barry; the eagle surmounting the pediment was 

 carved by Mr. Edlifeton, and the bears cut in walnut at the 

 foot of the staircase leading to the grand hall, as well as the 

 candelabra which they support, were the work of Mr. Rinn. 

 The total cost of the edifice is estimated at nearly 8100,000. 



June 15, 1864 



The President in the chair. 



Thirty-eight members present. 



Mr. S. H. Scudder presented a series of fossils, some of 

 which were exhibited, obtained dming a recent visit to Cuba, 

 from the Tertiary Rocks of Matanzas. They were obtained 

 from three different locaUties ; (a), quarries of soft coral rock 

 beyond the Paseo where no distinct marks of stratification 

 could be seen ; (bj, strata of gravel inclined at an angle of 

 45° which seem to rest upon the former (are generally non- 

 fossiliferous) and are situated on the left bank of the Tumuii 

 river just before it empties into the bay; (c), soft limestone 

 rocks which underhe the gravelly strata at a similar angle dip- 

 ping to the south, and form the greater portion of the Cum- 

 bre which separates the Valley of the Yumuri from Matanzas 

 Bay ; upon the sides of smaU caverns in the latter were 

 also found masses of clay hardened so as to be distin- 

 guishable only by slight differences of color from the rock 

 itself containing large quantities of the remains of land- 

 snails. Some of the specimens exhibited were kindly pre- 

 sented to him by Seiiors Garcia and Jimeno. He also ex- 

 hibited specimens of the non-fossiliferous rocks of the Isle 

 of Pines, and made the following statements concerning the 

 physical geography of the island : — 



The island is situated south of Cuba at the meridian of B^vana. 

 and differs entirely in its physical aspects from Cuba, or at least that 



