21 



An examination of severul of the graves had been made by 

 Mr. Francis Boyd, by whom attention was first called to them 

 by Mr. F. Burr, one of the proprietors of the land, and Drs. M. 

 and J. Wynian. Portions of the remains of four adults and orie 

 child had been found. The cranium of one of the adults was 

 sufficiently well preserved to exhibit the unequivocal anatomical 

 characters of the North American Indians. Generally, the bones 

 were too much decomposed to be removed, except in fragments. 

 The original position of the bodies, as shown by that of the bones, 

 was on one side, with the knees drawn up, and not in a sitting 

 attitude. The articles buried with them consisted of fragments 

 of pottery, composed of clay and pounded clam shells, of stone 

 pestles, and a clay pipe, all of Indian manufacture ; also of an 

 iron hatchet, a brass kettle, some beads of brass, and others of 

 glass, which must have been obtained from the white settlers. 

 These latter articles, of course, bring down the date of the ceme- 

 tery to a period subsequent to the settlement of the country. 



Mr. Boyd invited the members of the Society to his house, 

 where they had an opportunity of examining such of the remains 

 and relics as were in his j^ossession, and at the same time were 

 provided with a most generous and hospitable entertainment. 



After a ride a short distance upon the beach, the carriages 

 were left, and the party wandered along the rocks and sea-shore 

 towards Cohasset, where those interested in shells, fish, marine 

 plants, minerals, &c., had opportunities of collecting specimens. 

 Here remarks were made by those particularly versed in special 

 subjects, amongst others, by Dr. David F. Weinland, who called 

 attention to the ovaries of the Whiting, in which were eggs in 

 process of embryonic development ; a fact which Prof. Agassiz 

 has recently noticed in this fish, the cod, the haddock, and the 

 American hake, our most common fishes, and which have hitherto 

 been supposed to be oviparous and not viviparous. 



Meeting at a certain rendezvous, and resuming seats in the 

 carriages, a pleasant drive was taken along the ridge road ; stop- 

 ping to view the famous trap dyke upon the sea-shore, and its 

 striated markings, indicative of glazier action according to some, 

 or of drift action accoi'ding to others ; the prominent features of 

 the dyke and surrounding rocks being pointed out by Dr. C. T. 

 Jackson, Mr. Francis Al";er, and Mr. Bouve. 



