Trans. N. V. Ac. Set. 140 May 7, 



Paris, and Prof. A. D'Achiardi, of Pisa, accepting their election 

 as Corresponding Members of the Academy. 



Prof A. R. Leeds exhibited a crystalline body obtained from 

 human milk. The examination of the ratio between the constitu- 

 ents of milk afforded a subject of much interest and importance. 

 In the course of an investigation of this subject, he had recently 

 procured, through Doctors Thomas and K. Parker, sixty speci- 

 mens, of two ounces each, of human milk. The albuminoid sub- 

 stances were first precipitated by a salt of copper, the filtrate 

 evaporated, and from this residue an etherial extract was prepared. 

 The ether carries into solution an organic fatty salt of copper 

 which was not present in cow's milk. In the latter, the fats are 

 colorless and solid at ordinary temperatures ; in human milk, they 

 are liquid. The object of his investigation was to determine the 

 exact nature of the fatty bodies in human milk, and these results 

 appeared to show that there may be a new fat which forms a crys- 

 talline salt soluble in ether. These fats must be numerous, but 

 hitherto we have been content to know their general nature. 



Dr. N. L. Britton read a paper, illustrated with specimens and 

 drawings, 



ON THE FINDING OF PREHISTORIC INDIAN SKELETONS AT FAR 

 ROCKAWAY, LONG ISLAND. 



The skeletons here described were discovered in an excavation made 

 for the cellar of a new house, erected for Mr. W. T. Bailey in Septem- 

 ber, 1882. The locality is locally called " Breezy Point," and is one 

 and one-half miles west from the Far Rockaway Station on the Long 

 Island Railroad. The cellar is 225 feet from the shore of a part of 

 Jamaica Bay, and about five feet above high water mark. 



Nine skeletons were unearthed, six of them from near the south- 

 eastern corner of the house, and three from along the eastern side. 

 They had evidently been thrown into holes without much or any 

 regard for the manner of burial. The positions of the former holes 

 were plainly indicated by the difference in color of the materials filling 

 them, and that of the undisturbed soil. The former was quite a dark 

 brown ; the latter, a light yellow. 



The natural soil of the vicinity is the pre-glacial yellow sand and 

 gravel drift, which is indistinctly stratified. The holes were filled with 

 ^his soil for the most part, but mixed with shells of clams and pyslers. 



