Trans. N. Y. Ac. Sci. 62 Feb. 18, 
February 18, 1884. 
The President, Dr. J. S. NEwBERRY, in the Chair. 
Twenty-three persons were present. 
The resignation of Mr. CHARLES H. Trask as Resident Mem- 
ber was received and accepted. 
There were exhibited by Mr. G. F. KUNZ, two images, the Llama 
and Vicuza, from the interior of Peru. 
They weighed six ounces each and were both of solid silver, with 
the exception of the bodies, which were filled with some earthy ma- 
terial. The Z/ama had evidently been acted upon by substances in the 
soil which left the silver in a remarkably pure state, and the work- 
manship on this figure, especially the hair reproduction, was very fine. 
The Vicuza was not of as pure silver, and was in a very good state 
of preservation. 
Mr. KUNZ explained that a famine in the interior of the country had 
caused the graves to be despoiled of many thousand ounces of orna- 
ments, which were carried to the seacoast and there sold for their 
weight in silver and gold. 
In speaking of the lapidary work done in agate, jade, and chalce- 
dony at Oberstein and Idar in Germany, many articles made and sold 
there were described, and some perforated carnelian ornaments were 
exhibited, in which the perforations were round at one end and over 
one inch across, ran to an acute point, and varied in length from 24 to 
4inches. They are sent to the interior of Africa, and sold at from four 
to five cents each, and are there worn by the natives. 
A jade pendant was shown, over 14 inch long, being one ofa lot 
of over 200 lbs. of jade made up and sent to New Zealand. Mention 
was made of a mass weighing nearly 300 lbs., to be used for the same 
purpose. ‘The cost of making these ornaments at Oberstein was about 
4o cents each, which was much less than they could have been made 
for by native or skilled New Zealand labor. 
There was also exhibited an oval carnelian disc, that had been 
shaped for cutting by chipping with a small hammer ; this chipping is 
equal to any that can be seen on American stone antiquities, and the 
entire cost perhaps one cent. 
Some onyx beads were also shown, that in London or Ceylon would 
bring from £10 to £20 sterling per string, and were here made for as 
many dollars. 
Mention was made of an American who achieved a fortune by im- 
porting the Evephantum dentalium from the Red Sea and selling it 
to our American Indians. 
