75 
Permian formation, generally in Sandstone, and in some of 
the old Spanish mines, are to be seen excavations which have 
been made for the purpose of coming at these trunks of trees, 
which has been converted into cupiferous ore. Some of these 
mines have been, in former times, worked to a considerable 
extent, but now are neglected. 
Dr. NEwserry exhibited a specimen of a Fossil of consid- 
erable interest. It was obtained at Long Branch, below the 
water-mark, by a gentleman whilst in bathing setting his foot 
upon it. On being brought to the surface, and subsequent 
careful examination, it proved to be a very strongly-silicified 
specimen of the anterior portion of the Craniun of a Walrus. 
Only three other similar specimens are known to have been 
found, and all of them from this same locality. Dr. Leidy, 
who has examined and reported upon these specimens, has 
determined them to be crania of the existing species of 
Walrus or Morse (TZrichecus rosmarus). This specimen ex- 
hibited a portion, broken off of one of the so-called tusks 
which are so conspicuous in the head of this animal. These 
are really the upper canine teeth produced to this extraordi- 
nary extent, the other teeth being very small in comparison, 
and in number exceedingly variable, according to the age of 
the animal. On account of the development of these teeth, 
which furnish a very fine quality of ivory, the animal is 
hunted. The upper jaw is, at the muzzle, much enlarged, 
and hence the nostrils are removed from their usual position, 
to a higher locality than that which they occupy in other 
Seals, to which family the Walrus belongs. The fossil speci- 
mens are either Tertiary, being washed out of the beds con- 
tiguous to the spot where they have been found, by the action 
of the waves, or they are of recent origin, but they would 
seem to be most likely Tertiary, as we can hardly imagine 
several individuals of Walrus being carried so far South as 
Long Branch, on the New Jersey coast, either by means of 
ice, or in any other way. Similar crania have been found in 
the shell-heaps which occur upon the coast of Maine, but 
none of them are silicified. _ 
