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in consequence of the exhaustion of the Guano deposits of 
the Chinchas. He also exhibited drawings of a wooden idol 
found on the North Guanape among the remains of a stone 
hut, now covered by a few feet of Guano. This discovery 
was made by Mr. J. P. Davis, government engineer, when 
making an official survey of the Islands in 1864. Mr. 
Squier was aware of the alleged discovery of numerous 
articles, pottery, utensils, and objects of gold and silver in the 
Guano of all the Islands, but under circumstances requiring 
authentication. The account of Mr. Davis was about the 
only one coming from a competent and reliable source. Not 
that the articles alleged to have been found, were not found, 
for all the islands were frequénted by the aborigines of the 
coasts, who must have left traces of their visits. But he was 
not prepared to accept the statements as to the great depth 
beneath the surface at which the various objects were re- 
ported to have been found, nor yet the inference generally 
made that the superincumbent material had been formed 
since their deposit—an hypothesis pointing back to an 
incredibly remote period. Indeed, after a personal inspection 
of the islands and of the cuttings in the Guano, exhibiting 
most distinct marks of stratification, he was prepared to listen 
to the suggestion that had been made, in very competent 
quarters, that the Guano deposits had been formed beneath 
the sea, with the exception of the very superficial and relatively 
modern layers resulting from the excreta of seals and water- 
fowls. In conclusion he called upon Prof. Edwards, who had 
already published something on this subject, and Dr. Habel, 
who had visited and studied the Guano Islands, to make 
some remarks relative to the origin of this substance, and 
exhibited photographs showing in a very beautiful manner 
the parallel stratification of the Guano. 
Dr. A. HABEt said, that having the intention of publish- 
ing, at some future day, something more full and in detail 
concerning the mode of occurrence of the Whuano on the 
Chincha Islands, of which he had made a careful examination 
during a recent visit, he would at the present time confine 
