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forms a kind of stone; such sandstone in some places resting 
upon loose sand. . In it are also imbedded eggs, or more 
correctly speaking egg-shells, and bones. Of these he collected 
specimens, and he also possesses a skeleton of a bird imbedded 
in the sandstone. 
Pror. A. M. Epwarps said, I am not prepared at 
the present time to enter fully into the consideration of this 
subject of The Origin of Guano, but I would merely 
mention that my views on the subject were first made 
public at a meeting of the American Microscopical Society, 
during the winter of 1868. Thereafter on the 4th of January, 
1869, I gave-the results of my investigations and the deduc- 
tions I drew therefrom at a meeting of the Essex Institute at 
Salem, Mass., and an abstract of what I then said was published 
in the Bulletin of that Association, Vol. L page 11. The 
main points then brought forth, and which I desire to dwell 
upon now, are for the purpose more particularly of calling 
the attention of scientists to this interesting and important 
subject. I have spent several years in investigating this 
subject and have become acquainted with some facts of great 
moment as bearing upon several branches of science, more 
particularly Geology, Agriculture, Biology, and Chemistry, 
as well as Commerce, as connected with the chemistry of 
Guanos and other fertilizers. I have also been for the last 
fifteen years or more, studying the so-called ‘Infusorial 
deposits” of marine origin; that is to say, those which are 
proved, by the character of the remains contained in them, to 
have been formed beneath salt water. I have been entrusted 
by Prof Pumpelly with the investigation of specimens of 
an Infusorial deposit of this character which he discovered 
near Netanai, in Japan, and Prof. Whitney has placed in my 
hands the microscopic material of the State Geological 
Survey of California; besides I have received many speci- 
mens from other quarters and have thus been able to study 
this matter very thoroughly, but there are still data wanting 
to make the subject perfect. 
Among the specimens thus examined, are some of the 
