146 Association of American Geolor/ists and iVatiirah'sts. 



motion, a vote of thanks was tendered, with the intimation that the 

 Association would accept it at some future day. The reason that the 

 Association dechned the invitation was, that it was not deemed advis- 

 able to hold two consecutive meetings at or near the same locality. 

 It was then resolved that tlie next annual meeting should be held 

 in Philadelphia. 



A second letter was received from President Everett, covering a 

 letter to him from Mr Bond of the Observatory, communicating the 

 pleasing intelligence that the Nebulse in the constellation of Orion 

 had been resolved by the Cambridge telescope. The observations 

 were made on Thursday morning, at about three o'clock, and under 

 the most favourable circumstances. Professor Pierce of Harvard 

 University, made a communication upon the subject of the " Nebular 

 Hypothesis." He did not think that its three supports, derived fi-oni 

 geology (and of this he did not speak), from physical astronomy, 

 and from celestial mechanics, v/ere sufficient to sustain it. As grand 

 an hypothesis as it is, it must give way to scientific investigation. 



Dr J. Wynian, made a report on some crania and bones belong- 

 ing to a new species of Orang recently discovered by Dr T. S. Savage, 

 in West Africa. Some of the peculiarities of its organization, by 

 which it is readily distinguished from other members of the same 

 family were pointed out ; and the different parts of the skeleton were 

 compared with the corresponding ones of the human body. 



A detailed account of its habits, drawn up by Dr Savage, was read, 

 giving many interesting facts with regard to its food, to the super- 

 stitions entertained by the natives with regard to its nature, &c. This 

 species is much larger than the one heretofore described as coming 

 from the same country. The skull is two inches longer than that of 

 an ordinaj-y man. 



In the afternoon. Professor Bailey exhibited some fossils from the 

 coal-formation in New Mexico, New England, from Santa Fe, and 

 near the Bocky Mountains. They were sent to him by Lieut. Abert 

 of the United States Army. Professor Agassiz made a verbal re- 

 port on the geographical distribution of animals along the coasts of 

 New England. He said that this was a difficult subject for investi- 

 gation — the data to be collected are few — and it involves the ques- 

 tion, where did the animals originate, and where do they live ? They 

 are capable of locomotion, and the actual distribution is not the 

 primitive distribution. The general result may be arrived at, that 

 the animals are different in dilFerent localities. 



Wild animals differ in small areas — different geographical divi- 

 sions are inhabited by different animals. The Arctic animals are 

 identical in all parts of the world. As you approach to the more 

 temperate and tropical regions, the animals of different localities 

 differ more widely. Sometimes, however, similar or analogous spe- 

 cies are found. The fresh-water fish originated in the localities where 

 they are found. These fish are entirely different in different coun- 



