i ete 
Scientific Proceedings, §. 379 
MISCELLANIES. 
DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN. 
1. Scientific Proceedings of the Boston Sgciety of Natural History in 
the months of June, July, and August, 1838; drawn up from the Records 
of the Society, by Avcustus A. Goutp, M. D., Recording Secretary. 
He who makes a valuable discovery and refuses or neglects to impart 
it, robs mankind of a blessing, and himself of the honor that is his due. 
So it is with scientific bodies. The toilsome and ingenious labors of 
Many an original discoverer, though gratifying to him in their pursuit, gain 
him no lasting credit; and he will be supplanted by some succeeding as- 
Pirant, because he fails to promulgate his discoveries. 
None are so likely to have the fruits of their labors usurped as scientific 
men in America, where the means of disseminating researches are so 
limited. In view of this, and from the consideration that our members 
are entitled to the credit of the description of many objects previously un- 
known to science, the following abstract of its proceedings, in the manner 
of the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London” has been 
drawn up by the direction of the Society. It is offered for publication, 
With the intention that, should it receive a place in the American Journ 
of Science, it should be continued from time to time. 
It may be proper, by way of explanation, to say, that it is the custom 
to commit the objects presented at the semi-monthly meetings to members, 
Who are to report on them at a subsequent meeting. It may be further 
added, that most of the new species mentioned in this paper, in which 
only short, specific descriptions are given, are described at length and 
illustrated by figures in the “ Boston Journal of Natural History, Vol. II, 
0. 2,” recently published. 
May 16, 1838.—Gro. B. Emerson, Esq., President, in the chair. 
Dr. Cuartes T. Jackson, reported upon some specimens of limestone 
from the Welland Canal, presented by Srerpsen Wurre, 
Showed it to be a carboniferous limestone filled with fossil shells, identical 
With those in the limestone found on the Aroostic River, Maine ; and of 
fered reasons for supposing that there was a continuous bed from Quebec 
to the Aroostic. 
Dr. J. announced that three cases of minerals, collected by him on the 
public domain in the State of Maine, had been ordered by his Excellency, 
Gov. Evererr, to be deposited in our Hall, with the State collection of the 
Minerals of Massachusetts. 
Rev. F. W. P. Greenwoop and Dr. A. A. Gouxn, reported upon a pa- 
Per read at the last meeting by Jos. P. Covrnovy, Esq., on a species of 
