182 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Jul 



in view as I believed the depth of the river to be barren of 

 of such material), I chanced to observe what at the dis- 

 tance seemed to be an iron cannon ball. Forthwith, I de- 

 cided to go aboard of the dredge scow, and secure the 

 trophy. It proved to be merely a very old and small black 

 cocoanut. Thinking that an ebony-black cocoanut was 

 about as good as an iron ball for a souvenir, I conveyed 

 it to my residence with a view to polishing it up as an 

 ornament. In the attempt to clean out the internal parts 

 of the cocoanut, I found a small quantity of black oozy 

 mud, and a pasty substance, which thrown into the coal 

 grate fire began fizzing and flaming, thus recognizing 

 some fatty substance therein. 



I carefully saved the contents and melted it down in 

 boiling water, and then shaped it into a ball of cocoa wax. 

 Under the microscope, small streaks of this, when heated 

 gave the characteristic crystals of Cocoa butter under 

 polariscope, thus calling attention to the chemical altera- 

 tion known as adipoceration, when referred to the action 

 of animal substances submerged under water for lengthy 

 periods. Next having turned my attention to the contents 

 of the small quantity of black mud derived from the co- 

 coanut, a trial or two under the lens showed me that I 

 had struck a diatom-bearing material of a novel charac- 

 ter, and a combination of species hitherto not readily 

 found in this locality. 



According to my custom, I promptly advised the well- 

 known connoisseur and expert preparer of diatoms, Mr. C. 

 L. Peticolas, of the character of my new find, and I for- 

 warded a small portion of the new material to him for his 

 own study. In my communication, I told him that I had 

 found species of P. formosum, Chsetoceros boreale of 12 or 

 more frustules united, Hemiaulus, Bacteriastrum, Rhizo- 

 solenia, Melosira in long filaments, and a form thatproved 

 to be Skeletonema costatum. In a short time Mr. Petico- 

 las advised that he found nothing whatever in the sample 



