Read before the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, 27ih August 1833. 



IN presenting myself to the Academy this evening, with 

 a paper on a geological subject, my first duty is to make my 

 acknowledgements to the very great kindness of the gentle- 

 man who has, during some years of labour, placed in my 

 possession numerous fossils from the vicinity of Claiborne, 

 Alabama, most of which I have discovered to be new spe- 

 cies. As early as in January 1829, Judge Tait first called 

 my attention to the existence of the " organic remains 

 that abound in that part of the state," promising me at the 

 same time, to make a collection of them and to forward 

 them to me. This promise he redeemed at the close of 

 the year, by sending me a large quantity of the most inter- 

 esting Tertiary fossils. Finding in the same box speci- 

 mens which I suspected to be of secondary origin, I wrote 

 for, and subsequently obtained from my friend, a complete 

 suite of specimens of the various strata at Claiborne, with 

 valuable notes and observations from his pen. These 

 were sent in July 1831. Unwearied in his efforts to place 

 in my possession every thing that could illustrate the de- 

 posits of his vicinity, that gentleman subsequently, and at 

 different times, with continued kindness, sent me three or 



