70 Miscellaneous. 



on the ventral margin of the body of the animal the wall of the 

 body becomes soldered to that of the digestive cavity, and pierced 

 by an aperture representing the first branchial fissure. The second 

 and third fissures are formed in precisely the same manner. 



At this period also the heart makes its appearance at the ventral 

 part, and contracts slowly. From this moment each cell of the 

 epidermis bears a single vibratile cilium in place of the large bundle 

 of cilia which it previously displayed. 



In the course of development the number of branchial fissures in- 

 creases in consequence of the division of the first-formed fissures ; 

 then the chitinous skeletons of the branchiae and various other 

 organs appear. From each side of the body proceeds a fold of skin, 

 which runs to meet the opposite fold and to unite with it on the 

 ventral line — except at one point which will represent the abdominal 

 pore. 



Lastly, the author believes he has ascertained that the terminations 

 of the nerves of the skin are histologically continuous with the cells of 

 the epidermis. — Bibl. Univ. October 25, 1866, Bull. Sci. pp. 193- 

 195 (abstract of the original Russian paper). 



Alleged Discovery of an Ancient Human Skull in California. 



Accounts have recently been going the round of the press, of the 

 discovery of a human skull in or beneath certain volcanic deposits 

 in California, which has attracted much attention from the various 

 ages that have been assigned to it. The facts of the case, so far as 

 they have reached us from authentic sources, are as follows. The 

 skull in question is alleged to have been found at a depth of 153 

 feet, in a shaft sunk in the consolidated volcanic ash, known locally 

 as *' lava," near Angel's Camp, in Calavaras county. Five beds of 

 this consolidated ash were passed through, separated by beds of 

 gravel. 



The skull was found by a miner, and it soon came into the hands 

 of Prof. J. D. Whitney, State Geologist of CaUfornia, who visited the 

 locality and investigated the matter as far as was then possible ; but, 

 owing to the presence of water and the stoppage of work in the 

 shaft, the examination was not fully satisfactory. He has made a 

 preliminary statement before the California Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, but defers any extended notice until the subject can be in- 

 vestigated with more completeness and accuracy. He thinks the 

 skull was found in the position claimed, and will investigate the sub- 

 ject when the water is pumped out of the shaft and work resumed, 

 which is expected to be done soon. 



The precise age of the beds in question is as yet uncertain. In the 

 * Geology of California,' Prof. Whitney considers that the eruption of 

 the great mass of volcanic materials on the western slope of the Sierra 

 Nevada began in the Pliocene age, and that it continued into the Post- 

 pliocene, and possibly to comparatively modern times. The alleged 

 position of the skull is a lower one than any in which the remains of 

 the mastodon have there been found ; and therefore the question of 

 its authenticity becomes a very important one ; and when the more 



