114 



tuberances on the sides, and the mouth was cut in and 

 well indicated. The broad horizontal tail was decidedly 

 cetacean in character, and the whole carving, though 

 rudely done by picking the sienitic rock from which it 

 was made with stone implements, was yet so character- 

 istic as to indicate at once that a porpoise or Beluga was 

 intended. A hole through the portion representing the 

 tail shows that the object was suspended, but the stone is 

 so large and heavy that it can hardly be classed as a per- 

 sonal ornament, though it is probably to be regarded as a 

 totem. It measures ten inches in length by about two in 

 depth at the pectoral fins, and is about two and a quarter 

 inches wide across the pectorals as measured on the 

 under side. This interesting specimen was found at Sea- 

 brook, N. H., and it is said that two other similarly 

 worked stones have been found at the same place. 



[The figures here given from drawings made by Capt. 

 J. A. Greeley of Amesbury, and Mr. J. H. Emerton of 

 Salem, represent the "totem" in profile and from the 

 under side.] 



Mr. JAMES H. EMERTON gave a curious account of 

 several species of spiders, particularly one that never 

 builds its own house, but dislodges some other tenant, 

 thus living by acquisition rather than construction. 



Mr. EMERTON having placed a few batrachians, col- 

 lected by some of the party, on the table, Mr. PUTNAM 

 was called upon to give an account of them, which he 

 did by reviewing the batrachian fauna of the state, and 

 noticing the various habits and peculiar notes of the sev- 

 eral species of toads and frogs found in the vicinity, and 

 comparing them with the salamanders, which are another 

 order of the same class. He also gave an account of 

 the development of the batrachians and showed the dif- 



