cxu 



torily ascertained that it belonged to the same Qiiaternaryage as the skull 

 of Cro-Magnon, and was contemporary with the extinct mammalia of that 

 period. — M.Jules Marcou, in a pamphlet on "Australasia," had maintained 

 that there were no good geological reasons why the existence of Man might 

 not be carried back to the Triassic period, pointing to the probable land 

 connection between Africa and New Holland and between South America 

 and New Zealand in the Triassic and Eocene periods, and to the distribu- 

 tion of races in those parts as seen in modern times. This view (Judge 

 Holmes thought) was contradicted by both the geological and the zoologi- 

 cal evidences. On the theory of evolution and transition of type, since 

 the type next lower than the human (in the Simiadae) is not traced back 

 beyond the Eocene, and received its largest development in the Miocene, or 

 at least first reached to anthropoid forms in that age, it would seem to be 

 altogether more probable that the transition to the completely human type 

 took place in that age, or in the Pleiocene. The configurations of land and 

 water that existed in the Tertiary period, especially in the southern hemi- 

 sphere, he thought, should be more thoroughly studied and considered, as 

 well as the possible migrations by sea and consequent mixtures of races, 

 (or the spread of different races into the same islands or continents,) before 

 such sweeping conclusions could be safely drawn. 



Dr. Engelmann wholly dissented from the opinions of Prof. 

 Marcou. He was inclined to think that the proofs failed to esta- 

 blish any theory of the evolution of man out of the ape. He could 

 not believe that man lived in an age when only fishes and Sauri- 

 ans, among veitebrates, are known to have existed. 



Some further remarks were made upon the subject by Messrs. 

 Todd and Riley and Dr. Briggs, controverting the views of Prof. 

 Marcou. 



November 17, 1873. 

 The President in the chair. 



Twelve members present. 



Publications received were laid upon the table. 

 On motion of Mr. Albert Todd, the following resolutions were 

 adopted : 



Whereas, since the last meeting of the Academy, there has died one who 

 was a sympathetic friend and a generous contributor towards establishing 

 its success ; therefore, 



Resolved, i. That the memory of the late James H. Lucas is forever 

 entitled to the grateful regard and honorable esteem of this society. 



