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America. For several years it was known only in limited locali- 

 ties along the coast, finally spreading, rooting out many noxious 

 weeds, completely covering barren places where other plants 

 could not grow, and affording abundant and nutritious pasturage. 

 Dr. Engelmann insisted upon the idea that experience alone could 

 teach us, whether, in such cases, a plant or animal would flourish 

 under the new conditions. 



Dr. G. J. Engelmann exhibited a characteristic mound-build- 

 er's skull, comparing it with the skull of a Sioux Indian, and with 

 that of a white woman recently found by himself and Prof. Potter 

 in a mound, where it had lain 30 years. The last mentioned skull 

 was interesting, as showing the large amount of animal matter 

 yet remaining in it, the bones of the skeleton being quite fatty. 



Dr. Engelmann also called attention to the conflicting estimates 

 made by eminent authorities in regard to the mental capacity indi- 

 cated by the mound-builder's skull, and gave the following char- 

 acteristics as being the result of careful studies made by himself 

 and Prof. Potter : — Anterior-posterior axis short ; foramen mag- 

 num placed posteriorly ; occipital region flat, and often obliquely 

 compressed. There is nothing to indicate very great, or very 

 inferior intellectual power, as is so frequently claimed. 



Mr. Nipher remarked that in some mound explorations made 

 in Iowa during last summer, he had been struck by the absence 

 of certain bones which one would have expected to find pre- 

 served, while sometimes fragile bones remained in tolerably good 

 preservation. He described one case of a skull, the facial and 

 frontal bones of which were so wholly gone that their outline 

 could not be followed, even after their former position became 

 known. The teeth lay in the soil in the same positions which 

 they held when in the jaw-bones, which had wholly disappeared. 

 Of the teeth, nothing remained but the enamel cap, the dentine 

 having also decayed. The back of the head (which was down) 

 with the temporal bones remained, together with the cochlece of 

 the ears. In another case (an intrusive burial), the pelvic bones 

 were present, and the bones of one leg, the extremities of the 

 former being almost perfect ; the other leg was wholly wanting. 

 A single phalange was also found. 

 Judge Holmes remarked that some effort should be made to 



