128 Scientific Intelligence. 
freshness of appearance, as shown in color, to the touch, and by flexi- 
bility, was so much the greater. The perfection of the preservation 
was indeed wonderful—and scarcely less than I should have expected 
of any like nut, as an acorn or horse-chestnut, similarly buried for but 
a few years, 
The shell of the nut was almost perfect. The only erentce were 
that by compression it was (apparently) flattened ; and i 
compressed, a crack had been made and kept open at the — (or 
germ) end. The shell while distended by moisture, in color, smooth- 
ness of surface, and in partial elasticity, appeared much like old teas 
softened by being water-soaked. The color was dark brown, approach- 
ing to black. The mark of oo Bok BAG snort though small, was as 
distinct as if the nut had been 
the distension then was may be seen by comparing the then size with 
fig. 4, which is the same view as fig. 1, but marked since the thorough 
ie 3. 
drying and shrinking of the shell. The dutlines were a by tra- 
ger around the object with a pencil, and using every care to preserve 
meee profile of size, as closely as possible. Since ines the 
