336 Association of American Geologists and Naturalists. 
burn with flame. This bituminous matter has been observed in a lime- 
stone from Saratoga County, which, from the circumstance of its being 
made up of rounded grains, has been called oolitic limestone by min- 
eralogists. 
Dr. B. remarked that the odor of the fetid limestone had sometimes 
been referred to the presence of iron pyrites, giving rise to sulphuret- 
ted hydrogen. If it was due to iron pyrites, the sulphuretted hydrogen 
would have been evolved during the process of solution; which was 
not the case. 
The author adverted to the statements made by Dr. Daubeny at the 
last meeting of the British Association (1842) concerning the occur- 
rence of organic matters in various secondary limestones, and was 
inclined to consider the whole class of facts as proofs that races of 
organic beings had existed at the period of the formation of these 
rocks, of which not a single representative now remains. 
Dr. Emmons remarked that this bituminous matter was of 
general occurrence in the New York rocks, even the older arena- 
ceous deposits. 
In some limestones noticed by Mr. Hall, the bitumen was so 
abundant as to run out when lime was burnt and render the spe- 
cimen offensive to handle. The limestone at Montreal was so 
charged with bituminous matter as to smut the hands, while a 
case had been cited by the late Mr. Eaton, of a limestone having 
when heated the smell of horn, indicating the presence of nitro- 
genized matter. 
Dr. Owen read a paper on fossil Palm Trees, found in Posey 
County, Indiana. 
They were discovered about twelve miles from New Harmony, in 
excavating in a slaty clay on the banks of Big Creek, a tributary 
of the Wabash, for the purpose of laying the foundation of a saw and 
grist mill, and forming a rag dam. The stratum in which they are im- 
bedded is one of the upper members of the Illinois coal-field. 
From the first commencement of the excavation from twenty to twen- 
ty five fossil stumps have been seen. Dr. Owen has disinterred only 
three himself. ‘These were found standing erect, with from five to 
seven main roots attached, and ramifying in the surrounding material. 
There is every reason to believe that if pains had been taken to expose 
the others, all would have been found provided with roots. 
Besides the three trees which were transported to Dr. O.’s labora- 
tory, several segments of other trees, previously dug out, were found 
amongst the rubbish. Some of these had the scars of the stems well 
preserved, and presented besides the structure of the bark, which re- 
