Miscellanies. 207 



JYovember 17. — Donations for the cabinet were received from Mr. 

 J. H. NafF, Dr. Riley, and Dr. Coale. — Prof. Ducatel read the in- 

 troduction to an essay on the subaiersion of the Atlantis, being an 

 attempt to show the reality of this event, and its probable connection 

 with some geological phenomena. — Prof. Geddings gave a brief ac- 

 count of the insect which has proved so destructive to the elm tree. 

 He described it as belonging to the genus Crioceros, species vittata ; 

 and concluded with a description of the mode in which the eggs are 

 deposited, and the insect subsequently developed. 



JYovember 24. — Donations were received of several skulls and 

 casts of skulls from Dr. Coale, and a specimen of the new British 

 coin from Miss Minifie. — A circular letter was received from the 

 Albany Institute, requesting the Academy to undertake a series of 

 magnetic experiments, and acknowledging the receipt of the table of 

 Meteorological Observations for June. The subject was referred to 

 the meteorological committee. 



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 



21. Proposed JVew Work on American Skulls ; by Dr. Samuel 

 George Morton. — Dr. Morton has, for several years, employed 

 his leisure in collecting materials for a work, to be entitled ^^ Crania 

 Americana ; or, a Comparative View of the Skulls of various Abo- 

 riginal JYations of JVorth and South America.'''' 



It is presumed that such a work, independently of its great Ana- 

 tomical interest, will contribute something towards the History of the 

 nations of these continents. The work will be in large folio, with 

 twenty five or thirty plates, and two heads on a plate. It is designed 

 to have at least fifty skulls lithographed of the natural size, with such 

 national, individual, and anatomical illustrations, as can be obtained 

 in reference to each. The work will be preceded by an Introduc- 

 tion, embracing a general view of the five great Races of Men, and 

 followed by an exposition of the probable origin of the American 

 Tribes. 



Of one hundred and forty skulls of all the races now in Dr. Mor- 

 ton's possession, but sixty three belong to American tribes, and but 

 twenty three of these are North Americans. Valuable as this col- 

 lection is, and by far the most extensive of its kind in this country, 

 it is yet very inadequate to the purposes above mentioned ; and Dr. 

 M. therefore respectfully solicits assistance in extending and complet- 



