44 PROCEEDINGS S. I. ASSN. ARTS AND SCIEFCES. [VoL. I 



Of Special interest to us, however, is a brief reference to Staten 

 Island, which reads as follows : 



" Within two leag^ues of New York lieth Staten Island, it bears from 

 New York West something Southerly : It is about twenty-miles long, 

 and four or five broad, it is ftiost of it very good Land, full of Timber, 

 and produceth all such commodities as Long Island doth besides Tin 

 and store of Iron oar, and the Calamine stone is said likewise to be 

 found there : There is but one Town upon it consisting of English and 

 French, but it is capable of entertaining more inhabitants; betwixt this 

 and Long Island is a large Bay, and is the coming in for all ships and 

 vessels out of the Sea : On the North-side of this Island After-skull 

 River puts into the main Land on the West-side, whereof is two or three 

 Towns, but on the East-side but one. There is very great Marshes or 

 Medows on both sides of it, excellent good Land, and good convenience 

 for the setling of several Towns; there grows black Walnut and Locust, 

 as their doth in Virginia, with mighty tall straight Timber, as good as 

 any in the North of America ; It produceth any Commoditie Long 

 Island doth." 



We can recognize Arthur Kill or Achter-Kull in the name "After- 

 skull River," and it would be interesting to know where the"Town ^ ^ ^ 

 consisting of English and French" was located, as according to the 

 author's account this was the only settlement on the Island at that 

 time. 



The " Calamine stone " mentioned is apparently meant for the zinc 

 ore of that name, but as no trace of that mineral has been found here 

 it is evident that the author has been misinformed in regard to its 

 presence as well as in regard to tin. 



II.-At our last meeting Mr. Wm. T. Davis had occasion to incidentally 

 mention the name of Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, grand-uncle of our fellow 

 member, Mr. William H. Mitchill. 



I have here a copy of the " Catalogue of the Organic Remains and 

 other Geological and Mineralogical Articles contained in the Collection 

 presented to the New York Lyceum of Natural History by Samuel L. 

 Mitchill, one of the Members," published in 1826. It contains a steel- 

 engraved plate of Dr. Mitchill. 



The manner of listing the specimens is unique, or at least it seems 

 so at the present day. On p. 24 there is listed "Ammonites, pectinites, 

 madreporites, and spirulites, in wacke. Castleton, Staten Island." 



This appears to be the only record of any specimens from Staten 

 Island, and it probably refers to some that were obtained from a 

 drift bowlder. 



