38H 



the peculiar region of the drift. Mr. M. further comment- 

 ed on a quantity of interesting fossil shells lately received 

 from Mr. B, E. Shaw of Califoj-nia. They were collected 

 partly in San Francisco and partly in places south of that 

 city. 



S. P. Fowler of Danvers mentioned that a nest of the 

 Swamp Sparrow, with eggs had been found in the woods 

 south of the pond during the ramble of the morning. Also 

 that he had found, at the westerly end of the pond one or 

 two good specimens of what the Indians call " Wassun 

 Stones." These have been described and largely illustrated 

 by Schoolcraft in his works on the Indians. They consist of 

 boulders, which, from containing veins and spots of softer and 

 harder texture, become abraded hi time by the air and water 

 the hard parts being left in very grotesque forms, leading the 

 savages to regard them as natural images or idols. They 

 therefore set them up in the forests and sometimes bestow 

 offerings of tobacco upon them. 



Mr. Mudge added that Hitchcock also alludes to the same 

 thing under another name. 



Rev. Mr. Johnson of Middleton, made a brief address, 

 expressive of his satisfaction in the proceedings of the 

 day, and his earnest hope in behalf of the people of the 

 town as well as himself, that the Institute might select Mid- 

 dleton for another such occasion at no very distant day. 



Dr. Phelps of Middleton coincided in the above view^s, 

 fully agreeing that the prosecution of such meetings could 

 not fail to prove eminently useful to all. 



On motion the thanks of the Institute were voted to 

 Messrs. Esty, Graves, Stiles, and other citizens of Middleton 

 for their kind attentions during the day, and to the Select- 

 men for the use of the Town Hall for the Meeting, after 

 which the Institute adjourned. 



