197 



A communication from Dr. H. C. Wood, jr., of Philadelphia, On the 

 Phalangece of North America, was also read by title and referred to the 

 Publication Committee. 



Dr. A. S. Packard, jr., read an extract from a letter from Mr. E. T. 

 Cox, of New Harmony, Ind., relative to the habits of the "Buffalo 

 Gnat," a species of 8imuUum, two or three times the size of the 

 "Black Ply.' (Dr. Packard's paper will be published in full in the 

 next Volume.) 



Mr. F. W. Putnam exhibited a series of Indian Implements, made of 

 stone, which had been found in various parts of Essex county ; quite 

 a number of them having been recently presented. He called atten- 

 tion to the different kinds of stone " axes," "tomahawks," "gouges," 

 " arrow-heads," and other implements to which he could give no accu- 

 rate name. Some of them he called " sinkers," from the fact that they 

 seemed well adapted for sinking a fish net or line, and also from many 

 of them having been found on the shore at Swampscott and other 

 places. These stones are generally pear-shaped, but one of them, 

 found in Essex and presented by John Choate, Esq., of Essex, was of 

 a very singular form, more nearly resembling a " humming top " in its 

 shape than anything else with which he could compare it. Other 

 stones have often been found, the use of which has not yet been ascer- 

 tained. Some of these are of a flattened oval form, and others are 

 nearly round, but all have a groove cut round them. He also called 

 attention to the flat smooth stones with two holes bored through them, 

 and which he believed might have been used in twisting strips of skin 

 or bark together to form a rope. Another form to which he alluded, 

 was that of stones of perfect finish and of various shapes, but all pro- 

 vided with a hole through their thickest portion, in blowing into 

 which (as one does into a key) a loud call or whistle could be sounded. 



Among' the "Arrow or Lance-heads" exhibited, was one of very 

 fine workmanship, 4.2 inches long, and 0.8 of an inch in width at 

 its base, which was unlike any he had before seen from this part of 

 the country. This specimen was quite recently found on the farm of 

 Winthrop L. Dodge, Esq., at Hamilton, and presented by Mr. Dodge 

 to the Institute. 



A ve:^y fine and quite large Stone Axe was shown, which was found 

 at Danvers by John Bates, Esq., and by him presented to the Society. 



Among the implements recently received were the following : 



A fine Stone Gouge, from Topsfleld, presented by Jacob Kinsman, Esq. 



A lai'ge Stone Axe, eight inches in length, by 4.5 inches in width; 

 a smaller Axe five inches in length, by 4.5 inches in width, from 

 Essex, presented by Robert Burnham, Esq. 



The singular "Humming-top" shaped implement, from Essex, pre- 

 sented by John Choate, Esq. 



