90 FOREST RIVER SHELLHEAP ; 



every kiiid of the mass were carefully saved, ancl are offered 

 for the acceptaiice of the Society to be deposited in its 

 cabinets. 



"The greatest amount ofspecimens were o(Mya arenaria 

 or common clam. These were interspersed sparingly with 

 Modiola papuana, Mytilus eduUs, Mactra solidissi7na, 

 JVassa obsoleia, Natica heros, iV". triseriata and occasionaliy 

 iV. dupUcata, Fusus einer eus, Sanguinolaria fusca^ Cre- 

 j^idula fornicata^ Pecten concentricus , Ostrea sp., upon the 

 outside of which were minute and almost microscopic 

 species of Spirula, 



"You will take notice that the occurrence of the Oyster 

 was quite rare. How this happens when its almost con- 

 stant companion, Pecten concentricus was comparatively 

 in abundance, I cannot explain. The oyster seems to 

 have been an inhabitant of our northern coasts, but in 

 sparse quantities. Pecten conceiitricus is found in Com- 

 pany with the oyster on the southern shores as I have 

 been informed, and indeed the exuvise of our oyster shops 

 are sufiicient proofs of the fact, among which it is often 

 Seen. Natiea dwplicala also is peculiarly of southern 

 habit, and belongs to a group of our maritime shells, whose 

 üving habitat is not considered as belonging to the northern 

 shores of Cape Cod. 



"But the most interesting discovery reraains. This was 

 the occurrence of fragments of bones, near the bottom of 

 the Penetration which we effected. They were in a very 

 soft and friable condition, but became more hard and 

 ürm when exposed to the air. I have succeeded by the 

 kind assistance of myfriend, Dr. Jeffries Wyman of the 

 Boston Natural History Society, in determining these to 

 belong to some large species of deer, and the animal as 

 of a young age. The existence of the fourth or fifth 

 molar of the left lowcr jaw most indubitably points out 



