28 



THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



this then wild and untrammelled 

 country. 



The bones constitute parts of two 

 skeletons of Indians. Beside those 

 in my possession there were found in 

 this same place a few small glass beads 

 and among the bones a shoulder blade 

 which had been pierced with and 

 still contained a " bird point" of flint, 

 about one and a quarter inches long 

 by half-inch wide. The arrow-head 

 had apparently entered while the per- 

 son was bending over, entering from 

 behind and below, piercing clear 

 through, and half of its length remain- 

 ing visible beyond the puncture while 

 the base was imbedded in the bone, 

 which subsequently closed around and 

 nearly hid the stem. These and the 

 beads I was unable to obtain. 



These are the probable facts record- 

 ed by the bones, but as one glances on 

 these weird, gray, mouldering relics 

 of a once grand and powerful, now 

 nearly exterminated, and soon to be 

 forgotten race, what a flood of fancy 

 sweeps before his minds eye — the ear- 

 ly history of our country. We see the 

 forms of the red men once more glide 

 among the trees of the mighty forest, 

 and their wigwams once more stand 

 on the bank of the stream. 



Nature is again in her most perfect 

 state and we linger with a glance of 

 pleasure on the wild scene. 



Then comes the white man's rifle, 

 axe and "fire — wild confusion — then 

 emerges before our gaze once more, 

 the civilization of our present day, 

 in all its grandeur. 



When the present generation shall 

 go crumbling back to mother earth 

 shall there be left to their successors 

 something more than gray, moulder- 

 ing bones, to tell of how they lived, 

 hoped and died ? 



B. S. Bowdish, Phelps, N. Y. 

 ♦♦♦ — 



A queer looking insect was taken 



from a street hydrant in Nashville, 



Tennessee. It was an inch in length, 



and of a bright yellow color. Along 



its back were two rows of a substance 



resembling delicate fringe, which is 



kept constantly in wave-like motion. 



The eyes were black and remarkably 



keen in expression. What appeared 



to be three tails were connected with 



a hardly perceptible membrane, and 



when spread out resembled a fan in 



shape. This seemed to furnish the 



motive power in swimming, though in 



making its way through the water it 



swam more like a snake than a fish. 



It was exhibited to several scientific 



gentlemen, but none of them had ever 



seen anything like it before. 

 ♦-♦-♦ 



We want the addresses of all the 

 Naturalists that we can possibly ob- 

 tain as we contemplate publishing an 

 Al Directory early in '94. Won't 

 you kindly assist us by sending us as 

 many names as you can ? Let us hear 

 from you ! 



See our December number. Wait! 



If you have a friend who you wish 

 to have a copy of this magazine, send 

 name to us on a postal and we'll do 

 the rest. 



