296 The American Naturalist. [March, 
authorized to make public the donor’s name. Attention was also called 
to the ite favorable notices of the enterprise in the local papers and 
elsewher 
he old milestone, formerly standing at the junction of Signs Road 
and Richmond Turnpike, was on exhibition, having been secured by 
the association since the last meeting. This was supposed to be the 
last one remaining on the old post route between New York and Phila- 
delphia, or at least upon that portion of it which crossed Staten Island. 
The stone is considerably the worse for wear, the upper part havirg 
been chipped off, possibly for momentos, thus destroying part of the 
inscription, which now reads: 
Miles 
to 
N. YorkE 
The figures denoting the distance were doubtless upon the part which 
was chipped away. This old and interesting relic of bygone times has 
been secured none too soon, and the association is to be congratulated 
upon having secured and placed it where it will be safe from further 
danger. In this connection Mr. Arthur Hollick stated that at some 
future meeting it was expected that a paper upon the subject would be 
presented, and then read the following brief abstract from Clute’s His- 
tory of Staten Island : 
‘ After Governer Tompkins had laid out and opened the Richmond 
Turnpike stages ran regularly over the whole length of the new road, 
in connection with steamboats from New York, and constituted part 
of the route of travel between New York and Philadelphia. At the 
western terminus of the Turnpike stages were carried over the sound 
by means of large scows, and this ferry received the name of the 
‘ New Blazing Star.’ ’ 
A mummified rat was shown, presented by Mr. Daniel Campbell. 
The animal had contrived to force its way into an angle between a 
beam and the cellar wall of a dwelling in New Brighton, and for some 
reason had been unable to extricate itself. The remains were thor- 
oughly dessicated and excellently preserved. 
Mr. E. M. Eadie presented a large piece of drift rock from Old 
Place, probably Oriskany sandstone, containing Spirifer arrectus. 
Biological Society of Washington.—October 19, 1889, the 
following communications were read: Dr. C. Hart Merriam, “ w 
scription of a new Spermophile from the Painted Desert, Anes) ” 
Mr. . Holm, “The Ancestors of Liriodendron tulipifera ;’’ Mr. 
Theo. Gin, ** On the Dactylopteroidea.”’ 


