Morse.] 304 ' [October 15, 
General Meeting. October 15,1878: 
The President, Mr. T. T. Bouvé, in the chair. Eighty-two 
persons present. 
Prof. Edward S. Morse communicated some observations 
he had made on the antiquities of Japan. 
The shell heaps he had explored in various parts of the empire, 
extending from the west coast of Yeso to Higo were described. 
Among many interesting features of these heaps, the remarkable 
changes undergone by the species of Arca found in them — impor- 
tant from an evolutionary point of view — were especially noted. 
A description of typical dolmens near Osaka was also given. Prof. 
Morse finally gave an account of his explorations of a large num- 
ber of caves of supposed Corean origin, and of the pottery he had 
found in them. 
Mr. H. W. Haynes spoke of the importance of Prof. 
Morse’s communication on the dolmens in Japan, and sketched 
briefly their distribution in Asia, North Africa and Europe. 
Mr. F. W. Putnam remarked on the character of the shell- 
heaps of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America, 
comparing them with Japan, and alluded to the importance 
of a comparative study of the shell-heaps in various parts of 
the world. He then stated that it would be of interest to 
the members, in connection with the discovery of dolmens: 
in Japan, as described by Prof: Morse, to know that within 
twenty-four hours there had been received at the Peabody 
Museum a small collection of articles taken from rude dol- 
mens (or chambered barrows as they would be called in 
England), recently opened by Mr. E. Curtiss, who is now en- 
gaged, under his direction, in exploration for the Peabody 
Museum. 
These chambered mounds are situated in the eastern part of Clay 
Co., Missouri, and form a large group on both sides of the Missouri 
River. The chambers are, in the three opened by Mr. Curtiss, about 
eight feet square, and from four and a half to five feet high, each 
chamber having a passage-way several feet in length and two in 
