"Brown.] 



414 



[May 18 



Nephrodium affine. 



elongatum. 



foenisecii. 



frondosum. 



molle. 



oreopteris. 



spinulosum. 

 Nothoclajna niarantas. 

 " vellea. 



Opbioglossum. 

 Polypodium drepanum. 



" vulgare. 

 Pteris aquilina. 



" arguta. 

 Scolopendrium vulgare. 

 Woodwardia radicans. 

 Trichomanes radicans. 



Order EQUISETACE^E. (Horse-tail family.) 

 Equisetum Telmateia. 



Order LYCOPODIACE^. (Club-moss family.) 

 Lycopodium complanatum. Lycopodium suberectum. 



" denticulatum. 



Mr. W. H. Niles made the following remarks upon the 

 system in the physical features of Massachusetts. 



To arrive at a clear conception of the first principles involved, 

 Massachusetts must be considered as a portion of the North Ameri- 

 can continent. An analysis of the continent discloses how certain 

 laws of its structure are the foundation of those features included in 

 this State. Such an analysis shows Massachusetts to be situated upon 

 the Eastern Slope of the Northern Section of the Appalachian Moun- 

 tain System. Her location upon the Eastern Slope gives the law 

 that the ranges increase in height from the eastern side of the State 

 to the western side. Her position in the Northern Section, south of 

 the parallel of culmination, which passes through the Adirondack, 

 Green and White Mountains, gives the law that the general surface 

 increases in height northward. Sections running entirely across the 

 State, in east and west, or in north and south directions, show that 

 these laws are of primary value, in accordance with which the fun- 

 damental features of the surface now appear. 



An analysis of the State itself, shows that it is traversed, in north, 

 erly directions, by four distinct physical regions ; two of which are 

 high lands, and two are low lands. 



The eastern portion of the State has usually been pronounced to 

 be much broken and very irregular. Mr. Niles said that he had 



