The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-09-05
Meeting OF the Association OF 0eologists end
Naturalists.
THIRD DAY.

meeting OF the Association OF oeolog,sts cha
Nsturaiists.
THIRD !
This Society again met at their rooms Columbka Col
legs, yesterday. Dr. Jackson in the chair. Several
ladies were in attendance Mr. A. Brown. of Phlads
pha presented plan of teaching the Natural Sciences
which laid upon the table for the present 1t con-
tsins several very useful suggestions, recommending
classification as the bestplan. II proceeds =
Natural classification points out. with brevity and as
tnctness sll the notifications which nature mus n,ro
objects from all the rest Its early introduction ana per
feet understanding, therefore must pecessay prove
hai YOU are about to teach him mammology and that
the natural history Of all that large portion OF vere
bated animals who nourish their young with their milk
he perceive. before his minds eye. huge mass that
appears to him be unwiedy for the
him acouainted consecativeIy with each partcula
NAL and he will travel over the ground with weary steps
and with little hope Of arriving at be distant goal
Bur, II YOU inform this pupil at that this sppa
rently ncongruous OF creatures Is distributed thro
raj msrkstha with the characteristics OF these order, he
can be acquainted in less than one hour you will
remove great burden from his youthful mind Then, II
ded into genera and the genera into species yon will
disspate all the confusion and perplexy in which the
subject appeared to be involved and awaken in the mind
of The pupil desire to proceed in the required investi
satons Thus by the power of classification, that
10 say by orderly arrangement of the parts of the sub
ect YOU are DESTROYS teaching so as to constitute
one Ineligible whole early impressed, you demonstrate
ment Of knowledge, however extensive, may be made
plain and easy you assist him Gf may express my
se) to bear the burthen Of acquiring knowledge and
you encourage him to accompany you in the nvesga-
ton of sui. ect which. at first sight were appalling
DR.. JsFSRIss WrMAN opened the proceedings by read
North America In his opening remarks read tabular
Of all the fossil astrological specimens usually
Carnivora Rodentia, Edentata, Pachy dermata RUM.
nansa Ceaces, AYES Reptila, and Pisces The Trico-
Gu: virsina11s wa, found in AGs9mac Virginia con-
eral outline OF several classes Of the mammaia, and
other animals referred to the great masadon the Ohio
animal which was very similar to the elephant in his
tusks and areelogy the grinders excepted This ami
NAL had very probably trunk and his height probably
longer with the limbs somewhat thicker, and belly
less prominent In spite of all these resemblances the
distinct species from the elephant and that he
ished somewhat like the hppopotamus, and wild boar,
made for swimming or living in the water. but was
truly terrestrial animal HIS bones are more common in
North America tina. in any other part Of the world,
where they are perhaps, exclusively found They are
better preserved than other fossils and yet there is
proof lead to the belief Of its living existence The
seen at Peales Museum in Philadelphia, at the Museum
at Baltimore, at the British Museum, London, and in
other places particularly at the Massachusetts, Medical
College, Boston. The specimen to be found here have
been most admirably preserved The skeletons of that
both conrmatory Of the opinion expressed by Culver in
relation to this animal The height of DR.. Warrens
skeleton III feet and that OF the University 10 feet
inches It has been determined by Dr. Jackson that the
whole number Of ribs amounts to 90 DR.. w. next
glanced at the other description of fossil remanshe
Elephas prmognius, Eiephas Amercanus, LUIS America
hppopotamus, equus major, Cervus Americanus rhno.
ceros, Aieghaniensis owls mammaris bospolasii. and
the megaomyx. Attention first drawn the mega
lomyx by President Jefferson who published dsscrp-
ton of of its bones The referred to by him
was, one, small fragment Of a femor and two, os
Su Vanir and six seven others Mr. Jeferson's OPT
that this animal three times large as the
lion aud that this enimsl may have been as formidable
n fha IN Tho nh
The megalonyx was subsequently removed from the
class carnivera," and placed among the edrntata"
After few desultory remarks from members in rela-
ton 10 the general character Of fossils,
Mr.. MEIos read report on the subject of boulders-
He sadI have taken some pains 70 examine boulders
and have come to the concuson that they partially
rounded fragments OF great variety of that APP
pear lying over one another tons in weight, and
some the weight of oHe grain Some were found near
the surface, others in detretus These merely appear
spherical The smaller the sze the greater the smooth
Of their surface and the greater their
that geologsts should trace with great the noed
fgme nts Of rocks to the several quarres from whence
they were dsrupured There In but element in this
nvestivation; Qusd spsro tuo in snno, en- dtbut
puncfum.
earth was not yet well fxed and that the order of the
earths surface is yet well fixed After suggesting
the prePrety OF tracing the origin of bouders he con-
DR.. NJ. w. D,cxHnsor next delivered most n,eres-
ting discourse the geology of the vicinity of hatcher
tho remains OF the basilosaurus Zeugodon the
todon remains Of the Natchex bluffs and the curious
descript animal already mentioned in the paper commu-
ncated by him this session Of the report
separately DIR d. here exhibited large collection Of
specimens Of bones and fossils Amoug the collection
was the skull of curious pondescrpt animal stber
with what was pronounced to be a human bone with
various specimens of sand and minerals These had
been dug from singular Cliff beneath strata of is feet
of sand eighty feet from the surface, the top Of
which was large mound that ascersined to be
cesble to eight centuries back. This bu, he CONT
nued was on the Mississippi at Natchez. His remarks
excited good deal of interest
Professor SILLIMAN-I consider this the most mpor
tant feature of proceedings yet and to determine
affecting it did the long mooed and yet unsettled
question: as to the exact period in the age of the world
when manscame upon it,
A MEMsEss suggested the propriety of allowing DR..
Continue the subject Of his very interesting
inquiries quiz s ..
fed as those of the nondescrpt, Megthonicun-Mega
toiyx horse ass, bison, zebra apur elk DEER all of
which he had dug up from this bluff, together with vari-
Gus specimens Of minerals, cups, spoons peses, pig
mems nIortars, &c, SC.
il was here determined to make further investigation
into these interesting researches made by Dr. Dckerson
as 10 determine the which these mag nfcent
lies Of sicmoe age of the world had been deposited in
this bluh-ther Datur origin, and classification The
tire collection exhibited created much interest
After some desultory conversational remarks by Pro-
fessor sillman and Others in relation particular
time OF meeting of the Association, the committee re-
ported that the next meeting oi the Association will take
place at Boston, the Sd OF next September
Subscriptions were here handed in By members to de-
fray the incidental expenses of the Association for the
publication of reports, &c, sc
que.ug the pleasure of the company of the Association
for Monday evening. Accepted
Several celebrated French works were distributed,
Mollusques Vlvants ct Fosses; Description de-
toutes les Especes des Coquiles ct des Moilusques
SC SC par Alcide DOfbigny )" I" Palcontologie des
Coques," &c by the same author.
Dr. KocEas here briefly offered remarks az to
what classes Of animals existence the time OF
our first paIents reaopg passages from the Year Book
Of Fscts' Tor Sl5, showing human which
was determined had been found, and were coeval with
the oss remains OF animals found in South America,
therefore traceaDle
world
Mr.. ALGER, Of Boston. offered some remarks on the
zinc shines Of Sussex county, ~ j. and illustrated them
by a drawn section. Those Zinc mines had been known
lar nearly century though until recently their value
hs ot been made known He's aid that the beds we've OF
igueous origin, aud had been own up from beneath
The principal deposit was four to six feet thick, about
depth OF 100 feet The value of the ore within these
limits was not much less than two millions Of dollars at
the present market price of metallic zinc Quantities
had been to England and tho quality OF the zinc
was periecty pure containing arsanic sunhur or