New-York daily tribune., 1855-08-20
- an appeal to the Smithsonian iOS'''O'0n
b h'', s.;o,v 80 he received fsvorably.

.rces b, the Smithsonian lustitut'on
sI,s se,,ta;nly he received fsvorso'y'
'so 80 80, ,bsn cave a short lecture on Poyp',
wing one Of the Object Gus 70 MS lecture o. yes
-, on q systsm Of Zoology. In that syS'em1s'
-. sys,esnisstios he stated that orders depea'eo
80 an reIaiive rank in the scale OF being.
~ tIeoa'oaf ,hp iscture was 10 determine whether
Ipe ~, Are Of Poisp was yet sufficient TO assign
'k fhe contest for precedence lay oe'"een
'. pIypi which had individual existence ancon-
80 with any other Individual ana sn lnoehnl'e
rsenbsr OF simple teotaeua ana toosc cO,nPoauu
- xhch had always eight ffnged tentacua. Toe
Je5rsnt IN favor OF the irrt was their individuarty
~ e.r he lset was their definite number OF more
III, crganized tntacole But bo found IN some
"a compound PolspI, 10 Macrepora tor instance,
es - ,here was larger individual at the termi-
- M fhis compound g. ilal which gave Il sort
yss@;yiduslity ss whole. There were also CON-
90 animals that hsd the power Of ocomoron.
kf Aeassiz recognized the individuality OF these
.smupiiies. AZ in assigning them the highest rank
snOss Polypi saic that It was curious that whne we
80 here individuals physically combined, We should
~ Al the other end of the animal kingdom perfect
J,id xies which were led by their internal eodOw-
,.s 10 combine ia societies in order to the
i;gbest ends Of the individual.
p,osideni HITcHcOcK exhi )ited the jaw Of fossil
ssrk which be had Just received from the coal fields
illinois. The specimen was about a foot long re-
,uvtd like saber, and on its edge set 10 sock
"a even teeth with serrated edges. President Hitch
ek said that II occurred about three inches above
I'D OF coal tire four feet In thickness, making II
,r,sp that il was IN the coal measures. He called 90
h fiend Prof. Agassiz to tell them what the animal
rss.
Prof AoAssrz said that this was one OF the most
aerestng tpecimeIs be had ever seen. The idea of
shark was at once suggested, and yet it could not
4 sbsrk Sor this reason. that although the shark
ia teeth in seven rows yet they were not set in a
okei and they behind each other, not by their
dees but by then fiat suriaces- Moreover, no shark
d teeth in bis upper jaw, if we understood by that
,,,m Whist was understood la higher ANIMALS. The
1.s OF The upper Jaw IN CHARTS reduced 70 car-
b at the sides OF the mouth, and the palaine bones
,koh IN higher animals formed the roof Of the mouth
xere In sharks set with teeth. Sharks upper teeth
yere ,Lertfore palatine teeth and not jaw teeth.
In, IN some shaIks az in skates we hao the beak uni
5auly pointed In the saw fish the beak proJectet
Eh double Of teeth at the sides Ia sockets, and
Rs the only type IN when snyt ing siunisr 10
~Nea snbieeted 10 the microscope was found 10 DO
rsde IN Of the came bexGgOnal Tissue, TO have the
ome tesseased structure as the cartieSe OF sharks
d skates aud the saw of the saw fish. He concluded
aerefore that this was prolecuon IRON one sae OF
DE sharks bead, and its pout met a corresponding
rrctetion from the other side both forming semi
circe 10 front Of his head.
/ The figure which Prof. Agassiz drew would have
pad6 very reeptCthDle cO"-cdtcheI iVI eihh-s|ou
ttsrs il indeed sea cows had then been in existence
Prof w. b. RoDGERs then gave lecture on the
rsfgraphc6l position OF the coabearing rocks below
he uppey red strata of csrbonierous limestone OF the
Mode and Northern Statss tie endeayOred TO show
h aese rocks were regular in their occurrence IN
ae Appalachian chain to fix the ages of the groups
NJ rocks shich lie above and beneath them
Messrs. LEE and LEsLIE detailed researches which
bey had made in reference TO this subject There
k.s desne for debate.
Mr.. A. BIeELow, however, whose paper on Drift
Od next stated that he must leave the city in the
morning aud proceeded to describe some pine barrens
north eat of Mobile Bay, whither be said, he had
h On proyidentiay sent lie said hat his theory was
thai the Diff wa deposited in osriod ofupheaval bt
tween the post ter iary and " deltoid epochs. Mr.
lBeeov Toured the Cuff Stream up the Valley OF ths
Nsuaippi spd through the lakes; that was the only
Isrkng feature ne had brought out amie mass OF
lystitudes, when
Prof iKsLIE said that the time of the Association
va precious, and he presumed that every member OF
Ias Association was perfectly familiar with the ele
Issntary facts which were being detailed He would
jnk IL this was not waste Oftheir time.
Mr. BIGELow thought that these facts might not be
ssementary in their application, and retired, where
lryOD he Section adj ,urned.
EVENING SESSION.
i Al "A O'Clock a large audience assembled iu DR..
jElBs Unitarsnl Church to listen TO the address OF
be retiring President, Prof JAS. ID. DANA.
| The f,lowipr gentlemen have Inscribed their names
s The register to-qay;
| PrfE Hitchcock Amherst. W. r Rogers, Phils
| Fof Joln W. aoyt, ~ Y John l. LeCome, phlis.
If oh' Hsske; NY Pot r. R n dS's.Ss HSG,ed NJ '''
Un O. Psck, Fshki N. Y. Prof \. X DAVIS, Manon,A-