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PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

AMERICAN ACADEMY

OF

ARTS AND SCIENCES.

VOL. II.

FROM MAY, 1848, TO MAY, 1852.

SELECTED FROM THE RECORDS.

BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE:
METCALF AND COMPANY.

1852.

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The VICE-PRESIDENT, Mr. Everett, in the chair.

The Reports of the Treasurer, and of the Auditing Committee, were read by Mr. Peirce, in the absence of the Treasurer.

Professor Gray, from the Committee of Publication, stated that there were various papers ready for publication, and that the materials at the disposal of the Committee were likely to be sufficient to furnish a volume of the Memoirs annually.

He also communicated a paper from Dr. John L. Le Conte, of New York, giving an account of a new fossil pachyderm, the Platygonus compressus, found at Galena, Iowa.

Mr. Bond communicated the following

"OBSERVATIONS ON MAUVAIS'S COMET OF JULY 4TH, 1847, Made at the Cambridge Observatory.

Cambridge

(Continued from Vol. I., p. 169, of the Proceedings.)

Mean Solar Time.

Comet's

A. R.

Dec. N.

Star of Comparison.
A. R.
Dec. N.

No. of

Comp.

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8.

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11 B. Z. 456.

12

2

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12 B. Z. 280.

1848. d. h. m. 8. h. m. S Feb. 29 12 43 55 10 57 23.118 42 48 10 56 16.84 18 43 11.5 March 1 15 22 00 10 54 37.8 18 36 57 10 56 16.84 18 43 11.5 66 1 16 37 00 10 54 30.2 18 36 46 10 58 40.53 18 33 34.2 24 9 55 30 10 07 23.0 16 03 44 10 07 46.79 16 09 03.0 April 21 9 09 00 9 37 41.8 12 29 07 9 38 11.70 12 20 29.4 5 18 Leonis. "The positions are referred to the mean equinox of Jan. 1st, 1848. "This comet is remarkable for the length of time during which it

VOL. II.

1

was visible, it having been discovered in July, 1847. When last seen, its distance from the earth was three hundred millions of miles, and from the sun three hundred and fifty millions; yet it was still bright enough to admit of pretty good determinations.

"A scintillation or twinkling of its central light was frequently remarked, an indication, perhaps, of a solid nucleus."

Professor Agassiz related some observations he had made upon the form of the extremities in the embryonic state of birds. Dr. C. T. Jackson stated that he had obtained a considerable quantity of foliated tellurium from specimens of gold ore found near Frederick, Virginia.

Mr. Cole read a letter from Mr. Spencer of Canistota, New York, detailing the history of his attempts at constructing achromatic microscopes, and of the improvements he had effected: - referred to the Rumford Committee.

Miss Maria Mitchell of Nantucket, the discoverer of the comet which bears her name (Vide Proceedings, Vol. I. p. 183), was chosen an Honorary Member of the Academy.

Dr. Joseph Leidy of Philadelphia was elected a Corresponding Member.

At the annual election, the following officers were duly elected for the ensuing year:

JACOB BIGELOW, M. D., . . President.

EDWARD EVERETT, LL. D., Vice-President.

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J. INGERSOLL BOWDITCH,.

JOHN BACON, JR., M. D.,

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Corresponding Secretary.
Recording Secretary.

Treasurer.

Librarian and Cabinet-Keeper.

The Standing Committees were filled as follows:

Rumford Committee.

EBEN N. HORSFORD, BENJAMIN PEIRCE,

JOHN WARE,

JOSEPH LOVERING,

FRANCIS C. LOWELL.

Committee of Publication.

ASA GRAY, LOUIS AGASSIZ, W. C. BOND.

Committee on the Library.

A. A. GOULD, D. H. STORER, BENJAMIN PEIRCE.

Three hundred and ninth meeting.

August 10, 1848. QUARTERLY MEETING.

The VICE-PRESIDENT in the chair.

Dr. Gould, from the Library Committee, presented a report on the condition and pressing wants of the Library; and the annual appropriation for its care and increase was voted.

Dr. Gray, from the Committee of Publication, submitted a statement of bills due, and an estimate of the expenses liable to be incurred during the year in carrying on the printing of the Memoirs and the Proceedings of the Academy; and the annual appropriation was voted for the purpose.

The Corresponding Secretary submitted a memoir on the development of the ova and on the diseases of Limnæa, by Dr. Henry I. Bowditch.

Mr. Epes Sargent Dixwell, Henry I. Bowditch, M. D., and Mr. Edward C. Cabot, were elected Fellows of the Academy. John L. Le Conte, M. D., of New York, and Professor James Hall, of Albany, were elected Corresponding Members.

Three hundred and tenth meeting.

October 3, 1848.-MONTHLY Meeting.

The PRESIDENT in the chair.

The Corresponding Secretary read letters from Messrs. E. S. Dixwell, Henry I. Bowditch, and Edward C. Cabot, accepting the fellowship of the Academy. Also a letter from the Hon. Secretary of the Navy, requesting suggestions from the Academy in respect to the projected astronomical expedition of Lieutenant Gillis to some southern point in South America. Referred to Professor Peirce and Mr. Bond.

Mr. Everett stated that he had received information, through the Danish Chargé d'Affaires at Washington, that the conditions of the award of the King of Denmark's medal for the discovery of telescopic comets would probably be so far waived in favor of Miss Mitchell, as to the time and mode of announcing the discovery, that she would receive the medal.

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