masses containing this mineral along with feldspar, as well as the infusion of epidote into the adjoining sandstones, which are presented in different stages of igneous alteration, form a feature of striking analogy between the Lake Superior district, and the Blue Ridge of Virginia. The analogy between the rocky masses, is augmented by the fact, that the epidotic rocks of the Blue Ridge, like those of the northern shore of the lake, abound in some localities in thin fibres and threads, and grains of metallic copper. Professor R. farther remarked upon the analogous geological position of the igneous and metamorphic rocks in the two cases, by stating, that the oldest of the Appallachian rocks, which lie on the west flank of the Blue Ridge, are also found contiguous to the igneous rocks on the northern shore of Lake Superior.

PETER A. BROWNE, Esq., followed with a communication on the subject of Meteorites, of which the following abstract will make known the most important points :—

Mr. BROWNE observed that there were fourteen theories of the origin and formation of these meteors; seven of these suppose that the materials of which they are composed, belong to either this earth or its atmosphere; in six of these seven, they are said to be generated in the air, and in the seventh, to be thrown therein from the earth. Mr. B. here described the first six theories, and then proceeded as follows: If solid meteors are generated in our atmosphere, ought not the materials of which they are composed to be found therein? The ærolites contain always iron, nickel, and silex; often magnesia, lime, sulphur and manganese; and rarely a trace of chrome, cobalt, tin, copper, potash, or soda; but neither of these forms a component part of our atmosphere, nor has any one been detected therein, except in these meteors. Mr. B. here enumerated the constituents of the air, and after showing the discrepancy between them, and the materials of solid meteors, he went on to show that they could not exist floating in the air. Native iron (says Mr. B.) weighs more than five times as much as water, and the air is 282 times lighter than water, -how then can native iron be suspended in the atmosphere? Professor Soldani says, that the materials have risen from our earth, but how is it possible that a substance could have risen through a medium more than 4000 lighter than itself? To get rid of this difficulty, it is supposed that the materials are first transformed to a gas; but it requires 800° of F. to raise iron to even a red heat, and 150° of

Wedgewood's pyrometer, to make a white heat, then whence comes the heat necessary to reduce it to gas? The heat of a tropical sun imparts to iron only 200° of F. But suppose these materials, by some unknown process, to be transformed into a gas and raised in the air, would they not lose all their caloric long before they arrived at the height at which these meteors have been seen. At the height of only 1000 feet this gas would have passed of the atmosphere, at 10,600 feet it would have passed of the atmosphere, and at 28 miles, the height at which the Ohio meteor was seen, it would have passed 25th of the atmosphere!

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If these meteors are formed of materials derived from our earth, how comes it that they always contain native iron and native nickel, not found together therein.

These meteors are sometimes of great size, the one seen in Ohio was estimated at of a mile; now, if this meteor was formed in the air from materials derived from this earth, how came it to be suspended in the air until it attained this immense size, rather than have fallen to the earth in small particles like rain, hail, and snow?

If solid meteors are formed in our atmosphere, there is no rational way of accounting for their inertia force, nor for their horizontal direction as regards this planet. Nor can their great velocity be ascribed to any known or reasonable cause. And lastly, if they had emanated from this earth, they ought, according to the law of compensations, to have returned to the earth again, and not to have been seen travelling through space in every direction.

Mr. B. next proceeded to show that these meteors could not have proceeded from the moon.

In regard to the opinion of Mr. Ferguson, that solid meteors are portions of a disrupted planet, Mr. Browne remarked, that there was an objection, which was conclusive, viz. that no particles of the planet which is supposed to have exploded, could have come in sight of this earth, except those that had originally that course and direction; and then as the projective forces were equal, and they had to travel over equal spaces, they ought to have arrived in sight of this earth in nearly the same time; whereas, the first of these meteors noticed was in the 78th Olympiad, and if the disruption of the planet had then taken place, how are we to account for the retention of other fragments until the present year.

Mr. Browne, in conclusion, suggested that these meteors might possibly emanate from the SUN; and if that were the case, it was

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probable that the planets of our system are composed of the same minerological materials.

The next communication was presented by Prof. JOSEPH HENRY, on the

ORGANIZATION OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

Professor HENRY presented to the Association an account of the organization and progress of the Smithsonian Institution. He stated, in the commencement of his remarks, that he hoped the communication he was about to make, would not be considered irrelevant to the objects of the Association, since the plan which had been adopted for the organization of the Institution contemplated co-operation with the Historical, Literary, and Scientific Societies of our country.

JAMES SMITHSON, of England, left his property, upwards of $500,000, in trust to the United States of America, in his own words, "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men."

The trust, it is well known, was accepted by our Governmentthe money was paid to an agent appointed to receive it, and by him deposited in the United States Treasury, in British gold. The Government therefore became responsible for the faithful discharge of the obligation incurred, viz. that of carrying out the intentions of the donor. After a delay of eight years, an act of Congress was passed August 10, 1846, constituting the President, and the other principal Executive officers of the General Government, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Mayor of Washington, and such other persons as they might elect honorary members, an establishment under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men. The members and honorary members of this establishment are to hold stated and special meetings for the supervision of the affairs of the Institution, and for the advice and instruction of a Board of Regents, to whom the financial and other affairs are entrusted.

The Board of Regents consists of three members, ex officio, to the establishment, namely, the Vice President of the United States, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Mayor of Washington, together with twelve other members, three of whom are appointed by the Senate from its own body, three by the House of Representatives

from its members, and six citizens at large, appointed by a joint resolution of both Houses. To this Board is given the power of electing a Secretary and other officers, for conducting the active operations of the Institution.

Much diversity of opinion existed as to the plan of organization.

The act of Congress establishing the Institution, directed, as a part of the plan, the formation-of a library, a museum, and a gallery of arts, together with provisions for physical research and popular lectures, leaving to the Regents the power of adopting such other parts of the organization as they might deem best suited for the promotion of the purposes of the testator.

After much deliberation, the Regents resolved to divide the annual income, thirty thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars, into two equal parts: one part to be devoted to the increase and diffusion of knowledge by means of original research and publications; the other half of the income to be applied, in accordance with the requirements of the act of Congress, to the gradual formation of a library, a museum, and a gallery of art.

They were led to this distribution and the adoption of the annexed programme by the following considerations, principally deduced from the will of Smithson:

1. The bequest is for the benefit of mankind. The Government of the United States is merely a trustee to carry out the design of the testator.

2. The Institution is not a national establishment, as is frequently supposed, but the establishment of an individual, and is to bear and perpetuate his name.

3. The objects of the Institution are-first, to increase, and second, to diffuse knowledge among men.

4. These two objects should not be confounded with one another. The first is to increase the existing stock of knowledge by the addition of new truths; and the second to disseminate knowledge thus increased among men.

5. The will makes no restriction in favour of any particular kind of knowledge; hence all branches are entitled to a share of attention. 6. Knowledge can be increased by different methods of facilitating and promoting the discovery of new truths, and can be most efficiently diffused among men by means of the press.

7. To effect the greatest amount of good, the organization should be such as to enable the Institution to produce results in the way of

increasing and diffusing knowledge which cannot be produced by the existing institutions in our country.

8. The organization should also be such as can be adopted provisionally, can be easily reduced to practice, receive modifications, or be abandoned, in whole or in part, without a sacrifice of the funds.

9. In order to make up for the loss of time occasioned by the delay of eight years in establishing the Institution, a considerable portion of the interest which has accrued should be added to the principal.

10. In proportion to the wide field of knowledge to be cultivated, the funds are small. Economy should therefore be consulted in the construction of the building; and not only the first cost of the edifice should be considered, but also the continual expense of keeping it in repair, and of the support of the establishment necessarily connected with it. There should also be but few individuals permanently supported by the Institution.

11. The plan and dimensions of the building should be determined by the plan of the organization, and not the converse.

12. It should be recollected that mankind in general are to be benefited by the bequest, and that, therefore, all unnecessary expenditure on local objects would be a perversion of the trust.

13. Besides the foregoing considerations, deduced immediately from the will of Smithson, regard must be had to certain requirements of the act of Congress establishing the Institution: namely, a library, a museum, and a gallery of art, with a building on a liberal

scale to contain them.

The following are the details of the two parts of the general plan of organization provisionally adopted at the meeting of the Regents, December 8th, 1847, and is now in the process of being carried into execution:

DETAILS OF THE FIRST PART OF THE PLAN.

I. To increase Knowledge, it is proposed to stimulate research by offering rewards, consisting of money, medals, etc., for original memoirs on all subjects of investigation.

1. The memoirs thus obtained to be published in a series of volumes, in a quarto form, and entitled Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge.

2. No memoir, on subjects of physical science, to be accepted for publication, which does not furnish a positive addition to human knowledge, resting on original research; and all unverified speculations to be rejected.