finally, to lay open the complete science of language. The investigation of language from its central dominion of thought outward, into the department of words as its vocal manifestations, will constitute the most important epoch in philology. Out of this change in the mode of conducting the study will result a systematized comparative philology, universal in its scope, by the aid of which the acquisition of tongues will be greatly facilitated.

"In contradistinction from the Phonetic theory," Mr. A. maintains, "that the principle above stated in relation to the meanings of the Chinese spoken words has governed the selection of the written characters chosen to represent those meanings, and thus will furnish a complete solution of the great problem of the Chinese written system; and also, that the Chinese is etymologically related to the European stock of languages, and that its relation to the Teutonic family of languages is one of special nearness."

Professor Gray communicated the characters of some new genera and species of Compositæ from Texas, as follows.

"VERNONIA LINDHEIMERI (Gray & Engelm., Pl. Lindh. ined.): foliis anguste linearibus confertis sessilibus uninerviis margine revolutis supra glabris punctatis subtus cauleque simplici sericeo-tomentosis; capitulis corymbosis breviter pedunculatis 30-40-floris; squamis involucri cano-tomentosi pappo rubiginoso brevioribus conformibus appressis oblongis obtusis exappendiculatis ; achæniis glabris 10-costatis glandulosis; pappo exteriori multisquamellato. In rupestribus prope New Braunfels, Texas, legit Lindheimer. - Perennis, bipedalis: folia bipollicaria capitula semiuncialia.

"AGERATUM (subgen.? MICRAGERATUM; involucrum subbiseriale fere Sclerolepidis, pappus coroniformi-multisquamellatus nunc 5-aristulatus) WRIGHTII (Torr. & Gray, Fl. ined.): diffuso-ramosissimum, hirsutulum; foliis oppositis alternisve lanceolato-oblongis e basi cordato sessili parce dentatis; capitulis subglobosis (50-60-floris); pedunculis filiformibus. - Prope flumen Colorado Texas legit C. Wright. Spithamæa, ramis plurimis e caule repente. Variat 1. pappi squamellis setiformibus basi subconnatis tubo corollæ plus duplo brevioribus; 2. squamellis 5 angulis achenii respondentibus in aristis tubum corollæ æquantibus productis.

"BRICKELLIA (BULBOSTYLIS) CYLINDRACEA (Gray & Engelm., Pl.

PROCEEDINGS OF ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 45

Mr. Hunt remarks upon these results, that

"The table bears out the general experience at St. Michaels, that the southwest wind brings most moisture, and that it is followed in the order of humidity by the cardinal points, west, north, and east. During the six years ending with December 31st, 1845, the mean of twenty-five days was north, 111 northeast, 18 east, 42 southeast, 17 south, 52 southwest, 74 northwest, and 8 perfectly calm, which numbers, multiplied by their respective mean annual amounts of vapor, and divided by 365, give a mean of five grains of vapor for the whole year. As might be expected, there is more vapor in summer than in winter. The thermometer rose to the extraordinary height this month (August, 1846), on three different days, of 90° F., and the vapor only amounted to 6.65, which is less than with the thermometer at 750."

Mr. S. P. Andrews stated that he had in course of preparation a memoir on the Chinese language, according to the request of the committee of the Academy upon that subject; and that he should also, at an early day, be prepared to present and explain before the Academy detailed charts of Chinese syllabic or sound words, with their ramified significations, in illustration of the theory he maintained. Mr. Andrews farther stated, in brief, that he believes that he shall be able to demonstrate conclusively that

"All the numerous meanings of the same vocal syllable or word in the Chinese language, being in some instances as many as several hundreds, and seeming at first view to have no connection with each other, are in fact legitimately and closely related in idea; in other words, that all of these numerous significations constitute a family of ideas, which family is denoted generically by the single Chinese word, while they are severally or specifically signified in other languages by a family of words, which then have corresponding etymological relationships; hence, that ideas are distributed into genera and species, and that a true and thorough insight into the structure of the very remarkable spoken language of China conducts directly to a knowledge of this distribution, and of the laws by which it is governed. From this it seems to result, that, out of the philosophical study of the Chinese will issue a light which cannot fail to illuminate the whole field of etymology, and,

plane nullo). In sylvis juxta New Braunfels, Texas, Lindheimer.— Spithamæa, gracilis, habitu fere Bellidis integrifolia sed minor receptaculo plano, necnon Brachycomes Xanthocomoidis? Torr. & Gr., sed diversa achaniis revera calvis, receptaculo plano, etc. (Keerlia skirrobasis, DC., est planta depauperata Leucopsidii Arkansani, DC.)

"TETRAGONOTHECA TEXANA (Gray & Engelm., l. c.): caulibus e radice perenni crasso plurimis gracilibus puberulis; foliis glabris oblongis sinuato-dentatis pinnatifidisve basi connatis imis marginatosubpetiolatis; tubo corollæ glanduloso nec piloso; ovario glabro; achæniis 4-5-angulatis striatis. In collibus juxta flumina Guadaloupe et Cibolo, Texas, Lindheimer.- Pedalis, capitulis dimidio minoribus quam in T. helianthoide.

“BARRATTIA, Gray & Engelm., Pl. Lindh. ined.

(Senecionidea-Helianthes-Euheliantheæ.)

"Capitulum multiflorum heterogamum; fl. radii ligulatis (circ. 10) neutris, disci tubulosis hermaphroditis. Involucrum imbricatum triseriale, squamis lanceolatis apice herbaceis disco brevioribus. Receptaculum convexum, paleis navicularibus persistentibus achænia amplectentibus. Corolla fere Helianthi. Styli rami elongato-subulati, hispidi. Achænia compresso-plana, emarginato-obcordata, glabra, immarginata, calva. Herba valida perenni, strigosa, corymboso-ramosa; foliis omnibus oppositis deltoideo-ovatis vel subhastatis inciso-dentatis triplinerviis petiolatis, petiolis basi appendicibus foliaceis interpositis connatis; pedunculis solitaris elongatis monocephalis. Flores radii et disci flavi. "B. CALVA. In rupestribus prope originem flum. Guadaloupe, Texas, Lindheimer. — Genus a Leighia diversa pappo plane nullo, ab Encelia acheniis non comosis, a Wulfia acheniis compresso-planis, etc., diximus in honorem Josephi Barratti, M. D., botanici inclyti, Salicum præcipue indagatoris.

"It may be proper to append here the characters of another unpublished Helianthoid genus, which is even more closely allied to Encelia (although well distinguished by its pappus), and is also analogous to Agarista.

"GEREA, Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Amer. ined.

"Capitulum multiflorum heterogamum; fl. radii (circ. 15) ligulatis, neutris, disci tubulosis hermaphroditis. Involucrum laxe imbricatum

Receptaculum

2-3 seriale, squamis lineari-lanceolatis herbaceis. planum, paleis hyalinis oblongis achania semi-amplectentibus deciduis onustum. Ligulæ cuneiformes, basi pilosa: corolla disci fauce dilatato-cylindrica e tubo brevi villoso, 5-dentata. Styli rami in appendicem lineari-filiformem hispidam longe producti. Achænia oblongocuneiformia, plano-compressa, marginata, pilis argenteis prælongis (ad margines præsertim) villosissima. Pappus bisquamellatus, squamellis ex marginibus achænii ortis lineari-aristiformibus basi villosissimis corallam adæquantibus. Herba annua ? hirsuto-cana; caulibus basi foliatis (foliis obovatis rhombeisve alternis) superne nudis subpaniculatis pedunculos paucos 1-2-cephalos gerentibus. Involucrum cano-villosum. Flores radii discique flavi.

"G. CANESCENS.

California, Fremont, Coulter. Nomen e yegaós ob capitulum canum necnon comam achænii argenteam sumptum, ut contrarium generi analogo Agaristæ, DC. (quæ mythologice nympha erat venustissima).

“AGASSIZIA, Gray & Engelm., Pl. Lindh. ined. (non Chavan.,

66

nec Spach.)

Capitulum globosum, multiflorum, radiatum; ligulis fœminiis nunc difformibus. Involucrum disco brevius circa biseriale; squamis exterioribus lineari-oblongis, appendicula spathulata vel obtusa foliacea patente, intimis lineari-acuminatis. Receptaculum globosum alveolatum, alveolis valde dentatis fimbrilliferis. Ligulæ cuneatæ, palmato-3-4-fidæ, sæpe irregulares, tubuloso-difformes, vestigia staminum gerentes. Corolla disci Gaillardiæ, dentibus triangulari-lanceolatis. Styli rami ligularum lineares, subulato-apiculati; fl. disci ad basin appendicis brevissimæ nude clavato-obtusæ penicellati! Achænia turbinata, sericeo-villosissima. Pappus radii et disci conformis, e paleis 9 hyalinis ovatis uninerviis constans, nervo in aristam capillarem corollam adæquantem longe producto. Herba biennis, acaulis; radice fusiformi; foliis varie 1-2-pinnatifidis, nunc sinuatis lyratisve; scapo 1-2pedali, toto nudo, monocephalo. Capitulum Gaillardiæ, speciosum. Flores suaveolentes, disci flavi et purpurei, radii rubescentes.

"A. SUAVIS. In campis Texanis prope Bexar et New Braunfels, Lindheimer. - Genus eximium Gaillardiæ proximum, at ligulis fœminiis, receptaculo globoso vere alveolato, habitu styloque proprio diversum, diximus in honorem celeberrimi amicissimique Agassiz. —

Agassizia, Chavan., est Galvesia, Domb. Agassizia, Spach., est Sphærostigma, Ser., et Holostigma, Spach., subgenus merum (Enotheræ."

Two hundred and ninetieth Meeting.

January 27, 1847. QUARTERLY MEETING.

The PRESIDENT in the chair.

Mr. Bond communicated the following

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PLANET NEPTUNE, 1846-47.

Cambridge Observatory. Long. 4. 44m. 32.

"From Oct. 21st to Jan. 12th the star of comparison was 7648 B. A. C.; its mean place for Jan. 1st, 1846, is A. R. 21h 50m. 05.94, Dec. -13° 23′ 55′′.5, being a mean of six recent determinations by Professor Challis of Cambridge, England. On Jan. 19th and 25th the planet was compared with a star of the ninth magnitude, the mean place of which, for Jan. 1st, 1846, taken from Bessel's Zone observations, is A. R. 22h. 02. 01.25. Dec. -13° 05′ 22′′.5.

"The following Circular Elements have been computed by Mr. G. P. Bond, assistant at this Observatory.