Anodonta Footiana. Testâ ovatâ, inflatâ, inæquilaterali; valvulis subtenuis; natibus subprominentibus, ad apices undulatis; epidermide luteo-fuseâ; margaritâ cœruleo-albâ et iridescente. Hab. Vicinity of Fort Winnebago.-Dr. Foot. Melania catenaria. Testâ elevato-conoidea, granulatâ, lineatâ ; apice plicatâ ; suturis parvis; apertura ovata. Hab. Chattahoochee River, Columbus, Ga.— Dr. Boykin.

Melania Boykiniana. Testâ elevatâ; subturritâ, granulatâ, ad carinam tuberculata; suturis impressis; aperturâ elongato-ovatâ. Hab. Chattahoochee River, Columbus, Ga.-Dr. Boykin.

Carocolla Cumberlandiana. Testâ lenticulatâ, carinatâ, striatâ, albidâ, fusconotatâ, latè umbilicatâ, ad carinam supernè et infernè impressâ; anfractibus quinis; aperturâ angulatâ, intus sulcatâ; labro acuto. Hab. Cumberland Mts., near Jasper, Tenn.-Dr. Currey.

Cyclostoma Cincinnatiensis. Testâ elevato-conicâ, lævi, nitida, diaphanâ, umbilicatâ ; anfractibus senis; apice obtuso; labro margine reflexo. Hab. Vicinity of Cincinnati.-T. G. Lea.

Mr. Du Ponceau presented a MS. communication from Mr. Nicollet, entitled "Notions sur la Langue des Sioux," which was referred to the Historical and Literary Committee.

Mr. Lea read a communication from Mr. Nulty, in relation to some points connected with his "Magic Cyclovolute," which was referred to a Committee.

Dr. Patterson, from the Committee on Astronomical Observations, to whom was referred the consideration of the best application of the sum of money in possession of the Society, and collected for the erection of an Astronomical Observatory, reported progress, and exhibited certain designs for an observatory.

Mr. T. Biddle, from the Committee to whom the money had been intrusted, reported the amount in their hands.

The following gentlemen were elected members of the Society:

CHARLES BONNYCASTLE, Professor of Mathematics, &c., in the University of Virginia.

M. FRANÇOIS PIERRE GUILLAUME GUIZOT, of Nismes, in France.

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

VOL. I. NOVEMBER & DECEMBER, 1840. No. 14.

Stated Meeting, November 6.

Present, twenty-four members.

Mr. DU PONCEAU, President, in the Chair.

Dr. Dunglison, Reporter, stated that No. 13 of the Proceedings of the Society was ready for distribution, and placed a copy thereof on the table.

The Committee, consisting of Mr. Walker, Dr. Patterson, and Prof. Bache, to whom was referred a paper, entitled “Observations upon the Meteors of August, by C. G. Forshey, &c. &c.," reported in favour of publication in the Society's Transactions, which was ordered accordingly.

The principal points discussed in this paper are noticed in an oral communication made by Mr. Walker on the 21st of August. (See Proceedings, No. 13, p. 261.)

The Committee, consisting of Dr. Patterson, Prof. Bache, and Mr. Walker, to whom was referred a communication from Mr. Nulty to Mr. Lea, on a new property which he had found in his Magic Cyclovolute, described in the seventh article of the fifth volume of the Society's Transactions, reported that they had learned from the author, that his communication was not intended for the Transactions, and that he did not desire it to take that destination; they therefore requested to be discharged, which was ordered accordingly.

The new property is as follows: "The eight volutes which originate at the extremities of the principal diameters, AA', BB', are divided by these diameters, so that every four numbers along each volute, both towards its origin and the centre of the interior circle, with half the central number twelve, make 180." This property, Mr. Nulty remarks, is analogous to the third, mentioned in his paper; distinguishes the particular set of numbers which he had selected from other sets possessing the properties already noticed, and renders his drawing more general, and the arrangement, there presented, unique.

A communication was read, entitled "Observations to determine the Magnetic Intensity at several Places in the United States, with some additional Observations of the Magnetic Dip, by Elias Loomis, Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in Western Reserve College," which was referred to a Committee.

Professor Bache submitted to the Society a Chart, representing the extraordinary variations of the magnetic declination during the term day, on the 29th of May last, prepared by W. C. Bond, Esq., from the observations at the Magnetic Observatory at Cambridge.

Dr. Horner read a paper on the dental system of the Mastodon, which was referred to a Committee.

Professor Bache read an extract of a letter from Lieut. Riddell, Director of the Magnetic Observatory at Toronto, U. C., which stated that an entire discordance had been found between the curve representing the changes of inclination, on the February magnetic term day, at Toronto, Dublin, Brussels, and Prague, whilst those at the last three named stations agreed very well together. This result, Professor B. stated, confirms the conclusions previously drawn from the observations at short intervals, of Prof. Lloyd and himself, in November last.

Mr. Walker made some observations in relation to the Observatory of the Harvard University, Cambridge, and stated that extensive arrangements had been made, and were in con

templation, for prosecuting magnetic observations and practical astronomy.

Professor Bache made a verbal communication of some recent determinations of the magnetic dip, made by him at Philadelphia and Baltimore.

He reminded the Society, that on a former occasion he had submitted a comparison of the observations for magnetic dip at various stations, common to the series of Professor Loomis (Am. Philos. Soc. Trans. Vol. VII. N. S.), and to that of Professor Courtenay and himself. The discrepancies at Philadelphia and Baltimore were among the most striking. Having satisfied himself that the dip given by his instrument at the station occupied by Prof. Loomis, near Philadelphia, was sensibly the same as that given by Prof. Loomis, his next step was to ascertain, by observations in a different position from those used in both the sets of observations formerly made, which probably represented more correctly the dip at Philadelphia. The result of two series of observations near the observatory at the Girard College (at a sufficient distance to be beyond sensible influence from the magnetic instruments), made with four different needles, was as follows:

July 21, 1840. No. 1, 71° 51.7'. No. 2, 71° 51.7'. Mean of Lloyd, No. 1 and No. 3, 71° 55.8'.

November 2, 1840. No. 1, 71° 51.2'. No. 2, 71° 51.0'. Mean of Lloyd, No. 1 and No. 3, 71° 57.4'.

Mean, 71° 53.3'.

The needles, termed Lloyd No. 1 and No. 3, are used without reversing the poles; and a correction has been applied from the mean of sixteen comparisons, with the ordinary needles, at different places: as, however, this correction is obtained through Nos. 1 and 2, the results merely add to the number of observations from which the mean is obtained.

Prof. Bache remarked that his former result was thus confirmed. At Baltimore, the place of observation was in the second square, N. E. of the Washington Monument. The same needles were used. Aug. 27, 1840. No. 1, 71° 31.7'. No. 2, 71° 39.1'. Mean of Lloyd, No. 1 and No. 3, 71° 32.4'. Mean, 71° 34.4', differing from the results of both the former series.

Prof. Bache stated, in continuation, that the geological formations

at and near Baltimore, rendered it difficult to select an unexceptionable site for magnetic observations there, and was a sufficient explanation of the observed discrepancies. The results, which he had at present obtained, differed about 10' from the mean of those of Professors Courtenay and Loomis.

Dr. Patterson announced the death of Prof. Charles Bonnycastle, a member of this Society (elected at the last meeting), which took place on the 31st of October.

Mr. Du Ponceau announced the death of Mr. Sylvanus Godon, a member of the Society, who died on the 17th of October.

The Observatory Committee submitted a report, in part, on the subject of the fund raised for the erection of an Observatory, and proposed the following resolutions, which were adopted:

Resolved, That if the City Councils shall grant to the Society the privilege of erecting an Observatory in Rittenhouse Square, the Society will pledge $5000 of the Astronomical Fund for this object, under such conditions as they shall hereafter prescribe.

Resolved, That when it shall be ascertained that the proposed Observatory can be erected, the Observatory Committee be authorized to solicit and receive subscriptions for such additions to the Astronomical Fund, as may be rendered necessary by the undertaking.

Stated Meeting, November 20.

Present, thirty-three members.

Mr. DU PONCEAU, President, in the Chair.

A letter was read from Mr. F. Markoe, Jr., Corresponding Secretary of the National Institution for the Promotion of Science, recently established at Washington, addressed to the Secretaries of the Society, announcing officially, to the Society, the fact of the foundation of the Institution at the seat of government, and the objects which it has in contemplation; and soliciting for the Institution the correspondence of the