The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-05-09

u L. Waites OF Jackson, Miss, be committee to report
on the Geology of the vicinity of Natchez and especial
~ on the deposites furnishing the remains of the Base
iosoras or Tygodon-the mastodon remains Of Nachez
Bluffs, and the curious nondescript animal mentioned by
Dr. Dickson in the communication already made to the
Association.
The meeting here for dinner.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Secretary Is SILLIMAN Jr addressed the Society
on the remains Of se cedar and cypress forests found in
ded with motion that Professor Carpenter of MISSISSIPPI
H should be requested to report to the Society at its
general Adopted.
Professor sILLMAs arose for the purpose of again al
udng to the expected visit of that celebrated naturalist
and geologs Professor Agassiz Of Switzerland he was
coming to this country for the purpose Of study
members Of e s mc %as NO. p ar
to facilitate his enqurieshe could let the opportunity
slip Of bespeaking for him the ready cooperation Of
American men Of science due, not only to the
cause, but to himself professor Az personally.
The sEcRETARv then read paper written by Professor
Samuel Weber, certain forms Of attraction II was
elaborate and abstruse treatise entering closely into
the doctrine of capitalization affinity &C. He says,
cording to Ehrenbergs statement that chalk composed
OF the remains of minute anmalcua; and knowing that
other animalcula have their hard part composed of silk
seems not improbable that the nts found in tho cak
merely the remains Of the last the chalk itself is of
the former kind and that both pershng together
in the water the sceous skeletons collected together in
masses under the influence of the attraction of similarity
In this view am sustained by a work called "Vcs-
tges OF Creation" If this be admitted be the case
OF ova which at or near maturity, were cnveoped in the
remains OF their progenitors, and retained sufficient vi
tay in despite Of all the hard trials to which they
were subjected to be called at last into life under the
ent influence of the votaic battery
The concluding paragraph Of Mr.. Webbcrs paper pre-
SCENTS brief summary Of his views, thus =
What Is this attraction that has been treated Of and of
which have spoken MS homonegeous attraction Is it
constitute solid Of uniform nature are brought and
held together and Of which the law Of cohesion chrys
t1lizaton are but notifications states itself being part
OF more general law OF the universal attraction of mat
ter for ITSELF which more general law has its modification
OF and union among PARTICLES not heterogeneous
exerted over sensible distances bringing particles into
cohesion at any rate acting more powerfully upon part
each other to foreign particles and when
full perfect and unimpeded in its action unite in certain
ing Of il fully but kind Of Chemical an
nyi These questions cannot be answered satisac
,osy but may be concctured that the law Of polarity
electricity ITSELF seems to me the most probable
may DC that such is the great law Of all attractions Of all
Kinds and Of gravation itsca power of universal
tent and Elasticity deriving its apparently discrepant
and diversified action from the circumstances under
but few comparatively simple and general principles
Dr. JACKSON doubted the orthodoxy Of the work quoted
by Mr. Weber, entitled vestiges Of Creation" It
quite true that by pouring sulphurc acid certain
certain vegetable substances anamalcul@ were produ
ced, but to the of scac of potash spoken Of in
that book, he had tested and found anmacul1
formed.
Prof OLMsrEp in abiding to the supposed discharge
OF gelatnous matter from meteors wondered how such
absurd notion became prevalent After the great
corc shower Of 1885, Prof Twning resolved to trace
bors was conviction Of their entire allacy But he
more particularly for the purpose of enqurng if rny
matter being DISCHARGED from meteors mo reSiy
Prof RocERs observed that he could not dissent from
the remarks made as to the production of animalcul@
the subject OF generation of great importance,
but yet in great obscury and he desired to taken
up again by this Society. As to the and spe
culatve views advanced in that celebrated work. Yes.
ges Of Creation" they far ovcrbalanced by the
sublime and glorious views it unfoded Of creation.
Professor HALpEMAy thought they should not con-
author of atiOnv for
the course followed by all orthodox WRITER'S that is Of
reasoning on premises that were not entirely and unan
mously admitted by scientific men. There was much
side the other, and the doctrine OF
generation occupied and puzzled the strongest minds Of
every age.
Professor SULLIVAN cited the authority of Dr. Mantc
OF Philadelphia now in London against the book which,
quirng but not practical writer of dangerous and
rrelgious tendency.
The President here announced that the regular bust.
ness was finished and inquired if members had any addi
tonal business to offer before they adjourned.
Mr. d. DANA again brought up the revised report Of
the committee on nomenclature which was adopted.
On motion of Professor SiLLIMAS, it resolved to
publish 500 copies of the report for circulation in the
braced.
On motion of Professor RocERs, it resolved that
the Secretary be instructed to prepare minutes Of the
bers abstracts of papers read by them and that 500
pies of said proceedings be published at the expense of
It also resolved that the remaining volumes Of the
transactions OF the Society be placed sale for the bene
Mr. REDrIEID moved that the local committee appoint
ed to make arrangements for the next session at New
York have power to invite such as they thought
desirable to attend their session.
The General Committee reported the annexed list Of
new members, which was approved: =
DR.; John II. Kane, New Haven; DR.. NJ. w. Dickson,
hatcher; Colonel waites, Washington Miss; DR.;
Daniels, Savannah; DR.. w. .Avord, Greenfield Mass;
VIM Logan, Esq. Of the Geological Survey Canada Sir
Charles Bonneycastle, Canada; Nathl I. True, Mon
mouth Me-; Richard Bolton, Miss; D. Olmsted, jr New
vote of thanks Uas than na.sad 70 ,ho co,orror or
Yale College for the Of the lecture ROOM and also
the Secretary and his assistant for their valuable
Prof. SHEPARD rose and alluded some remarks of his
made the day before as to the identity Of the specimens
Of Carolina he added that by experiment he found the
latter to contain from to g. per of lime.
DR.. JACKSON observed that when engaged in the geo.
logical survey of Vermont he found beds Of mari that
yielded three per cent of lime He could not help here
adverng to the singularty Of the fact that while the
English were honoring DR.. Jusus Lebeg, for his dis
covery Of the relation between the phosphac and vege
tables they had in their language work in which
%ss n m he
AID and not only treated Of the action Of phosphaes,
but Of alalts well the akales that great work.
which was forgotten only because il in advance Of
the age the author was assisted by the famous men,
Presty and Cavends the first of whom discovered the
simple constituent elements Of air. the latter of water
Prof RoeERs reported behalf of the committee APP
pointed TO make certain amendments the constitution,
sosiey to the society for the promotion Of science
that their secretary should be permanently appointed
like that OF the British Association and that members
admission should pay fee Of two dollars each il also
suggested TINT chemistry should be added to their field Of
inquiry.
Prof BoorH thought it would be better to wait little
before acting that report He had doubt that the
changes contemplated could be ultimately found pract
cnblc; but although the British Association worthy
OF imitation in tho wdo field they took for their cnqui
rics IL could not be overlooked that their
ncompareby greater; they had great wealth which
blcd them to conduct gigantic eaquiries. There
danger IN forming thoir association too grand scale
! would be better to build slowly md surely; and he
feared would be found to be growing too rapidly tho
proposition under consideration were immediately acted
upon. Chemistry department familiar to many
members Of the society and therefore might be taken up
and certainly was one OF the most important Of
the other branches depended upon 1t for their fundamcn
tai principles.
Prof OLMsTEp would like to throw in a word for nau
rol philosophy. Sir John Hcrschcl had shown most
clusisely the connection between these departments
science and he desired TO Astronomy receiving the
attention OF the society II they decided adopting Che
mistry other branches.