The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-25

In very interesting and instructive book Of travels
in Burnah and In the adjAceDt countries the writer
reads lecture to hoios In the following
The study Of conchology has long seemed to ms TO
bear about he same RELATION to tn. animal Kingdom
that the study Of the coats Of unknown men
would be TO the human family But as pr-cept
without example might not be regarded, this author
fsvors us with bis observation tns inh sbi-
tantn rs follows -" Each had claws which IL put
forth on each side and walked tortoise but faster
When alarmed the head ana claws drawn 10 ward
&c IL IL obvious thar this observer had mistaken
her nit crabs for moluscs
The proposition which intend to Illustrate is this
that the value ~ shells OF moilusca commencing at
Tor the entire department increases descend
through the lees hensiye groups not OF
in y uniform ratio but irreguiariy uutii arrive NJ
the species which may be amply distinguished by the
sh.l lis only
That the shells are Of no value for the purpose Of
Distinguishing tho entire department Is oovi.
Gus from the numbsr OF naked molluscs
In the classes they begin 70 be Of some value
An examination Of the elk classes showed that two
are "holy testaceous ana may D. Distinguished by
the position OF the shells the animals aud that
three are partly testaceeus and may be dstng
! by their sk.lls. so Tar "a they possess any
An examination of thu seventeen orders OF the five
testaceous classes showed that two naked ten
wholly testaeeous aud hve are partly testaceous OF
the nitsen which less testaceous, are
easily distinguished by ordinai characters aud
distinguished With more or less difficulty
An examination ~ the e5 testaceous families sh we'd
I that IS are distinguished by their shes
of the slO genera which are enumerated by Mr. Gray
OF the Brush Museum Ia MS let OF genera GAL or 20
I per cent may be distinguished by their shells
Although the soft parts OF 5Ouo species have been
D
ence OF single species which rs not even more easily
distinguished by the she'll than by the soft parts
O the 20 500 speeies OF shells which known the
specific value OF many IL more less doubtful But
The difficulties arise from the graduation of types aud
are net likely to be diminished materially by know
ledge OF the soft parts
A few words should be added on the principles which
involved These relate to the Structural relations
the shell TO it, functional relations and 10 it EN-.
bTyonic history the last ot when shall offer
thing. The shells OF mousco having their origin in
the kin eoIrespond sruetury, with the plumags of
b ds The iurs ot mammals anu the scales ot h,nes
The correspondence l. exact in respect Of colorg but
the details OF form are more fully represented by the
skins Of vertebrate than BY the shells OF mou-cO Yet
moe, OF The details that are not moulded in the shell
are indicated by coostsrt association
In their functional relation. shells are skeletons.
They serve for the attachment ct the muscles, aud
port OF the soit parts They baye. therefore, value
similar TO that Of the skeletons the ami
mails but OF less value account of the greater sim
pncity 81 IN. shells.
collection shells therefore corresponds q a COL
lection both Of the stuffed skins skeletons
brhta but must be admitted TO toe OF somewhat Ine-
value
shcs TO be valued as an index to the true goo
logical value OF the species aud genera rather than
exclusively ~ Us basis
The next communicating was on a new American,
ShuIisn reptile. by charles Girard. Cambridge Mr.
0irard sad that hitherto the order Of appears
o. have but lew representatives, IL North America
some genera some species make here the whole OF its
c"rttge No doubt TINS has philosophical bearing;
bar before ART able TO interpret H. hsve stl TO
explore good msuy acres OF land little kno
Thu shall hs,, several members that group no
unknown which will Que day weigh the osi. uso ct
gensfalisntions Two years Art-t brought from
the Platte river the reptile which makes the subject OF
TINS accumulation 10 T. an iguanan lizard. without
Greet 81 The sub fsmy oi pleuIoduut's OF Dumss and
BtbIou IL cannot be- referred 20 any OF the geneva
hitherto establish-d In thnt group, ano what Is
r.mHrksbie with regard to It. striking reseD
In it, ply sicguomy with the genus prOeturvtus OF
Mexico and chill. although having aa organization
completely different IL nearer relationship in
structure 70 tho genus lsemGnetus Of Wig mauu He
tNr q proposed Tor u TIA. name OF nolbrookia aud
hoped mat American patufali-tS would jnin Win him
IN .kn-wiedging the Dc bt OF gratitude they all 20
the iatber Of Amerlean hsrpetology. The conmuni.
cation ber went on 10 give more minute de-crip ion
OF the reptle which differs from the genus
tus hy tbs absence ~ teeth.
SECTION or PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS.
In the section Professor CasErl called 60 the
chair and lroirssois IL Rogers and Ionic acted
Z n Secretaries.
Tho arst com muuication was from Professor BsSJA.
MiN PuHcs, en- the fundamental principles OF dyns
mics. lls oommsuced by saying that the foundation
Of mechanics must be sought by observation though
look for talent and sbiity ter tkeir explsBation
Having psid hish compliment to the writings on
ths subject iy Professor Henry whom be dies gnatrd
the iustrious Secretary Of the Smithsonian nstitu
tisn, be proceeded 10 illustrate the theories OF
chanics The Professor gave . succiRct account 81
the history 81 tho subject referring nrst e. thu pn
cipe Of the lever the earliest discovered then to
the priBcpl. 81 the comb nation OF forces at poiut,
ana thirdly, to that of stevens. by a chain
inclined plane Professor p then spoke OF thu princ
pie Of the pulley, as starting point assumed by La
Grange He proceeded 60 develop prime pie,
nom which alone ~ proposed To d'r's all the nnda
mental equations In mechanics H. Must st.d this
BY some examples among the rest that OF virtual se
lscitics.
some reuarks followed from Professor ItssR, Pro-
feftor CorrIs Professor W Roogas, aud others.
Professor HAcKLtt expressed his sense Of the great
value Of Professor Pisree'B iDYsstigsnuD
prOfsffor CofTfs and MIR Ass. Ofprovidence male
remarkf upon the different measures OF force.
Prohsfor b. kocESs explained shy. ia certain
the practical measure Of the force csnfly
the square Of the velocity aud VA others obeysd
Law which undetermined In the former the
moving macs always uniformly resisted In the
ar~e asd csur"n bs referred TO on the previous
cay. and w the other eases the Resistance fpog-d
come cth'r aud u1tso-n Law, the snscts pro-
duc,d being Of nAtue not capable IT being clearly
compared a. IN the br-skivy u bsrs, sc bs the tact
sSrTIoN or CHEMISTRY AND NINeRALosY
In this section DR.. rosHsY called 10 preside
and rrCiesscr n y. Roosss secr.tsry
Mr. ". y Bass comIsuncstrd 90 aftihcisi crystals
] Of ssfqvi, ryde Of ehrmum Ne <os-d 20 tn a.-o-
caten several spcms ~ crysal'Esd oxide ~ ehro-
MUM q gr.a, beauty They we're formed In r-v-r-
tsrstory furnace, long used to maDfacture chromts
Of ;otssb frcm chrome iron ore The crystals -rre
snail Of a.sp emerald green color aud "a h.rdne.-
4 next below the diamond Mr. Blake considered their
formation doe ., ne inaltraton anopE thu trick u
the fused ehroms'e 81 pots-s aud the s"h-' urhs
solstiiits.sh o. the potssh ~ Ions coo, ~
nnftrn heat and the reduction ofthe chronic ses /"
. ~tquioride of chromium.
, Professor siLIiNaS. Jun. aud DR. E1orss seps
sly expressed their conviction OF the int-rst ~
spsrtsnee q the essmioailon Of artificial proagels
prOcurss under such Circumstance ~ vsr- caleb
lsied TO throw valuable hgbt upon the production OF
minsrss
MrT. Hr-r read paper on = n-~ test tw the
procef consists IN sdding 10 the solution -uppo-~ 20
contain biiraes two drups Of yelicF prus.iste
a. potash thtfe should not be- enOuzh O. give per-
cspuble tinge 20 the va uid few drop. q acstie
acid are then h. added AID imipedist-iy or ~ .
f.~ minutes according 60 Oh. qu-niny q nHn's pre-
sent the liquid assumes rich ysip~ tint
Mr. Husr remarked thet the pruc~ss go ~ pr--"nt
only dssiebrd " be- tsft, and not m-.u- ~ qdaau
tative susiytis
Dr Roctns remarked that hiF br tar W. y
r. bad twC ytHrs ago, ~ repeating the hnd ynb
hshsd In the French journals fgr h estins 3D.. ~
copper ny cuuparsun ~ ths soiIrs "a tnr s1u
tior 70 b. tssteo 9Th ths ~ stst 'arl Wa fids ~
kncun psrc' b'sge and hoping 20 snpy " - uthfr
srh.taur.s ssIsciny The Determination ~ ~
ores fosnd that. With all ths prreAutions th- eve
rSs not delicate ebongh IN uissririnsius mtust" 1if-
fr'ncet ~ shsde ~ color a. eusbl~ u Co obtain &C
curats ROUTE.
Tho uexi Communication vas on the sssumsd ex-
iHsbet ~ sum - w general stmotphsr-. ~ Dr
Hsrsat Ns-.rct ut@tfs. read Nv Or IacV5N me
ctv'ct - this IHrfr ~ @ho~ that ns a. not
fauue a. conceal constituent - the sfn, here
tut thst tbs snnuuia iouud ~ etemicsi suatyts ~
the Ar nfar the sutfsrs ~ ne eaflh y a. vaH from
an hal hw