The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-23

vatofy by himself and his assistant, who were not
Specimens of the epgravings, executed by the
new apparatus, were exhibited to the Association.
The next communication was on the laws of
perfect musical information, and their application to
The church organ, by Mr. w. III. Poole, which was
read and enlarged upon by Professor Henry d. Ro-
gers OF Boston.
ICE OF LAKE cHAMPLAK-wHY IT DISAPPEARS ALL
ARC ONCE.
Professor OLMsTED said-I have been informed
by persons who have lived at Plattsburg and other
places on Lake Champaign, that d singular fact Is
observed there on the breaking up of ice in the
spnng, usually in the month Of May 1t is that
the ice all disappears IT once. On rising in the
morning, for example, the lake is entirely clear OF
ice, although the previous evening II was seen
completely bridged over. Beng requested to ex-
PLAIN the fact, was led reflection, 10 ascribe it
10 the absorption Of water by the ice, until It's spe-
chic gravity exceeds that of the water, when it
sinks 10 the bottom. Although ice, on account OF
It's stalne structure, is lighter than water, yet
the solio matter itself is heavier than water, so
that when the intersIices filled with this fluid,
the mass has specific gravity exceeding that of
The latter. Thus, sponge, when fully saturated
with water, will sink in III and if ice in porous
state, be placed ia water, il will also SINK If the
question be asked, why this fact is peculiar 10 the
ice Of Lake Champlain, and why the same does
not occur in other lakes which freeze over in the
winter, the answer is, that on account of the Sc
we're climate of the north part of Lake Champlan,
the ice remains on the lake until the has ad-
NduCtQ very uOItnWdIu, ana the SURROUNDING
country has become quite warm. BY alternate
freezing and thawing, the ice becomes graduated,
and very porous, and, consequently, very absorb
ent of water. When this process has reached
certain poini-that is the moment when the specific
gravity OF the ice thus soaked with water exceeds
that Of the medium itself-the whole sinks, and
disappears at once.
Doctor HARE entirely dissented from the ex-
PLANTATION given by Professor Olmsted.
Professor w. Il. RoGERs dissented from the
pxuIpasPd bV ProfessOr Olmafpd ae IN tho
density OF ice, and maintained that there is no
reason to doubt that pure homogeneous ice is spe-
eihcaly lighter than water. The idea of water
being able TO enter between the mole ules of this
solid is quite inadmissible. A volume of ice in its
pure crystalline state, when free from bubbles, is
no more porous than crystal OF quartz or GALE
SPAR In either case, the volume OF the mass is to
be regarded as made up OF the material atoms, and
of nlerstinal space and the specific gravity of the
solid includes the whole. These spaces between
the molecules of mass, if penetrabe at all by the
liquid, could not be penetrated without an entire
breaking down of the mass. This species of In
terstce proper to the crystalline character of the
mass, is not to be COMPOUNDED with the pores or
cavities in sponge, or other cellular bodies
Professor HENRY ID. RoGERs followed, with
view TO explain the apparent inconsistency; and the
section soon after adjourned.
SECTION OF GEOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY
In this section the following subjects were COM
municated;-
On the structure of the mouth in Crustacea, by
Professor LOUIS AoAssIZ, Harvard.
Notice Of the discovery of portion of the upper
jaw OF the lgaanadon' With teeth in their natural
On d new generic type in the class of worms,
by CHARLES GIRARD, Cambridge.
On the connection of the deposits Of common
salt with climate.
Professor HENRY d. RooEps, said there is an
intimate connection between the present basins Of
salt water and the existing distribution Of the
earth's climates-a connection which, fully estab.
hshed, promises to afford us, through tracing of
the distribution of the ancient saliferous deposits
much insight into the climates Of the earth in the
past periods. A sound geological theory teaches
that the original source Of the salt of the great
ocean, and Of all the salt lakes, was in the
chlorides of the volcanic minerals and rocks of
the earth's crust. The action of the descending
rain is TO decompose these rocks, and to dis
solve and float away into the receptacle OF the
geological revolutions shifting at successive times
the waters of the ocean from their bed, have laid
dry portion Of the sediments, leaving behind part
Of the sea water to be evaporated, thus impreg-
mating the strata with its saline ingredients. Thus
we ind, that all the marine deposits, however far
removed at present from any ocean, contain an ap-
preciable quantity OF sea salt In those climacle
regions Of the globe where the prevailing winds
the inland, csspians, receptacles Of water without
outlets, and all these caspians, without exception,
are basins OF saline water; and the reason OF this
10 very obvious. The constant drainage of the cir
cumjscent districts, has been bringing into these
insulated basins fresh accessions OF saline matter
dissolved or leached away from the strata over
which they flow, while the evaporation under an
arid climate, carrying off the surplus water, and
preventing its flowing on into the general ocean,
las been the means OF accommodating in these recep-
tacles this constantly growing supply Of salt. BY
this equilibrium between the drainage Of the region
and the evaporation, the waters have become at
last so strongly impregnated as to deposit or
crystalline the salt upon their margins. Following
up the general fact Of the incessant solution
r. L.l II l. al.
bsson like the other salt ones, which has no outlet
for Its surplus supplies but back again by evapora-
lion int the atmosphere Looking, then, at the
Primevsl condition Of an atmosphere OF aqueous
vapor just after the period when the earhs general
temperature was incompatible with this state Of
water, IL was a fresh ocean, and not a salt one.
Professor AoAssrz, upon the conclusion Of Prof
Rogers obse rvations, passed high compliment on
him, and remarked that the facts and views UNI
folded, did, as the author said furnish ne means
Of interpreting the ancient climates Of the globe.
From the fossil vegetable and animal organic
remains, geolog,sts have long felt themselves pro-
trres Of the earth at different periods, but never
III new bad they been supplied with hygrometer;
this. Professor Rogers has furnished
The Other subjects were-on utrcles, as the pri
mordIal forms of all animal tissues, by DR.. w. j.
Burnett, Boston; ON new type Of scales in fishes,
by Prof Louis ARassiz, Harvard; on the relation
ofbe distribution Of lice TO the different fauna, by
DIR. w. J. Burnett. Boston.
@'s' ~ o"J'uh'u ~ WV e'NNAs
SECTION OF CHEMISTRY AND MNEARLocr.
The following papers were read -
The Cause OF Fermentation" by DR.. III. Ere,
Yale Analytical Lsb'y, which gave rise to come
discussion, 10 which Prof Silliman, Jr, Prof
ho' sford, and Prof. Rogers, took part.
"O On the Boostite Of New Jersey" by Henry
Wuriz, New York.
"on American Spodumen," by Geo. J. Brush,
Anal Laboratory, Yale.
"on the Adolieration Of vermillion," by II.
Brown, Cambridge Laboratory.
On the Dmorphism Of Copper" by w. p.
Blake. Mr. Blake's paper stated that he had OBJ
tanned crystals of copper by electriciiy which we're
hexseons prisms, and not in the mononetrc form
as generally observed. And slso stated, that he
hed eeen native crystals Of copper in beragonai
pfisme.
DR.. JACKSON thought these native crystals might
De pseudomorphs, and hoped Mr.. Is. would con-
tnue the research, as the results would be OF great
practical importance.
"On some Saline Waters containing Baryla and
Strontis," by II. Hunt, Canada, Geological Com