New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-19
SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION
Meeting Of the American Association for the
Advancement of science.
Especially Reported for Ths Tribunel

CIScINNATr, Fddsy, May ppm.
The Standing Committee this morning recon-
mended the final adjournment ster the compile
ton Of TO days programme, and proposed num-
Der of resolutions regarding business matters,
which were postponed until the afternoon session
The first scientific business in order was Re-
/ port on the fine specimens OF Fossils submitted
to the examination Of Committee. The Report
was Jointly made by Prof AGAssIz and Prof
HALL.
Prof AGAssIz said there had been great diff
Guilty in making a selection from the important
specimens laid before the Committee, but he had
preferred 10 report upon the remains Of Verte-
brsted animsls, for the reason that less attention
had been paid by American Pslaontologsts to
this subject than to others. He urged the impor-
lance Of complete descriptions and Illustrations
| OF the Fossil Vertebrate. A number OF interesting
specimens were produced, some Of which will
probably introduce a new classification-perhaps
| new genera. Among those considered prom
inenty important was a remarkably perfect head
Of the genus BOS, similar in character to the
Musk. Ok Of Melville Island.
Prof HALL reported upon the specimens OF &C.
phalopode, particularly the Goniatltes which he
considered Of much importance, not only as valu'
able specimens but because OF their geological po
sition and their relations. They are found within
few feet Of the upper limestone OF the Ohio
River, and bring the carbOniferous system five or
six hundred feet below what has been termed the
csrboniferous limestone.
A paper on the History and Nomenclature Of
some cultivated Vegetables by Dr.. 7. W. HAIR.
RIs, Librarian Of Harvard College, was presented
by Prof AGAssIz. The paper is remarkable
production showing that the cultivated VegetA
bles of this country which have been generally
ascribed to an Eastern origin, are by no means
European, but purely American, and only intro
duced in Europe since the settlement OF the
Northern part OF this country.
The following abstract embraces the results Of
Dr. Harriss investigations
1 HISTORY AND NOMENCLATURE or SOME Gull
TlVATED VEGETABLES
The errors that have grown and spread, and
multiplied with the lapse Of time, Ia this neglect
ed field OF research, says DR.. Harris require 10 be
cleared away. Decandolle remarked that the
species of the genus CucW6td ought to be
worked out anew. The names Of the Pumpkin
and Squash are no longer used precisely in their
original sense.
In general, they are the fruits of the plants be-
longing TO the miscalled genus CacurbHG' as no"
restricted by Meisner and Endlicher. The Illus
trious Linnao u.s. folio wing in the steps OF MS ootan-
ical predecessors for whose errors ne IS not TO De
Pepe and CucuJ6na Meiopepo 20 those kinds OF
pumpkins and squashes that had been longest and
best known He added to the list one more Old
species the UerrucOSd, and new one, the 0TVeTG,
said to have been brought by Lerche frorl AsuA,
chan. Several more species are now enumerated
in scientific works, some separated from the fepo
Of Linneus &c. RidIInsG aud T.. D7oschdt9'l and
others more recently detected aud characterized
Most Of the pumpkins and squAshes tnst are
cultivated 10 the United States as aracles oil
food, have been referred 20 the Llnn9an
species. Ever since the time OF Caspar ba0'
hin, whose Pinax seems TO have served as
the basis Of botanical nomenclature, Il has been
taken for granted that pumpkins and slQssnes
were the DeD0neS and meiOep0Hes OF the greeks
and Romans II this be admitted, II must iouo~
that pumpkins and squsshes were not only ven
known 20 the ancentI, bat that they ere nstVes
OF the Eastern Continent, to which, lndeed, Ine
most common kinds are actually assigned oy
modern bOtanists. Dr. HGuls, however suo"
that the pepOneS and D1ei0pt p0Hes oil tue u1eeAs
and Romans were not pumpkins and squasnes
that the latter were unknown 70 the Gnclenss
that they did lot begin 10 be known Ia L uroPe
until after ne Discovery ~ ADsericd and tnaI
they are natives OF America DE traces out 10 tnls
paper detailed account of the ancient yegetA-
bies proves thst the Aaskme0n il still know
And cultivated IN Greece, and that the modern
Greeks cal IL Ppm, & word derived from the
ancient name Of the fruit that the monuments
Of Egypt, though containing representations OF
many other plants, have none tnst can be reierred
10 tie peculiar products Of which this paper
treats and that writer's on Nslsria Medica emu
uerate four kinds Of cold aud demulcent seeds,
Esmely those of the citru, cucumber, gourd and
/ melon but make 10 mention OF those OF pump
kius ara sqgSshss, which are iucuded II the lis'
by modern physicians.
The common nomenclature Of the cucarbisIce-
ous plants, in the languages OF Europe, has be-
come very much confused. many o. the names
! low embracing species, ana even sehels' ~
which they da not originally belong The Euro
pean eould, Or caabssh. originally native OF
Southern Asia took It's names mostly from the
Latin ctrtrbpG. IL was known - the Anglo
SsHons and was by them called cyUOet. Though
long cultivated bY the Romans, by whom, per
hAps il msy have been carried 20 Britain, II y q
moi generally introduced in Western Europe TIL
the time Of Charlemagnei who greatly encour'
aged its cultivation. rrsgus, who wrote IN the
early part Of the sixteen d century. gave the frat
good figure and ineligible description OF II. The
French cal il cOtrge the English Eonrd toe
Germans and Swedes, ksTbis the Datch kGH'
trOfrGe the Spanish caidbd=G, and the Portuguese
cobaca all which names are derived from caeaT-
bifa. The ole names ab5bOrG and GbobG'G, oy
which Il was known il Portzgh, and the DaniIn
gr9skar are Of uncertain origin. ZaccH ana
-ucca the ltaiiSn names tor the gourd' are prop
ably derived from the Greek sikSd Citro1eaie
the old French name Tor the water meioR "nlco
il equivalent 70 the English ciirhl and % the phsr
maceuticGl eiirullHS. was afterward sPPued "
gourcs pumpkins and sqasshes .,....
The ola BotSnistI BY Ehom these irui;s No'e
fret described, were chiefly B-unisslIs' 80
FuChsius Cordus Nstthioius. Turner 'uou pu
Lobelius ard Dslecbsmp-al Of whom, eKoeP'
LobeIus sled before the year 1000. lt Vor
thy OF note Tia: John Eliot the apostle d sas II