New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-08
,1nNnAY,s pRnCEEnINGS.

This morning The Convention was called to order at
l0l Three new members were elected, and four asSo
caie MEMBER and the Association dividedntJ Sections
In The Section of Physics, Prof. Blche read paper
BY HE assistant Mr Scho discussing the tidal o0ser-
vstol made Rensselaer, arbor under the direction
of Dr. Kane. The great difficulties OF observing tides
10 such latitude must be borne Ia mind In estl naung
tbe u ison of Dr. Kane methods Of observing There
were however, YEAR tides which are well Observed
and by Mr. Scbotts good ludgmentand ingenuity have
given us more knowledge Of the tides OF the Polar Sea
Than ever was gained before. The results are perfectly
accoIdaIt with the known laws OF the half.monthly
ineou,Ity of The tide in hight, and nearly accordan
with that inequality in time. They chow that the tide
there il derived tide, i.e., a wave, or rather two
waves rolling IN, from the NORTH the other from
the south originating in the tides OF the Atlantic. The
INEQUALITY between the morning and evening tides,
arising from the moons decnalons, Is very large
smoultDg, twice month, 10 90 lnches' From the
may be shown that the average depth OF Baftn Bay
and Smiths Sound is about $50 feet
Prof b. Silman presented paper by MIR. Nj. &.
Lea on the Optical properties OF certain crys alline
surfaces the picrae of Yang lnese which poaze
reflected Eight in places at right angles TO each other
DIR. WoicO.t Gibbs gave brief account of the exam
inaticn into this subject by foreign chemists. Mr. NJ
C. Lea was evidently ignorant Of these previous ex-
ainstiCns his paper was OF great Interest, and the
salts which lie discovered possessed the peculiar prop
critics in a higher degree than those examined by
Brewster, Hsidriger, &c.
Mr. Rood presented a new theory of light by Mr..
~,
perimen's Cd which IL founded, and the expert
meus by which Mr.. Rood had Overthr0wn The theory.
III csc experiments produce the sensation OF coors by
an alienation Of white light aud shadow at the rate OF
from 60 Is times per second. The sensation Is pro-
duce0 by The dazzling effect on the retina.
Prof Henry, who was in the chair for the day, re-
mar ked OH the value Of this paper and on the import
ance of the subject GOthes errors IN his FarbeDlehre
were analogous 10 those Of John Smith, and many OF
the appearances in total eclipse were doubtless H.
fuenced by these subjective colors.
Mr. James Hyatt read paper on the solar spots,
showing their connection with the wesher, and with
Renop's period of severe Winters.
Prof w. Is. Rogers read paper upon our inability
10 decide from the retEa impression alone which re-
tina IL affected. Some simple experiments clearly
show that this inability cOmpste The most curious
Of these experiments is one by which the observer Is
led 10 zee a round clear hole through his own hand
Simply roll sheet Of music in your hand hold II lie,
tween your thumb aud hand, 80 rs 10 Keep lhe mana
fiat look through the roll at distant Object but Keep
both eyes open.
r Of. 4. n. Horsf5rd gave an account OF bis expert
monB upon the cOntttuOn Of various bydfaes Of the
sefqul-OAlde Of chromium. lie inclined 10 the view
hat there but ono real drate namely nine equVa-
nts Vi wafer ~ one Of chronic oxide and the others
are mere mixtures with the oxide itself.
Mr.. T.. Pugh read paper Oh series Of inveega-
nons on the assimilation Of gascOus nitrogen by plants
conducted at ROthamsted, England 1872 The
great economical importance Of this question IL anna
rent TO all who have paid any attention to the question
Of manures, and the theoretical importance h MI pby
biologists. B0url gault had de cided from his ten years
Investigations that plants coud not appropriate free
nitrogen, but different results lad been Obtained by NJ