New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-15
SCIENCE.
American Academy of Science.
faIDAY's PROCEEDINGS.

had that
morning Mr. Rothcrords paper on astronomical photo
rraphy together With DR.. Goulds reduction Of the same
Tho temporary Illness of Mr. r. deprived foe the time
osboh papers, This brought forward Prof Agasszs lee
turo on the fishes If the Amazon, anticipated with eager
curiosity, which IL did not dsappoin The varieties OF
tis,s fishes dscoye cred by him filled us with amazement'
From about $50 species previously studied and described
hs had increased their number to some 3OOo more
or less. These he considered az but suau pcTuoh
of those 10 he discovered hereafter. such curious
FISH too h. described Some species carried thelr
eggs 10 their mouth some earned then young IN
large told depend1s from the lower Jaw some aver
casting their eggs lowered close above them, the agitation
of air nroducel y their breathing contributing to hasten
the process of ha ching. The smaller rivers too, had
their peculiar inmates and in the lakes Of very
restricted area varieties found. Beside
the fish, hc had encountered new sea fish And IN
the bokish waters of mingled and river he had iouna
eu third set with mixed attributes, modified types OF
or cod and sturgeon. Then such rivers, black as INK or
white milk, the black waters being clear tlnge1 pH
with vegetable ueiier-he white opaque lOt cs bcS
in solution. AID lille we listened 10 these lac.S, WIZ
We report here tg the aid OF an imperfect menVi!,
the double action Of the brsin cause1 US a. ~
iuler and pictures which the narrator Gu no' Ec
s,ribc we saw nm in his triumphGI steamboat, Ike
CLEOPATRA in h., irmphal barge Before him the 1rons
b,w their horns, I'VE believe there IS fresh water
variety and summoned all the iinny tribes for their great
reckoning. Up they came leapng on the deck, meeky
Trembling at bis fcc giving shy wallop of JOY as he
deigned 10 recognize and inspect them Neither Their
nswnes nor Their number could astoniSh him. lie was
prsparcd for all Nor had they any right 10 complain OF
bis Treatment n lDreWalne0 Is lOre-dntu fOI dJ us
prov hung the stern sentences d0ht tiasuute'
No seectionis need apply Intrepid Bourgnart, tho
bush of the expedition, stands with palette and pench
really to play the game OF catch as you can ana 70
portray each new conner lfc-sze and color far as the
thin, can be done We know not whether he had dis
solved opal condensed rainbow among his resources
lie certainly needed both to record the hues of tropical
fan And we now remember 10 have BourgnaT since
ts return his once fresh face all newly painted with
sDmboge SO, while be sketched the tropics the tropics
The vision ua,,ed Audience and Academy were
hold fla IQfl
ooyist who promises hereafter 10 give us ms facts ana
aterences in miuted volume paper OF very dller-
cat character followed its subject, the stature OF the
American soldie "lleres your good old dry statistics
said We and tci 10 little longer on the bosom OF
tbs tropics. But presently to our amazement the stats
tea began laugh the figures TO group themselves IN
comica combnlJ1s The general average, and the sew
Averages combined from the recruiting record OF
900 of our oulteers taken perhaps the third year
of tho late From these appeared that the standard
OF yh depended pOI the places Of enlistment usually
Laf IF residence raihe than upon the place Of nativity
The New England MAJ enlisting in Iowa, proved taller
than the New-hn land Ian enistng al home. Growth
too was much mOe slowly attained than was
usually supposed. Although its principal devel-
opment would take pace IN early mauhood, tne
phenomenon yet continued until 80, or even 80,
after which period sehtlnd gradual dmnuhon OF hgnt
took place, owing 20 the Sinking OF carriages ala coz
dcnsaton Of bones. American recruits were taller than
foreign Ones cstern mel taller than Eastern Among
the E,sterns, Maine led the ay IN hight Recutsn the
navy we're noticeaby shore than recruits in tue army
La the latter during the tere had been at least 800
men over six feet four inches in hight. These had not
We omitted to mention parr by Prof Henry, which
communicated some nteresnn1etal of acoustic expert
mens with various steam trmpts gOngs, and on, for
the purpose of attaining the maximum of sound power in
ibiS s6ance now changed to bsiness meeting and all
representatives of the outer world cpartcd
ON saturday the Academy held il last public meeting
which opened with Mr. rutherford statement OF hsyey
rmlrlbe studies and performances astronomical pho
toyraphy This listened 10 Will profound attention
by Che learned and the lay. So intestng it that
inf led
through Much Of the process and bneTy devised by
MIR Rutherford for the attainment OF m results was TOO
Complicated 10 be clearly understood byfrsons unfamiliar
with such details. AL, however were Rtercscd IN his
ingenuity and perseverance and in Tvs Ieut He had
Obtained Photographic images Of the mon and of the
sun, the latter being, as be said, OF little interest
at present on account Of the absence OF elnrsabe spots
the disc of the great lumnary Buthe most import
ant application he had made OF his newly acred powers
g the photography Of stars ne haa sIed and am
STAINED and had obtained images OF double md single
The telescope employed IN these labors Vas not the
ht telescope. was IN fact quite useless toobserya-
tons. 1s lenses transmitted only the seuvlc, not the
visual rays Tbs heavenly body therefore, made ii mark,
but did not show IT. splendor NJ r. gave detailed
count Of his invention aie execution Of mierometr
instrument which became necessary in the prosecution Of
his studies and which the afei:o~s Of our country
did not afford. These statements being coi.
Guided Dr. B. A. Gould proceeded to give and espiain bis
mathematical reductions Of Nj RutherczdS facts OBJ
ssrvsons These were OF course purely mathematical,
though relieved By historical details lie told
that finally II had been found aaEiss.. % I,a.S
OF assesf books in the new rm OF Rutherford Alyolos
G., Though the debts and credits will certainly huctu
se we hope that the balance viii always remain IN his
fsyOf The morning well advanced. Bat Te
wore not TO depart without last b0aHCb0uche and that
one exceedingly gratifying TO The feminine mind Dr.
Wilder whose performance have already noticed,
came forward TO give us r1ra Toce account OF
his remarkable spider exhibiting at the time speoi
mems both Of the spider and OF its silk, together with
largely magnihed plates Of the insect and Of its web This
creature interesting ut once to commerce and to science,
is female hundred and fifty times larger than her
hus VIII he on q
OF silk $50 yards III length She is blind to objects,
discerning only light DR.. W. described at length the
sunous spinning Of her web and her Of casting
her skin. Here would to be valuable resource for
our serical necessities. Woman in tho nineteenth
tury will have silk gown, aud the more the merer. Man
holds on to his cotton shirt, but even that will
NJ descend to paper before the Tusthlg gar
ments Of the sex will be reliEquished. Tho
sk-worm is nearly played out He greedy dirty needs
thermometer and This hardy spider eats flies,
and requires inordinate amount OF attention. Were
not this the very moment for your Asors, Thayes
and Peter Coopers TO make probematc investment
Science desires 1.-THE female desires it. Ye gold
fathers Let the spider be encouraged. Let the production
and utilization OF this silk become enterprise There
knowing what il cost you now and save you IN
The end Ii settle the finances OF the country by
sxtingushng that silk deposit which figures largely
against in foreign exchanges. We see much IN the
promise Of this agency, and should be willing to
lake shares in spider stock company provided some
pody else would advance the needed capital Without these
remarks but with hearty satisfaction and regret, the
crescent exercises Of the Academy ended.
CLOSE OF THE SESSION.
from Our Special Correspondents
NORTHAMPTON, MASS, Aug H. 1866
The National Academy OF Sciences went into its sixth
md Last az O'clock