New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-14
SCIENCE.
National Academy Of Sciences,
THIRD DAVIS PROCERDlNGs.

National Academy of Sciences.
THIRD DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
From Our Special Correspondent
NORTHAMPTON. Aug. 8. leo.
The glacial question spoken Of in our Last received as
fall consideration in the second mornings meeting, Of
which we have already given partial description No
new conclusions Of the Academy were however, pnt on
record on this important subject Prof Gibbs read m
other paper Spcctroogy appreciated only by tho scion
Gc norton of the audience DR.. Is. A. Could presented
paper upon the secular increase OF the moons mean
motion. The author Of this paper, Mr. Stockwel being
unable to offer it in person, his remPqeant sad much
more good of him than be would have been able even
Wiling TO say Of himself Tho treatment Of this paper
beng wholly Mathematical not such as 10 throw even
moonlight upon the uninitiaed understanding. Pfoi.
Pcirce, however, daylight and basked throughout IA
the meridian spendOr OF the mathematician sun ne was
little suspicious Of this paper he said II undertook
stupcDdous demonstration. II u was ngh many great
folks were wrong Yet looked nght ana No. Tor one,
should examine IL with intense interest SO It passed into
the dim Committee twilight, from which Ms author wan
emerge either as a star the first magnitude, OF As false
light, extinguished with little ceremony. =. >.
Thereafter followed a statement OF sounding IN the Gun
Of Mexico by Mr.. Mitchell whose style Was brief ana M
cllirent The progress Of his remarks was NIUE mpdeu
save by Prof gassZs doubts as To whether the line useu
in measuring ocean deIts could have been bitten III Two
by shark alleged by the narrator lie SUCK 10 us
shark however, and Tie fshprophet sat down, having
only doubted whether the species Of shark capable az per
forming such feat feqnentcd the waters IN Which u was
said Ia have been performed Next III the panorama We
recall Prof Wilders brilliant paper on .le Mqfn'iCs =,
the human heard, presenting and old Vows oil iAe
eS $1s o.; one IF OPPOSITION not usually
,.atrd OF honolocv He treated such an opposition
,hSughont the salient points OF the human orgahsm
Ills clear ncsive manner and youthful Vtscty arrested
the attention OF the audience who would gladly have
as s ssdf SHs e sE S STE Which ' dc 5 SS q
session ended D ili' u l.4- l-i p. IT'D.
The Academy did not, however, dsperse without the
hospable announcement that the Hon Erastus Hopkins
would all entertain members on the evening
OF that day. il being "Wednesday the 10th inst Aud the
f1rhdden anestons VIVA, shah We ca, aud drink, and
vhcrewtha shall he clothed began ~ distract the
incds Of that feminine portion Of the scicntte comnu.
iy which had hitherto sat meeky OF tie feet OF PIERCE
and Agasez. Among These tho reign o; common sense
vas over for the day. and they began 10 cQnleqte
nous pro- afations of rats mice and waterfalls, aud they
investigated the lower .taa Of trunks disearng the drif
cf eyeryd " for fresher sira aoas packed away
in the depths Of baggage formations and they COM
pared specimens of bbon lace and iewe. Ana the re-
suit Of all thi; vas thai The evening oop o. Ore,
bsspiishs one aud tie evening and Mo '''' 'e
Tie third morning session bsens eth sa.ssertaon on
language by Prot Whitney Of NeW-hasen.o AAe PVfs-
SORTS disposed to consider lspgaass a. bos
dffcn 10 assign IL place. sccount Offs blended
relation 20 two departments Of study His csqniston Is
physicists present. Of whom are doscd 70 claim It's
residence within The domain Of hnlra science remain
much satisfied with Che Professors POSITION on hi point
Max MGllcrs statement that larrn8ge properly bdrss
among the physical sciences has GVeysse Va ~
suitable act 81 Difference tho rampant ptyscsm Of the
dGy. Language, Ike all other human phcnonoha, has rs
mechanical aud moral side Il has its grow n
in the aud sympathy u tle masses OF man.
kind takes It's lnh from the labor II high thought and
hard study But IN the architecture result the power and
discrimination human Thought the features that best
deserve consideration. Tho unikeness of tie human TO
the animal Of Language Is that which gives II its true
human value IN tie OF the discussion, Prof Los
lie sa that language was secretion. This seemed 10 us
20 reverse the usual conditions Of definition which
tina. IL shall describe and distinguish the thing de-
fined. The term sooreoD the contrary, ehaces every
feature Of Language, coniounding moreover passive pho
independent Of yOlitou ith active futcOn
mi tIs S s@v Il eos wr me da,y !,
10 explain In hi. sense might say that Rafad was
secretion, aud bus picture another Such disum,
however would scarcely be recorded as adding 10 hesam
After this Prof Agassiz gave genial lecture on liniia.
ton Of homooges Our old friends Of the -four orders,
vertebrate Griculatc mousks and radiaie were here
brought In and handled with the Professor usual skH and
popularity Of treatment Agassz takes up is familiar
theories much as an experienced nurse handles aby
Where Others appear timd and pedaniic he is vel
sured and He turns the subject upside down and
inside out with advantage lie drop and pick mp
again without hurting II. His enthusiasm, always Bs,
and his sympathetic manner OF treatment always win his
audience. When spoke of him, just now, the hsl
nrouhet We meant TO indicate him a, the converse a. Jo
nah For Jonah in the fish, whereas the fish as in
Agassz who produces them at will, with a copiousness
amazing to all beholders. Jonah, moreover, became
proyerb for III luck Agassz threatens 20 become pDyer
bal for good fortune. His enterprises prosper bis cdec
tons grow, his experiments succeed Despotisms bow
before his dcspOtic rcputution From the gantc harris
of New.Eng gland mlliOnaircs he extracts deep vciB OF
gold which CRYSTALLINE into numerous and scientific ma
ohinery Truly wonderfully fortunate man, whose ncT
its need no illustration. II he have ring let himnot
cast il into the sea- lest fish should bring 1t back TO lin
and make him rembe at the renembronce OF Poycrfes
Prof Cline read paper linear institutions, noting
of which was integibc 10 the uDmahcmailcal mind. IL
received, however, the hearty Endorsement OF Prof Pere
This being rainy day and Business ckening upon he
Academys hands, an afternoon session was Reid cbmy
occupied by interesting paper nom Pro Hall on ~
subject of recent geological researches a.. Mlnnetfa
Specimens OF metamorplic rock, OF lndapx ppesine,
and Of feuglnous stone bearing the nNessof
were exhibited, together with geological maks OF the re-
gon under survey. Prof. Strong read WITH spnt tnd /
vgor mathematical and astronomical paper whose rb-
jeci was somehow connected with the planet Hsptne
rs features were, however purely TECHNICAL The yong
Gran in the science who seemed disposed TO, hold bis
ground against them.
In the evening, various audience gathered in the Town
Hall 10 hear Prot. Lese's culOgy Edward Hitchcock,
late President Of Amherst College This DISCOURSE Oh
was introduced by remarks from Prof Henry, was O. cIs
table production, possessing decided literary tone md
merit S2peYlat inarred by oyeremo'eness OF HIS
ration aid redundancy Of eplthct u YET beld the autn
ZION OK the audiepce, sufficiently technical but not
Pedansc, dtsiininaiive and sincere Prof Lrse toys
Hvr on this occasion, proved propiti0us. We suppose
mat the gang we're IN good condition, the glands neither
eonsesisd ppr AtLoPhis, Two days yea remain for our
as2Iplon III Thg TmBUSgs patience will POD ont, We
VIII make mem the subject of third and lss e'tet
% ias PoVRrH SCIENTIFIC SESSION.. sh ..st
From Our spscA Corrspondent 5sv ..I g8yig l1fasst
-'i' ID la NORTHAMPTON, Mass, ,Arg, v, 1876, J