New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-15

o,a an ,osroed 10 draw for himself with wonderful skill
lie then found no engrayer VINO o0uid 20 ms ps
Pcrce smoke OF the greatness Of the in astronomy H.
troduced by Mr.. Rutherford. MI.
DR. r. A. Gould next offered paper " On the Reduc.
f;on of PHOTOGRAPHIC Observations With dcterhhaU
~ the po.j,on OF the Peiades for photographs, by M
Rutherford" lie recounted the ingenious character euN
importance Of Mr Rutherford work Ind said thsl NO
sepresened this paper only because Mr. RuherioIu
not incorporate it with his statements OF PiOo. -
results His paper too abstruse for an apsI"
lie closed with tribute to the great value % the
fords discoveries, and believed that WOu t,e in
greatest accession to our astronomical means SiH00 ~ -
prof Peirce continued in the same strain saying ,naI
the astronomers were going TO drive poor eeovs
hmselfcra7y by pjling upon them oDstr'"uoN' ' 'D'
they could work them away
Ii was now II o'clock. MI, eeo;,;,o.;r
c CrverSion of Longitude and Latitude into Right AS
cension aud Declination was next IN ouef. mi rsteI
said that he had little 10 say and would on account OF the
it of the hour say nothing except TO ask the usual
reference of his Table 70 Committee ana that IL mght
he nrnted il found valuable MesSrs Pelree, b. A. Gould
aud f. A. T. Barnard, were appointed as such committee
DIR. j. j. Wilder gave an account OF the Nephlih
Plnmisses or silk Spider of South Carolina This very
curious he had made an object OF careful obsca
ton He gave account OF the habits OF this spider and
OF its unusual way of building its web. The center of the
web always four times as far from the bottom as from
the top. The spider stretches first scaiodlng winch II
afcward bites off, and the radll. Then weayes us con
Meeting lines but instead of going round and round Ike
the common spider, 1t turns at the top ana carries
the line back the other way, only to turn yet again.
This line is pure dry silk incapable Of holding ny:
On reaching the outskirts il spins returning line parallel
to the first until 1t reaches the center AT each place
where is fastened to the radius it caught up so as TO
form notch This line is covered with gum, which takes
the form of beads The female at least 10 times larger
than tho male. The curious process of casting the SKIN
was then infinitely described and proofs were gwen OF the
creatures blindness. Other interesting facts were
given, which may DO found in popular
ized form in an article in "The Atlantic,
by Dr. Wilder, GLOW Our New Acquaintance
Spin" III added that he had never been able 10 persuade
one of these TO spin web for vertical frame
II always built its web at an anglo Of abut 20, ana re-
NAMED the under side Of it. When 1t wanted 10 re-
build, il always ate up the part 70 be removed. ,
DR.. Wilder exhibited several photographs OF the smder,
web &C. and specimens alive and dead OF the creature
itself together with the beautiful silk II SPINS
Messrs. Agassz, A. A. Gould and lie Comte were ap'
pointed the usual committee on this paper ,
Papers or Metcoroogy," by Prof Henry, and meth,
ODDS OF illumination of vague objects under high powers OF
tive Illuminating apparatus" by f. A. T. Barnard were
the only ones remaining on the list. Both these
gentlemen however, preferred 10 have their papers de-
terred until the January Sessions IN aShlnglOn.
The academy therefore closed its scientific session and
business session tonight ends the meeting hlany OF the
members have already left town. aud few II any OF the
rest Will remain beyond Monday.
The only business Of importance that has been done ~
this session is the election of Alexander AgassZ, son oil
Prof AgaSsiz 10 vacant membership.
Ii may DO asked why such body az the National
Academy of Science should come up to country town
like Northampton IL is sufficient answer that the mem.
bers have had heartily good time here Tho cabinets OF
Amherst College, the magnificent views OF this neghbor-
hood have not been forgotten between the scennc meet
lDgs and il would be hard TO find pcasanter place Tor
such body meet at such season Of the year. than this
beautiful, hospitabe old town. 49,.
large parry of the members, their families and friends,
have gone enjoy the scenery IRON Mount oy0ke TINS
afternoon.
The people of Northampton will remember their stay
with pleasure.