Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-08-30

nd The next paper was On 90 Te.lurium metal, >
s BY L. Bradley. A specimen of tellurit m wa'
exhibited, and an experiment detailed vhereon
'p comparison of its electrical quality as compared
ID with seven common metals Tellurium conducts
Z heat nearly as rapidly zinc. and possesses q
! brilliant lustre, usually considered chsrac;eris-
Is tic Of metals and nothing which is not in CON-
mon with metals, and therefore Mr.. Bradley
$ held that the placing it by the French among
4 the non-metallic elements must be erroneous.
: Some discussion followed as to metallic and non
metallic clements.
The next psper was on 4 new method Of nea-
E suring musical intervals on spiral projection,
, By Prof D TillmAn. By his method of ex-
E pressing the tones apd semitOms of the scale By
; diagram in spiral form, Prof Tillmsn ssid il
was possible instantly to make any required
incubation and to tell the notes used in IL In
the ordinary " tempered system Of music in use
there are but twelve notes in an octave, whereas
perfect and true system gives $40. No instru-
msnts but those of the violin and trombone
kinds can employ a perfect system, however,
and in practice it is thought best to temper in
struments so that they shall be pretty good in
the ordinary keys, peglecting diseords in other
keys Prof Tillmsn proposed also reform in
the " solfeggio." altering "do'' to to- and
sol to " do" thereby making the sighs the
first syllsbles of several prominent elements in
musical science.
Prof James Hyatt read paper on the scien-
ti6c and Practical relations Of Wood spirit, the
particular point being its value as a substitute
for alcohol in laboratory use it is comparative
/ ly cheap and the present tax on alcohol renders
the use ofthst expensive. A discussion followed
IN which PrOfs. Blake. Eustis and Gould took
part. Methylated alcohol Is in England free
from tax and is as good for most scientific pur-
poses as pure alcohol, but no distinction is made
in this country.
The section then adjourned to Saturday NOR
ming.
Section B. Natural History and Geology
City Hall
The fret paper was presented by Prof. New
berry, Of Columbia College. and discussed some
remarkable fossil fishes obtained from the De-
vonian rocks at Delaware, Ohio.
The Prot. exhibited some srecimcns which the
Rev II. Heron had obtained from these rocks
and submitted to his inspection. He regarded
them as parts Of huge fish, allied perhaps to
the gAnoid species. Both jaws were well pre-
served, and several teeth had been found en-
bedied in the rock. The entire head must have
measured three feet in length by two in breadth.
These specimens were very remarkable, ss-ossils
were seldom found in the formation from which
they were obtained.
The second paper was read by s. II. scudder,
of Boston, and was upon the Fossil Insects of
North America. The discovery Of fossil insects
in this country was Of recent date, and not more
than hundred species had been found. and
these principally in New Brunswick, Illinois and
Arkansas The only specimens yet discovered
in the Tertiary formation we're found near Green
River, Colorado.
Mr. Seudder's paper was very carefully pre-
pared, and elected the hearty Communications of
several members
Some remarks on the same subject were made
by Messrs Dawson, Worthen, Hitchcock, Yer
rill and Marcy.
The third paper was given By Prof. CH
Hitchcock Of New York, and was upon the WI
nooski Marbles Of Colchester, Vermont. The
marble was harder and sawn with more difficult
ty than that from most other qusrries. but the
beauty and true merits of the stone should COM
mend It for use in furniture and the construc-
ten Of houses 1t could be very cheaply trans-
ported to New York, as the coal barges usually
returned empty. Marble workers, however.
hal an interest in keeping this and other Amer
lean marbles out Of the market, IS they had
shares in Italian qusrries, and had feets en-
plOyed in importing foreign marble. Prof
read letter from Hon George Marsh, in
which he said that the Winooski Marble had
been examined by Powers and other sculptors,
who had pronounced it hne marble, fully
equal to that from some Of the famous quarries.
There was rone at the Exhibition Of reddish
color at all equal to it. 1t had less flaws than
the Italian marbles and less cracks needing to be
filed up.
Prof II exhibited several specimens, and
among others beautiful table top, finely pol
shed
Paper No. was by \ Verrill. Professor Of
Geology al Yale College, upon the Geological
Afinities Of the Tsbulste CorAls. He discussed
in clear snd inte resting way the differences
which characterize the various species Of coral
and the nature of the animals which formed
them.
a Il worthen, Of Springfield. Illinois, present.
ed the fifth paper, upon the Coal Measures of Il
linois. an, illustrated by diagrams the differ
enees found to exist in the oaI-bearing strata
o ( kentucky and illinois He gave list Of the
fossils found in these layers Of coal. and said
that his Investigations had convinced him that
these coal formations were persistent.
Col Whittlesey and Prof Newberry questioned
the view which Mr. worthen had advocated.
Prof. Dawson said that IN New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia the coal seams were not permanent,
but changed their character frequently.
Prof Hall made some remarks on the local
differences observable in the fossils Of different
coal beds in Penn
The sixth paper Was read BY Prof " Daw-
son, Of McGill College, Montreal BE DISCUSSED
some New Points in the Geology Of Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick, and presented specimens
Of the fossils found IN the Devonian rocks at st.
Johns. Four distinct Aoras were found here
lying the one above the other. In the Trissic
sandstone occurred remains Of coniferous trees,
and below, uilobites Of various species, giving
another formation to put at the base Of the Sill
urian. which he proposed to call the Acsdian
series, from the locality. The survey of New
foundland had developed q new Potsdam sand
stone, so called, several thousand feet in thick
ness. Drawings were shown Of two kinds Of foe
sil land snails, like those now found, and judged