The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-31
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass, August 20, 1868.
IN TINS quaint yet charming and picturesque local.
ny the members OF the National Academy OF Sciences
have just brought their seml-annual meeting to q
sose without adding considerably to the sum OF
human knowledge With one or two exceptions,
nothing of any public importance ELECTED during
the entire sitting, the majority Of the papers read
being Of an exceedingly abstruse and exceedingly
uninteresting character. Moreover, the attendance
was unusually small, and number of eminent men,
bers conspicuous by their absence Five years
ago the National Academy OF sciences instituted
at the suggestion OF q few sapans and
modelled upon the plan OF the French Acade-
Jnte des Sciences, with much difference however,
N pecuniary point OF view, as the members OF the
National Academy OF Sciences obliged to 'come
down" themselves, so that after ALL their meetings.
are not 80 pleasant and jovla rs they otherwise
might be. PROFESSIONALLY vast amount Oh pehe-
ncial knowledge has been dispensed since us lorna
non but whether from the fact that the MOTEL piiis
hooked heavy In the perspective or some osner
equally melancholy anticipations the discussions
took an unusually mournfu turn, battered skulls
and mouldy bones being the al-engrossing topics. q
The Court House OF Northampton seemed unusually
Gull all week or rather SINCE Tuesday last when the
proceedings commenced, and beyond question Timon
OF Athens would have Just been ut home among the
nlsantlroplcal congregation. Long hatred pro-
hssors Win manuscript hand the work OF months
but dose 20 all human ears except their gaZed
anxoasy through polisned specs and listened or
pretended 10 approve the ROCKY, bony and oily
EMISSIONS OF their neighbors. TO have seen the
Impatient twltenins OF toes, the nddlng OF
eminent gentleinan eypatialed upon some out
oi-theway topic was worth the journey Practical
sione, which doubt VIII be treated IN due course.
On the whO.e, therefore. the proceedings were not
papers presented Mere good IN their way and com
LenGapie as 'hird or siAth rate topics for such
keeung his rs me more surprisn g when IL Ii
sidered chat no man rs admiJted To the association
whose eminent services Tor sciences DO not entitle
him 10 recognition or whose name is not In some
important degree u Qualification. The membership
% Inc ACADEMY 10 b. law limited 10 nIty; Oi those
only twenty-five were present during the past ses-
sion. Few knew OF their arrival Ia the quiet aud
peaceful town oil Northampton; q clown or u fiddler
would nave sci tie town abaze. But the Academy
the Inhabitants are ignorant Of its existence.
Notwithstanding the absence OF the usual in
account Of the discussions which they ELECTED.
Tue business OF tuesday did not occupy much time.
the principal PAPER being "Notes on the Origin OF
Eitaincas y together with "a description OF expert
menls performed upon me formation OF asphatum.
which gave an elaborate account OF the origin Of
petroleum. anu tie various oil regions In this coun-
Try. The paper was by :. y. fecSham, aud was read
b. Professor j. ID. Whitney, of Cambridge The Sec
enc days lroceednss were almost conined to geo
bog cai subjects, many OF which possessed much
interest. Maps prepared with care and gotten up
from personal explorations were exhibited, and dis
closed the natural features OF the country repre-
aented. Minute typographical SURVEYS appeared TO
many OF them embracing over three thousand points
OF observation upon the surface OF few square feet
Tie geographicai facts set forth by Professor WHIT
ney met with approval and were compliment Ell by
several SdpdHs present. The maps e. hbited for In
pectlon showed the whole OF liumss county, ana |
enc on the scale of SIX miles TO the zach, compiled in
California and Nevada, gave good geographical In
ns 70 those S pess raeTe TeIe aso DISPLAYED
Valley upon the scale OF twenty-four miles TO
the inch. Professor Turning, OF New Haven,
enlightened his auditors IN paper upon an
invariable standard OF length Ii which he |
pretended that the best mode was to establish me
from injury In carefully constructed case. The |
condition OF the current at Hell Gate at high and low
hde5 formed the subject OF an interesting paper by
Professor Pierce. Some excellent illustrations were |
presented and formulas were deduced from which
the eject OF Instructions channel might be cal
suated. 1t was submitted that the current Itself
should be considered ~ u proper stream or river
noon session l. F. Pourtaies, OF washington and the
United states Coast Survey. presented paper on
Dsep sea DIeaGngs IN i tne ~, Gun STREAM" VIII
hons Of the Gulf Stream have been made within the |
last two years and have been attended 6y very IN
teresting rcsults. Mr.. Pourtaes and Mr.. Henry |
Mitchell were the parties TO whom the task was en-
trusted and their labors have been emarded with
depth OF 100 to 500 lathoinS, but not more than
twenty dredglngs could be made In one day. The
coast Of Southern Florida was shown upon q chart
from which II would appear that the nrst Tour or
hye miles rom tae shore are principally composed
shore there plateau which Is covered with line
stone consolidated into very hard substance from
the SnellS OF uciuuCt IHe specimens CHILL
litsd were gathered at various depths, and
Il considered that In the course OF
ages me kraouai asginuiauon Oh snen in,gnt
70 the coral insect, aud nus eventually reef might
be formed outside the present one however distant
the time. IL further appeared that there was an
Immense number OF bonesof the manatee, but how
they came there was not stated. BY I've successful
dredging forms OF animal life have been brought
mp, thus OF the crenods altogether different
nom the species hitherto known. The map ex-
hbiling the bottom OF the ocean or the coast was
very me and displayed bottom OF silicouss ana ex-
tending from the North OF Florida to Montauk Point
near Block Island probably lone hundred miles wide.
A calcareous bottom occupying the whole area south
OF Georgia was also displayed. The paper was
highly commended, and receiNd warm eulogies in
q letter from Professor Agassg and Others. The
next In order was paper on Ne Constitution OF
Uric Acid and Its Derivatives " Professor Wolcott
Gibbs Professor J. ID. Whitney presented paper on
the "Discovery OF the human skull In Caaveras
County, California" IL may be remembered that
this paper was read at the session OF the Ameri-
can scientific Association at ehicago few
weeks since. The facts put forward
many scientific men to give some evidence Of the ex
istence OF q pre-AdamIte man. Thlssku was dis
Sed in mass OF gravelly detrltus near tae bottom OF
deep shaft, which mad been sunk verucally nearly
iSe s ar neea rock y, inc Isnssrs
supposed II to be part OF the root 81 afossn tree:
Professor Whitney soon after came into possession OF
Il was found. The statements elected atthe mine
corresponded to the geological phenomen,n Of the
region The shan being full OF water II WAS found
impracticsbe to descend, but minute details were
gathered from the miners. 1t further appeared tina,
Mr. Materson, part owner OF the mine, had picked
up the skull from OF the beds. The lower Jaw,
the entire parieta and occputa parts and the lower
part OF the base are gone, but the bones OF
the face as well IA the frontal bone are
almost perfect vnquesuonably - Is tho skuil
Of an aged person. % the condition OF the
teeth tends 70 show. When FIRST discovered it was
covered with thin incrustaton OF calcareous
tufa which few weeks ago was chiselled or From
oil the surrounding circumstances Professor whitney
concludes that the discovery OF the Skull gives proof
OF an antiquity far exceeding that OF Adam. 1t IL
evidently no ordinary skull picked up at random. Ii
has the appearance OF having been violently broken
through the thickest part, and was probably swept
away IRON the place Of the original deposit by the
action OF water. An chronological examination by
DR.. Wyman showed the face somewhat deformed,
the region over the orbits strongly marked, the mo.
OF cheek homes prominent. He thinks ureaeuta