New-York tribune., 1873-12-20
SCIENCE.
AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES


,eY. Prof A. Hyatt read paper on the Evolution OF
the Jurassc Ammonies endeav oring to show the cor
relative between individual growth and that OF the
sTscos this group. Dr. ii. Hagen said that III n re-
cent attempt TO copy from number OF ola N1hs Ls
tLe hgnres OF the tailed man" he had fouhd ua'
they were all copies often reversed one from an
other The original is bad figure of StniG or mac
scaGs, Linn. bv the old knight bernrq 1oIs 0n
Rreydeubach in ms Voyage to Palestine lo4e
Repeated copies with slight changes produced
finally, the exaggerated figure by Buhon 9i ho"o
ooEdGiaS DR.. Hagen exhibited a series Oh drawings
illustrating tins metamOrphoslS
BoSToN: AMERICAN ACADEMY or ACTS AND SCI
ERCEs-Nov. 12-M. Remusat Of Paris aud Prof
Wohlor Of G0,tingen were elected Foreign Honorary
Members Mr. Rodgers of the Cambridge Observa-
tory made Communication on Periodic Errors oi
the Transit Chcle, The Secretary read portion OF
tbe Councils report, being notice of the life ana
works of the nate John Stuart Mill.
Dee. 9.-Prof. Lowering read q paper rrticiSing
come points in Mr.. Hnggins's mode of ascertainlng
fbe velocity and distance Of the fixed stars by the
speetIoscOpe and showed that the movement cannot
be referred to that of the solar system III space
Prof Cooke read paper on Certain Mlcace9uS Iiy-
drosibcates especially ON new variety OF 1tluOuS
Mca named SteTlinglte, from the Sterling mine, ana
an Anhvdrouss Mica Jefiriesite, from West Chester,
Penn. Suggesting also probable cause Oh me Narla
mon nm the optieal axes. Prof Pettee, IN the name
of prof J. H. Whitney. presented the New Map OF
California executed by the California STATE Geo
W
tion OF the hight of Mount whitney 14sS feet with
probable error which may reduce II 10 1859 feet.
Prot. Wm. Everett made communication on no; no.
man Names Of Persons ana ainLles, ana inc prih-
tiples upon which they we're gwen.
SAN FRANCIsCo: COMMISSIONERS OF YOSEMITE
PARK-MEEI1NG Nov. T.-This Commission. con-
sisiing Of Newton Booth. Governor of California,
President: l. w. Raymond, William Ashburner. J.
d. Whitney Galen Clark, George w. Coulter, i. 5.
Holden, II. w Cleveland, and Edgar Mills. held
then regular meeting the affairs of the Yosemite
Park which, il will be remembered IS Govern
nent reservation for the benefit of the nation, placed
jn CHARGE Of the State Of California, by which Com
missioners are appointed for its care. The Board
resolved 70 ask the Legislature TO cause the Yose
mite grant TO be known as the Yosemite Park, and
te bg tree grove as the Big Tree Park and also for
"a sufficient appropriation to enable the Commits
.iOners to employ suitable person to lay ont the
Park with roads. to construct bridges and to make
such permanent improvements as may he deemed
necessary; also that suitable reservations shouid
te made for hotels, private cottages, etc Inc oD-
iect III changing the name Is TO impress the publc
with the idea that they cannot seize Tor private
purposes what belongs solely 10 the State. Other
resolutions adopted were as follows; c-,.
R,SOU6d That II is the present policy OF The Cotnlns
not to make long leases in the Yosemite valley
uuti after The action OF the Legislature.
Resolred. That the Guardian give notice 70 all resi-
dents the Valley that they will be expected TO pay an
the amount 10 te fixed 10y the Executive Com
mtee and the rents TO be paid to the Guardian and TO
other person.
The officers of the Board were reelected as fol-
lows: President, Newton Booth; Vice President j.
H.: Whitney; Secretary and Treasurer, William Ash
tnrnor. Executive Committee, !. ID. Whitney, J.
w. Raymond. William AshDurner. Adjourned 10
meet III Yosemite IN June, 1874
WASHINGTON: PHHosOPHICAL SoCIETY-Dec 6.
Regular fortnichtly meeting at the Army Medical
MDsenm. Mr. Hilgard Of the Coast Survey exhibited
an apparatus constructed for the Survey, and by
which extensive researches have been made into the
absolute and relative errors IN the observation OF
The transit Of star. The Investigations specially
related to the errors a the Coast Survey longitude
determinations, and the highly accordant results
gwen by tins new apparatus showed that even the
best observers liable to slight deviations from
uniform mode of observing, and that experienced
men NAV possibly vary a tenth Of a second on either
rde of the true time. These variations are more or
lees dependent on the varying physical ana mental
condition Of the observers, and as sneh changes can
not be altogether avoided II is evident that the ap
paIatns of Prof. ilgard must be considered as an
essential portion Of the outfit OF every longitude
campaign, and Of every liked meridian lnsuunent
where high accuracy " sought Tor. -,
Dr Killings gave a very interesting account Of the
growth and condition Of the Medical Library OF the
ARMY Medical Museum. his now contains 2o,WO vol
umes Of independent work and 1900 smaller pan1ph
lets aud theses The latter have been arranged ac-
nordng 10 the Universities whence they have issued
The completeness of the collection III comparison
with the actual extent of medical Literature cannot
te Very definitely stated. owing 70 the want OF any
complete medical blbhOgrapny. 1he nbraTles OF
Parls and London contain eGch 10000 20 100000 vol
nmes and pamphlets, but the Washington collection
contains fully 10000 works OF value not tonnd IN the
catalogues of those institutions and among them
many works of great rarity. The next largest
library OF the Kind ia America is that of the Phlla
aelphia COLLEGE Of Surgeons, which contains about
500 volumes.
w-YoRE AMERICAN GEoCRAPTCAL SOCIETY,"
Nov ll.-Chief-Justice DAILY in the Chair. Several
honorary members were elected at this meeting
among Others. Sir Samuel ". Baker, Lady Baker
Clements r Markham and Ismail Pacha, Khedive of
Egypt The list Of donations 10 the library was
presented by the Secretary. The President made
some remarks upon the results of the POIarls EXpe
diiion and upon the recent discoveries III Africa.
paper was read by Lleut. Fred Collins, L. s. ",
UIon The Isthmus of Daren and the Valley of the
AtIato Considered with reference to the PIactica-
b,hiy of Inter Oceanic Canal" in which he took
sIoi grounds III favor Of this ronte, and estimated
tbe total expense at about $56OO0OOo The only
routes that practically rival this be considered to
he the Tehuantepe and the Nicaragua and these are
rivals not account of advantage IN the constue-
ficB of the canal self, hut simply from their geo
graphical position But this is not sufficient to
eonnterbalaBee obvious disadvantages III other
respects
by Capt. Shufed II was shown hat the Ieng hwouid
lee "a miles that 10 would require $40 locks and
feeder q miles long. passing through country ex-
pOseG a. repeated earthquakes: and ihiee miles oi
tuHIeIlug W0UIG be Defnt0. Inc NIdideud IOule
would be 100 miles long and he equally exposed to
earthquakes. while there are no harb0Is at either
end. 10 connection with this cofnmIncailon
committee Of the Society appointed 10 collect
a,.L oOlIate all the information within IT. reach,
with respect Ia the different routes, anu to can ihe
attention of the proper persons To the same. Inc
meeting closed after the passing OF an appropriate
resolution reference 10 the recent death tCasslus
Darling, d member Of the Society.
DAVENPORT Iowa ACADEMY or SCIrSCH Nov. 2s.
The Vice President DR.. L. H. Hazen in The chair.
Mr. William II Pratt made IeI.ort Of hi explora-
toDs Of the Albany Illinois, mounds, during the
month Of August last commissioned by the