New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-07

previously Known.
Prof Loidy described the cyclosis Of Nitelld' and
| certain remarkable movements of the granules III
the cells of pcuchcrid These moved at q very slow
rate and independently OF each other a paper Oh
variations III color and character IN certain ih'o''
larvie was presented by Thos G. Gentry
Prof Cope remarked that there were four species
of RtpiRdRd allied tO tine musk deer found IN tne
Colorado Miocene, viz: The Le0RerBr eUdhse' LeuH'
and three specimens newly described by hin' W.
HyprtraGitas oatcdrats II. hieosfdias and Bypl-
sods qini,ems The last was stated to be larger
than gray squirrel. HypdtrGgatUS was q G Nv
genus, characterized by the isolation OF the nts'
premOar and the sectOria form OF the peD1itimde-
Prof Cope also communicated as results OF stuops
on Ungulates of the Ploccne formation OF C0ioiauo
two points of interest1) that the FOSSIL horses o
the genus PrOtObippaS Leidy possess three oes
as in Hippothipm ~ that the camels lfor ihsta'o'
Prooamei.s hotuodontas Cope are furnished WIN
full set of upper IncisOrs, as IN the sWIho'
WASHINGTON: PHMOSOPnCAL SOCIETY OF WASH
NGroN: Jan. 15.--Prof Henry, as chairman of the
committee offered resolutions relative to the loss
sustained by the science OF the country IN the death
of Prof Lonis Agassiz letter was read by BenJa-
min Hallowell of Sandy Spring, Md, giving the re-
suits of some computations made by him relative To
The meteor of Christmas eve. Among other results,
he concluded the velocity of the meteor to have
been more than II miles second. In the course OF
remarks following this communication, the opinion
was very generally expressed that the noise heard
in connection with the meteor was produced by the
propulsion of the air IN front of it, as is the case III
the discharge of cannon, and that it was not pro-
duced by the conclusion OF air rushing into the
vacuum behind il.
The formal paper OF the evening was cOmmunl-
cation bv Prof. E. :. Holden of the Naval Observa-
tory on the adopted values of the SUMS apparent
angular diameter. In this paper after giving
tabular view of the different values OF the solar
diameter, as adopted by the nautical almanacs and
the eminent astronomers of various nations the
author proceeds TO the detailed study OF over 3VO
h t..rtng NJ
ton and Greenwich. Heinvestigates the dependence
of the quantity in question upon atInosphercal con-
ditiOns and on personal pecularties OF observing
aud finally deducos "a value OF the suns claineter
presumably more correct than those adopted IN
standard astronomical works
| PHILADELPHIA: ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES.
The Annual Report of the Trustees of the Building
| Fund, lately made TO the Academy, contains some
interesting facts in reference TO the magnificent
building now being erected. In June last contracts
were made for the iron beams for the museum floor,
and for the construction of the building up 20 and
| including setting the Hoor for the sum of about
| $4,000 Under these contracts the walls have been
| built 90 feet above the watertable, and the iron
beams of the first or library floor, of the entresol
floor and Of the museum floor, have .been laid, and
the structure covered for the Winter. Twenty
feet are yet to he added to the walls before they viii
| be ready to receive the roof.
To incose the building with freprOof roof and
| to complete the wing which is now in process OF
construction viii, il is estimated require addi-
tiOnal sum of S1j40O0. If the work can be resumed
early in the coming Spring, it is thought that the
building be ready for the reception of collections
by the LIST of May, 1875 But the transfer and proper
arrangement of the collections will probably require
year at least, that time is TO be lost in order
to have the building ready to receive visitors at the
| Centennial in 1876 The funds on hand at present
do not promise very vigorous continuation of the
work the balance available for the year 1874 being
| but about $1,000. Ii rs hoped, however that the
needed amount viii be forthcoming before the build
ing season opens.
This new edifee is at the southwest corner of
Nineteenth and Race-sts. and covers of 1856 by
IS feet 1t will have an elevation OF 81 feet from the
pavement to the conice. The area of floor space,
including that OF the galleries III the Museum, s
| Academy.
| PHILADELPHIA: ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: Jan. c.
Dr.. J. Gibbons Hunt stated that he had discovered
two interesting points of anatomy in plants found
| in the New-JeTsey swampS. One was that in Meny-
antilles djoliata there exist isolated steate cells
| these he regarded floats. The other
was the presence of a system of tubes in the fern
Sckie0q pusiLid These tubes are closer, and each
sends out transverse diverticua toward correspond
ing ones of other tubes. Specimens were exhibited
under the microscope.
Prof Leidy described the structure aud habits of
Rotifer mentioned by him several years ago under
the name of DictyOphord He stated that it is COM
mon on the under sides of leaves in the SchuylkiD
| River 1t does not possess the usual wheel or
gans' of the RotiGTa, but instead bag-like net,
| with open mouth, which could be closed by means
of circular muscular fbers in ITS walls Though as
| large as the body, it could be drawn into it by
| inversion so IN empty the contents into the
psOphaCns. These consisted Of numerous animal
| cules which he caught AT each throw of the net
! Prof. Cope stated that Prof J. ;. NewberTy, di-
rector of the Geological Survey of Ohio, had sub
mtted to him n number of vertebrate remains from
| the coal measures for determination and descrip-
tiOn. Some of these Pg1opteTHS scateiatas, Newb),
previously supposed 10 be fishes ne had referred TO
the Batrachla (COLOsteas, Cope, on account of the
| presence of well developed legs while Others, sup
posed TO be "Teptiles" or amphibianS,' he had
certained 10 he fishes, g. O., Peptornd dnthrdcnd,
| Cope. Additional specimens of this species having
come to hand he was in position 20 state that it
possessed gular bones and Opercua large patch of
| granifOrm yOmerine teeth, smooth cTanial bones,
aud mucous tubes and pores in the mandbular bones.
He stated that his genus Conct'0pSi differed from
C0IdcdnGns, AgassZ, in the absence of oSSeOus swim
bladder etc.
SALEM, MASS ESSEX INSTITUTE: Jan. s.-Presi
dent Wheatland III the chair. Mr. Byron Groce Of
Peabody read paper on 1.-THE Study of Natural
History in Schools in which he thoroughly advo-
Gated its introduction by substituting il for of
the less useful studies now pursued. He also gave
an account of the method he had followed in the
High School of Peabody, stating that during the
Summer be took his school into the woods and fields
for half day each week. taught the scholars to col
lect specimens and preserve them properly; then
had the specimens arranged in the school cabinet,
and on unpl easant days i'll the Winter they were
used for instruction In this way a lively interest
had been created in the school, and Natural His
tory Club had been formed among the scholars Tor
the purpose of carrying on the study.
Meeting Jan 10, President Wheatland in the chair.
Mr.. Alfred Peabody read a paper (which will be pub
lished in full in the historical collections of the In-
stitute on the first voyage to California from Salem
in 1913 and on the early history of California, &c.
Mr.. +. w. Putnam exhibited two Indian skulls that
had been found in Saugns, and presented to the In