New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-02
SCIENCE.
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES.

BALTIMORE MARYLAND INSTITUTE: Aprh 10
The annual election Of officers resulted IN the cnoice
of Isaac L. George, President and MT NJ H. oeaVer
Corresponding Secretary. Resolutions were pre-
eented in reference TO the hemoiT vi MI, H1G G
Bolton who for twenty years was treasurer Oh the
Institute.
BosroS: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECH
soroGY: April - One hundred and siXty-ninth
meeting Prof. A. Graham Bell made q communi-
cation. illustrated by diagrams, drawings, and
pupils on Visible Speech. system invented in 1864
by his father Prof A. Melville Bell In this system,
sounds are represented by symbols indicating the
positions assumed by the vocal organs during Their
production. After explaining the symbols, fioi'
Bell introduced the system of Universal AphaDeucs,
as developed by his father.
Boston, Mass; SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY
April l5-Dr, S. Kineland read paper on the
Geography and Geology of the Pacific Railroad,
which he illustrated 10y maps, specimens, and Ian
tern views. Capt n Z. Atwood of Provincetown,
spoke Of some of the most remarkable changes IN the
distribution Of fishes on the New-Engand coast,
which he had observed in his long experience as
fisherman. The buetsh, cod, hahDut, nackeI1Si,
Inenhoden and Spanish mackerel were especially
noticed fIe attributed their various appearances
and disappearances, not TO the agency OF man, but
10 causes wholly partially unknown.
BALTIMORE: MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL FACULTY
OF MARYLAND: April 15-Annual meeting, DR.. {.
H. Ohr President, in the chair. A paper was read
by Prof. Christopher Johnston Chairman Of the
Section of Surgery the progress of that branch
of medical science in which reference was made to
Che Bloodless Process of Surgery of Dr. Eskmark OF
Gernanv Dr. John Morris read paper the
use of Alcohol as a Remedy in which he stated that
ali experience proved 1t TO be really injurious ana
even poisonous. DR.. PenrOd of the Signal Service,
in Baltimore. made a report upon the Atmosherlc
Conditions Baltimore for the years 1871, lSl2 and
1873 giving at the same time Statistics OF the Nor
tally for the same period.
Boston: AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND
III h. q Los
Sumner Fellow also of Messrs. Hansen and
Kaulbach, foreign honorary members, were formally
announced by the President. DR.. II. T. Bowditch
read biographical memoir on the late NJ Louis of
Paris. A. A. Hays communicated paper on n
Practical Test OF the Condition and Publication OF
Natural WatcTs.' w. A. Rogers of the Cambridge
Observatory read the second part of his memoir on
:" Periodic Errors Observed III the Right Ascension
of Stars" the present paper being an explanation OF
the cause and origin of this class of errors. Mr..
Scudder read the report Of the Committee appointed
TO memorabilia the Legislature on the subject OF
new Scientific Survey Of the State, which was
adopted,
Boston: TIE PRINCE SOCIETY: April 14-At this
meeting the act of Incorporation recently granted
by the General Court was accepted, and the con-
stituton adopted. John Ward Dean was elected
President and Charles w. futile, Corresponding
Secretary. This Society was organized in 1885, Oh
the 17ls anniversary of the birth of the Rev. Thomas
Prince, the well known New-England antiQuaTy and
hook collector, in whose honor il is named. Its OBJ
sect is TO preserve and extend the knowledge of
American history, by editing and printing at the
expense Of the members, such manuscripts, rare
tracts and volumes as are mostly confined in their
nse to historical students and public libraries.
Among the works already published by the Society,
are Woods "New-England's Prospect" The
Hutchinson Papers," John DuntOn's Letters from
New gland "'"The Andres Tracts" "Sir William
Alexander and American Colonization" etc.
ST. JOINS. n. B.: NATURAL History SOCIETY:
MARCH MEETNG.-Mr. Matthews read paper the
NJ Hl..- -
Iinuaon Of one previously read before the Society;
the first having been devoted to the phenomena of
glacial stri@ and bowlder clay in Southern New
Brunswick. In this second article, the physical
aspect of the modified drift was discussed, and the
presence of group of beds at the base of this por
ton of the drift asserted their position in the
series had often been misunderstood, some biologists
thinking that they were above the Leda clay,
whereas in all cases examined by the writer they
we're beneath. The group consisted of stratihed
sand and gravel beds, with rounded and smoothed
bowlders and included eskers, moraine-rdges, horse
backs, and the so-caed beach deposits beneath the
Jeda clay. He thought that they were deposited in
deeper water than those of the Leda-clsy sea, at
time when the face of the country was swept by
powerful Arctic current The author suggested for
those beds the name "Syrtonsian," and traced them
nlong the Atlantic slope far south as Massachu-
setts: surmising that they also existed in the st.
Lawrence valley The Leda clays brick cay) on
the contrary. we're evidently deposited III bays and
hstuarieS free from strong current after the Arctic
current was shut off by land barrier or shOal.
During this period I.eda clay the land in South
New Brunswick was at no time more than 800 TO 300
feet below the present level This is proved by the
whole thickness of the Leda clay becoming sand OPP
pOse the mouths of brooks that come OIL hills about
6OO TO loco feet high. Ii is also shown by the fossils,
those from the middle part of the Leda clay indi-
eating depth of about 200 feet those of the upper
part about 100 feet, while the shells of the Saxicana
rand were lttOral. aud now lie at hight of from 90
90 10 feet above the tide This last group is cut into
terraces hight Of IS Feet and 40 10 90 feet said
aud gravel are mingled in the terraces above tins
hight, the latter pTedOminating IN the terraces
which exceed 200 feet. These higher terraces were
o. TO 100 feet another of $50 feet, third 800
feet. Above this, the terraces indistinct, and
merge into the gravel ridges of the SyrtODsian"
group of beds. At the April meeting Mr. Thomas
J.. Taylor read paper on Tides III which he as
sumed the position that they not dependent
hpOn the moons attraction entirely, is generally
supposed, referring to the absence of high tides in
tropical regions TO sustain his views where the
moons attraction acts most directly. The recently
elected officers of the Society are: William Jack,
President; F. r. Inches, Corresponding Secretary
q. F. Matthews Curator.