New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-23
THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
SECOND DAY OF THE MEETING AT WASH
INGTON.

ocvss or THE NITRIC sYsTEM--THE CATSKiir.
MOUNTAIN GRoUP-FAcTs LEARNED FROM THE
TRANSIT OF VENUS EXTINCT ANIMALS WITH
lrrrIE BRAINs-APPLiCATIoN or TIE sTGHEo-
SCOPE To GEoNvTRICAL sTuDY-A SUBSTITUTE
fOR TUE GREGoRIAN CALENDAR
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT or rfR rfipUNE.l
W,surxoroN. April 21.-Another cool but delight
ful Sp,ing day has favored this meeting Oh the ma
t;onaI Academy, and there are several new tacS
s;,co vcsler,lay IN the audience. Among the MEM
hers present is Gen. John G.. Barnard. brother OF
Prof. BARNARD of Columbia College par mobile tfGtTn'
Con barnard appears 10 his greatest advantage IN
Tho excitement Of debate and TRIBUNE readers VIII
perhaps recall occasion whom he rose INTO absolute
ecouence at meeting Of the American Association, IN
speakjng of the scientific merits of American snip
buildine. Quartormastor-Genera Meigs was among
the members making their first appearance at this
session to-day and TO him Prof Horny, having an
engagement elsewhere, resigned the char' l"o
Pennsylvania me,obers were among the newcomers
DR. Weir Mitchell of Philadelphia ana fto'' - l.
Langley Of the Allegheny Observatory. Tho latter
moods no Introduction To TRIBUNE readers. His re-
searches on the constitution Of the solar surface have
been so profound and varied that We must suppose
that the murky atmosphere o. Pittshurghs helgh-
borhood rather helps in examining tho sun, since as
everybody knows il is best seen through smoky
glass Among the visitors to-day were MAJOR Fow-
ell well known for his explorations of the Colorado
canons and Prof f. g. Elliott of the Bureau OF Sta
tistics whose vast fund OF information on all sub
;ect in which figures accumulate is ever at the dS-
posa o. his fTieEds and the public.
The Academy elects only five now members each
wear These much-coveted honOrs were to-day be-
slowed on Prof. Robert L. Rogers of Philadelphia,
who has made his reputation in chemical researches;
Prof. Asaph Hall Of the United States Naval Oh
sorvatorg, who has done noted work IN astronomy;
Prof Apheus Hyatt, widely known as o naturalist,
and al present Curator Of the Natural History Soci-
ETY. Of BOSTON; Prof. Joseph lie Conte, geoogist Of
the University of California and cousin OF Dr. John
l.. lie Conte the entomologst OF Philadelphia; and
finally Mr. Lewis II. Morgan of Rochester, who has
made his mark in The world of science by nvesgat-
ing the traditions. customs, and languages of North
American Indians.
The meeting was principally occupied with the
reading of papers, and the only noteworthy approach
TO spontaneou remarks those of Prof Lesley
ut the conclusion of Prof GuyOts essay ON the re-
tions of the Catsldl group of mountains. The diff
ferinp opinions of astronomers might have provoked
discussion on matters connected with observing the
transit Of Venus but Prof Davidson WAS not present
at the reading of his paper on the subject, anu no.
BODY cared 70 enter the lists of argument with Prof
Newcolnb. A similar fact prevented debate on
Justice Bradlsy's scheme for reforming theCTeg0nan
calendar the paper being read in his absence by the
Secretary. Had Prof. Cope been present we might
have hoped for % battle of bones between him and
Prof Marsh, and possibly episode that would have
served for u supplement to the meeting on the
Stanislaus But everything decorous and slightly
dull. Below will be found abstracts of tho papers
read