New-York tribune., 1876-02-26
PROCEEDINGS or SOCIETIES.

ELMRA, y. Y: ACADEMY OF SCIENCE: Jan.
lO-Ts being the annual neo'ing, T. II. Atk.nsou ~as
chosen President, and Mr.. ID. H. Ford Secretary AMI
Treasurer
TRENTON :NEw-JERsEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: {:
Jan 2OTLe reports u; the Corresponding Secretary ana
Librarian were read. 4 committee announced e-Sc!
OF - OuO To the society he late Thomas bniins a"
New,rk A memoir upon the Rev. john Wi,Horsi i"un
d. D. was read by the i.cy. d.. Melon of PInceon.
POuGuKEEPsIE SociETl OF NATURAL SCI
EScE: Jan IOAnnual meeting tn report OF the con
lit.n and progress of tlc Society durn the year
presented b. .hc President. Nj. c. Van Bruut The So
ccty was 0rganzrd the 2sth Of September. ls7! At
subse1uent meetings numerous original papers on
various subjects OF natu. history, Soolofy &c. h-d
been presented, among th'm descriptions Oi quite
numb.r of new species. Nj Van Brgut eNprossed the
pchsc Of publishing selection, at least Of these papers
In the orn Of bulletin
BO.ToN: MASSACHUSETTS HIsTORICAL SoCI-
ETY. Jan. l3.Approprate resolutions and remarks were
presented to tie death Of the late eXGoN
Clifford and also of another member. Earl sttnhope
Mr. Thomas Robbins of Philadelphia communicated the
information that o. Edward Whaey the ieg'ride, wao
my.tefiou,ly disappeared frn his hidngpacc IN Con
mcccut, found bis way Ia Virginia where he joined hs
family Who had come there from Iu gland 'roiu the
worked hi. way mp INTO Mlriaut aud - tiel "n an oh
point -: land IN the caste nmo@ county Of Tue STATE
There hc hyrd safely, and died and buried hi-
farm. His grave Lad he pointed out {" MI Robbins
Boston: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE or TECH
SoIOGY Jan. l3-IIof. l.. C. Pickering made eoiint
ncaion on methods OF Typographical survey
ing among mountains, replacing advanageouAy the old
method trigonomctrca survey, which h very eNpen
,ye a. well as inaccurate. instrument devised by
hn was exhibited, the object being to dispense with the
graduated circle and its bulky and heavy stand md to
be able to make correct observations without the ncces
sty of ascending the mountains thus saving much n'
labor and expense lie brought TO the notice Of the meet
ing three separate methods each having It's special AZ
uh, tr.t new n
small and portable telescope Lightly and Tniy noun cd
having plano glass mirror In front 0 the OBJECT gass
ly placing this mirror AT the proper angle the two I'M
ages OF an object made to coincide Two positions
being taken on the ne at right angles to the oh
lect SEEM the measurement OF the different angles from
these different points enables tie to
tie distance with great degree Oi accuracy second
tie Instrument above uscd inr mc.suiS Loikoni"l u.s
tauces being made To turn 0J' i,s longitudinal axis
may then be employed ior determining lights Third
te third form Oi apparatus Tor woralus out deals
sftT certain main feature had been c;cIn
means and especially valuable for making contour
maIs This device Is modification Of the camera Oh
scIra easily transported and managed. One application
this simple apparatus ia the determination Oh the hight
and yeOcty of The clouds, the distance oil tubdcr
cloud and the velocity OF sound lie Thought IT might
he applied to ascertain The night OF meieoro when they
come from any known direction In the heavens.
BosToS: AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND
SCIENCES: Dec 14-Prof. Gibbs gave ali account OF
new material for exciting Burseu Grove battery. by
which all acid other offensive fumes were avoided
Prof Asa Gray read paper burs in the bordge family
and curious form Of bur which characterized his
new genus Harpd0Oneld, discovered on Guadaloupo
Island Lower California, by d.. J.. Palmer. Prof
sharples read paper ombodyng the results Of numerous
analys,s of milk produced the ucghborhOod of Boston,
by which appeared that the average richness of the
pure MILK reckuned by the amount oi solid matter, sur
passed that Of the European analyses lie also entered
warning against the use of green papers containing
arsenic now sold in many shops for ornamental purposes
and WORT Of all. for kindergarten materials Prof W.
Ia ~ for,
the equations adopted by him the discussion OF periodic
errors in right ascension Prof. Rogers also read
municatOn by Mr. l. TrOuyeOt, giving an account O his
physical observations the planet Saturn; al-o,
IempeliB nebula In the Plcades.
Jan. The following papers were read Improve
mens in inland navigation fcrulting from the nroduc
tion OF u system OF movable dams, u-cd the
smaller French rivers, by Prof william watson; Dcscrp
lion Of apparatus To measure directly the strain to
which the different bars Of iron lattice eirder eX-
posed by Prof Watson tie focalled ehcric current.
showing that Il n IeGrabc 10 form OF satcal Undue
ton of electricity by Prof. John Trowbhdso; the
Obscura substitute for tie plane table ard
meteorological Instrument by Prof ~ g. Pickering.
Jan. 2G.--A paper was read by Prof. Vim. Watson on
the Method o Water supply To the Canals Of the Prov
ince OF Champagne France where the natural sources
are Insufficient, giving tho details Of where the
water Of The Marno Ia raised to the necessary hight by
Of pumps AT distance OF ~ miles from the upper
level OF ihe canal supplied The river supplies the
needsd power, turbine wheels being employed ior div-
INK force pumps peculiar ia he construction OI their
valves which similar In principle Ia those of the
sbam engine. The results very Hntsfactory Tue
expense Of Raising 900 ccDtnofos Of water 10 "a sui-
ci"bt hlRt beng oDiy onelwolh that 81 steam power
Prof Watson Ia another paper described the
pfoyrBsbis Ia the construction Of locks by which "a
saving Of wafer In effected. tho principle applied being
that 0f the hydraulic ram, 10y whloh tho momentum Ol
The falling wafer, clihrf In cmptynR or nDg the locks,
10 uzd IN the for the return OF a portion OF
the 10 the canal aboye aud In the ether for
Ing part 0f Tho required quantity from tho channel
below. Iy this nearly half the ordinary waste Ia
avoided without rial increase IN the time required
aud by very simple arrangement of condus aud open
ings.
Fob Diapers were read by Prof T. II. Stafford On
the Solar Motion and Stellar Distances" BY Prof VIII
liam Watson, On Some New Forms oi Iron viaducts -
also, by Prof. Watson, "On Two New Machines Used In
tic Construction " Tidal. Coast and Harbor Works."