New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-10-20
ACADEMY or SCIENCES.
MEETING AT PHILADELPHIA.

A
PENNSYLVANIA - VARIATIONS IN LENGTH OF
STANDARDS OF MEASURE-A NEW INSECT.
IFHoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT or TIE TEIBUNE.l
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 17.-Last year and year
before the National Academy of Sciences made the queer
mistake Of beginning its Fall meeting on the second
Tuesday this MONTH when the October states were
busy with voting The blunder has not been repeated
this year. The present meeting not, however Hh'y
to be a large one Most Of the members have visited
this city since the opening OF the Exhibition, and there
are therefore few who wolld think OF combining their
Centennial trip with their Attendance on the meeting
The larger number viii hesitate about coming here
again late in the season. while the city is ciowded
Jam salts should AZ present be Philadelphia motto
minority Of the Acadcmicians who are here are grum
ling M the inadcquacy the cost Of their lodgings
There are the usual familiar faces Prof Henry prcsides
and has the appearance OF ucr health than on previous
occasions Prof. Hard g. usual the bland and genial
secretary Next IN venerable aspect To Prof Henry Is
President Barnard OF Columbia College. Prof James
Hall mast bee ranked with the elders since hc Is the He
OF New York state geology; the only time within recent
memory when ne could have passed for youth was dur
ip- an afternoon last August just after bis hat was
blown on rs he was crossing Niagara suspension bridge
then for a few hours boys cap concealed his silver
hairs. Prot.s S. TJldcuaun is no chicken In years.
though ne lives near tuichics, PENN bHt ne i
more versatile than most men, and keeps MP DIS
high spri,s and his ircsuuc., by dipping into a
separately eminent in geology. entomology, rhioiogy,
and archaeology, she last Of these being his present
hobby and Iudi 40 antiquities his speciality Prof. Peters
the astronomer Of Clinton, y. y, is here; no doubt
inc has a new asfcrod tucked away IN his waistcoat
pocket ready 90 Dee produced before the close OF the
meeting, Prof - J.. Langley Of the Allegheny ohscry-
atoly is evidently prepared To- report here That De has
diligently swept the suns surface and cannot hnl Nu'-
,tbetb PROF l. Tnnbuil viii read as chapter from
Letters 10 English and adopt htd AIcilh- ar ~ N''l
Tri, CON Abbot, ,, tel, G- lust how mach 81 great
shake the Hell Cate explosion is 90 De- considered Di.
J. L. toutc hI- settled the family r'atgl' II aAu''r
colcoptorous bug with terrible name. Prot HAYDEN
donil.s, las some new di .coycrrs from tl" Gar Wost
Prof j. T. lesley l. prepared 90 dcmou-ia.' hai Penn
syiylna has more mineral "rtl" th any oihs. econ
uudcr tuc sun while Prof. ~tbchWcL Of Cleveland can
tell Us Of an the mountains in the moon IIos H9rnt
where the meeting b, bcd-thc University oi Pcuus{i-
ana Prof Hyatt can no d"ub, scribe lof uS inc
| MISUNDERSTANDING d'uhth- ~ boston lih uOI' I'D, ..
But with This abundant material iur our eI'n'''l"l'
only tw" essays N,re I,hdl Tor "tI't.! to'.l In
rsccpt Prof Hruiys call 20 order. Prof j. H. IlrId
hS presented curious facts respecting some OF the
STANDARD bars 20 winch ul inca 'lr'' "e no" 'I,'i,u va
France. Eu-lluG, and this country. very OLD siaulaI"
wa, tested few years ago in Paris, lhs Vas platinum
bdI; o. was compared WIN NV non one ''t' ~ va"
cate from u 80 years ago The platinum bad brca ne
qucntlY heated and thoroughly worked before 10 TOOK
nu1 shape the iron bar The best LoWMour met al.
No apurcsiab!e difference 300 length could D. detected
needs brought o. peculiar rmcrnie To- n,asuie
ac uIdtcly; one tcmpcIaurc VIII 1t" Tor ". Dupli-
I
| made I'm ANA sent 10 this country each
Of our States entitled O. one % these. lrul IlEud
compared OF them with the bronze bar n England 81
when they are supposed t0 Doe duplicates. lie found %
variation of OUOOJi Ihi, is u1dmi-shic error iu
! a standard. An ordinary, barely Itrccprblc scratch
/ NAV be- d thousludth Of inch wide; therefore the
;hrd ol that D. tu apVrccinbic qu'nuy. Gen. Com
stock who was using OF the iron duplicates iu the
survey northern Lakes, had il sent &" England aud
similarly tested by with the bronze standard,
and the same amount of discovered. Prui.
IHlgird believes that the bronze not the iron has
changed and that Tho alteration Is due to Of the
metals in the alpy-llmost crystalline bronzc-Ucing Do
"A state Of tension when the STANDARD was made. Ih,
view was taken by the international Metric Commission
| and consequently ] making tie platinum standard
meter the metal rcurcd and Hur ed over nearly
200 times The standards made IN duplication OF this,
OF east steel for States, correct to the lOuJOth
u an inch they differ from each other less the
! lOO,OOOth Of an inch.
! Dr. j. H. he Comics paper on the hypoccphlus was
very Ibccyc there is only specimen OF the
insect u tuis country that is lu the Brtzl exhibit
Nam Building, Centennial grounds. IL b. about lunE
as ones finger and resembles Fat mole crickr Dr. Lc
believes that careful study OF existing insect life
viii do 10 demonstrate its course of development
than all that accomplished by means OF fossils ne
hypOccphalus is especially OF service a missing uL
between relations II l. quite certain that insects have
kept such the have now, with comparatively
slight change, during many ages