New-York tribune., 1886-11-11
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
CHANGES IN SHELL FORMAIIOSs-AsTRONoMIC


CHANGES IN SHELL
RESEARCHES.
BOsroN, Nov. 10 (SpeciaD AT the session
Of the national Academy of Sciences to-day Professor
Alphens HYATT curator OF the museum OF the Institute
OF Technology, read n paper on primitive Forms of
Cephslapoda," giving history OF the radical forms
among the chambered shells OF the ainmonods tracing
evolution from straight into cOed and then into a
curved she'll which cycle Of changes followed in some
cases by Ietrogresson and DEGRADATION Of structure
resulting In return the straight smooth type Other
papers by Professor Hyatt on Case OF Evolution in
the Migration of Forms" and on Ltutes OF the Lime
stones o. Canada" interesting to biologists but
technical Professor Hyatt was pupil OF Agassiz and
s,rikngiy resembles nim in appearance but unlike
Agassiz he Is q firm believer In evolution.
Professor Peters OF Hamilton Cole presented chart
Of the stars In the group Presepe also catalogue OF
from positions in various astronomical
These papers enbOdy the result OF protrsced and con-
scentous labor aud the astronomers present expressed
the desire that they might be published as valuable con
trbulions to astronomical apparatus Professor o. T.
Sherman Of Yale presented catalogue OF bright lines
observed in the atmosphere OF Beta Lyree. This Is
variable star Sometimes all the bright lines are seen;
at other times only part OF them or none at ALL while at
lines all dark sone OF tho specra Indicate
the existence of magnesium and other metals In the at
nosphere In free and uncombined state The ooser-
yaions indicate that triple division exists in the
atmosphere tho outer layer consisting OF carbon and hy
drocal bOns which occasionally descend into subjacent
layer OF and undergo combustion and ultimately
into lie third layer where the intense beat again
separates the products OF the combustion into their
chemical elements This theory completely explains the
difficult problem Of the OF variability in tho vari
able 1t is obvious that PERIODS CT extensive
combustion be attended with bright light which at
times lacking The observations made by
using lenses OF great dspersve power and attraction
gratlnes Professors Pickering and Young commenced
the method employed
Dr. W. /. Elkn. OF Yale, read paper on The Rela
tive Motions OF tie Ph.iad~s Group drduced from
Iessureu made with the KoDig.berg and Yale Col
Iege helometsrs. He finds tho motions OF most OF the
group small, although few stars not belonging TO
IL show greater relative motion His method inyOl' ed
sD elaborate system trangulaon, whereby he located
the principal stars by comparison with four exterior
stars ell in the form OF quadrangle Tho results
of combining the tally with such refined
accuracy that the probable error In position IS believed
to be reduced to part In less than eight million
Professor b. A. Gould, in commenting on tie accuracy
Of these ed that he had applied photog-
raphy locating the OF the Pleiaes group twenty
years Tut that the accuracy OF results BY phoogfa
phy could he npared with these because OF the
difficulty OF applying such miDue measurements 10 tae
photograph at least in tue present stage or science
The afternoon session private being devoted 10 The
consideration of the presidents annual report 10 Con-
gess Professor Alfred Russell Wallace Will address
the Academy tO-mOrrO \ by invitation.