Letters were received and read:

From the Prince of Canino and Musignano, dated Rome, June 8th, 1846, calling the attention of the Society to the approaching meeting of "Scienziati Italiani:" and,

From Col. Abert, dated Washington, July 14, 1846, accompanied by an obituary notice of the late Mons. Nicollet, prepared by him for the Society.

The following donations were announced:

FOR THE LIBRARY.

Abhandlungen der Mathem. Physikalischen Classe der Königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Vierten Bandes Zweite Abtheilung. In der reihe der denkschriften der xix. band. München, 1845. 4to.-From the Academy of Sciences of Munich.

Bulletin der Königl. Academie der Wissenschaften. 17th September to 8th November, 1844. Nos. 51 to 57, inclusive. 1st January to 2d December, 1845. Nos. 1 to 52, inclusive. 1st to 7th January, 1846. Nos. 1 to 5. 4to.-From the same. Andentungen zur Charakteristik des Organischen Lebens nach feinem Austreten in den verschiedenen Erdperioden. 4to.-From the same.

Almanack der Königlichen Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaf ten für das Jahr, 1845. 12mo.-From the same.

VOL. IV. -2 N

The Thirteenth Annual Report of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society, 1845. Falmouth. 8vo.-From the Society.

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

Vol. I. May, 1841. No. 2. Vol. II. March and April, 1845. No. 8. Vol. III. May and June, 1846. No. 3. 8vo.-From the Academy.

The American Journal of Science and Arts. Second Series. No. 4. July, 1846. Vol. II. 8vo.-From the Editors.

The American Journal of the Medical Sciences. Edited by Isaac Hays, M.D. New Series. Vol. XII. No. 23. July, 1846. 8vo.-From the Editor.

The Medical News and Library. Vol. IV. July, 1846. No. 43. 8vo.-From Messrs. Lea & Blanchard.

The African Repository and Colonial Journal. Vol. XXII. July, 1846. No. 7. 8vo.-From the American Colonization Society. Twenty-sixth Congress, 1st Session, House of Representatives, Doc.

No. 239. Mineral Lands of the United States. D. D. Owen's Survey of the Mineral Lands in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Northern Illinois. 8vo.-From the Hon. J. R. Ingersoll.

Twenty-ninth Congress, 1st Session, Senate. No. 405. Report on

the Joint Committee on the Library. 8vo.-From Mr. T. R. Peale.

Some Observations on the Ethnography and Archæology of the American Aborigines. By Samuel George Morton, M.D. 8vo.From the Author.

Elementare Darstellung der Analyse der Fixstern-Bedeckungen des Herrn Geheimen Rath Bessel. Von C. Rümker. Hamburg, 1846. 4to.-From the Author.

Primary Address to the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Delivered May 20, 1846. By Alonzo Potter, D.D., Bishop of said Diocese. 8vo.From the Author.

Pastoral Letter addressed to the Clergy and Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. By Alonzo Potter, D.D., Bishop of said Diocese. From the same.

Addresses at the Inauguration of the Hon. Edward Everett, LL.D., as President of the University of Cambridge, Thursday, April 30th, 1846. 8vo.-From President Everett.

Critical and Miscellaneous Essays. To which are added a few Poems. By Alexander H. Everett. Boston, 1845. 8vo.-From the Author:

Mr. Webster's Vindication of the Treaty of Washington of 1842; in a Speech delivered in the Senate of the United States, on the 6th and 7th of April, 1846. 8vo.-From the Author.

Reports of the Joint Special Committee appointed by the Select and Common Councils of Philadelphia, to consider the Petitions and Communications relative to the Pennsylvania Rail-road Company, July 2d, 1846. 8vo.-From Mr. S. W. Roberts.

ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY BY PURCHASE.

Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences. Tome XXII. Nos. 13 to 16, inclusive. 30th of March to 20th of April, 1846. 4to. Tables des Comptes Rendus, Deuxième Semestre, 1845. Tome XXI.

Annales de Chimie et de Physique. Troisième Série. Mai, 1846. Tome XVII.

8vo.

Niles' National Register, containing Political, Historical, Geographical, Scientifical, Statistical, Economical, and Biographical Documents, &c. From March to September, 1845. Vol. 68. From September, 1845, to March, 1846. Vol. 69. Folio.

Dr. Patterson, from the Committee to whom was referred the paper of Captain Stockton, U. S. N., read at the last meeting, and relating to experiments in gunnery made by that gentleman, reported in favour of its publication in the Transactions of the Society. It was so ordered, and the Committee discharged.

The obituary notice of Mons. Nicollet, prepared by Colonel Abert, was read by the Secretary. On motion of Dr. Patterson, it was directed to be deposited among the archives of the Society.

A letter addressed to the President of the Society, by Mr. Chauncey, dated June 26, 1846, and referring to a communication, entitled "On a Parallatic Eye-piece," forwarded to the Society by a candidate for the Magellanic Premium, was read. Dr. Patterson stated that the paper had been examined, and that one of the Secretaries had communicated indirectly with the author.

The attention of the Society was drawn by Dr. Bache to a paper, in the Philosophical Magazine, by Messrs. Binney and Harkness, on three fossil trees, termed, by geologists, sigilla

riæ. From the state of preservation in which these were found, these gentlemen were enabled to determine that the fossil plant, known as stigmaria, was the root of a sigillaria. Observations of a similar character, anticipating this discovery of Messrs. Binney and Harkness, were made some time since by Mr. Steinhauer, a member of the Society, and published in its Transactions.

Dr. Emerson remarked on the course and character of the late meteor: one of the most singular of its phenomena was its apparent proximity to the place from whence it was observed. Its movement was gradual from south to north, but, without approaching the horizon, it suddenly disappeared. Dr. Patterson stated these were the usual phenomena wherever it had been observed, but that its real distance was far greater than that at which it appeared to the eye.

New nominations, Nos. 190, 191, were read.

The Librarian reported, that in accordance with the request of the Chairman of the Curators, he had delivered to Henry M'Ilvaine, Esq., attorney of Joseph E. Bloomfield, the two silver Peruvian vases and the silver cestus, which were deposited in the Cabinet of the Society, by Mr. Bloomfield, on the 16th of July, 1820.

It was moved by Judge Kane, that so much of the By-laws as relates to the nomination of members, be referred to a Committee, to report such alterations as they may deem expedient. The motion being agreed to by the Society, Judge Kane, Dr. Ludlow, and Dr. Bethune, were appointed the Committee.

Mr. Ord offered the following preamble and resolution, which were adopted:

Whereas the eighth meeting of the Italian Association for the Advancement of Science, will be held in the City of Genoa on the 14th September next, and it is expedient that the American Philosophical Society be represented in that learned body, it is hereby

Resolved, That our fellow member, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino and Musignano, now residing at Rome, be invited to act as our representative at the meeting of the Association aforesaid, and that he be requested to aid in advancing all those objects wherein the Italian Association and this Society have a mutual in

terest.

The Treasurer made a statement as to the present condition of the debt due to the estate of Mr. Dunn.

Stated Meeting, August 21.

Present, seventeen members.

Dr. CHAPMAN, President, in the Chair.

Letters were received and read:—

From the Royal Institute of Sciences, Belles Lettres, and Arts, of the Low Countries, dated March 30th, 1846, announcing a donation to the Library of the Society:

From the Lyceum of Natural History, dated New York, August 3d, 1846, acknowledging the reception of Vol. IX. Part 2, of the Transactions of the Society:

From the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston, dated August 6th, 1846, stating that a copy of the Memoirs of the Academy, Vol. II., New Series, had that day been forwarded to the American Philosophical Society. (This volume had not been received, and a notice to that effect was forwarded by one of the Secretaries.)

From Professor John Muller, of Berlin, dated May 20th, 1846, acknowledging his election as a member of this Society: and,

From the Central Commission of Statistics of Belgium, dated Brussels, March 15, 1846, with a donation to the Society. The following donations were announced:

-

FOR THE LIBRARY.

Flora Batava, ou Figures et Descriptions de Plantes Belgiques. Par Jan Kops et J. E. van der Trappen. Nos. 133, 138, 139, 140, 141. 4to.-From H. M. the King of the Netherlands. Nieuwe Verhandelingen der Eerste Klasse van het Koninklijk-Nederlandsche Instituut van Wetenschappen, Letterkunde en Schoone Kunsten et Amsterdam. Twaalfden Deels Tweede Stuk. Amsterdam, 1846. 4to.-From the Royal Institute of the Netherlands.