son, of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania, dated Jan. 29th, 1838, giving intelligence in relation to the ancient records of the State, and of the proposed publication of them at the public expense.

Stated Meeting, February 16.

Present, sixteen members.

Dr. PATTERSON, Vice President, in the Chair.

The following donations were received:

FOR THE LIBRARY.

Patologio Generale di Lorenzo Martini. 2 vols. Capolago, 1834.From the Author.

Polizia Medica di Lorenzo Martini. Capolago, 1834.-From the Author.

Constitution of the United States, Rules of the Two Houses of Congress, and Jefferson's Manual. Printed by C. Sherman & Co. Philadelphia, 1837.-From Mr. C. Sherman.

Familiar Letters on Public Characters and Public Events. By William Sullivan. Boston, 1834.—From the Author.

The Political Class-book, intended for the Higher Classes in Schools. By William Sullivan. With an Appendix upon the Studies of Practical Men. By G. R. Emerson. Boston, 1837.-From the Author.

Historical Causes and Effects, from the Fall of the Roman Empire in 476, to the Reformation in 1517. By William Sullivan. Boston, 1838.-From the Author.

A View of the Land Laws of Pennsylvania, with Notices of its early History and Legislation. By Thomas Sergeant. Philadelphia, 1838. From the Author.

Transactions of the Royal Academy of Berlin for 1835. Berlin, 1837. From the Academy.

Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zü Berlin. Berlin, 1836-7.-From the same.

Weekly Register. Edited by William O. Niles. Vol. LI. Baltimore, 1836-7.-From the Editor.

Original Notes of M. de la Palun on Father Morrone's Cochinchinese Vocabulary. From P. S. Du Ponceau, Esq.

Dissertation on the Nature and Character of the Chinese System of Writing. Being Vol. II. of the Historical Transactions of the Society. By P. S. Du Ponceau. Philadelphia, 1838.-From the Author.

FOR THE CABINET.

A Collection of South American copper coins.-From Mr. Condy Raguet.

Professor Henry, of Princeton, made a verbal communication on the lateral discharge of electricity, while passing along a wire as in the Leyden experiment, or communicated directly to an insulated wire, or to a wire connected with the earth; and detailed various experiments, proving that free electricity is not, under any circumstances, conducted silently to the earth.

Dr. Bache announced the death of Dr. John Eberle, a member of the Society, who died at Lexington, Ky., on the 2d of February, aged 54.

Stated Meeting, March 2.

Present, twenty-three members.

MR. DU PONCEAU, President, in the Chair.

The following donations were received:

FOR THE LIBRARY.

Atlas of Europe, executed at the Geographical Establishment of Brussels in 1833. Containing 165 Maps. By Vandemaden. Brussels, 1833.-From Mr. H. S. Tanner, and twenty-one other members of the Society.

Autographs of the Members of the Pennsylvania Convention for amending the Constitution. 1837-8.-From J. K. Kane, Esq. The Principles of Political Economy. By Henry Vethake. Philadelphia, 1838.-From the Author.

Magazine of Natural History. Edited by Edward Charlesworth. Vol. I. Nos. 10, 11, & 12. London, 1837.—From the Editor. American Journal of the Medical Sciences. Edited by Isaac Hays, M. D. No. 42, for February. Philadelphia, 1838.-From the Editor.

Etats Unis d'Amerique. Par M. Roux de Rochelle. Paris, 1837. From the Author.

The Historical Committee announced that they had completed the publication of Mr. Du Ponceau's Dissertation on the Nature and Character of the Chinese System of Writing, forming volume second of the Historical Transactions of the Society.

Mr. Walker read a paper, entitled "Determination of the Longitude of several Stations near the Southern Boundary of Michigan; calculated from Transits of the Moon and of moon culminating Stars, observed in 1835 by Andrew Talcott, late Captain of United States Engineers.”

The longitude of places in the United States, north of the Ohio, had hitherto depended on the observations of Ellicott and De Ferrer, made at points on the banks of the Ohio river, and on meridian lines drawn from this river, several hundred miles northward, by the deputy surveyors. From Mr. Walker's computations, it appears that Turtle Island, Lake Erie, has been placed only 1.7 geographical miles too far east on Tanner's Map. Its true place is 41° 45′ 9′′ N. latitude; and 5 hours, 33 min. 34.3 sec. W. longitude from Greenwich. Also, South Bend Lake, Michigan, has been placed 3.9 miles too far east; its true place being N. 41° 37' 6"; W. 5 hours, 49 min. 15.3 sec. These observations of Capt. Talcott will prove highly useful to geographers, by furnishing standard points of reference in the northernmost part of the United States.

Mr. Vaughan announced the death of Benjamin Dearborn, of Boston, a member of the Society, who died on the 22d of February, 1838, aged 83.

Stated Meeting, March 16.

Present, seventeen members.

Dr. PATTERSON, Vice President, in the Chair.

The following donations were received:

FOR THE LIBRARY.

The Statutes at Large of South Carolina. Edited under the Authority of the Legislature. By Thomas Cooper. Vol. II. Columbia, S. C., 1837.—From Dr. Philip Tidyman.

Speech on the Bill to suspend the Payment of the Fourth Instalment of the Surplus Revenue of the United States. By Charles F. Mercer. Washington, 1837.-From the Author.

Statistical Tables, exhibiting the Condition and Product of certain Branches of Industry in Massachusetts, for the Year ending the 1st of April, 1837. By John P. Bigelow, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Boston, 1838.-From Josiah Quincy, Jun., Esq. Reports of the Engineers of the Western Rail Road Corporation, made to the Directors in 1836-7.-From the same.

Fourth Annual Report on the Common Schools, Academies, and Colleges of Pennsylvania. By T. H. Burrowes, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Harrisburg, 1838.-From the Author.

Mr. Lea invited the attention of the Society to certain facts, mentioned in a " Memoire sur quelques Acephales d'eau douce du Senegal," by Mr. Rang, in relation to the torpidity of the Anadonta Chaiziana.

Mr. DU PONCEAU, President, in the Chair.

-

The following donations were received:

FOR THE LIBRARY.

Form of Prayers, according to the Customs of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews. Edited by Isaac Leeser. Six Vols.

Printed by Haswell, Barrington, and Haswell. Philadelphia, 1838.-From the Printers.

Elementary Treatise on the Strength of Materials, being the Substance of Lectures delivered in the School of Engineers of the University of Virginia. By W. B. Rogers. Charlottesville, Va., 1838.-From the Author.

Proyecto del primer Camino de Hierro de la Republica, desde el Puerto de Veracruz a la Capital de Mexico. Mexico, 1837.-From M. Ygnatio Cumplido.

Calendano Portatif por año 1838. Mexico, 1837.-From the same. Calendano de Madrid y Guia de Forasteros, para el año de 1835. Madrid, 1835.—From M. Chacon, Consul General of Spain. Esquisse Générale de l'Afrique. Par D'Avezac. Paris, 1837.-From the Author.

Notice des Travaux de la Société Géographique de Paris, et du Progrès des Sciences Géographiques pendant 1836. Par D'Avezac. Paris, 1836.-From the Author.