The American Journal of Science and Arts. Second Series. Vol. XXII. No. 66. Nov. 1856. New Haven. 8vo.-From Profs. Silliman & Dana, Editors. On the Relations of the Fossil Fishes of the Sandstone of Connecticut and other Atlantic States to the Liassic and Oolitic Periods. (Am. Jour. Sci. and Arts. Vol. XII. 1856). By W. C. Redfield. 8vo.From the Author. The Astronomical Journal. No. 96. Oct. 17, 1856. Cambridge. 4to.-From Dr. B. A. Gould, jr., Editor. Dr. Le Conte referred to the dried fungus exhibited at a former meeting, and laid on the table a specimen of another plant, which, after having been dried, possesses a similar property of expanding itself when moistened. It is commonly called the Rose of Jericho (Anastatica Hierochontia), a native of Syria, and belongs to the order of Cruciferæ. In connection with this subject, Mr. Peale referred to the desiccation of various kinds of garden vegetables and culinary plants for preservation on long sea-voyages, by which means. they can be kept for a long time, and when immersed in warm water nearly resume their original forms and properties. The Treasurer reported, that on the 20th of last month, the sealed paquet left in charge of the Society by F. André Michaux, was deposited in the office of the Register of Wills, and there opened in the presence of the Chancellor of the French Consulate. A copy of the documents contained in the paquet was read to the Society. Whereupon, the following resolution was offered by Judge Kane: Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to consider and report as to the expediency of accepting the bequest of M. Michaux, upon the trusts described in his testamentary disposition; and that the said committee further report, from time to time, what measures, if any, should be taken by the Society for giving effect to the trusts referred to in the said bequests: Which resolution was read, considered and adopted:-the committee appointed consists of Mr. Trego, Mr. Durand and Judge Kane. VOL. VI.-2 H On motion of Mr. Trego, it was ordered that Mr. Sully have permission to use the Society's portrait of Mr. Jefferson, for the purpose of making a copy, according to the request contained in his letter read this evening. Stated Meeting, November 21. Present, twelve members. The President and Vice-Presidents being absent, Mr. Fraley was called to the chair. The following donations were announced: FOR THE LIBRARY. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Vol. XXI. Part 3, for the session 1855-6. 4to. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Vol. III. No. 46. Edinburgh. 8vo.-From the Society. Quarterly Journal of the Chemical Society. No. XXXV. (Vol. IX. 3). Oct. 1856. London. 8vo.-From the Society. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Vol. XVI. No. 9. July 11, 1856. London. 8vo.-From the Society. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. Vol. VI. No. 2. Oct. 1856. Boston. 8vo.-From the Society. The African Repository. Vol. XXXII. No. 11. Nov. 1856. Washington. 8vo.-From the Am. Colonization Society. Arctic Explorations: the Second Grinnell Expedition in search of Sixth Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Young Man's A paper by Dr. Joseph Leidy was read, entitled "Observations on the Extinct Peccary of North America;" and another, by the same author, entitled "Remarks on Saurocephalus and its allies," which were referred to a committee consisting of Dr. Le Conte, Mr. Lea and Prof. Frazer. Stated Meeting, December 5. Present, eighteen members. Judge KANE, Vice-President, in the Chair. Letters were read: From the Royal Society of Sciences, at Upsal, dated Nov. 6, 1855:-from the Imperial Geological Institute at Vienna, dated March 20, 1856:-from the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Vienna, dated July 16, 1856:-and from the Secretary of l'Ecole des Mines, Paris, dated July 2, 1856,-severally announcing donations for the library: From the Royal Prussian Society of Sciences, dated Berlin, March 20, 1856, announcing a donation, and acknowledging the receipt of Transactions and Proceedings of this Society: and From the Imperial Geological Institute, dated Vienna, Dec 21, 1855, acknowledging the receipt of Nos. 51, 52 of the Proceedings. The following donations were announced: FOR THE LIBRARY. Abhandlungen der K. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, aus dem Jahre 1854. Erster Supplement Band. Berlin, 1856. Folio.-From the Academy. Monatsbericht der K. Akad. der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, JulyDec. 1855. Berlin. 8vo.-From the same. Sitzungsberichte der K. Akademie der Wissenschaften: Phil. Hist. Classe, XIX. Band, 2 Heft, XX. Band, 1 Heft:-Math. Nat. Classe, XX. Band, 1 Heft. Wien, 1856. 8vo.-From the Academy. Jahrbuch der K. K. Geologischen Reichsanstalt; VI. Jahrgang, 1856. No. 3. Jul. Aug. Sept. Wien. 8vo.-From the Geological Institute, Vienna. Nova Acta Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis. Seriei Tertiæ. Vol. I. Upsaliæ, 1855. 4to.-From the Society. Annales des Mines. V. Série. Tome VIII. 4, 5, 6 livr. de 1855. Tome IX. 1 livr. de 1856. Paris. 8vo.-From the Engineers of l'Ecole des Mines. Journal of the Franklin Institute. Third Series. Vol. XXXII. No. 5. Nov. 1856. Philadelphia. 8vo.-From the Institute. Report of the Proceedings of the Geological and Polytechnic Society of the West Riding of Yorkshire, 1854-5. Leeds. 8vo.-From the Society. On the Claims of the Gigantic Irish Deer to be considered as contemporary with man. By Mr. H. Denny, A.L.S. &c. May 29, 1855. Leeds. 8vo.-From the Author. The Physiological Effects of Alcohol and Tobacco upon the Human System. By W. A. Hammond, M.D., U. S. Army. (Am. Jour. Med. Sci. Oct. 1856). 8vo.-From the Author. The American Missionaries in Greece: An Address delivered at St. Luke's Church, in Philadelphia, Oct. 13, 1856. By Henry D. Gilpin. Philadelphia. 8vo.-From the Author. A Memoir of the Life and Character of James B. Rogers, M.D. Professor of Chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania. By Joseph Carson, M.D. Prof. Mat. Med. and Pharmacy, Univ. Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Oct. 11, 1852. Philadelphia. 8vo.From the Autho⚫. The Astronomical Journal. No. 97. (Vol. V. No. 1). Albany, Nov. 26, 1856. 4to.-From Dr. B. A. Gould, jr., Editor. The committee to which were referred the papers by Dr. Leidy, entitled "Observations on the Extinct Peccary of North America," and "Remarks on Saurocephalus and its allies," made report recommending the publication of the papers in the Transactions of the Society; which was ordered accordingly. Mr. Durand, pursuant to appointment, read an obituary notice of the late Francois André Michaux, a member of the Society. This paper was referred to a committee, as communications intended for the Transactions are referred. The com mittee consists of Dr. La Roche, Prof. Coppée and Dr. Le Conte. In a brief introduction, Mr. Durand enumerated the claims of scientific explorers to the admiration and gratitude of mankind, he portrayed them as deserting their native land and family affections, for the sole object of advancing sciences and benefitting their fellow be ings, by adding to the wealth they already possessed, the useful productions which they procured for them from foreign and unexplored regions; he pointed out the fatigues and inconveniences to which those devoted men expose themselves, in order to attain their object; he showed them wending their way through inextricable forests, through pestilential marshes and grounds yet untrodden by the human foot, struggling and panting under the rays of a burning sun, or shivering under heavy showers of rain, and constantly exposed to danger of every sort. He then entered upon the particulars of the life and labours of the subject of his memoir. Francois André Michaux was born in 1770, at Satory, a royal domain situated near Versailles. He was the son of André Michaux, one of the pioneers of botanical explorations in North America, and accompanied him to this country, when only fifteen years of age. He remained four years with his father, assisting him in his journey, and at the Charleston Nursery. In consequence of an accident, through which his sight was injured, his father sent him back to France, which he reached just at the breaking out of the revolution. In the year 1800, young Michaux was studying medicine, with the view of returning to the United States, and devoting himself to the healing art, but, animated by the example of his father, and convinced his efforts, employed in other directions, could afford more benefit to mankind, he solicited a commission to return to North America, in order to achieve the work of usefulness, left unfinished by the departure of his father. This commission he received at last, in 1801, from Mr. De Chaptal, then minister of the interior, with various instructions which he faithfully fulfilled. After visiting Charleston, New York and Philadelphia, he started on a voyage to the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, whence he returned to Charleston through the range of mountains which separates the latter State from that of South Carolina. He had travelled over 1800 miles in three months and a half. After sojourning eighteen months in this country, Michaux returned to France |