November, 1841. J 121 



Written Communications. A letter was read from Dr. J. 

 P. Giraud, presenting the copy of his work noticed in the 

 donations of this evening. 



Verbal Communications. Mr. Quinby communicated some 

 facts in relation to the Spontaneous Combustion of bituminous 

 coal. 



He had recently conversed with a gentleman who arrived on 

 Friday last, in Philadelphia, from South America. The steam 

 vessels sent from England to the Pacific, to run between Valparaiso 

 and Panama, were made the subject of remark. His informant 

 stated that one of the cargoes of coal sent from Great Britain to 

 Chili, for the use of the steamers, took fire spontaneously on the 

 voyage round Cape Horn ; and that it was with difficulty extin- 

 guished. The gentleman also alluded to the fact so well known on 

 that coast, that cargoes of bituminous coal, obtained at Conception, 

 a few degrees south of Valparaiso, had ignited spontaneously on 

 the voyage to Coquimbo, in the north of Chili, where an extensive 

 copper-smelting establishment had been projected by an English 

 company, and which was abandoned mainly in consequence of the 

 character of the Conception coal. 



Dr. Morton stated, that he had in his possession a living 

 albino Raccoon, Procyon lotor, which he had received from 

 the Rev. Joseph B. Gross, of Saillersville, near Easton, Penn- 

 sylvania. The animal is remarkably large and healthy, with 

 very long yellowish white fur and pink-coloured eyes. Both 

 in appearance and habits, this individual has much resem- 

 blance to a bear, and forcibly reminds the observer of the fact 

 that Linnceus placed the Raccoon in his genus Ursus. 



Prof. Johnson exhibited an apparatus to illustrate the pheno- 

 mena of the rotation of fluids. 



A cylindrical vessel or jar, about 4 inches in diameter and 12 

 inches high, was placed on a stand supported on an axis of revolu- 

 tion, standing vertical on a pivot, and put in motion by a band from 

 a larger wheel moved by a crank. When any liquid is placed in 



