OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 349 



and state of concentration. In short, I have seen nothing which mili- 

 tates in the least against the accui*acy of the test. 



It is true that, when peroxide of barium is itself added to a solution 

 of sesquioxide of chromium in caustic alkali, and the whole is boiled, 

 a certain quantity of chromic acid is obtained. I have not been able to 

 procure any, however, by operating in the cold. 



With caustic ammonia and peroxide of barium, the chromium is 

 gradually converted into a violet ammonia-chromium base in the cold. 

 On boiling the original mixture, a quantity of chromate of baryta is 

 formed. But when in solution in acids, sesquioxide of chromium does 

 not appear to be converted into chromic acid by the action of peroxide 

 of barium, either in the cold or when heated. 



Four hundred, and seventy-second meeting. 



November 22, 1859. — Monthly Meeting. 



The President in the chair. 



The Corresponding Secretary read letters of acceptance 

 from the Hon. S. G. Arnold of Providence, and Captain E. 

 B. Hunt, United States Engineer, who were elected Fellows 

 at the last stated meeting. 



Mr. C. B. Elliott read a paper upon 



The Influence of Legislation on Registration in Massachusetts. 



The results in the following table are deductions from data fur- 

 nished by the Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, 

 relating to the registry and return of births, deaths, and marriages in 

 Massachusetts for the seven years from May 1st, 1841, to April 30th, 

 1848 (inclusive) ; for the nine years from January 1st, 1849, to De- 

 cember 31st, 1857 (inclusive); and from data furnished by the na- 

 tional enumerations of the population of the State made in the years 

 1840 and 1850, and the State enumeration of 1855. 



The table exhibits the ratios of the births, the deaths, and the mar- 

 riages, registered in each of the years above mentioned, to the popula- 

 tion, estimated for the middle of each year. Also, the average of each 

 class of these ratios for the two years immediately preceding the op- 



