366 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



fragment of the Florida species in Dr. Torrey's herbarium, collected 

 by the late Dr. Leitner. To the same species may safely be referred 

 Bentham's Piptolepis phiUyreoides, and probably Torrey's F. angiisti- 

 folia, although this is more doubtful, as completely intermediate forms 

 have not been met with. Piptolepis, as Dr. Torrey remarks, is iden- 

 tical with Forestiera, most, if not all, of the species producing some 

 hermaphrodite blossoms. 



Four hundred and seventy-sixtli meeting. 



February 14, 1860. — Monthly Meeting. 



The President in the chair. 



The Corresponding Secretary read letters from Messrs. 

 Chauncey Wright and Simon Newcomb, of Cambridge, in 

 acknowledgment of the notification of their election as Fel- 

 lows. Also various letters relative to the exchanges of the 

 Academy. 



The Hon. Josiah Quincy addressed the Academy upon the 

 subject of a memorial before the State Legislature, in behalf 

 of the Boston Society of Natural History, and other societies, 

 associated in the petition for a grant of land for practical sci- 

 entific purposes. The subject of the memorial was also ad- 

 vocated by Professor Rogers and Mr. Emerson ; and Messrs. 

 Parsons, Loring, and Charles Jackson were appointed a com- 

 mittee to further the memorial before the Legislature. 



Mr. Treadwell read a communication 



On the Strength of Cast-iron Pillars. 



The great calamity which recently fell upon Lawrence having called 

 the attention of the public to the subject of cast-iron columns or pillars, 

 which are now so generally used in all our structures, I have thought 

 that a few words upon this subject may not be without interest to the 

 Academy. It may hajjpen, moreover, that after considering the state 

 of knowledge upon the subject, and the glaring discrepancies and con- 

 tradictions contained in the practical rules and tables in common use 

 by builders, the Academy may see fit to adopt some action tending to 

 a revision of these guiding rules. 



