OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 285 



vortex would alternately approach to, and recede from, the 

 ground, and hence, possibly, the series of points of excessive 

 destruction observed in the track of the late tornado. 



Mr. J. H. Abbot thought, that, instead of air descending from 

 above, the rarefied air in the centre of the vortex would ascend, 

 in consequence of its diminished specific gravity ; and in proof 

 of the existence of strong ascending currents of air within 

 and above cumulus clouds, he referred to the fact that a dog 

 connected with a parachute, having been dropped from a bal- 

 loon by M. Blanchard in 1787, was borne above the clouds 

 by a whirlwind, and there sustained till Blanchard had de- 

 scended almost near enough to take it into the car again ! 



The further discussion of the subject was postponed till the 

 next monthly meeting. 



Three hundred and iifty^-fourth meeting. 



December 3, 1851. — Adjourned Q-uarterly Meeting. 



The President in the chair. 



Professor Peirce, in behalf of the committee appointed to 

 consider the arrangement into classes, and the restriction of 

 the numbers, of the Fellows and Members of the Academy, 

 presented the following report : — 



" The present number of the Fellows and Members of the Academy 

 is about two hundred and eighty, of whom one hundred and thirty are 

 inhabitants of Massachusetts, about eighty reside in other portions of 

 the United States, and about seventy are Foreign Honorary Members. 

 They are quite unsystematically and disproportionably distributed 

 through the various departments of science, and they have not, appar- 

 ently, been selected in all cases with sufficient regard to legitimate 

 scientific claims. The committee are of opinion, that the true remedy 

 of this difficulty consists in the proper limitation of the number of 

 members. For when nominations are exclusively to vacancies, and 

 the election of one member prevents, at least temporarily, that of 

 opposing candidates, a strong interest will be excited in the society to 

 enroll upon their list the worthiest names, and obtain for the Academy 

 a higher reputation for sound judgment in this respect. 



