ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 157 



desert, and stated that Col. Sedgwick says the elevation of New 

 River, where it enters the Colorado, is 150 feet, up which the ship 

 must have ascended. If, as stated, the ship is 250 feet long, it 

 must have a capacity of 2,000 tons. 



Regular Meeting, January 16th, 1871. 

 President in the Chair. 



Charles A. Spencer was elected a resident member ; and James 

 S. Lawson, of the United States Coast Survey, corresponding 

 member. 



Gregory Yale read an opinion on the status of the Academy, to 

 the effect that before it could have a legal character, and be able 

 to proceed with the business of building, as contemplated, it must 

 reincorporate and elect Trustees according to law. He submitted 

 forms for this purpose, which were adopted. The members present 

 attached their signatures to an agreement for reincorporation, and 

 the Secretary was directed to advertise a notice for an election of 

 Trustees, to be held February 6th. 



Donation to the cabinet: Specimens of the flesh of the Teal duck, 

 thickly studded with Entozoa — microscopic parasites — were pre- 

 sented through the President from Dr. Thorn, of San Jos^. 



Dr. Gibbons made some interesting remarks on his observations 

 with an extemporized seismometer, or earthquake guage, consisting 

 of a pound weight hung to the end of wire, and stated that 21 hours 

 seldom passed without an indication of movement in the surface of 

 the earth. He said nearly four months had passed without an 

 earthquake movement — an unusually long period in this locality. 



Dr. Blake and Prof. Davidson suggested that some of the oscil- 

 lations observed in the quiet of the night, as Dr. Gibbons said, 

 might be caused by atmospheric or hygrometic changes, which 

 affect all buildings, even some of stone and brick ; in support of 

 which idea Prof. Davidson advanced a number of facts, including 

 the well known contraction and expansion of Bunker Hill monument. 



Prof. Davidson made some remarks upon the observations recent- 



