OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 305 



satellites, an argument might be derived from the fact for the 

 smallness of the mass of the ring, — since, for bodies so near 

 to it, its attraction will differ considerably from what it would 

 be were all its mass collected in the centre. 



" The method employed by Bessel, in which the mass is 

 derived from the motion of the line of apsides (a constantly 

 accumulating quantity), is a better one." 



Professor Peirce made further remarks upon the same subject. 



Dr. B. A. Gould, Jr. exhibited to the Academy an admirable 

 model, to represent the orbits of the sixteen asteroids, which 

 was recently made by Chamberlain and Ritchie for the Lowell 

 Institute, under his directions. 



Tbree hundred and sixtieth meeting-. > 



April 6, 1852. — Monthly Meeting. 

 The President in the chair. 



On motion of Mr, J. I, Bowditch, who stated that the Li- 

 brarian was sick, it was 



Voted, That the charge of removing the Academy's books to their 

 new room in the Athenseum be transferred to the Committee on the 

 Library. 



Dr. J, C. Warren gave an account of his visit to Darmstadt, 

 in the year 1851, to see the Eppelsheim fossils, and exhibited 

 a considerable number of casts of fossil bones of the Dinothe- 

 rium giganteum, together with an excellent colored drawing, 

 of the natural size, of the head. 



- " Having become much interested in the Eppelsheim fossils, I took 

 the opportunity while in Europe in 1851 to visit Darmstadt, where 

 this collection is, and its able and excellent Professor, M, Kaup. 



" Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, is situated 

 at a short distance from the Rhine, and near to Frankfort. The town 

 contains about eight thousand inhabitants, h is built of stone, with 

 wide streets, has many public ornaments, and is surrounded by gar- 

 dens and groves, which extend in some directions for miles, and con- 

 tribute to make it a desirable residence, 



" The collection is placed in the Castle, so called, and is rich in 

 VOL. II. 39 



