1884. 107 Trans. N. V. Ac. Set. 



Professor Fairchild represented the need of information among 

 the members of the Academy and the pubUc, in regard to its his- 

 tory and the character of its work. After discussion, it was voted — 

 That the Secretary be authorized and requested to prepare a short 

 manual of the origin, history, and work of the Academy, to meet 

 this want, and that he be further authorized to associate with him- 

 self any other members in co-operation for this purpose. 



Rev. Dr. E. P. Thwing then spoke on the artistic uses of the 

 trance state, by which fixity of posture and graduated intensity of 

 motion may be created, controlled, and preserved by the photo- 

 grapher, painter, or sculptor. Photographs were exhibited, illus- 

 trating the relations of the magnetic state, the supreme condition 

 of voluntary life, to the plastic arts, painting, sculpture, gesture, 

 etc. A greater fixity of condition might thus be obtained for 

 photographic representation than by the usual iron head-rest. 



Mr. P. H. Dudley then exhibited a series of photomicrographs 

 of wood sections i^Jiiglans nigra, Catalpa speciosa, etc.), -^^^ of an 

 inch in diameter, taken by lamplight on eight by ten inch bromo- 

 gelatine plates, with a magnification of about ten thousand diam- 

 eters. 



Mr. G. F. KuNZ presented a cut sapphire gem from Ceylon, 

 whose color was nearly white, but became entirely blue on rota- 

 tion ; a cut zircon from Ceylon, with remarkably high lustre, like 

 that of the diamond, and a weight of over thirty karats ; a moon- 

 stone, containing a series of hairlike lines (rutile) and rows of 

 fiuid-cavities on certain planes, resulting in a strong reflection of 

 light on the cabochon surface ; and two lip ornaments from Brazil, 

 the larger consisting of beryl. He also referred to the supposed 

 discovery of diamonds — in one case, 15 karats weight — in Wis- 

 consin, as reported in Western journals. He exhibited gravel 

 from the so-called diamond-mine, but doubted the discovery of the 

 three diamonds said to have been found there. 



Mr. J. D. Warner stated that there had been considerable dis- 

 cussion on the honeycomb. One school of philosophers had 

 constantly pointed out the honeycomb as an evidence of design ; 

 inasmuch as it had been mathematically demonstrated that in its 

 construction there was the least amount of waste in material and 

 space, combined with the greatest amount of strength and capacity. 

 Another school had attacked this position with the assertion that 



