172 RECORDS. 



to 5 P. M. The above agreement may be terminated six 

 months after due notice by either party. 



With regard to the matter of exchanges, the Committee 

 recommends that after the transfer of the Library, the Library 

 Committee should collect information regarding the number of 

 societies and of libraries which receive the Academy's publica- 

 tions ; and that it should make systematic efforts to induce 

 libraries to subscribe for such publications, offering back num- 

 bers as far as possible, with a view to reducing the number of 

 societies receiving the Academy's publications by way of ex- 

 change. The Committee also recommends that all requests for 

 the institution of exchanges be referred to the Library Commit- 

 tee with power. 



Henry E. Crampton, 



Secretary. 



SFXTION OF ASTRONOMY, PHYSICS AND 



CHEMISTRY. 



March 2, 1903. 



The section met at 8:30 P. M, Dr. Charles Lane Poor pre- 

 siding. The minutes of the last meeting were read and ap- 

 proved. The following program was then offered : 



William Hallock, Measurement of the Altitude of Mt. 

 Whitney, California, by Boiling Point Determinations. 



S. A. Mitchell, The Discovery of New Gases in the Sun. 



Summary of Papers. 



Professor Hallock's paper was as follows : 



At the time of the ascent of Mount Whitney last summer by 

 the party under Mr. Harrington Putnam, apparatus was taken 

 to the top, and a determination of the boiling point was made 

 at ten o'clock on August 23. The observed boiling point was 

 1 86°. 47. Applying the instrumental corrections and reducing 

 this by the Smithsonian tables, the corresponding barometric 

 pressure was 17.70 inches. The Weather Bureau kindly fur- 

 nished the barometric pressure, temperature and vapor tension 



