sale of what he called "the genuine cinnamon-bean of the West Indies, 

 that the oil is made from." Though the chocolate-colored cinnamon- 

 scented "beans" were cried only as desirable substitutes for sachets, the 

 vendor did not hesitate to assure the speaker that they were fresh, and 

 would all grow if planted. Interspersed with them were very fresh-looking 

 leaves that were said to be the foliage of the bean-plant. Unfortunately 

 for the peddler's veracity the "beans" proved to be the cheapest kind of 

 confections saturated with cinnamon, while the leaves were nothing but 

 pinna of a common shield-fern {Aspidium acrostichoides). 



The speaker mentioned the cinnamon-bean humbug as one that 

 he had noticed in other cities. While the "beans" bore not the 

 slightest resemblance to any sort of fruit, they seemed to meet 

 with a ready sale. 



Prof. Nipher exhibited models of the Reis telephone receiver 

 and transmitter. The transmitter was the bored block form, and 

 the receivers were the knitting-wire and electro-magnetic form. 

 He stated that he found no difficulty in operating them, and that 

 they operated precisely in the same way as the modern telephone. 

 The only difference was that in the modern telephone the contacts 

 were of carbon and the range of adjustment greater, so that it was 

 easier to operate the instruments successfully. Similarly, and 

 probably for the same reason, an arc light between carbon points 

 has a greater range of adjustment than one between metal points. 



Adjourned. 



December 21, 1885. 



The Academy met Monday evening, Dec. 21st, 1885, at the 

 Academy rooms. President Nipher in the chair, and Messrs. Ham- 

 bach, Pritchett,Evers, Luedeking, Tivy, Todd, Pollak, Gray, Jew- 

 ett, Seddon, Wheeler, Leete, Engler, and three visitors, present. 



The minutes of the last meeting were and approved. 



On motion of the Corresponding Secretary, there were added 

 to the exchange list the following: "Societe Khediviale de Geo- 

 graphic," Cairo, Egypt ; "Zeitschrift der historischen Geselschaft 

 von Posen," Posen, Prussia ; "Observatorio Nacional de Mexico," 

 Tacubaya, Mexico. 



Prof. H. S. Pritchett exhibited and described Eastman's Per- 

 sonal Equation Machine. The machine is the invention of Prof. 

 J. R. Eastman, of the Naval Observatory. Its purpose is the 



