determination of the personal error of an observer in noting the 

 transit of a star across the wire of a micrometer. The results ob- 

 tained from this machine are very good, and compare well with 

 results of relative personal equation from star observations, 



Mr. H. A. Wheeler called the attention of the Academy to the 

 use of iodine in blow-piping. He said that 



the very delicate and characteristic iodide reactions, as first brought out by 

 Dr. Haanel with hydriodic acid on plaster-of-Paris tablets, were now capa- 

 ble of being reproduced with simple dry reagents. A first improvement 

 over the use of hydriodic acid by the substitution of tincture of iodine was 

 brought before the Academy last year, in which it was shown that this sim- 

 ple non-decomposing alcoholic solution of iodine accomplished the same 

 results as the readily decomposable acid, which also requires considerable 

 trouble to prepare. 



P^urther experiment showed that the simple iodine crystals would also 

 give these reactions with the sulphides of the volatile elements, while, if 

 flowers-of-sulphur were intimately mixed with the other compounds of these 

 elements, it was found that the iodide coats could be reproduced under all 

 circumstances. By this method the great step is made of substituting dry 

 for liquid reagents which is such a valuable feature in the compact blow- 

 pipe outfit, in which portability is a very salient feature. Both of these 

 dry substances are of cheap and common occurrence, are easily carried, 

 and possess all the delicacy and advantages of hydriodic acid when simi- 

 larly employed. 



Dr. Hambach exhibited a very fine specimen of a fossil croco- 

 dile, 12 feet in length, found by him during the last summer at 

 Fossil Station, Wyoming. The specimen was almost perfectly 

 preserved. Dr. Hambach remarked that he had not yet had 

 opportunity to classify it, but would make this the subject of a 

 future communication. 



Mr. Isaac N. Judson was elected to associate membership as 

 proposed at the last meeting. 



Academy adjourned. 



January 4, 1886. 



The annual meeting of the Academy was held on Monday even 

 ing, Jan. 4th, 1SS6, at the Academy rooms. President Nipher in 

 the chair, and Messrs. Hambach, Evers, Tivy, Luedeking, Jewett, 

 Adams, PoUak, Foote, Seddon, Gray, Leete, Potter, Smith, and 

 Engler, present. 



