December, IS44.] 1G5 



Stated Meeting, December 10, 1844. 

 Vice President Mokton in the Chair. 



DONATIONS TO MUSEUM. 



Head of Sus babyroussa, from Manilla. Presented by Cap- 

 tain Sandwith Drinker. 



The following bird skins, from China, were presented by Dr. 

 Elisha K. Kane, IT. S. N., viz.: 



Centropus Phillippensis; Ocypterus fuscus ?; Columba hu- 

 milis; Porphyreo smaragdinus ; Eurystomus indicus ; Bu- 



ceros panayensis; Falco ,(2 spec.;) Cuculus , 



(2 spec. ;) Zosterops flava ; and Merula . 



A letter was read from Mr. J. Tremper, dated Dresden, 

 Yates county, New York, December 3, 1844, addressed to 

 the Corresponding Secretary, announcing that it was his in- 

 tention to remain during the winter in the vicinity of the 

 Seneca Lake, and offering to procure for the Cabinet of the 

 Academy geological specimens from that region. 



Mr. Conrad read a paper, intended for publication, entitled 

 "Descriptions of eight new fossil shells of the United States ;" 

 which, on motion, was referred to a committee, consisting of 

 Mr. Phillips, Dr. Morton, and Mr. Haldeman. 



Professor Johnson read a continuation of his paper on the 

 calorific power of coals, and particularly on the Osage coal 

 of Missouri, and on a specimen of pure bitumen. He then 

 gave a resume of the several varieties of coal which he had 

 assayed, and compared the practical evaporative powers, as 

 determined by steam generating operations, with the calcu- 

 lated powers of the same coals, as ascertained by determining 

 the proportion of its carbon constituent. The accordance is 

 very striking, being 10.701 for the mean of the results given 

 by steaming operations, and 10.691 by ultimate analysis. An 

 abstract of this valuable and elaborate paper will be furnished 



