175 



ber of the Society, January 29, ast. 58. Mr. Joseph R. 

 IngersoU was appointed to prepare an obituary notice of the 

 deceased. 



Espy (James P.) — Dr. Emerson announced the death of 

 Prof. James P. Espy, a member of the Society, at Cincinnati, 

 January 20, 1860, i^t. 75. Prof. Henry was appointed to 

 prepare an obituary notice of the deceased. 



Jones (Joel). — Mr. Lesley announced the death of Judge 

 Joel Jones, of Philadelphia, a member of the Society, Feb- 

 ruary 2, 1860, i^t. 54. Judge Sharswood was appointed to 

 prepare an obituary notice of the deceased. 



Dr. Emerson called the attention of the Society to a quality 

 of the diamond as producing light after friction in a dark 

 room. When drawn along, for instance, over the surface of a 

 polished marble mantel-piece, it emits a phosphorescent light. 

 In the case of a large diamond, weighing twenty-four carats, 

 the largest diamond ever found in North America, picked 

 from a bank of drift near Richmond, Va., and now in the 

 possession of Samuel W. Dewey, this phosphoric light was 

 quite vivid and occasional, accompanied with a gentle scintil- 

 lation. Observations were elicited by this description from 

 Mr. Lesley, Dr. Le Conte, Dr. R. P. Harris, and Dr. Bache. 

 Dr. Emerson referred to a flexible sandstone found in con- 

 nection with diamonds in Stokes Co., N. C, a hill which is 

 owned by Mr. Dewey. 



■ Prof. Trego exhibited a specimen of this itacolumite sand- 

 stone, showing very plainly its flexible and elastic properties. 



Pending nomination, No. 397, was read. 



The report of the Secretaries, concerning those members 

 elect who appear to have lost the right of membership, was 

 presented and referred to the Committee of Finance. 



Dr. Leidy moved that the plaster casts of fossils now in 

 possession of the Society be deposited with the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the consideration of which 

 was postponed for the present. 



And the Society was adjourned. 



