1861.] 393 



to the 2od of May, a period of the year six weeks earlier than that 

 at which the observations of Morton had been made; and I enter- 

 tain no doubt that, could I have returned to the same locality in the 

 latter part of June, I would have found the sea open. Indeed, 

 everything indicated a speedy dissolution of the ice. There were 

 some indications also that the region to the northward is annually 

 open. I will mention one which struck me most prominently. 

 The coast on the west side of Kennedy Channel, especially where 

 exposed to the northeast, was lined with a heavy ridge of ice, which 

 had been forced up under the influence of great pressure. Many of 

 the masses were as much as sixty feet in height, and they were lying 

 high and dry upon the beach. The pressure necessary to occasion 

 this result could not possibly be created by ice-fields moving over a 

 narrow channel, and I believe the result to have been produced by 

 ice-fields of great extent coming down under the influence of winds 

 and the current from a vast open area to the northward. 



Our astronomical observations were chiefly confined to the deter- 

 mination of geographical positions. 



I observe that there are some gentlemen present who had a kindly 

 interest in my design of attempting to make photographs of arctic 

 scenery and other objects, and I may mention that I have been in a 

 great measure successful. I was disappointed in not obtaining the pho- 

 tographer whom I had hoped to take with me, and I was therefore 

 obliged, without any previous knowledge of more than the principles 

 of the art, to do the work myself I was assisted by Mr. Radcliff, 

 who was equally ignorant. We, however, succeeded, after many 

 failures, in obtaining some good pictures, and a large number of in- 

 ferior ones. There are no physical difiiculties in the way of the most 

 complete success. 



In conclusion, Mr. President, I desire to renew my thanks to the 

 Society for their great courtesy and for the honor which has been 

 done me. 



On motion of Professor Cresson, the thanks of the Society 

 were presented to Dr. Hayes, for his interesting and instruc- 

 tive communication made to the Society this evening. 



A letter from Joseph Paxton, deceased, to David Paul 

 Brown, was read, dated Catawissa, November 22, 1861, noting 

 the fact that a larva had been found in the old leg of a bench, 

 where it had remained alive for more than twenty-six years. 



