Chase.] j^Jg [May 19, 



and cold upon air and the diamagnetic gases, as well as upon iron, 

 nickel, and cobalt (2861, and III, pp. 446, 460, 464, 472, 473, 489, 

 490). 



It should not be forgotten that there is no such thing within the 

 compass of our observation, as " potential" gravity, no instance of 

 matter in absolute rest, and just beginning or tending to move under 

 a gravitating pull. Every particle of the earth, independently of the 

 action of heat, chemical affinity, and cohesion, is at every instant 

 subjected to four principal and important impulses, two towards the 

 centres of the sun and earth respectively, and two tangential to the 

 earth's orbit, and to its circumference. Of the several motions, the 

 orbital one is by far the most important. Next in point of velocity 

 is the one tangential to the circumference, — in point of intensity, 

 the one towards the centre of the sun. Since the solar central and 

 tangential motions are in equilibrio, it seems eminently proper that 

 the others should be considered as disturbances, which tend, as I 

 have elsewhere shown, to give a daily ellipticity to each section of 

 air parallel to the equator. Not only are the barometric daily tides 

 a necessary consequence of such ellipticity; owing to the difference 

 of specific gravity, the cold air, in addition to the proper motion of 

 convection, is alternately drawn towards and repelled from the earth's 

 surface; and I am inclined to believe that many of the phenomena 

 of the deposition of dew and the magnetic perturbations, which can- 

 not be explained by other more important gravitation currents, may 

 be thus accounted for. 



Mr. Chase offered for publication in the Proceedings a re- 

 vised list of trade tokens, numbering over two thousand, 

 which, at his request, was referred to a committee of three, 

 con.sisting of Mr. Peale, Mr. Price, and Mr. Lesley. 



The minutes of the Board of Officers and Members in 

 Council at their last stated meeting were read, and on motion 

 of Mr. Peale, the Committee on the Hall was authorized to 

 provide a fire-proof for preserving the most important papers 

 belonging to the Society, at a cost not exceeding three hun- 

 dred dollars. 



Pending nomination No. 540 was read. 



And the Society was adjourned. 



