1878. 



39 



Medal, was presented to the Cabinet by the Royal Society 

 of London. On the obverse a head of Sir Humphrey Davy. 

 On the reverse the following legend : — " The Royal Society 

 to Robert Wilhelm Bunsen. Gustav Robert Kirch h off. In 

 accordance with the will of Humphrey Davy, who devoted 

 the testimonial presented to him by the Coalowners of the 

 Tyne and Wear to the encouragement of Chemical research 

 —1877." 



The Secretary offered for publication in the Transactions 

 a memoir entitled, " The Upper Carboniferous Flora of West 

 Virginia. With 23 plates. By W. M. Fontaine and I. C. 

 White," and exhibited proof sheets of the quarto plates. — 

 On motion the paper was referred for examination and report . 

 to Dr. Leidy, Dr. J. S. Newberry, and Mr. Lesquereux. 



The Secretary read by title a communication entitled u On 

 the limiting Constant of Gravitation. By Pliny E. Chase." 



Prof. Lesley read a communication entitled " JS T otes on a 

 series of analyses of the Dolomitic Limestone rocks of Cum- 

 berland Co., Pa." — The subject was discussed by Dr. Konig, 

 Prof. Frazer, and Mr. Walter. 



Mr. Briggs read from a MSS. part of his discussion of the 

 economical problem of force and fuel applied to Electric 

 Lighting as compared with Lighting by Coal Gas. 



Mr. Brio-o-s invited attention to the remarkable fact that 

 all the exhibitors of Artificial Ice Machines at Paris (six in 

 number, of which Pictet's seems to be best) claimed for their 

 several machines twice or three times the maximum efficiency 

 to be expected, if the accepted theory of the coefficient of 

 heat be true. 



Prof. Frazer communicated the fact that in his use of the 

 local telephone circuit during the Summer he had observed 

 a continued resonance of over tones. 



In the course of some experiments on a telephone line with a view to 

 decrease the crackling due to atmospheric disturbance, an observation was 

 made by Prof. Frazer which will seem to illustrate to what an inrinitcs- 

 simal motion the sounds heard through the telephone are sometimes due. 

 A telephone was selected in which the diaphragm was held fast at only two 



