11 [ 1 ] 



the expiraticn of another year, we shall receive in exchange (he transac- 

 tions of nearly all the learned societies of the world, and that the Institu- 

 tion will be recognized by them as an active co-operator in the promotion 

 "of knowledge. Professor Baird hos furnished a list of the literary and 

 scientific societies to which the quarto volume^s have been presented. [See 

 Appendix.] 



The following ]\Iemoirs, an account of which was given in my last re- 

 port have been piinted, or are now in the pre-ss : 

 1. Reseai'ches relative to the planet Neptune; by S. C. Walker. 

 ^. Contributions to the Physical Geograpliy of the United States; hy 



Charles Ellet, Jr. 

 o. ]\Iemoir on the Explosiveness of Nitre; by Dr. Rohert Hare. 

 4. On the Aboriginal Monuments of the State of New York ; by E. G. 



Squier. 

 h. Memoir on the Reciprocal Action of two Giilvanic Currents; by A. 



Secchi, of Georgetown College. 

 ^^3. On the Classification of Insects, from Enibryological Data; by Professor 



Louis Agassiz. 

 7. Monograph of Mosasaurus and the Allied Genera; hy Dr. R. W. Gilthes. 

 Besides these, several other papers not described in my last report have 

 been printed, and are ready for separate distribution. The first of these 

 I shall mention, is by Professor Lieber, of the College, of South Caro- 

 lina, on the vocal sounds of Laura Bridgman, the blind and deaf mute, 

 whose mind, apparently for ever consigned to darkness, has been almost 

 miraculously enlightened, by the sagacity, ingenuity and persevevance of 

 Dr. Howe. 



There is perhaps at this time, no living human being wlio offers to the 

 psychologist, so attractive an object of study as this individual ; and hence 

 every observation relative to her peculiar habits is of great interest. Dr. 

 Lieber has, from year to year during his summer vacations, been in the 

 habit of visiting Laura Bridgman, and on one occasion, spent three months 

 in her immediate neighborhood, for the purpose of studying the sounds 

 which she utters as indicative of ideas. These sounds consist principally 

 of such as she has voluntarily adopted to designate dillerent individuals. 

 The results of the observations given in this paper, are accompanied by a 

 series of philosophical deductions and suggestions which cannot fail to 

 interest the psychologist and physiologist. This memoir is illustrated by 

 an engraved fac simile of a letter from Laura Bridgman's own hand. 



Tlie next paper is by Professor Bailey of West Point. This gentleman 

 has rendered himself favorably known to the world of science ])y his re- 

 searches on minute animals and plants, which, though mostly unseen by 

 the naked eye, are found as widely distributed, and as permanent and defi- 

 nite in character as the largest organized objects in nature. This paper 

 gives the results of a series of microscopic observations whicdi the author 

 made during his sojourn in the southern part of the United States, whither he 

 was ordered last winter on account of his health. It designates numerous 

 localities of microscopic animals and plants, and furnishes lists of the spe- 

 cies found in each. It also contains a series of tables presenting a numlter 

 of species with the dilFerent localities where each was found. The sjjecies 

 so classed include those of the Desmidiea:*, Diatomacea^, Infusoria^, and 

 Algce. Following these is a descrijition of mnnerous other species, most 

 oi which are represented by lithograpiiic figures. 



