152 



deposited during a period of extreme quiet, the hunius being car- 

 ried slowly along with the mica scales. It yields paraffine in the 

 first stage of distillation, being an educt, not a product, actually 

 existing as a wax and capable of being traced back to wax- 

 bearing plants ; by distilling the coal, we get back the wax. 

 These candles are made at New Bedford, by a patent process, 

 and are far superior to those of foreign manufacture, inasmuch as 

 there is no admixture of other matters, and a fine and regular 

 crystallization is obtained by alternations of sudden and gradual 

 cooling. From this coal is also obtained a thin, light, kerosene 

 oil of superior quahty, — a fluid paratfine. It is worthy of note that 

 from this coal we obtain the aerial burning gas, the solid paraffine, 

 and the fluid kerosene, — the three forms of illuminating materials. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson stated that a locality containing tin 

 ore had been discovered at Los Angelos, California, 

 within the limits of the United States ; the quantity of 

 ore is very large, and it yields 60^ per cent, of oxide of 

 tin, with brown oxide of iron. 



Dr. Jackson also alluded to the quantity of saccharine 

 matter in our native grapes; he had recently experi- 

 mented with one, the Henshaw grape from Virginia, 

 which he had found to contain 15^ per cent, of grape 

 sugar ; it will probably make a good claret wine. 



Dr. J. Mason Warren presented an engraving of his 

 father, Dr. John C. Warren, President of the Society 

 from 1847 to 1856. 



Mr. Chamberlain exhibited a living embryo skate 

 within the egg-case. 



The Corresponding Secretary read the following let- 

 ters, viz : — 



From Richard Hill, Jamaica, March 1, 1859, accepting mem- 

 bership, and presenting Mr. Gosse's two volumes on the Natural 

 History of Jamaica ; Academic des Sciences, Arts, et Belles- 

 Lettres de Dijon ; Academic Imperiale des Sciences de Kussie, 



