72 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [DEC. 14, 



to show how a beam of plane polarized light is resolved into two 

 at right angles to each other on entering a doubl^'-refracting 

 medium. 



Mr. H. A. Humason described a large meteor that he had ob- 

 served, while in Central Park on the afternoon of Friday, De- 

 cember 4th, at 4:20 p. m. It was first observed when at an 

 altitude of 50 degrees ; it passed in a direction a little south of 

 east 5 or 10 degrees, and disappeared at an altitude of 15 de- 

 grees. In appearance it resembled an incandescent drop of 

 water; its angular magnitude was estimated at 10" to IS"- 

 Attention was called to certain reports of other meteors ob- 

 served on the same afternoon at the same time in places from 

 New Jersey to Connecticut ; the time and direction of these 

 varied so much that one was forced to conclude that there 

 were several different meteors that fell about the same time, all 

 of which were large enough to be seen in spite of the daylight, a 

 very unusual experience. 



Similar observations in former years were reported b}" Pro- 

 fessor Martin and others. 



On motion the Academy- then adjourned. 



J. r. Kemp, 

 Secretary. 

 Wm. Hallock, 



Secretary of Section. 



Stated Meeting. 



December 14th, 1896. 



The Academy met with Prof. J. G. Curtis, Chairman of the 

 Biological Section, in the Chair. There being no regular busi- 

 ness, the Biological Section at once organized. 



Dr. Arnold Graf made a preliminar}' report on " Some New 

 Fixing Fluids." 



