1887.] KEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIEN-CES. 93 



to the French Academy of Sciences, at the session of January 

 3d, and reported in Nature of January 13 th, 1887. 



This phenomenon establishes beyond a doubt the fluid state 

 of the interior of the earth, and a relatively thin crust. 



Dr. John S. "White read a paper on 



THE LANDSKIBET, OR VIKING SHIP, DISCOVERED NEAR 

 GOKSTAD, NORWAY, IN 1880. 



(Illustrated with lantern views.) 



Kemarks were made by Mr. McDonald, Mr, Chittenden, 

 and the President. 



February 21, 1887. 



Stated Meeting. 



Mr. L. E. Chittenden in the chair. 



A large audience present in the East Lecture Room of the 

 Library Building, Columbia College. 



The second lecture of the Popular Lecture Course was deliv- 

 ered by Prof. John K. Rees on 



THE great telescopes OF THE WORLD ; THEIR CONSTRUC- 

 TION, POWERS and limitations. 



(Illustrated Avith lantern views.) 



Like all great inventions, the telescope may be considered the 

 product of many minds. The inventor was one who worked out 

 the proper combination of lenses, or mirrors with lenses. 

 Long before the invention of the telescope, spectacle glasses or 

 lenses had been made. In the 8th century a.d., magnifying 

 spectacles for old people were commonly used. Seneca, who 

 lived in the first century, tells us that, in his time, it was well 

 known that when writing was viewed through a globe full of 

 water the letters looked larger and blacker. This appearance 

 must have attracted the attention of many persons before the 

 time of Seneca. The natural result of such a discovery would 

 be the invention of glasses to produce magnification. It is not 



