1894. | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. CTL 
The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. 
The Secretary submitted from the Council the nominations of 
Prof. Wm. Libbey, Jr., of Princeton, N. J., Edward Poulton, of 
Oxford, England, and W. T. Sedgwick, of Boston, as corre- 
sponding members, all of whom were elected. 
Messrs. 8. G. Bayne and Henry 8. Curtis were nominated and 
elected as resident members. 
The Secretary offered for distribution a number of cards of 
admission to the Fifteenth Annual Exhibition of the New York 
Microscopical Society for April 17th. 
The Section of Astronomy and Physics then organized, and 
proceeded to the election of a Chairman and Secretary. 
Prof. Rees was elected to succeed himself as Chairman, and 
Prof. Hallock was elected Secretary. 
Prof. Hallock read a note on a “ New Method of making very 
fine Bolometers.” It consists in constructing the bolometer 
with a “ Wollaston wire,” 7. e., a wire of very fine platinum sur- 
rounded by a coat of silver. This wire being of appreciable 
size can be easily inserted in the bolometer, after which the 
silver is dissolved off with nitric acid, leaving the platinum 
exposed. The paper was discussed by Prof. Pupin. 
The next paper was by N. D. C. Hodges, editor of Science, 
on a‘ New Method of protecting Houses from Lightning.” 
The paper was discussed by Professors Rees and Pupin. 
Professor Rees presented the following notes in regard to the 
Aurore of February 23d, 1894, and March 30th. 1894: 
“The aurora of February 28d was observed by me from the 
latitude observatory of Columbia College at 118th Street and 
Amsterdam Avenue, New York City. 
“In the early part of the evening between 6:50 and 9:40 the 
aurora was noticed but attracted no special attention as I passed 
from the observing room to the chronograph room, which are 
separated by an open space 150 feet wide. At about 9:40 I had 
finished observing a ‘star group’ and proceeded to the chrono- 
