1884.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCH:S. 5 



The Report of the Council, recoiiimeiiding elections and the 

 payment of certain Ijills, was adopted. 



Mr. William G. Dewitt and Mr. Justus F. Poggenburg 

 were elected resident members. 



A letter from Prof. D wight, of Yassar College, was read by 

 Dr. JuLiKN. regarding the eggs of LviiihIuh polypJieiims. The 

 letter was accompanied l^y specimens for distribution among the 

 members. 



(See Journal New York Microscopical Society, i, 47.) 



An invitation was read from the Torrey Botanical Clul) and 

 the Natural Science Association of Staten Island, asking the mem- 

 l)ers of the Academy to join them in a Field Day excursion to 

 Prince's Bay, S. I. 



A letter was read from Prof S. F. Baird. asking for photo- 

 graphs of eminent scientific men. 



Miss F. R. M. Hitchcock exhibited a specimen of the mete- 

 orite containing olivine, which fell at Esterville, Ind., in 1879. 



Mr. I. H. WooLSON exhibited fragments of charred cloth 

 which had enwrapped a cremated human body found in a mound 

 near Circleville, Ohio. 



Mr. p. H. Dudley read a paper entitled, 



description op the dynagraph and track inspection car and its 



work. 



(Illustrated by diagrams of the meclianism and charts showing- 

 results of track inspections.) 



Among railroad people, as among those in other pursuits and 

 vocations, are two distinctive types of mind ; one progressive, 

 striving to improve, the other conservative, opposing all 

 changes, until forced to do so by circumstances beyond their 

 control. Nor could we wish to have it otherwise, for the con- 

 flict of ideas has garnered the wheat fi-om the chaff, and we have 

 as the substantial result a system of railroads unsurpassed by 

 any other country. 



The inception and construction of the oldest part was made 

 ])ut little over half a century ago, while over one-half of our 

 vast system is the growth of the last two decades. 



