420 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



A conversation ensued relative to tremor of the earth affecting obser- 

 vations. 



Mr. Sykes. — Why not suspend the telescope by cords ? 



Mr. Fitz. — It has been tried. 



Mr. Seeley. — Why not fluid lenses ? Why not oxide of zinc instead of 

 lead in the glass ? 



Mr. Fitz. — Fully tried and failed. Has succeeded on a small scale, not 

 over three inches diameter for lens. No advantage in the zinc. 



Mr. Leonard moved thanks to Mr. Fitz. Given unanimously. 



Mr. Stetson. — As to tremor — put glass under the legs of piano. 



Mr. Adamson. — Materials of different substance check it. 



Mr. Seeley. — The glass keeps the tone of the piano. Elastic bodies alone 

 vibrate. 



Mr. Adamson. — This great city ought to have an observatory of the first 

 order, if it was only to regulate time. That of Edinburgh is founded on 

 Tufa rock. 



Mr. Tillman. — The glass insulates and electrises the piano perhaps. 

 Place a person so — touch his hair, and you can light gas with your finger. 



Mr. Seeley. — Why not have pocket telescopes ? 



Mr. Fitz. — The Germans make them, so that by doubling up they fit the 

 pocket, although their focal range is nine inches, but they are of little use 

 on account of the great difficulty in finding the object. With one of them a- 

 man's features have been distinguished at a mile off. Our whalemen have 

 such — they can at mast-head hold one of them and spy the distant whale or 

 other object. 



Mr. Cohen recommended the employment of proper reporters by the In- 

 stitute to take every word said, and these afterwards rendered to a report 

 for our published transactions. He will move it at the next meeting of the 

 Institute. 



The committee on questions, continued " The Telescope" with the "Mi- 

 croscope." Adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



February 2, 1859. 



Present — Messrs. President Pell, YeeJer, Leonard, Haskell, Chambers, 

 Pierce, Cohen, Finell, Syks, Stetson, Breisach, Butler, Seeley, Tillman, 

 Bruce, Witt, Johnson, Fitz, Holton, Prof. Hedrick and others — thirty-one 

 members. 



President Pell in the chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The Secretary read the following extracts from publications received by 

 the Institute since the last meeting, viz : 



MECHANICS. 



Two Greens, in England, have just patented a new apparatus for super- 

 heating steam, i. e., our old friend Frost's " Stame." 



