No. 199.J 509 ^ 



Mr. Meigs added, we have a treatise on Asiatic cholera in our 

 library, which contains maps, showing the course taken by cholera, 

 and it what periods of time, and with what speed from place to place, 

 around the earth nearly, all in tlie northern hemisphere. Now we 

 have not heard of a solitary case of Asiatic cholera, in any spot south 

 of the equator. So far then the opinion of the President seems just. 



m 



Mr. Elliott inquired if there was a clover known by the name of 

 tree clover? 



Judge Van Wyck supposed that some very tall clover may have 

 been so denominated. 



Mr. Meigs. — It is probably an error formed from the botanical aame, 

 trifolium ; in French trefles, trefoil, three leaved ; the term ire may 

 have led to the mistake. 



Dr. Underbill, of Croton Point. — I have remarked in my orchards 

 the singular fact, that while the earth was frozen, and the apples fallen 

 on it frozen, the apples on my trees were untouched. This may be 

 due to the power of the roots, (reaching deep below the surface,) of 

 deriving caloric from beneath and supplying enough to the tree, its 

 fruit &c., to countervail the frost in the surrounding air, and on the 

 surface of the ground ; the observations of modern times show that 

 temperature rises, as we descend from the surface of the earth. 



Mr. Brown. — Frotn Magellan northerly the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms exhibit a greater analogy to tropliical life, than any in the 

 Northern Hemisphere. Darwin, the naturalist, attached to the great 

 Survey of Fitzroy and Beechey, found the South American Lion, the 

 Puma, as far south as latitude 47°, and the Palms flourishing in 45^ 

 on an elevated Platean (or level) extending north to Paraguay. Dar- 

 win says that this immense platean is what is geologically called an 

 Upheaval. It shows diluvial action ; the ancient Ocean shores are dis- 

 tinctly observed about its bases j rivers have cut their deep passes 

 through it. These facts are important, and the scientific deductions 

 to be made from them. This plateau is connected with the great 

 chain of Andes. In all this region of plateau vegetation is scarce and 



