AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 225 



be a scrofula on the lungs. It is possible, by scientific regulations, 

 to prevent air being loaded with decomposed animal and vege- 

 table matter. The whole question of ventilation concerns it. 

 Among other matters, we have found that much depends on the 

 form of chimneys, for carrying up and off bad air. The flue of 

 every chimney must converge from the bottom to the top, to enable 

 this to be done. Pedet is right on this point. 



Dr. Waterbur}' — This is a great hygienic question, and we have 

 no knowledge of what is called mal-arid (bad air). All excre- 

 tions are, in a degree, poisonous to the animal and the vegetable 

 making them. When we reflect on the subject of organic che- 

 mistry, and take Liebig''s strong points on that matter, we per- 

 ceive an impending revolution in medicine, as well as agriculture. 

 It isnotappare;it that the air of mountains is favorable to sufferers 

 with consumption, for tlie Green mountains of Vermont are well 

 known to have more consumptive inhabitants than their vallies, 

 or the western prairies. 



Mr. Alanson Nash, of New-York, read the following paper on 

 THE WREN AND OTHER INSECT DESTROYERS: 



In the year 1854, I lived at No. 128 Second streetj the house 

 was one in a block situated on the north side of the street, with 

 the rear enclosed by yards adjoining an open space or a garden. 

 In the yards of these houses were grape vines, cherry trees, apri- 

 cot and peach trees, shade trees and shrubbery; some years prior 

 to 1854, in the spring, for places for nests, I obtained a carpenter, 

 on the last of April, and got up a house for the birds on a staff, 

 thirty-five feet high, running up through the branches of a peach 

 tree, on which entwined a grape vine. The house was built in 

 the form of an oblong, with a roof and piazza; at one end, an 

 open window led into this house from the piazza, nearly to the 

 ridge of the roof; under it a two-inch augur hole was made, in 

 each end of the house, to ventilate it. In other respects the 

 house was light, and kept out the rain and wet at all times; the 

 wren house, thus erected, overlooked much of the surrounding 

 garden and the yards. 



This staff was put up late in the evening, say about the 28th of 

 April, 1854; the next morning, before sunrise, a cockerel wren 

 [Am. Inst.] 15 



