_ Notices of American Steam Boats. 311 
4. Chair of Compitihetbie Anatomy in the room of G. Cuvier at the 
Museum of Natural History. 
the committee presented as candidates MM. Flourens, Serres, 
Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, Dumeril and DeBlainville. 
e number of votes deposited in the urn was forty five, of which 
DeBlainville had twenty two; Dumeril, twenty; Flourens, one ; 
blank, two. DrBuarnvitie was declared elected. 
Session of July 23. 
_A letter at condolence on account of the death of Cuvier, address- 
ed to the Academy, was received from the secretary of the Royal 
Institution of Great Britain. “Cuvier,” says this letter, “by the 
power of his genius, and the vast extent of his knowledge, held the 
most eminent rank in science which it is given to man to attain. His 
death is not a loss to France only, but to the whole world. The 
Royal Institution which reckoned him in the small number of its” 
foreign honorary members is forcibly impressed with an event which 
deprives it of the lustre which his name reflected upon it, and of | 
the ape held forth eA his admirable works,” esa Encye. 
Juillet, 1832 
eee a 
agg XIV. —WNotices of American Steam Boats; by W.C. ane 
cre FIELD, of New 
- Tue increase in the number of steam boats in the waters of the 
United States, within the last fifteen years, which has not failed to 
excite both surprise and gratulation, is hardly greater than the im- 
provements which have been made in their structure and efficiency. 
Before the commencement of the period alluded to, the steam en- 
gine had been brought nearly to the maximum of its efficiency, as a 
moving power, and the adaptation of its energies to the purposes of 
Ravigation, though less advanced, was supposed to have nearly reach- 
ed the same stage of perfection. About ten years since, the steam 
which navigated the river Hudson, and which were doubtless 
superior to any others of that period, performed the passage between 
New York and Albany, in from eighteen to thirty hours, according 
to the favor of circumstances: five years later, and from one to four 
laden vessels, each of more than two hundred tons burthen, 
