362 Transactions of the New-York Lyceum. 



a yellowish white colour, and nearly opaque. This sub- 

 stance Mr. Emmett submitted to a number of experiments, 

 and determined it to be a phosphate of lime. It is probably 

 the cause of that property of iron, called red-short, 



A note was received from Mrs. Mitchilj, accompanying a 

 valuable donation of Shells. 



A paper from Mr. Jacob A. Vandenheuvel was read on 

 the domestic origin of N. American Bees, and many inter- 

 esting particulars of the Honey Bees of Guiana, S. America 

 accompanied by a case containing twenty species, collected 

 by himself. Pub. in No. VII, this Journal. 



Dr. Akerly presented a suite of Potter's clay from differ- 

 ent States. 



Dr. Torrey presented specimens of plants collected by 

 himself on Long-Island, among which were several new 

 species of the myriophyllum and Fuirena. 



Mr. Halsey presented a collection of plants from the vicin- 

 ity of New- York. 



The committee reported a new species of Sphex Carolina, 

 and another species of Sphex from parasitic chrysalids. 



A letter was read from Mr. Prince, communicating the fact 

 of a new chesnut produced by the intermixture of the cas- 

 tanea vesea, and the castanea pumilla. Specimens of the 

 Hybrid were shown. Pub. in No. VII, this Journal. 



Dr. Torrey presented a collection of plants made by him- 

 self in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. 



A letter was read from Mr. Schoolcraft containing obser- 

 vations of himself and others during the Exploring Expedi- 

 tion to theN. West, with a drawing of the Sand tree of Mich- 

 igan, described in his Journal, since published. 



A memoir on the cetaceous animals was read by Dr. De- 

 kay. It would appear that out of twenty species belonging 

 to this order, thirteen are found occasionally in our waters. 



Col. Gibbs presented, through Dr. Torrey, some fine 

 specimens of Iron ore, and of the corundum of Naxos. 



A communication was received from Major Delafield with 

 a valuable donation of minerals and organic remains, collect- 

 ed by him on the northern boundary of the U. S. The 

 fossils and sulphates of Strontian are peculiarly beautiful. 



President Mitchill communicated some interesting partic-r 

 ulars of the Xyphias Gladias. 



