Miscellanies. 397 



of the " Proceedings of the Imperial Mineralogical Society of St. 

 Petersburg." — The library was also enriched by the receipt of fifty 

 nine numbers of the '' Iconographie du Regne Animal." 



April 21. — Numerous donations of books were received from Mr. 

 E. Durand, of Philadelphia, and Dr. W. E. Coale ; Dr. Edmond- 

 son presented six printed copies of the meteorological table for Feb- 

 ruary last ; Drs. Geddings and Riley presented for the cabinet a 

 pair of Flickers "Picus auratus." — A communication in German, 

 printed by order of the Prussian Government, containing a method 

 for the propagation and domestic breeding of leeches, was received 

 from Baron de Roenne, Prussian Minister, read and ordered to be 

 translated for the library. 



April 28. — Specimens were received from Mr. Minifie and Dr. 

 Riley ; and from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, 

 a copy of the notice of that Academy recently published by them. — 

 Dr. Geddings, chairman of the section of Zoology, reported pro- 

 gress in his examination of the foreign and indigenous insects, refer- 

 red at a former meeting. — Mr. Fisher invited the attention of the 

 Academy to a description of the aurora borealis, vi?hich was seen on 

 the 22d of this month. The paper was referred to a committee of 

 the section of Physics, with instructions to collect all the observa- 

 tions and facts connected with its appearance in this city, and report 

 to the next meeting. — Dr. Geddings described the marine animal 

 recently taken at Carpenter's point in the Chesapeake bay. The 

 fish is described to be of the genus Delphinus — subgenus Delphin- 

 apterus leucas — known as the Beluga. — Mr. Fisher presented for 

 the use of the cabinet an alcoholic solution of the arseniate of Ba- 

 ryta, which has been higlily recommended for the preservation of 

 cabinet specimens, especially the plumage of birds. This salt was 

 prepared by fusing together at a moderate heat in a sand cruci- 

 ble, in their atomic proportions, crystallized nitrate of Baryta and 

 arsenious acid, made into a paste with nitric acid. Tiie process is 

 simple, and attended with far less trouble and expense than when 

 the ordinary process described in the books is employed. — Mr. Quin- 

 by was appointed lecturer for the regular evening. 



May 5. — Specimens were received from Dr. Keener, Dr. Ged- 

 dings, Dr. Riley, Joseph King, jr. Esq., and A. Trevallyn, Esq., 

 of England, and a copy of the Statistical View of the United States, 

 prepared under the direction of the Secretary of State, was trans- 

 mitted by the Hon. R. H. Goldsborough, of the Senate. — Don Joa- 



