1881.] ^67 [Chase. 



tlie Revista Mensual Climatologica, and the Revista Cientifica 

 Mexicana, and tlie Ministerio de Fomento, Mexico. 



An obituary notice of tlie late Wm. E. DuBois, was, by ap- 

 pointment, read by Mr. Robert Patterson.* 



Dr. Brinton explained to the Society the substance of his 

 paper on the Gods in the Kiche Myth, the Popol Vuh. 



Mr. Lesley read Dr. Newberry's paper on the Origin of the 

 Lake Basins, and then remarked on the relation of Dr. New- 

 berry's claims to Prof. Spencer's discoveries and views.f 



Mr. Lesley gave a short sketch of the history and progress 

 of the excavations at Assos during the last few months, under 

 the auspices of the Boston Archaeological Society, as he 

 obtained it in conversations with Prof. W. R. Ware of Colum- 

 bia College. 



The minutes of the last meeting of the Board of Officers and 

 members in Council were read, and the consideration of the 

 resolution therein was postponed for the next meeting. 



Certain valuable manuscripts were ordered, on motion of 

 Dr. Brinton, to be placed by the Library Committee in the 

 custody of the Fidelity for safe keeping. 



Pending nomination No. 935, and new nominations JSTos. 

 946 to 950 were read, and the meeting was adjourned. 



Photodynamic Notes, IV. By Pliny Earle Chase, LL.D. 



{Bead before the American Philosophical Society, Noveniber 4, 1881.) 



91. Photodynamic Determination of Sun's Mass and Distance. 



In Notes 5 and 23, I estimated Sun's mass both from projectile and from 

 simple oscillatory considerations. In the former note I deduced the dis- 

 tance from an assumed solar density, instead of taking the ratio of varia- 

 bility d^ OC mf^. My conviction of the importance of Fourier's theorem 

 has been strengthened by further study, and I accordingly give, in the 

 present note, the coordinate photodynamic elements which may be simply 

 deduced from it. 



If we regard the luminiferous aether as a nebulous elastic atmosphere, 

 and the solar system as a partially condensed nebula, the nebula is not 

 homogeneous. It contains, in addition to various subordinate and com- 



* This paper will be printed in Vol. xx. No, 111. 



fDr. Newberry's paper will be printed in Vol. xx, No. 111. 



