249 



Tome IV. Livraisons 3 and 4. St. Petersbourg, 1850. 4to. — 

 From the Academy. 



Memoires presentes a I'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Pe- 

 tersbourg. Par Divers Savants, et Jus dans ses assemblees. Tome 

 VI. Livraisons 5 and 6. St. Petersbourg, 1851. 4to. — From 

 the same. 



Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Contributions to the Na- 

 tural History of the Fresh water Fishes of North America. By 

 Charles Girard. I. A. Monograph of the Cottoids. Washington, 

 1851. — From the Smithsonian Institution. 



Fifth Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution to the Senate and House of Representatives, shoXving 

 the Operations, Expenditures and Condition of the Institution 

 during the year 1850. Washington, 1851. 8vo. — From Hon. 

 James Cooper, U. S. Senate. 



The Plough, the Loom and the Anvil. Vol. IV. No. 8. Feb. 1852. 

 N. Y. and Philada. 8vo. — From J. S. Skinner, Esq. 



The Committee, consisting of Mr. Trego, Dr. Demme and 

 Dr. Dunglison, to which was referred the Philological Paper, 

 by Professor Alexander, of Baltimore, made their report and 

 asked to be discharged from a further consideration of the 

 subject, — which was agreed to. 



Mr. Lea read a note from Dr. Burt, who presented the re- 

 port of meteorological observations made at the Loo Choo 

 islands, w^hich was recomm.ended for publication at the last 

 meeting, — and asked to have the note, or a part of it, appended 

 to the report, — which was agreed to. 



Professor Frazer drew the attention of the Society to a re- 

 markable display of aurora borealis, observed last night, and 

 described the characters which it presented: its chief peculi- 

 arity consisting in the immense and magnificent pulsations or 

 gushings of light, which he had never seen in any other case 

 of the aurora. 



The phenomena, as witnessed by them, were also described 

 by Mr. Lea, Dr. Coates and Dr. Hays. 



The minutes of the Board of Officers and Council at their 

 last meeting were read. 



Pending nominations, Nos. 271 and 272,— and new nomina- 

 tions, Nos. 273 to 279, were read. 



