281 



on the table. I wish I had any thing of more importance to commu- 

 nicate. Business during the winter takes up my time, so that I make 

 no experiments myself; but what I hear of I shall continue to send 

 you. 



Being with sincere esteem, dear sir, 



Your most obedient humble servant, 



B. FRANKLIN. 



Dr. Patterson gave a general account of the mathematical 

 inquiries recently conducted by Mons. Le Verrier, to explain 

 the apparent diversity between the actual observed position of 

 the planet Uranus, and the position it should occupy according 

 to the laws of gravitation. Assuming that another planet exists 

 beyond Uranus, at the distance from the Sun which the laws of 

 Bode would indicate; that its orbit was nearly circular, and in 

 the zodiac; and that its mass was equal to that of Uranus; he 

 determined that a planet so assumed would account for the per- 

 turbations observed in regard to Uranus, from the position it 

 should occupy, according to the laws of gravitation, if the pla- 

 net was in a particular place at a given epoch. 



Stated Meeting, October 2. 



Present, eighteen members. 



Dr. Patterson, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Letters were announced and read: — 



From the Royal Geographical Society of London, dated 

 Feb. 21, 1846, acknowledging the reception of Vol. IX. Part 

 2d, of the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 

 and of Nos. 32, 33, of the Proceedings: — 



From the New Jersey Historical Society, dated Newark, 

 Sept. 7, 1846, stating that they had sent their publications to 

 the American Philosophical Society, and asking, in return, do- 

 nations to their Library: — 



From P. de Angelis, dated Buenos Ayres, Feb. 20, 1846, 

 accompanying a donation to this Society of official documents: 

 and, — 



