188 



Mr. Sears C. Walker read an extract from a letter^ of Prof. 

 S. Alexander, of Princeton, giving a Description, with Draw- 

 ings, of two Appearances of Lateral and Vertical Mirage, no- 

 ticed by him. 



The thermometer, in both instances, was nearly at 0° Fahrenheit. 

 The first was of the rising of the sun, seen in the winter of 1834-5, 

 across the valley of Stony Brook, through which the Delaware and 

 Raritan Canal passes. The distorted and ragged shape of the 

 sun resembled a sketch, made by Mr. Head, of the moon's appear- 

 ance several minutes before setting, Jan. 7th, 1825, at Port Bowen, 

 in Captain Parry's third voyage. The other phenomenon was ob- 

 served by Prof. Alexander, at sea, off Cape May, Dec. 15th, 1834. 

 The preceding night had been severely cold, and the surface cf the 

 ocean was covered with a thin cloud, denominated by the Green- 

 landers, " Port Smoke." In the afternoon, as the sun approached 

 the horizon, a brilliant and distinct image of himself arose to meet 

 him. After the apparent contact of the two discs, the two centres ap- 

 proached and passed each other, leaving visible, however, only the 

 lower segment of the image, and the upper segment of the sun's disc, 

 which double segment became more and more narrow, till it vanished; 

 thus presenting the phenomenon of sunset, at about 15' above the 

 horizon. 



A similar appearance is described in Parry's second voyage, at 

 Winter Island, Dec. 20th, 1821 , when an inverted image of the moon 

 appeared just after she had risen. 



Dr. Bache reported the decease of John Frederick Blumen- 

 bach, on the 22d of January, 1840; and of Joseph Parrish, 

 M. D., on the 18th of March, 1840— members of the Society. 



Dr. Dunglison, Reporter, stated that No. 10, of the Bulletin 

 was ready for distribution. 



