242 



ly to its distribution in the space where it could have encountered the 

 due proportion of caloric. 



Professor Bache, from the Committee on magnetic observa- 

 tions, read an extract from a letter of Major Sabine, V. P. of 

 the Royal Society of London, stating that the Council of the 

 Society had, on the recommendation of the Committee of Phy- 

 sics, expressed their opinion of the importance to the plan of 

 combined magnetic observations now in progress, that obser- 

 vatories should be established in the United States, and had 

 instructed their President to bring this expression of opinion 

 to the knowledge of the government of this country. 



Professor Bache stated that the resolution just referred to had been 

 adopted with a view to aid the efforts of this Society in procuring the 

 erection of observatories, as recommended in their Memorial to the 

 Secretary of War, which had been referred, by that officer, to Con- 

 gress. 



He also read an extract from a subsequent letter from Major 

 Sabine, in reference to the progress of the combined magnetic 

 observations, stating that the Emperor of Russia had ordered 

 the erection of nine magnetic and meteorological observatories 

 in his dominions, to conform, in respect to instruments and 

 times of observations, to the system recommended by the 

 Royal Society. One of these observatories is to be upon the 

 N. W. coast of America. 



Professor Bache stated that the regular system of bi-hourly mag- 

 netic and meteorological observations was now established in the 

 observatory at the Girard College, and had been in progress since 

 the close of the month of May. He intended, at a future day, to 

 present to the Society the names of the gentlemen, chiefly members 

 of the American Philosophical Society, by whose contributions a fund 

 had been raised to defray the expense of employing the assistants 

 required for these observations. 



On the occasion of the May magnetic term day for observations at 

 short intervals, a brilliant aurora had occurred, during which the 

 magnetic instruments were very much disturbed. The details were 

 reserved for future presentation, but it was perhaps proper now to 

 state, that an auroral arch had been visible here a little after ten 



