3 



The Committee, consisting of Mr. Lea, Dr. Wood, and Dr. 

 Coates, to whom was referred, on the 18th of December last, 

 the continuation of Mr. Nuttall's communication, entitled "On 

 the Corymbiferas, collected on a tour across the continent of 

 North America," reported in favour of its publication in the 

 Transactions, which was ordered accordingly. The Commit- 

 tee of Publication was authorized to print it continuously with 

 Mr. Nuttall's former paper on the same subject. 



Dr. Emerson reverted to the oral communication made at the 

 last meeting in regard to the evolution of electricity from steam. 



He was pleased to find the results of more recent investigations, and 

 especially of the experiments of the gentleman who introduced the sub- 

 ject before the Society, sustaining the view he had taken in his lectures on 

 Meteorology, delivered before the Franklin Institute in the year 1834. 

 In these lectures he had expressed his opinion that the electricity de- 

 veloped in thunder storms, was to be regarded rather as an accom- 

 paniment than a cause of the storm. The vapour condensed was de- 

 rived from the spot where the storm prevailed, and the electricity was 

 set free during the condensation of the vapour, in a manner similar 

 to the evolution of latent heat. Dr. Emerson read a portion of the 

 lecture delivered before the Franklin Institute at the time alluded to, 

 as more fully explanatory of his views relative to the evolution of 

 electricity during the condensation of vapour. 



Professor H. D. Rogers communicated some observations 

 upon the geological structure of Berkshire, Mass., and the neigh- 

 bouring parts of New York, which had been made by his 

 brother, Professor W. B. Rogers, and himself, in the month of 

 August last; and indicated the theory by which they concurred 

 in explaining the phenomena which charactei*ize that region. 



Professor Rogers adverted to the fact, already noticed by geolo- 

 gists, that all the strata between the Hoosac mountain and the Hudson 

 river, hold an inverted order, the newer being found beneath the older 

 rocks. He exhibited drawings of these strata, establishing the exist- 

 ence of numerous closely folded anticlinal and synclinal axes; and 

 deduced the conclusion by a train of reasoning, that the inverted dip 

 of the rocks at the surface is the result of a folding or wrinkling of 

 the beds at short intervals, and not of one general turning over of the 

 whole series as suggested by geologists. 



Subterranean igneous action was referred to, as having effected this 

 compressing and folding of the rock ; and its energy was shown to have 



