144 



Professor A. D. Bache communicated, on behalf of Mi*. 

 Nicollet, of Washington, an abstract of observations on the 

 magnetic clip, made at Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, 

 Albany, Oswego, Niagara Falls, Detroit, Mackinaw Island, 

 Chicago, Joliet, Ottawa, Peru, Illinoistown and St. Louis. He 

 also read a letter from Major Sabine, communicating the pro- 

 gress of the general series of magnetic observations; and one 

 from Prof. Loomis, of Western Reserve College, stating that, 

 last autumn, he had made observations of the magnetic dip at 

 nearly forty different stations, in the north-west part of the 

 United States, the results of which he intended hereafter to 

 communicate to the Society. 



Dr. Goddard showed specimens of photographic portraits 

 made by the diffused light of a room, and by a peculiar process 

 in which bibromide of iodine is used. This process he de- 

 scribed, and stated that he had ascertained only to-day, that a 

 similar method had been presented to the French Academy, 

 which, however, in some particulars, was inferior to his own. 



Mr. George Ord was elected Librarian, in the place of John 

 Vaughan, deceased. 



The following standing Committees were appointed for the 

 present year. 



Of Finance.— Mr. C. C. Biddle, Dr. Patterson, and Mr. 

 Nicklin. 



Of Publication. — Mr. Lea, Dr. Hays, and Mr. Fisher. 



On the Hall— -Mr. Campbell, Mr. Richards, and Mr. G. 

 W. Smith. 



retort, of which the recurved and tapering beak enters a tube, which occupies 

 the axis and descends through the neck of an inverted bell-glass, so as to 

 terminate within a tall phial. Both the tube and phial must be surrounded 

 by ice and water. The diluted acid is then added gradually. A water-bath, 

 blood-warm, is sufficient to cause all the ether to come over. 



Agreeably to another plan, the materials, previously refrigerated by ice, are 

 introduced into a bottle, also similarly refrigerated. Under these circum- 

 stances the ether soon forms a superstratum which may be separated by de- 

 cantation. 



This last mentioned process does not answer so well for the hyponitrite of 

 methyl, on account of the pyroxylic spirit being prone to rise with the ether. 

 Yet, the spirit may be separated from the ether by anhydrous chloride of 

 calcium. 



