222 



organic acids is preceded, are mainly an inversion of the truth ; since 

 they moke the capacity of saturation of hydrated acids dependent on 

 the quantity of hydrogen in their basic water, instead of making 

 both the quantity of water, and, of course, the quantity of hydrogen 

 therein, depend on their capacity : — 



(s) All that is truly said of hydrogen would be equally true of any 

 other radical; while the language employed, would lead to the belief 

 that there is a peculiar association between capacity of saturation, 

 and the presence of hydrogen. 



Prof. Bache drew the attention of the Society to the neces- 

 sity of providing means for continuing the observations now 

 making under the direction of the Society at the Magnetic Ob- 

 servatory, or of closing the Observatory: whereupon, on mo- 

 tion of Dr. Patterson, a special Committee was appointed, to 

 report in regard to providing means for the continuation of the 

 observations. Committee, Dr. Chapman, Dr. Patterson, Dr. 

 Wood, Mr. Fraley, and Mr. Kane. 



On motion of Mr. F. Peale, permission was granted to Mr. 

 Justice, to have casts made from certain medals in the cabinet 

 of the Society, under the direction of the Curators. 



Stated Meeting, Oct. 21. 



Present, thirty-nine members. 



Mr. Du Ponceau, President, in the Chair. 



Letters were read: — 



From Fletcher Webster, Esq. Acting Secretary of State, 

 dated Washington, 7th Oct. 1842, announcing the transmission 

 to the Society of a number of volumes of Public Documents: — 



From the Secretary of the Imperial Society of Naturalists 

 of Moscow, dated 13th July, 1S42, announcing that the Bul- 

 letin of the Moscow Society for 1842, had been forwarded to 

 this Society : — 



From the Secretary of the Botanical Society of London, 

 dated 1st July, 1842, and the Secretary of the Royal Geogra- 

 phical Society of London, dated 12th Jan. 1842, severally ac- 



