150 [April 20, 
Methods for the Preparation of Gramophone and Telephone 
Records. 
Mr. Phillips exhibited some specimens of Physa heterostro- 
pha found in water from the pipes of the drinking supply fur- 
nished by the Schuylkill river this and last Spring. 
Prof. Houston and Dr. Morris spoke in relation to the im- 
purity and insufficiency of the water supply of the city. 
The President referred to the volume and condition of the 
water passing over the Fairmount dam, stating that the area 
of the pool has diminished but very little in later years, and 
that in his opinion the drinking water of the city was as pure 
as that supplied to New York and better than that to Boston. 
The President stated that he possessed a manuscript essay by 
Henry Campbell, C. E., of this city, containing a project for 
supplying City of New York with water by putting a very 
high dam some distance above the city, so as to prevent the 
salt water running up, and thus utilizing all the fresh water 
supplied by the Hiadaon river. 
For Philadelphia, he proposed to collect the rain water in 
tanks and distribute it as needed. 
Dr. J. Cheston Morris said that perhaps the supply water- 
pipe referred to by Mr. Phillips contained some bend in 
which the ova lodged and were hatched from time to time— 
the ova subjected to heat in the hot water-pipe being killed. 
Observation of our ordinary Schuylkill supply would soon 
satisfy one of the frequent existence in it of many forms of 
animal life. We greatly need in this city sufficient reser- 
voirs for subsidence ; our supply would then be comparatively 
good, and free from much of the present cause of complaint. 
The scouring of the pools and basins of the dams of. the 
Schuylkill, which occurs during the freshets, would then re- 
move much noxious material. 
Prof. Houston having suggested the great lakes as probably 
a good future source of supply for our Hastern cities, Dr. Mor- 
ris said, the results of their employment at Chicago were not 
such as to encourage us. And New York would hardly like 
to take the Hrie canal as its source. 
