Feb., 1888.] elliott society. 193 



FEBKUARY 23d, 1888. 



The President in the Chair. 



Books Received. 



Academy of Natural Sciences, Davenport, Iowa: Proceedings 

 and Reports, 20th Annual Meeting, Jan. 4, 1888 ; 

 Address of Pres. Chas. E. Harrison, 

 A. F. Chamberlain, The Catawba Language. 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge : Bulletin, Vol. 

 XIII, No. 6. 



Boston Society of Natural History: Memoirs, Vol. IV, Nos. 1-4. 

 Royal Society, London : Proceedings, No. 261. 



Mr. E. a. Smyth Jr. mentioned that on the 28th of January, 1888, he had 

 seen in the Charleston Market a pair of "Shoveller Ducks," Spatula clypeata,Q, 

 male and a female, which had been killed on James Island. 



De. Shepabd exhibited a specimen of Hilgenstock's Tetra-calcic phosphate 

 which he had received from Germany through the kindness of Dr. W. D. 

 Wamer, U. S. Consul at Cologne, Germany. It consisted of masses of grayish, 

 translucent, tabular crystals, imbedded in the ' ' Thomas " slag, from which it 

 was not possible to entirely separate the quantities necessary for a satisfactory 

 chemical examination. 



After some general remarks on the subject of iron-ore slags, Dr. Shepard ex- 

 plained the importance which now attaches to the "Thomas" slag. This arti- 

 cle, a side product obtained in the treatment in lime-lined Bessemer converters 

 of pig-iron, rich in phosphorus, constitutes to-day an important factor in phos- 

 phatic manuring, being agriculturally applied in a finely ground state to the 

 extent of several hundred thousand tons per annum, more especially in Germa- 

 ny. This enormous consumption is the best evidence of its agricultural value. 

 Otherwise there exists considerable difference of opinion among chemists as to 

 its eligibilit5^ According to all previous opinion and experimentation, the sol- 

 ubility ( and consequently, as is generally believed, the assimilability ) of min- 

 eral and other manurial calcic phosphates is in direct proportion to the prepon- 

 derance of their content of phosphoric acid — as compared with the content of 

 lime. But it is claimed that in the new and artificial tetra-calcic phosphate as 

 well as in the ' ' Thomas " slag which contains it, is presented a chemical com- 

 bination particularly susceptible of assimilation by plants, more so than the or- 

 dinary tri-calcic (or so-called "Bone" ) phosphate or indeed than many of 



VOL. II. 25 rublisbed May, 1888. 



