289 



January 29, 1861. 

 The president, J. V. L. Pruyn, presided. 



Mr. Pease proposed Elisba Y. Ten Eyck as a resident 

 member of the Institute. 



Under communication from officers, the treasurer, Mr. 

 Pease, presented his annual report which, on motion, was 

 referred to a committee to report. Committee appointed 

 by chairman consisted of Mr. Averill and Mr. Brown. 



Prof. Murray then read a paper descriptive of the oil 

 wells of Pennsylvania and of the nature and amount of oil 

 yielded by them. He gave an account of these wells as 

 worked in Titusville, Franklin, and Tidionta ; of the vast 

 number of these wells which had been bored, and of the 

 proportional amount of those which yielded oil. Quoting 

 Prof. Silliman and others, he gave a comparative estimate 

 of this as compared with other illuminating materials. 



At the close of this paper, Prof. Hall gave a description 

 of the position of the rock in which this oil is found, ascrib- 

 ing its origin to vegetable and animal material which had 

 become embedded in the rock. Its rise to the surface he 

 explained by the inclination of the lamince of the rock in 

 which it is found, so that when perforated at a depressed 

 portion, the pressure from above forces it up. 



Prof. Hall gave also some account of the gas springs and 

 deposits in which they occur, which are found in various 

 parts of the United States and Canada. 



Prof. Hall gave the Institute some account of the dispute 

 among geologists in regard to the Taconic system, espe- 

 cially with reference to the position of the Canada geolo- 

 gists upon it. 



After these remarks, the Institute adjourned for two 

 ^veeks 



February 12, 1861. 

 The Institute met, and being called to order, Mr. Munsell 

 was made chairman. 



Mr. Ten Eyck, proposed at last meeting, was elected. 



