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tural pursuits exercise over the mind, in the fact that 

 the elysium of the Pagan Mythology, and the heaven of 

 Mohammed, owe much of their attractiveness to the deep 

 arched bowers and landscapes which they are promised 

 to contain. The idea is at least poetical, and I am 

 greatly mistaken if it has not been used with effect by 

 some modern poet. 



On the establishment of the Board of Agriculture by 

 the legislature, the society for the promotion of useful 

 arts, became a city institution. It possessed a small but 

 valuable library, and many of its members were unwil- 

 ling that this should be dispersed and the society aban- 

 doned. It was thought that a union with the Lyceum 

 of Natural History, and the extension of the objects of 

 the society, so as to comprehend general literature, might 

 be useful to all engaged, and, if properly sustained, ho- 

 norable to the city. Of this plan, Mr. De Witt was a 

 warm and zealous supporter. I need hardly add, that 

 it ended in the incorporation of the Albany Ikstitute. 

 I rejoice that he lived long enough to be satisfied that 

 his anticipations had proved successful. For this, he 

 labored as much as any of his associates, by his attend- 



his death, in our last published list of donations, we wit- 

 ness his friendship to us, and his remembrance of the in- 

 stitution he so much cherished. 



His published communications in the Transactions of 

 the Institute, are a table of variations of the Magnetic 

 Needle; observations on the functions of the Moon, de- 

 duced from observations made on the great eclipse in 

 1806; and an account of a new form of Rain Gage. 



While on the subject of his writings, I may add, thad: 

 lie made several communications to Professor Silliman's 

 -Journal, and particularly was much interested during the 

 commencement of 1834, in discussing the theory of the 

 remarkable Meteors, or falling stars, of November, 1833. 

 A publication of his, on this subject, appeared in the 

 Argus newspaper of this city. 



