29 



This acts like the sulphurous acid, and if mixed with the 

 water, will accelerate the shrinking, 



" Beer and vinegar dregs, are generally used by the Lon- 

 don hatters, in the inantifactnn or fur hats, for the purpose 

 of mellowing their hats and of removing the harshness that 

 results from the use of the sulphurous acid." 



Mr. M. remarks, that the Indian method of dressing bea- 

 ver skins, is to steep them in the ley of wood ashes, contain- 

 ing of course a notable portion of potash. 



September I. The following donations were received : 

 From the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 

 vols. 2d and 3d of its Journal ; from Peter S. Townsend, 

 a collection of marine shells and corals from the Bahama 

 Islands, crystals of salt from the salt ponds of Crooked Isl- 

 and ; from Lewis C. Beck, a black lead coin, trilobite, and 

 cast, Rochester, Monroe county ; from James Eights, speci- 

 mens of organic remains, fromtfie falls of Genesee river and 

 the Helderbergh, salamandra punctata, Montgomery co. 

 and s. erythronata, from Albany ; from Stephen V. R. 

 Bleecker, rattles of the crotalus horridus; from Henry W. 

 Snyder, a collection of engravings and drawings, two spe- 

 cimens of agate, from the falls of St. Anthony, on the Missis- 

 sippi ; from Richard Varick De Witt, a living specimen of 

 the testudo ferox, Pennant, (trionyx ferox, Say,) from 

 Cayuga lake, silver penny of Charles I. ; from T. Romevn 

 Beck, calymene blumenbachii, Ohio, 27 foreign copper 

 coins, polished slab of marble, containing enainito?, from 

 Cherry Valley, petrifactions from do. suite of minerals from 

 Phillipstown and Coldspring, Putnam county ; from 

 Thomas Mather, asphaltum, Island of Trinidad ; from 

 James Macauley, a collection of mineralogical and g:-olodc- 

 al specimens, from the interior of the state of New- York ; 

 from Elisha Putnam, specimen of vegetable matter, ap- 

 proaching peat, Delaware and Chesapeake canal ; from a 

 ladv, Hamburgh skilling, 1759, (silver) Gibraltar quarto ; 

 from M. H. Welter, a catalogue of the minerals discover- 

 ed in the state of New-York, 28 copper coins and julus tri- 

 dentatus, from Guilderland ; from R. Webster, limulus 

 polyphemus, from Long Island ; from De Witt Clinton, 

 a preserved specimen of the hirundo fulva, Viellot; from the 

 President, a collection of geological specimens from the 

 route of the Erie Canal ; from Joseph Henrv, one silver 

 and one copper coin ; from John S. Phillips of Philadel- 

 phia. 29 species of marine shells. 



The Hon. De Witt Clinton communicated a description 

 of the testudo ferox, identifying the living specimen in the 

 possession of the Institute, with that species. 



