81 



from C. N. Bement, four species of testudo ; from A. S. 

 Webster, galena, banks of the Fever river, N. W. Territory, 

 and carnelian from St. Peters, Mississippi ; from Henry I. 

 Linn, memoirs of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting 

 Agriculture, vol. 1st; from Samuel Webster, a sheet of pa- 

 per, 21 feet long, manufactured at the Brandy wine mills, 

 Delaware ; from L. C. Beck, dried plants from the vicinity 

 of Albany, and kelp manufactured at Salina ; from Simeon 

 De Witt, sulphuric acid from a spring on Grand Island, 

 Niagara river ; from Major Delafield, New-York, specimen 

 of the root of a fern, from St. Michaels, Azores, (used in fill- 

 ing matrasses.) 



December 29. The following donations were received : 

 From H. W. Snyder, Haytian silver coin ; from James 

 Eights, a species of testudo ; from M. H. Webster, beryl, 

 (fragment of a large crystal,) Chester, Penn. and other min- 

 erals ; from Duncan M'Kercher, organic remains, from Liv- 

 ingston county. 



M. H. Webster read an account of the processes employ- 

 ed in the manufacture of paper. 



L. C Beck read the first part of a communication on 

 lead and lead mines, including a minute account of the lead 

 mines of the Western States. 



January 12, 1S25. L. C. Beck read the second part of 

 his communication on the lead mines of the Western States. 



A paper (selected) by the late John Shaw of London, on 

 preventing the evaporation of spirits from preparations, was 

 also read. As the author's anatomical pursuits enabled him 

 to test the value of various applications, and as the subject 

 is often a perplexing one to those engaged in the study of 

 natural history, we republish his directions. 



"A piece of whalebone, such as is used by the umbrella 

 makers, is to be cut to the diameter of the jar, the two ends 

 are then to be nicely filed down to the shape of the convex 

 surface of the inside of the rim, so that they may rest upon the 

 rim of the bottle, but not project over the edge — to nicks in 

 this walebone, the different threads, or still better, horsehairs, 

 supporting the preparation, are to be attached. The jar be- 

 ing now filled to the top, the rim is to be dried, and then 

 smeared with a weak glue. A portion of an ox's bladder, 

 which has been soaked in water for two days, is to be imme- 

 diately put over the mouth of the jar and is to be bound firmly 

 with twine, which is to be applied in a quantity sufficient to 

 press the bladder tightly upon the lower part of the rim. The 

 jar is then to be exposed to a current of air, that the bladder 

 may dry quickly ; the following day, a piece of the sheet lead, 



