55 



shells, from Montreal, dog-tooth spar and crystals of quartz in 

 drusy cavities, from the Lachine canal, anomites and a trilo- 

 bite from Mascouchi river, (Lower Canada,) and strombus 

 chiragra; from Andrew F. Holmes, M. D. of Montreal, 

 pseudomorphous quartz from Scotland ; from the Rev. Isaac 

 Ferris, a large crystal of quartz from Fish Creek, Saratoga 

 countv ; from Simeon Dc Witt, gvpsum (alabaster) from 

 Sandu.skv, (Ohio ; lVomJan.es Kiirhts, three pieces of Conti- 

 nental paper money ; from John W. Farewell, of Hartford, 



copper oU from the Schuyler Coppermine' New Jersey ^frim 

 Geor-e Clarke, marlv ciav from Springfield, Otse-.» countv; 

 fromRichard Webster, a medal of La Fayette, struck during 

 the American revolution; from the author, " Monograph of 

 the doubtful reptils, New-York," by Rev. Daniel II. Barnes; 

 from Teunis Van Vechten, magnetic iron ore, (an octaedral 

 crystal,) from Essex county, New-York ; from John S. Walsh, 

 a gallinule, (preserved) shot in the vicinity of this city, and 

 also a halberd head with the stamp on it of the 62d or 'Royal 

 American regiment; from Joseph Henrv, strombus pugilis ; 

 from Dr. William A. King, a collection of fluviatile shells, 

 from the river Ohio, comprising the following species, unio 

 crassus, verrucosus, nrohuiiitis, crnutus, purpureus, plicatus, 

 ovatus, triangularis, cunieformis, alatus, cvlindricus, orbicu- 

 latus, radiatus and ochraceus, and a species of anadonta. The 

 thanks of the Institute were directed to be presented to Mr. 

 Chas. S. Parker, of Liverpool, and Dr. William A. King, for 

 their donations. 



Dr. Lewis C. Beck, exhibited a lamp without a wick, as 

 rccciVh- described bv Henrv Heme Blackadder, Esq. in the 

 Edinhur-h New Philosophical .journal, vol.1. This lamp 

 consisted of a small glass globe and a bent glass tube, support- 

 ed on a proper stand. The tube is of the size used for ther- 

 mometers, and it is passed through an elastic piece of cork, 

 which is cemented to the lower part of the glass globe. When 

 the extremity of the tube is above the surface of the fluid, (oil 

 or alcohol) none of the latter can escape through it, but when 

 the lamp is to be used, the tube is inclined or drawn down. 

 The degree of depression is regulated by the size of the flame 

 that is desired to be produced. 



A lamp of this description may he applied to many ordinary 

 purposes, as well as in the laboratory. It is as readily lighted 

 as a candle or a lamp with a wick, and the burner may be 

 such as to produce a flame that is a mere luminous speck in a 

 dark apartment, or such as to give a flame similar to that of an 

 argand lamp with a wick. 



