442 



Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



In addition to the usual sessions of the Association there were two 

 exercises of extraordinary character, and indeed of extraordinary interest 

 for the country. On Wednesday, the 27th, the inauguration of the State 

 Geological Hall took place. The geological collections, owing to their 

 extent, and their comprising the vouchers of the Geological Reports of 

 the State Survey and especially of the Paleeontological volumes by Prof. 

 Hall, have a more than American importance. 



The great address of the occasion was delivered by Prof. Agassiz, in 

 which he ably sustained the view, that " nature can only be the work of 

 an intellectual Being,— of Mind, — of an Individual God." Remarks were 

 also made by Professors Dewey and Hitchcock, on the history of geo- 

 logical surveys in the United States ; by Sir William E. Logan, on the im- 

 portance of the results of the Geological Survey of New York to Canada 

 and the world ; Professor Henry, on the liberality of the citizens of Al- 

 bany ; President Anderson of Rochester University, on the dignity and 

 value of Science ; Prof. Chas. E. Davies of Fishkill, on the true practi- 

 cal as the result of an antecedent ideal ; and Rev. Dr. Cox on the connec- 

 tion of Religion with Science. 



A merited tribute was paid to the memory of the Dr. T. Romeyn Beck, 

 of Albany and resolutions of respect to his memory were passed by 

 silently rising. , 



On the following day, Thursday, there was the inauguration of the 

 Dudley Observatory when Hon. Edward' Everett delivered to an audience 

 of five thousand, an oration of great power, admirably adapted to the 

 occasion. 



The Dudley Observatory originated in the munificence of Mrs. Dudley 

 of Albany, lady of the late Charles E. Dudley of that city, formerly 

 member of Congress. During the meeting a letter from Mrs. Dudley 

 was read announcing the additional gift of $50,000 to the Observatory 

 fund towards which Mrs. Dudley had before given $25,000. 



It was also stated that through the generous pledges of support on the 

 part of twelve citizens of Albany, Gould's Astronomical Journal would 

 hereafter be published at Albany. Dr. B. A. Gould has in charge the 

 completion of the Observatory and the ordering of its instruments, part 

 of which are already supplied ; and under his auspices, if the endowment 

 reaches the amount required for action, Albany will have, as we believe, 

 an Observatory unsurpassed in the land.* It has already proposed to 

 supply the city and shipping of New York with astronomical time. 



From the address of Hon. Edward Everett, we cite a single eloquent 

 passage on Galileo. 



Galileo. — " On this great name, my Friends, assembled as we are to 

 dedicate a temple to instrumental astronomy, we may well pause for a 

 moment. 



"There is much, in every way, in the city of Florence to excite the curi- 

 osity, to kindle the imagination, and to gratify the taste. Sheltered on 

 the north by the vine-clad hills of Fiesole, whose cyclopean walls carry 

 back the antiquary to ages before the Roman, before the Etruscan power, 

 the flowery city (Fiorenza) covers the sunny banks of the Arno with its 



* Since the adjournment of the Association we learn of the gift towards the 

 Observatory of $10,000 by T. W. Okott, Esq., of Albany. 



