212 
CONTENTS, 
W. H. Chase, Major U. S. Engineer Corps; Pensacola, April 15, 1841: Sends 
original letters of distinguished men of the Revolution, selected from the 
papers of his aunt, Mrs. Hancock, to he deposited in the Institution. 90 
P. S. Du Ponceau, President A. P. S.; Philadelphia, May 6, 1841: On the 
means of advancing the general interests of the National Institution. 90 
Alexander J. Swift, Captain U. S. Engineers; Washington, June 24, 1841 : 
On the mode used in France to fix the moveable sands on the sea shore by 
planting pines.....••••••.*.. 96 
Hon. Daniel Webster, Secretary of State; Correspondence between him and 
Messrs. Abert, Ellsworth, and Force, forming a Committee of the National 
Institution, respecting the appropriation of the upper rooms of the Patent 
Office to the use of the Institution...... 100 
John Pickering; Boston, September 1, 1841: On the means of advancing the 
general objects and interests of the Institution.,. 107 
F. L. Castelnau, U. S. Consul at Lima; Washington, July 22, 1841: On de¬ 
positing with the National Institution his cabinet of Entomology...... 110 
Brantz Mayer, Secretary of U. S. Legation to Mexico; Washington, Septem¬ 
ber 11, 1841: Praising Mr. Stevens for his researches in Central America, 
and offering his services.... 112 
Asbury Dickins, Secretary of the late Columbian Institute; Washington, July 
17, 1842 : Members of the Columbian Institute accept the offer of the Na¬ 
tional Institution to become members of the latter, and to deposit with it the 
books and papers of the Columbian Institute. 113 
George Engelmann; St. Louis, October 21,. 1841 : Accompanying present of 
plants of a new species found near St. Louis...... 118 
Aaron Vail, U. S. Charge d’Affaires at Madrid ; Madrid, August 12, 1841: Ac¬ 
count of his visit to the site of the ancient Italica, on the Guadalquivir....... 125 
George Moore, U. S. Consul at Trieste; Trieste, October 7,1841 : Account of 
river Recca, near Trieste, which runs under ground for some miles... 126 
Charles Serruys, Charge d’Affaires of Belgium; Washington, December 8, 1841: 
Accompanying a present of Belgian medals from his Government.«. 127 
A. A. Harwood, Lieutenant U. S. N.; New-York, November 16, 1841: De¬ 
scribes a mode of copying inscriptions in stone, by pressing moist paper on 
them........*.. v... 1^7 
flon. Joseph R. Ingersoll, member of Congress from Philadelphia; Washing¬ 
ton, December 13, 1841 : Respecting the possibility of obtaining the gallery 
of paintings of the late Cardinal Fesch, now belonging to Joseph Buona¬ 
parte........... 12o 
Hori. John C. Spencer, Secretary of War, and Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of 
the Navy ; December 3, 1841: Acknowledging receipt of letters informing 
them of their being ex-officio Directors of the National Institution, and de¬ 
claring their readiness to aid the Institution, &c.. 139 
John H. B. Latrobe; Baltimore, December 18,1841: Offers tathe Institution the 
drawings of the various plans proposed for the Capitol of the United States, 
at Washington, found among the papers of his father, the first architect of 
that building............ 
Alexandre Vatternare; Marly le Roi, September 28, 1841 : On the subject of 
exchanges of minerals, &c., accompanied by the following letter : 
