250 
PROCEEDINGS OF 
[ 1842 . 
From Capt. Harrison H. Cocke, U. S. Navy, City Point, Vir¬ 
ginia, July 17, 1842: Has sent to the Curator two boxes, one of 
eocene, the other of miocene fossils, &c.; also, specimen of the 
date-fish-rock, from Minorca. 
From Charles A. Poulson, Jr., Philadelphia, July 18, 1842. 
From C. H. Edwards to Mr. Webster, Va., July 18, 1842. 
From Geronimo Valdes, Governor General of Cuba, July 19, 
1842. 
From Joshua Leavitt, Boston, July 20, 1842: Presenting a copy 
of his memorial on wheat, just published by the U. S. Senate. 
From Benjamin Hale, D. D., President, of Geneva College, July 
28, 1842: Acknowledging membership, and offering fine specimens 
of minerals, &c.; sending copy of his baccalaureate address, &c., 
&c. 
From Capt. Chas. W. Skinner, U. S. Navy, Staunton, Virginia, 
July 30, 1842. 
From W. D. Porter, U. S. Navy, Washington, August 4, 1842: 
Referring to his former letter, suggesting the establishment of cabi- 
O J oo o 
nets on board ships of war, and intimating that the Secretary of the 
Navy might appropriate the proceeds of the “ slush fund” to the 
purposes of filling these cabinets. 
From Thomas Sinclair, (engraver,) Philadelphia, Aug. 4, 1842. 
The Corresponding Secretary laid before the members a letter 
from the President of the United States, dated on the 21st June, to 
Mr. Poinsett, President of the National Institute, tendering to the 
Institute the Portrait of M. Guizot, by Mr. Healey, and Mr. Poin¬ 
sett’s reply, dated 23d of the same. 
He stated, that the Secretaries of War and Navy had acted upon 
the resolution passed by the Institute at the meeting in May last, re¬ 
questing them to address circulars to the officers of their respective 
services, and he submitted to the meeting copies of their circulars. 
And, that a letter dated 5th of April, 1842, had been addressed 
to Col. Joachin Acosta, Charge d’Affaires of New Grenada, near 
this Government, thanking him for a box containing rich specimens 
of gold, silver, and emerald, from the mines of New Grenada, 
and inviting him to be present at the meetng of the Institute. 
Major J. D. Graham, of the Topographical Engineers, gave a 
verbal description of a parobolic reflector, used as a guide point in 
the survey of the Northeastern Boundary Line. 
Dimensions of parabolic reflector, made for Major J. D. Graham, in June, 
1841, by Henry N. Hooper & Co., of Boston: 
Diameter of reflector, - - - - - 16.00 inches. 
Distance from vertex to base, - - - 3.75 “ 
“ of focus from vertex, - 2.25 “ 
Diameter of large burner, - 1.25 “ 
“ small “ - ‘ .50 “ 
