Bibliographical Notice.

A Treatise on Astronomy, by Sir John Herschel, &c. &c. A new edition, with a preface, and a series of questions for the examination of students, by S. C. Walker. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard. 1836.

The present edition of this popular work on astronomy is adapted to the use of students in academies, by the addition of a judicious set of questions for examination; a labour of the editor which will be appreciated by teachers. We have been much gratified by a perusal of the preface to this American edition, in which several interesting questions in astronomy are ably discussed. The principal of these are, the extension of the Newtonian law of gravity to the double stars, the correction in the mass hitherto assigned to the planet Jupiter, and the existence of a resisting medium throughout space. In the first of these, the editor has done that justice to the labours of Sir John Herschel, which the author's characteristic modesty prevented him from doing, and further informs us of the result of some of his astronomical labours at the Cape of Good Hope. Both the other subjects are treated in a like interesting way, and the evidences in favour of the number assigned by the present astronomer royal of England, Mr. Airy, to the mass of Jupiter, are well put forth. The discussion in regard to the resisting medium, as evidenced by the acceleration of the three bodies most liable to its influence, known as Encke's, Biela's, and Halley's comets, leads the editor to the conclusion that "Encke's hypothesis of a resisting medium, is, according to the present state of the science, involved in new perplexities, for it is found, by trial, that no single estimate of the density of this medium, or of the law of its resistance will satisfy the observations of all three of the comets which are most liable to its influences."

The scientific, and even the general, reader, will find this preface to repay him for adding this edition to the former one, should he already possess it.

B.

Franklin Institute.

Monthly Conversation Meeting.

The seventh monthly conversation meeting of the Institute, for the season, was held at their Hall, March 24th, 1836.

John Vaughan, Esq., presented samples of sugar obtained from beets, and made some statements respecting the cost of its production in France, and the practicability of introducing the manufacture into the middle sections of the United States.

Prof. W. R. Johnson performed some interesting experiments with an electro-magnetic apparatus.

Mr. George Goodman exhibited a Ruthven printing press, of very neat form.

Mr. Hall Neilson exhibited several specimens of a dry, bituminous coal, from the state of Illinois, remarkable for the readiness with which it ignites.

Franklin Institute Quarterly Meeting.

The forty-ninth quarterly meeting of the Institute was held at their Hall, on Thursday, April 21st, 1836.

THOMAS FLETCHER, Vice President, presiding;

ISAAC P. MORRIS, Recording Secretary, P. T.

The minutes of the last quarterly meeting were read and approved. Donations of books, maps, and charts, were presented by Messrs. Carey, Lea & Blanchard; Adam Ramage; John C. Trautwine; Charles Roberts; Professor A. D. Bache, and Major Hartman Bache, of Philadelphia.

Donations of minerals, from Mr. John C. Trautwine, and Prof. W. R. Johnson, of Philadelphia, and from Mr. H. Neilson, of Richmond, Va. John Vaughan, Esq., of Philadelphia, presented a specimen of sugar, made in France, from the beet.

The New York Gold and Silversmiths' Temperance Society presented a copy of their constitution and by-laws, and their certificate of membership. Constant M. Eakin, Esq., of Philadelphia, presented specimens of zinc, made from the Pennsylvania ore, and of brass, made with the zinc, under the direction of F. R. Hassler, Esq., intended for the fabrication of weights and measures for the United States.

The Actuary laid on the tables, the periodicals received in exchange for the Journal of the Institute, during the past quarter.

The Chairman of the Board of Managers presented the forty-ninth quarterly report of the Board, which was read and accepted, and, on motion, referred for publication.

The Treasurer presented his quarterly report of the finances of the Institute, which was read and accepted.

Extract from the minutes.

ISAAC P. MORRIS, Rec. Sec. P. T.

THOMAS FLETCHER, Vice President.

Report of the Board of Managers.

The Board of Managers respectfully submit to the Institute, their orty. ninth quarterly report.

During the past quarter, the courses of instruction have closed, having been attended with their usual success. The want of accommodations, se verely felt last year, has, however, tended to diminish the numbers of the class during the present year; a fact which should rouse the members to additional exertions in completing the arrangements for the new hall.

The Professor of Chemistry has evinced his ordinary zeal, and, amid the pressure of manifold professional engagements, has found time to devote to the instruction of his class. His lectures have given great satisfaction.

The Professor of Natural Philosophy has diversified the subjects of his course, even more than usual, during the past year, and his lectures have been well attended.

The Board return thanks to Mr. James C. Booth, for his volunteer lectures on the manufacture of porcelain. It is much to be regretted, that, among so many members of the Institute who are able to contribute to the information of their fellow members, so few are found to volunteer in the

cause.

It will be the study of the Committee on Instruction, to endeavour to give more extent to the system of lectures, by supplying the nights vacant from the want of volunteer lectures.

The Drawing Schools have greatly flourished during the past year. The number of pupils in the two departments has been seventy-eight, many of whom have taken tickets for two quarters.

The apathy which has prevailed in regard to the English School, is calculated to discourage both the excellent instructor, who has presided over it, and the managers who have so often urged its claims upon the members. As of great importance to the future welfare of the Institute, the Board proceed to notice the plan for extending the accommodations. The property of the masonic corporation, in Chesnut street, has been regularly transferred to the Franklin Institute. It has not been deemed prudent, under existing difficulties among mechanics, to go into the erection of a new hall upon this site at the present time. In the meanwhile, the committee who have charge of the property, will use it to the best advantage for the institution. The members should come forward liberally, to the full extent of each one's means and influence, to patronize the attempt to extend the usefulness of the Franklin Institute, by furnishing enlarged accommodations for its lectures, its schools, its library and reading rooms, its cabinets of models and minerals, and its exhibitions.

The contribution to practical science made during the past quarter, in the report of the Committee on the Explosions of Steam-Boilers, has been one of great importance, and may well excite the pride of the members. Public opinion will, it is hoped, be borne along with the final report of this committee, in their recommendations for preventing, or lessening, these disastrous accidents. For that report, the managers look with great interest.

The Committee on Science and the Arts have continued their useful labours in the examination of numerous inventions and improvements submitted to them. Their impartial decisions are, it is believed, highly esteemed by practical men. At their last annual meeting, the committee re-elected Professor A. D. Bache, Chairman for the ensuing year.

The new plan adopted for the Journal of the Institute, has met with considerable success. The same amount of matter on mechanics as formerly, is afforded, and, in addition, original and selected articles on Physical Science are admitted. The Managers again call the attention of the members to the fact, that their patronage of the Journal is by no means what it ought to be. Let no working man plead that he has not time to be a reading man. In the very important part which mechanics have to sustain, they must keep pace with the progress of mechanical science, or they will fall behind in estimation as a class. The Mechanics' Register, attached to the Journal, is not heavy reading, and, when more solid articles tire, cannot fail to amuse, as well as to instruct. The Editor, and the Committee on Publications, deserve and receive the thanks of the Board, for their united labours in behalf of the Journal.

The library has increased during the past quarter, by forty-five volumes on useful subjects. The cabinets of models and minerals have received a few additions. When there shall be more room to display their stores, it is hoped and believed that additions to them will be more frequent.

The number of members is increasing steadily. Since the last report, seventeen members have been admitted, and three have resigned. Mr. William Mason, and Mr. Thomas Ryan, have become life members of the Institute.

Herewith is presented the quarterly report of the Treasurer.
M. W. BALDWIN, Chairman.

WILLIAM HAMILTON, Actuary.

Mechanics' Register.

AMERICAN PATENTS.

LIST OF AMERICAN PATENTS WHICH ISSUED IN NOVEMBER, 1835.
With Remarks and Exemplifications by the Editor.

1. For improvements in Manufacturing the Prussiates of Potash and Soda, and in dying therewith, and with certain other materials; Felix Fossard, city of Philadelphia; an alien, who has resided two years in the United States; November 7.

Mr. Fossard obtained a patent for a purpose similar to the foregoing, on the 14th of December, 1832, and a second on the 3d of April, 1834; and in his present specification he has recapitulated parts of the former for the purpose of making more fully known the improvements which he has since made, which consist, mainly, in the "process of dying blue by the double decomposition of a soluble ferro-cyanate, or prussiate, and a salt of iron, or other metal," by processes which he sets forth, but which are not of a nature to admit of being epitomized, or presented at all in a form which would interest any one not immediately concerned in, and chemically acquainted with, dying processes.

2. For a Machine for Cutting Straw, &c.; Henry C. Jones, Salem, Warren county, Ohio, November 7.

There is nothing in this cutting machine to distinguish it from a score or two of others, and of this the patentee seems to be aware, as he says that "this machine is operated somewhat similar to other straw cutting machines;" after which he proceeds to claim certain things which are of little or no importance, and some of them, withal, not new.

3. For a Conical Arch Charcoal Burner; Ezra B. Gilbert, Ephratah, Montgomery county, New York, November 7.

The claim made is to the before described conical arch charcoal burner, for manufacturing charcoal. Excepting in shape, we do not see in what particular this kiln differs from that patented by Mr. Doolittle, in 1829, and described by him in the seventeenth volume of Silliman's Journal, p. 396. We have long had by us a model of a charcoal kiln, exactly in the shape of that now patented. The person who sent it proposed obtaining a patent, but declined doing so when informed that there was not any thing new in the principle of it, or in his mode of application.

4. For an improvement in the Horse Rake; James Pudney, Stanford, Delaware county, New York, November 7.

Two bars, each about seven feet long, are to have rake teeth fixed into them, at suitable distances apart, and about two feet long. These two bars are to be framed together by timbers at their ends, so that the two bars may be about two and a half, or three, feet apart. The teeth are to point in opposite directions, thus, a teeth, a and b, the timbers framed together. When of points is on the ground,

where a a shows the points of the by which the two rake heads are a the rake is drawn forward, one set the others serving as handles, by

which to guide it. When the rake is full, the upper ones are pushed forward by the person who guides it, and the rake rolls over, depositing the straw, grain, &c. The horse is geared to a frame, allowing of this rolling over, which frame is attached to the rake by headed pins, that pass through a slot in the timbers, b, which are double.

The claim is to the manner of using two heads, or rakes, and the selfadjusting slide, or groove, as the ends of the head bars.

5. For a Machine for Making Crackers; Levin P. Clark, Baltimore, Maryland, November 7.

So far as we can judge from the description and drawing, this machine must be less efficient than some which have been previously patented and described; although the drawing is generally well executed, we cannot see how some portion of the operations described are to be effected, and cannot, therefore, make them known to others. The combination and arrangement are claimed, as is, particularly, a roller for turning the dough on to the moulds, &c.

6. For a Machine for Cutting Straw; Ashman Hall, Kent, Putnam county, New York, November 7.

There is to be an angular knife, something like an inverted V, and this forms one of the claims; a claim is made, also, to a board, which is to gauge the length of the straw, and, lastly, to a spring to raise the sliding board; the angular knife is not new, and boards for gauging have been often used in a similar way.

7. For a Grist Mill; Phillip Hauser, Cincinnati, Ohio. An alien, who has resided two years in the United States; November 7.

The grinding part of this mill consists of a common conical shell and nut, like those of the ordinary coffee-mill, without a single feature of novelty either in form or substance. The claim is to "the general arrangement and combination, but not to the parts, taken separately." It is one among those gross pretensions at invention which would excite much surprise, were they a little more rare.

8. For a Rotary Steam Engine; John G. Hotchkiss, New Haven, New Haven county, Connecticut, November 7.

Abortive attempts at constructing rotary steam engines have been nearly as numerous as the attempts themselves; some of them, however, have evinced a great degree of skill, although unsuccessfully applied; but in the machine which forms the subject of the present patent, we do not perceive much waste of talent, nor any thing likely to disappoint any reasonable expectations. The whole scheme, in fact, is one which evinces an entire absence of elementary knowledge, on the subject of steam in particular, and of mechanics in general.

Steam is to be admitted through a hollow shaft into a revolving metallic drum fixed upon it; this drum has slots, or openings, on its periphery, through which the steam is to escape, and to strike against what are called "buckets," on the inside of a circular rim, by which it is surrounded, and which it nearly touches; the so called buckets are represented as grooves crossing the hollow rim, and formed like saw-teeth. This hollow rim has also slots, or openings, to allow the steam to pass through, and act upon a