They are three in number: the Linonian, the Brothers in Unity, and the Calliopean. Their meetings and ordinary proceedings are private, but are strictly confined to literary pursuits, and chiefly to discussions on scientific questions. Whether the Masonic secrecy required of members is a valuable feature in these Societies, may, perhaps, be a matter of doubt it probably was adopted with a view to inspire confidence in literary exertions, and as a shield for the modesty of young gentlemen, who might act with confidence before their friends, but would shrink under the apprehension of public criticism. All these Societies have valuable Libraries, which are hereafter noted. They have been the gradual accumulations of many years, from small taxes imposed on the members, and probably, in operative value on the pursuits of the Undergraduates, are more important than the General Library of the College.

The General Library of the College consists of about 10,000 volumes, exclusive of pamphlets, comprising, a very valuable collection of ancient ecclesiastical works, and the other books are in general, well selected, rare, and valuable.

The Society Libraries are composed of works of a less scientific, but, perhaps, more practical character than the General Library. They embrace all the leading publications in polite English literature.

The Linonian Library consists of 3,300 volumes. The Library of the Brothers in Unity comprises 3,000 volumes.* The Calliopean Society, which is of comparatively recent formation, has made a collection of 2,910 volumes.

In addition to the above Libraries, there is a collection of books belonging to the Moral Society, consisting of 5 or 600 volumes. The aggregate of books in the several Libraries, amount to nearly 20,000 volumes.

In the cultivation of a just taste for composition, in aiding the students in investigations relating to subjects of academic dispu

* A manuscript Catalogue of the books in these two Libraries, compiled in the year 1780, has been exhibited to the author, by a gentleman who then acted as Librarian of the Brothers in Unity. Their Library then contained 163 volumes; the Library of the Linonian Society contained, at the same time, 152 volumes.

tation, and in supplying their hours of leisure with the best means of gratification, these Societies and Libraries have proved highly important, and have uniformly received the encouragement of the Faculty.

SECTION VI.

APPARATUS.

Chemical Laboratory of Yale College.

SINCE April 1804, chemistry has constituted a distinct branch of academical education in Yale College, and since October 1806, full courses of lectures with the appropriate experiments have been given in the Institution. The Laboratory first constructed, although in many respects, a convenient establishment, was, from its being an under ground room, not sufficiently light, and was subject to much dampness. To obviate these inconveniences, as well as to secure some important additional advantages, the establishment was in the summer of 1820 broken up, and removed to a building fitted expressly for its reception. This building had been occupied as a refectory for the students, but having been freed from that use, has proved adequate to afford every accomodation demanded in a Philosophical Laboratory.

The building is ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and one and a half story high, but a steep roof affords an elevation of eighteen and a half feet, for the lecture room.

The Lecture room is sixty feet long, including the space around the Lecturer, devoted to the fixtures, tables, furnaces, chimneys, &c. This space occupies twenty feet of the sixty, and the remainder is filled with benches, which rise so rapidly, that no person has any thing to intercept his view. This room is arched, and its greatest elevation is eighteen and a half feet, the versed sine of the arc is eight and a half feet, and the highest bench is a little below the chord-line.

There is an abundant supply of light, and at the same time the room is easily darkened. Over the Lecturer's head, there is a

sky-light and ventilator, communicating directly with the open air, and a screen impedes the fumes from passing to the audience.

There are two large chimneys facing the audience, and having a circuit completely around them, so that access is obtained in the easiest manner to all the furnaces and fire places.

In this part of the establishment, it was intended to embrace every important convenience contained in the best philosophical laboratories, and with this view, particular reference was had to some of the best London Laboratories, e. g. that of the Royal Institution, of the Surry Institution, of Mr. Pepys, &c., also to those peculiar structures and improvements, which experience had suggested to the person charged with the construction of this laboratory.

The two chimneys contain, each, nine distinct flues, eighteen in the whole; which are carried out without any connection between them, quite to the top of the chimnies; thus affording an elevation of about thirty three or thirty four feet. Of the eighteen flues, three are closed with movable stoppers and held in reserve, for occasional uses to be connected with portable furnaces, &c.; others are employed for stoves, &c. to warm the room and for other purposes: one is devoted to the forge bellows which are in the chamber, being worked by a cord and discharging their air through a descending tube; one is connected with a fixed boiler and distillery; one receives the tube of a Black's Furnace; three give vent to fixed brick furnaces for high heats; two are for receiving the air in evaporation, deflagrations, &c.; one discharges the vapor of the great boiler when not used in distillation, and two springing from a cavity shaped ike a common fire place, are provided for carrying off the fumes, gases and effluvia, which are so often extricated from chemical vessels.

The end of the room, opposite to the class, is covered with glass cases mounted on drawers for the reception of apparatus, &c. and behind these are ample closets. Below, is a cellar, and above, a lumber garret and a large room for apparatus, &c. Behind the lecture room are two offices with distinct entrances. Contiguous to these is a work room twenty feet by seventeen,

with a pump, a large fire place, forge hearth, and other accommodations intended as a room for coarse work and cleaning, and for stowing away apparatus. There is also a small room, fitted up with a work bench, tools, &c. for mechanical operations, connected with practical chemistry. On trial, the new arrangements are found to answer every expectation.

The chemical apparatus is extensive and various, comprehending all the instruments necessary to the illustration both of the theory and practice of chemistry. A difficulty which existed twenty five years ago is now in a great measure removed. It is no longer necessary to incur the delay of sending to Europe for most articles of chemical apparatus. Glass in particular, which is liable to considerable waste in chemical experiments, is now easily replaced in our principal cities, nearly all of which, as well as many smaller places, contain glass houses, and among them there are artists who fabricate adroitly every article of chemical apparatus.

Most of the chemical instruments that are made of metals, or of metals and glass united, are easily obtained in this country, and our mechanics are patient and skillful in constructing almost every thing of peculiar forms adapted to particular researches and experiments.*

The laboratory has a very large hydro-pneumatic cistern, and also a spacious one filled with mercury to be used for gases that are absorbed by water.

There is also an apparatus for the compound or hydro-oxygen blow pipe of Dr. Hare. The gases are in separate vessels, having no connexion except through the capillary point where they are kindled. Each containing vessel is of the capacity of twenty five gallons.

The Galvanic Apparatus is extensive.

The Cruickshank troughs contain between six and seven hundred pairs of plates of four and six inches. There is a large Calorimotor, and an extensive Deflagrator invented and constructed by Dr. Hare, besides an Electrical Column of De Luc, and a Galvanic Multiplier of Schweigger.

* Witness the numerous instruments of Dr. Hare as described in his Compendium, and in the American Journal of Science and Arts.

The Galvanic Magnet of Prof. Henry of Albany exceeds any thing that has been elsewhere constructed. With a galvanic coil of metal, requiring only a few quarts of acidulated water for its immersion, it lifts more than 2000 lbs. although it weighs less than 60 lbs. and is made of soft iron.

The laboratory is furnished with all the tests and reagents as well as consumable articles and chemical specimens, necessary to a full and detailed exhibition of the science, which is gone through every winter in a four months course.

ORIGIN OF THE CABINET OF MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY.

THERE existed, previous to the year 1802, a small collection of miscellaneous curiosities, among which were a few objects of Natural History; but as very little was known concerning their nature at that early period in this country, and as they were altogether too few in number to attract much interest in the way of study, the college consented to loan the entire collection, except the minerals, to the Columbian Museum of New Haven, then owned by Mr. John Mix. After his death, the collection thus loaned, was sold along with the general museum. The articles lost, however, are said not to have possessed much value. The minerals, still left in the possession of the college, were without names and unarranged; and the extent of the collection may be judged of from the fact, that the gentleman who was appointed Professor of this department in the year following, took the entire cabinet in a common sized candlebox along with him to Philadelphia for the purpose of learning their names from the then, almost solitary individual in the country who made any pretensions to mineralogical science.* This little collection may be regarded as the nucleus of the Yale College cabinet. Professor Silliman immediately engaged

*The gentlemen alluded to, was the late Dr. Adam Seybert, who had studied mineralogy under Werner.