Proceedings of the Franklin Institute. 211

ism, are now made in this new metal, and thus lighten the weight of the flag by nearly 2~ lbs. Aluminum is more sonorous than bronze, and is, consequently, brought into use for musical instruments. Spoons and forks, drinking cups, &c., have also beeq formed of it. The weight of aluminum is only about one-fourth that of silver. Fine silver being worth 225 fr. the kilogramme, and aluminum 300 fr., a piece of the latter, equal in size to a kilogramme of silver, will be only worth 75 fr., instead of 225 ft. ; thus a fork and spoon, which in silver would cost 50 ft., would be only 16 ft. in this new metal.

Webster's Elastic .Metallic Tubes.

Mr. James Webster, of Birmingham, has patented a method of making elastic tubes suitable for eiti~cting the junctions of pipes exposed to variable temperatures, or of pipes which are otherwise strained or required to bend, as the tube-couplings connecting locomotives with their ten- ders, hose for fire-engines, &c. The improved tubes are composed of brass, copper, or other metal or alloy, and in them a series of corru.ga- tions are made in planes perpendicular to the axis of the tube, to give elasticity to the tube, and permit of its flexure within certain limits. He prefers to make the corrugations as deep as is compatible with the nature of the metal or alloy of which the tube is made, and so narrow that the shoulders between the corrugations shall touch each other on slight flexure of the tube.--Lond. .Mech. .Mug., 3V'ov. 1856.

F R A N K L I N I N S T I T U T E .

Proceedings of the Stated .Monthly .Meeting, F.ebruary 19th, 1857.

John C. Cresson, President, in the chair. John Agnew, Vice President. Isaac B. Garrigues, Recording Secretary. Letters were read from the Metropolitan Mechanics' Institute, Wash-

ington City, D. C., and referred to the Committee on Exhil~itions. Donations to the Library were received from the Royal Institution of

Great Britain; The Institute of Actuaries, London; The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Co., Lynehburgh, Va. ; and from J. Ross Snowden, Esq., Fairman Rogers, Esq., and Drs. Wolcott Gibbs, Frederick A. Genth, and Thomas S. Kirkbride, Philadelphia.

Donations to the Cabinets from Judge S. Ross, Coudersport, Penna. ; David Munson, Esq., Indianapolis, Indiana, and Edward Miller, Esq., St. Louis, Missouri.

The Periodicals received in exchange for the Journal of the Institute, were laid on the table.

The Treasurer's statement of the receipts and payments for the month of January was read.

The Board of Managers and Standing Committees reported their minutes.