S5 Bqyai Sockijf ofLondoit^ 



On th€ third and tenth of February a curious paper by 

 I. J. Schroeter on tbe accidental changes of the fixed ne* 

 bwlsB. A feries of continued obfcrvations have convinced 

 him, that the irrcfohible nebulae, or thofe of which the 

 di(lin(^ ftars cannot be feen by the higheft powers of the 

 telefcopes apphed to them^ are fubjed to the fame increafe 

 9Xi6, diminution of brightuefs that fome of the fixed ftars 

 have been obfers^d to have: he fuppofcs that nebulie of this 

 defcription are not at the amazing diHance conjc<9:ujjed; by 

 fonve attronoraers ; but, that they are colle^lions of the 

 luminous fluid enveloping fome of the fixed ftars, and of a, 

 iimilar nature to the zodiacal light which furrounds our fun. 

 On the tenth, a mathematical paper by Mr. Woodhoufe j 

 but from the nature of.it, being compofed of tables, the in^ 

 troduftion only could be read, 



On the fame evening alfo, An account of the difcovery 

 and working of a lode* of filver in Hurland mine, in the^ 

 paridi of Gwinear, 6 miles from St. Michael's Mount in 

 Cornwall. This is a moft valuable paper, and from the rank 

 of its author (John Hawkins, Efq.) we may hope that the 

 ftate of the mines in Cornwall, and the geology of that 

 highly interefting county, will be laid before the curious. 

 This lode is one of thofe which, in the language Oif the 

 miners of that county, are termed cirofs lodes, i. e. ruiming 

 north and fouth, it interfecls a lode of copper running eaft and 

 weft. The filver is very rich ; but, however produ6live it 

 may turn out, it cannot be worked much longer, as the mine 

 will foon be nearly 200 fathom deep, and there are no me- 

 chanical' contrivances made iife of there that can raife water 

 from a greater depth. 



On the 19th a paper was read on arfeniats of copper, by 

 Count de Bournon. 



The tu(k of an elephant was exhibited, in which a fpear 

 had been lodged, difcovcrcd only by fawing the tu(k by a 

 manufadurer : the ivory encircling it o, inches, accomp^* 

 nied by a defcription by Charles Combe, Efq.f 



* The Cornifh term for a vein. 



f A few years ago a comb-maker in Cannon-ftrcer, in fawing an ele- 

 phant's tooth, met with a hard fabftaiice which he fawcd out. It prove^ 

 to be a bullet made of very pure gold. — Edit. 



a sociETr 



