2Sa Royal Society. — Linnctan Society, 



has been fostered, and is generally treated with respect. In- 

 deed, I sec nothing very romantic in this opinion ; and, in 

 all cases, I think, when we are at a loss to explain, we may 

 takd the libertv to conjectnre. One of the most celebrated 

 chemists of the age, and whose correct knowledge of this 

 and every other subject of science is indippuiable, thus ex- 

 presses hinisclf upon this subject : " The opinion," says 

 M. V'auquelin, ** that these stones came from the moon, 

 however extraordinary it n}ay appear, is still, perhaps, the 

 least unreasonable ; and if it be true that no direct proofs 

 can be given, it is no less true tliat no well-founded rea- 

 soning can be opposed to it : the wiser way, therefore, is 

 to own frankly, that we are totally ignorant of the origin of 

 these stones, and of the causes which produce them." 



[To be continued.] 



LV. Proceed'mgs of Learned Societies. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



1 HE meetings of this learned body, on the 14th and 21st 

 of April, were occupied in reading an account of a shower 

 of meteoric stones at Weston in North America. This 

 account we have been enabled to lay before our readers in 

 the present Number, by the kindness of the honourable 

 Mr. Greville. It is by far the best authenticated and pre- 

 cise account of so singular a phaenomenon that has yet been 

 published in any country. 



LINN.EAN SOCIETY. 



April 5. The right reverend the bishop of Carlisle, V. P. 

 in the chair. A communication froni Doctor Smith, the 

 president, was read, entitled *' Characters of a new Genus 

 of Mosses called Hookeria, containing eight Species, &c.'* 

 Some of these species are new, and others have heretofore 

 ranked in the genus Hypnum ; from which, however, the 

 learncdFresident pronounces them to be clearly distinguished 

 by their reticulated capsules, 'i'hese constitute an essential 

 character for this new genus, all the species of which, how- 

 ever, accord in other characteristics. Dr. Smith has named 

 - thi$ 



