Royal Society. 5a 



precision with regard to his statements. We may observe that the 

 wood-cuts which he has introduced "are few and far between j" but 

 their quality is such, that whether intended for use or ornament, we 

 cannot lament their scarcity. 



Unless Dr. Fyfe writes for medical pupils only, he should be careful 

 to avoid such terms as aqua potasses and aqua ammonia, which com- 

 mon readers might find it difficult to comprehend. — We cannot omit 

 to notice the extreme facility with which Dr. Fyfe alters the names 

 of the various authors whom he quotes : — thus we have Herschell 

 for Herschel, Allan for Allen, Sommerville for Somerville, Philip for 

 Phillips, Mayou for Mayow, Creighton for Crichton, Chevreuil for 

 Chevreul, Liebeg and Leibeg for Liebig, Daniells for Daniell, Arrago 

 for Arago, Dobereigner and Doboreigner for Dobereiner, and many 

 other similar mistakes. We observe also that Cryophorus is three 

 times written Creophyrus. 



We mark these merely as indications of that want of care and 

 correctness which pervades every part of the work ; and all we can 

 say in its favour, if indeed that be any thing, is to admit that it is not 

 unworthy of the author of the Manual. 



X. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



M q — \ COMMUNICATION was read t0 the Society, con- 

 May w. J\ taining some " Particulars of the Earthquake felt in 

 the Netherlands, and in some of the Frontier Towns of France, on the 

 23d of February last." Extracted from a letter to Captain Sabine, 

 from Professor Quetelet, Director of the Royal Observatory at Brus- 

 sels. 



The number of earthquakes which are on record as having been 

 experienced in the Netherlands, for many centuries past, does not 

 exceed six or eight ; and none of them have been productive of dis- 

 astrous effects. Within a space of ten years, during the last cen- 

 tury, three only took place, one of which happened in 1755, imme- 

 diately after the great earthquake at Lisbon j and the last was in 

 1760. The one which has lately occurred was particularly felt along 

 the banks of the Meuse ; and its greatest violence was felt in the 

 towns of Liege, Tongres, Tirelemont, and Huy : many of the walls 

 and buildings of which suffered considerable injury g but, happily, no 

 lives were lost. In the adjacent towns of Maestricht, Namur, Lou- 

 vain, and Brussels, strong shocks were also experienced j but their 

 violence diminished in proportion to the distance from the former, or 

 principal, seat of concussion. They appear also to have been sen- 

 sibly felt at Bonn, Dusseldorf, and Dordrecht, on one side, and at 

 Flushing, Middleburg, and Dunkirk, on the other j although they 

 were not perceptible at many of the intermediate towns. Slight 

 shocks were also experienced at several of the frontier towns of 

 France, as Avesnes, Commercy, and Longuyon j as also at the coal- 

 mines near Liege, at the depth of from fifty to sixty toises -, in which 



latter 



