Academy of Sciences at Haarlem. 445 



'Astronomische Nackrichten de Schumacher,' Nos. 243 and 

 244 ; and above all consult M. Bessel's excellent paper upon 

 the prismatic circle, in the above-named Journal, Nos. 254 

 and 255. 



III. — Among those discoveries which are most fertile in 

 results, and which appear more especially calculated to throw 

 new light upon the phenomena of living bodies, we must place 

 that of a new chemical action, which M. Berzelius has enti- 

 tled ' catalysis.' The Society requests that this action be stu- 

 died in all its relations ; that the substances which have shown 

 this action be brought to act on each other under every vari- 

 ety of circumstances ; that it be endeavoured to discover the 

 catalysis among bodies in which it has not yet been observ- 

 ed ; and that it be noticed whether it be observable in the or- 

 ganic tissue of plants and animals ; and finally, that in case 

 it should be there traced, an examination be made as to what 

 may be its consequences in explaining the phenomena of liv- 

 ing bodies. 



IV. — Meteorologists are agreed, that great variations in 

 temperature reach us from the East, which is particularly 

 observable in winter, when the frost is usually felt some days 

 earlier at St. Petersburgh than at Amsterdam. The Society 

 desires that this meteorological phenomenon be examined in 

 all its details, and its causes determined with as much exact- 

 ness as possible. 



V. — It appears to be proved by experiments made in Eng- 

 land, that the inference deduced from the law of the resist- 

 ance of water, that it would be impossible, in navigation, to 

 exceed a certain degree of rapidity, can no longer be admit- 

 ted ; but that when a certain degree of rapidity has been at- 

 tained, the vessel, being elevated from beneath, experiences 

 less resistance. The Society requests that this subject be il- 

 lustrated by fresh experiments ; and that it be proved, as far 

 as possible, by analytical researches, but above all, by prac- 

 tical experiments, — what influence the elevation towards the 

 surface, of boats of different constructions, may have upon the 

 relation between speed and distance, when the former becomes 

 very considerable. The Society then wishes that it be ana- 

 lytically deduced from the precedent facts, what form of ves- 

 sel, moving with great velocity, will experience the least re- 

 sistance. 



VI. — Why in lofty stoves is the employment of air heated 

 to a high degree so advantageous ? Can this heated air be 

 employed with advantage in the other operations to which 

 iron is submitted, for different uses besides those in which it 

 is already employed ? Might its use advantageously replace 



