449 



contact, and not in chemical action, by a reference to experi- 

 ments which prove that there is development of electricity 

 by contact vv^here chemical action could not take place, (as in 

 the case of gold and platinum,) and by showing that all the 

 experiments adduced in favour of chemical action, receive 

 an easy solution on the contact theory. He then shows 

 how completely the electrical machine illustrates every ano- 

 malous action in the voltaic pile, when the contact theory, 

 and his explanation of chemical action by alternate states of 

 induction and equilibrium, are adopted. 



The Author then explains, (as a further proof of the cor- 

 rectness of his theory of alternate states of induction and 

 equilibrium,) in what manner, according to this theory, a 

 current of electricity must, at making and breaking contact, 

 produce induced currents in opposite directions ; and he 

 concludes with a few remarks upon magnetism considered 

 as an electrical phenomenon. 



The Rev. Dr. Todd announced to the Academy that 

 the transcript of the Book of Lismore, borrowed some time 

 ago by the Council from his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, 

 was now completed ; and he exhibited it, together with the 

 original, to the meeting. 



After some remarks on the beauty of the transcript, 

 which was made by Mr. [Eugene Curry, and the means 

 taken to secure its accuracy. Dr. Todd proceeded to give 

 some account of the original MS. ; the circumstances under 

 which it was discovered in the Castle of Lismore, in 1814; 

 and its subsequent history. He showed that it received the 

 name of " the Book of Lismore" merely because it happened 

 to be found in that Castle, and that it had no connexion 

 with the Church of Lismore, as the appellation of ^oo^ of 

 Lismore would imply. It was written probably for some 

 members of the Mac Carthy family, and was a sort oi Bibli- 

 otheca, or collection of tracts on all such subjects as appeared 



