203 



Varieties. 



[FEB. 



giving a short account of the succession 

 of strata in the vicinity of Folkestone. 

 Also, the reading of a paper by Dr. Fitton 

 was commenced, entitled, "additional notes 

 on part of the opposite coasts of France and 

 England, including some account of the 

 lower Boulonnuis. 



ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



" At the last meeting of ibis society, there was 

 read a letter, addressed to the president by 

 Lieut. Foster, R.N., on the method of determin- 

 ing the longitude by moon culminating stars, 

 which was found subject to many inconve- 

 niences in the expedition under Captain 

 Parry. There was also read a communica- 

 tion from Dr. Rumker, of Stargard, Para- 

 matta, to Dr. Gregory, containing an ac- 

 count of some observations made at the 

 observatory there, on the great comet in 

 1 825, from October 1 8th to December 20th, 

 and the elliptic elements thence deduced. On 

 the comet in Leo in 1825, from July 9th to 

 15th, and the resulting parabolic elements. 

 On the lunar eclipse, May 21st 1826, at Pa- 

 ramatta, and observations on Mars, near this 

 opposition, from May 5th to May 12th, 

 1826. 



FOREIGN. 



INSTITUTE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Paris, October 10; 1826. M. de Mont- 

 ferrand gave an account of a man being 

 struck by lightning, in the streets of Ver- 

 sailles, at the same time that it fell upon the 

 farm of Gaily. M. P. Laurent addressed 

 some new essays on the method of engraving 

 he had invented. Messrs. Audouin and 

 Milne Edwards depose with the secretary, 

 the result of an anatomical and physiological 

 work they had completed. Messrs. De Prony, 

 Frenel, and Harris delivered a favourable 

 report on the system of tonnage duties and 

 flood-gate tolls, proposed by M. Sartois. 

 M. Moreau de Jonues read a memoir, en- 

 titled " researches for determining the cha- 

 racters and the effects of the small-pox, 

 and discovering its origin." M. Legalas, 

 another on a new method of exploring the 

 canal of the urethra. M. du PetitThouard, 

 one on the question, " what are to be called 

 organs in vegetables." 23. A question re- 

 garding the imposition of duty, was pro- 



posed from the minister of the interior, to 

 ascertain the quantities of cotton and wool 

 which enter into the texture of certain stuffs. 

 A commendatory report was made upon the 

 proceedings of Dr. Dulau, the younger, to- 

 wards those born deaf and dumb, who under 

 his care had recovered the former sense, and 

 a sum was awarded him, from the legacy 

 bequeathed by M. de Monthyon. Messrs. 

 Guy-Lussac, and Fournier reported, that the 

 process of engraving invented by Mr. Lau- 

 rent, had not as yet attained the requisite 

 degree of perfection, and recommended him 

 to continue his experiments. 30. Sir Gilbert 

 Blane and Mr. Hufrland, at Berlin, were 

 iicimed correspondents in the section of medi- 

 cine, in the place of Messrs. Paulet and 

 Baraillon. M. Dutrochet read a memoir, 

 entitled (f researches on the progress of the 

 sap in plants, and on the causes of its pro- 

 gression." A paper was communicated from 

 M. Abel, a Norwegian, on a general pro- 

 perty of a very extensive class of transcen- 

 dental functions. November 6. A letter was 

 read from Mr. Raspail, on the subject of the 

 experiments referred to by M. Dutrochet, at 

 the last meeting. M. M. Ostrogradsky com- 

 municated a memoir on the propogation of 

 waves in a cylindric basin. M. G. St. 

 Hilaire made a verbal report on a work of 

 M. Passalacqua, in which he gave an ac- 

 count of various domestic ornaments, utea- 

 sils, <fec. that he had discovered in Egypt. 

 A memoir was communicated by Messrs. 

 Robiquet ami Colin, (< on the colouring matter 

 of madder." M. Milne, in his own name, 

 and that of M. Milne Edwards, read a 

 memoir on an animal of a new genus, which 

 sucks the blood of the lobster, and which 

 is usually called hicottroe. 13. M. Gambart 

 communicated some observations on the 

 comet he had discovered, and the orbit he 

 had thence deduced ; and, in a letter, it was 

 stated that he had found another comet. 

 M. Cuvier read a memoir on the genus 

 amphiuma, and on a new species of this 

 genus, a tridactylum. M. de Blainville 

 made some observations on the same subject. 

 M. Cauchy read a memoir on the nature of 

 the roots of some transcendental equations, 

 and in particular of those to which the 

 physicomathematical problems lead. M. Du- 

 petit Thomas communicated a memoir on 

 the action which electricity produces upon 

 vegetation. 



VARIETIES, SCIENTIFIC 



Mineralogy. A description of two new 

 mineral species has recently appeared in 

 the Annales de Chimie. The first Thenar- 

 ditcj was discovered nearly nine years ago 

 by M. Rodes, five leagues from Madrid, and 

 two and a half from Aranjuez, in a place 

 called the salt mines of Espartines, and con- 

 sidered by him as a sulphate of soda, mixed 

 with a small quantity olsubcarbonateof soda. 



AND MISCELLANEOUS. 



Mr. Casaseca of Madrid, by whom it has been 

 recently analysed, and received its present ap- 

 pellation, found it to consist of sulphate of 

 soda 99-78 subcarbonate of soda 0'22. Form. 

 A scalere four-sided pyramid, whose base is a 

 shomb of nearly 125 and 55, the ratio 

 between the axis and a side of this rhomb 

 being =7-3 nearly. Crystals frequently have 

 the apex of the pyramid taken off' by a plane. 



