1827.] 



Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



431 



to examine them referred to M. M. Gay 

 Lussac and Arago. M. Cauchy read two 

 mathematical memoirs. M. Martins, of Mu- 

 nich, \vas elected correspondent of botany. 

 M. M. Thenard and Chevreul made a favour- 

 able report on two memoirs of M. M. Bussey 

 and Lecanu, on the distillation of fat bodies 

 and chemical experiments on the oil of pal- 

 ma-christi. M. Brougniart read, for his son, 

 a memoir on the generation and develop- 

 ment of the embryo in the phanerogamous 

 plauts. M. Seguin read a note, entitled 

 " Extract of a Memoir on Steam Naviga- 

 tion. January 3, M. Dulon was nominated 

 vice-president for 1827. M. Brougniart, vice- 

 president the preceding year, entered into his 

 office as president for the year 1827. Dr. 

 Heurteloup wrote to the academy on the sub- 

 ject of Dr. Segalas' instrument, for examining 

 the human bladder. A memoir on the com- 

 parison of meteorological instruments, was 

 delivered by M. D'Hombre Firmes. M. Gam- 

 bard wrote from Marseilles, that on the 27th 

 December, he had observed a new comet 

 a short distance from ft Herculis, having 

 16 34' R. A., and 21 27' N. D. A memoir 

 was read, of M. le Baron Portal, on the seat 

 of epilepsy, which he places in the brain. 

 M. Labillardiere made a verbal report on a 

 general flora of the environs of Paris, by Dr. 

 Chevallier. An analytical memoir of M. 

 Fouvier was read ; also one by M. G. St. Hi- 

 laire, on a glandular process, recently disco- 

 vered in Germany, in the Ornithorynchus, 

 situated on the flanks of the abdominal 

 region, and falsely considered as a mammary 



gland ; on this subject a dispute arose, be- 

 tween the author and M. De Blainville, Mr. 

 Scoresby was elected correspondent in the 

 section of geography and navigation, in place 

 of the late M.Loevenhoern. 8tb. The ap- 

 proximate elements of the last comet were 

 delivered from M. Gambard. A memoir of 

 M. A. de St. Hilaire, was read, on the linear 

 series of polypetalous plants, and particu- 

 larly those belonging to the Brazilian flora. 

 M. Girard commenced a memoir, entitled, 

 " Researches on Highways, Navigable Ca- 

 nals, and particularly on Hail ways." M.Nicod 

 read a memoir on the polypi of the urethra 

 and the bladder. 15. M.Seralles presented a 

 memoir on new compounds of brome, bydro- 

 bromic aether, and cyanure of brome. M. 

 Dutrochet, a correspondent, informed the 

 academy of some new experiments which he 

 had instituted, and which give him reason to 

 conclude, that the effect which is produced 

 by two heterogeneous liquids, when separated 

 by a thin partition permeable to water ; is a 

 phenomenon of general physics, and does not 

 belong only, as he had at first thought, to a 

 state of organization. M. G. St. Hilaire read 

 the first chapter of his memoir on the sexual 

 organ of the ornithorynchus. M. Dupont 

 read some statistical researches on the com- 

 parative instruction and morality of different 

 departments of France. M. Cauchy read 

 some observations on the same subject. 

 M. M. Audoin and Milne Edwards read the 

 first part of their memoir, entitled " Anato- 

 mical and Physiological Researches on the 

 Circulation of the Crustaceae.'' 



VARIETIES, SCIENTIFIC 



Remarkable Effect of Refraction. The 

 most singular instance of refraction upon re- 

 cord is perhaps one that has recently attract- 

 ed much attention in the neighbourhood of 

 Chislehurst. During part of January and 

 February, and as late as the 14th evening of 

 the month of March, the planet of Jupiter 

 being, for some time past, in a region of the 

 heavens where it has been unaccompanied by 

 any conspicuous star has been observed, be- 

 tween the hours of eight and ten, and when 

 at an elevation of from eight to nearly thirty 

 degrees, to have an undulatory or vibratory 

 motion ; describing, at one time, an arc of 

 from about one to four degrees appearing to 

 start suddenly from its place towards the ho- 

 rizon, in a direction, sometimes perpendicu- 

 lar and sometimes oblique, towards the right 

 and the left, and then to return as suddenly. 

 The situations from which this phenomenon 

 has been observed are nearly contiguous to 

 each other, and are such only as enabled the 

 planet to be seen when immediately rising 

 above a wood in the neighbourhood, belong- 

 ing to the manor of Scadbury, the property 

 of Lord Sydney. To persons unacquainted 

 with the phenomena of nature, this account 

 may appear paradoxical or incredible; but 

 the evidence on which it rests is such, that, 



AND MISCELLANEOUS. 



if it be rejected, there can hereafter be no 

 evidence by which any other fact can be es- 

 tablished. The concurrent, but independent 

 testimony of respectable individuals, must 

 surely overbalance any preconceived no- 

 tions, which can be founded on little besides 

 hypothesis ; and, in this case, numerous in- 

 dividuals -some of the highest respectability, 

 and equally intelligent have simultaneously 

 remarked the motion of the planet, though, 

 from the singularity of the appearance, dis- 

 posed to doubt even the testimony of their 

 senses. We have not room to enfer more 

 into detail regarding the particulars of the 

 evidence on which this fact is established ; 

 but an account of it will be given to an 

 eminent society ; and, should it not have 

 ceased with the easterly winds, which have 

 lately been so prevalent, we may furnish, in 

 this Journal, some further notice on the sub- 

 ject. 



Scientific Blunders, The Copley medal, 

 from the Royal Society of London, and the 

 Lalande medal, from the Paris Institute, have 

 been awarded to Captain Sabine, for the 

 patience and zeal he displayed in his ex- 

 perimental researches upon the pendulum. A 

 short time since it was discovered, that the 

 value of each division of the level of the re- 



