Royal Astronomical Society. 223 



February 5, 184-6 " On the Secretory Apparatus and Function 



of the Liver." By C. Handfield Jones, M.D. Communicated by 

 Sir Benjamin C. Brodie, Bart., F.R.S. 



The author is led by his researches into the minute structure of 

 the liver, to results which confirm the view of Mr. Bowman, in op- 

 position to those of Mr. Kiernan on this subject : and particularly 

 with regard to the absence of real tubercular ducts from the interior 

 of the lobules. He concludes that the secreting process commences 

 in the rows of epithelial cells surrounding the central axis of the 

 lobule, and that the fluid there secreted is transmitted to the cells 

 forming the margin of the lobule, where it is further elaborated, 

 and, by the bursting of these cells, is conveyed into the cavity of the 

 surrounding duct. A few diagrams are annexed, illustrative of the 

 descriptions of microscopic structure given in the paper. 



" An Account of some Experiments on the Electro-Culture of 

 Farm Crops." By Mr. William Sturgeon. Communicated by S. 

 Hunter Christie, Esq., Sec. U.S., &c. 



Grass grown on a parallelogram of land, fifty-five yards long by 

 twenty-two yards wide, enclosed by underground wires, was found 

 to be much more abundant than in any other part of the field ; 

 especially in a plot " upwards of fifty yards long, whose breadth was 

 within the wires, and nearly at right angles to the axis of the paral- 

 lelogram." This plot of grass was principally on the western side 

 of the wires, and extended but a very little way on the eastern side. 

 The axis of the wire-enclosed parallelogram was in the magnetic 

 meridian. 



" On the Comet of 1844-45." By John Collingwood Haile, Esq. 

 Communicated by Charles Terry, Esq., F.R.S. 



The author gives a series of observations, accompanied by a dia- 

 gram, made by him at Auckland, in New Zealand, on the comet of 

 1844-45, which there appeared on the 20th of December 1844 and 

 disappeared on the 30th of January following, having been visible 

 forty-two days. Its most remarkable feature was that during its 

 greatest brilliancy, the nucleus was not surrounded by the nebulous 

 matter, but was situated at the very extremity of the head, and at 

 times even appeared quite detached. 



ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from vol. xxvii. p. 307-] 



June 13, 1845. — Observations of the Solar Eclipse of 1845, May 

 5, and of the Transit of Mercury of 1845, May 8, in a Letter from 

 W. Lassell, Esq. 



" Starfield, Liverpool, 10th June, 1845. 



" I send you such observations as I have been able to make of the 

 late solar eclipse and transit of Mercury, for which the weather was, 

 in some respects, but very unfavourable. 



" May 5, 1845. With a very unpromising sky I prepared to ob- 



