342 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



directions are short, clear, and precise, and cannot fail of being highly 

 useful to the student of chemistry. 



The third part of the work contains a description of the compounds de- 

 rived from the animal and vegetable kingdoms. We shall only observe, 

 that in this, as in other departments of the work, the author has given 

 the most recent information on the subject. 



Of the fourth part, which is on Analytical Chemistry, the author ob- 

 serves, " To enter into a detailed account of experimental and analytical 

 chemistry, is altogether inconsistent with the design and limits of the pre- 

 sent work. My sole object in this department is to give a few concise di- 

 rections for conducting some of the more common analytical processes ; 

 and in order to render them more generally useful, I shall give examples 

 of the analysis of mixed gases, of minerals, and of mineral waters." 



In an appendix Dr Turner has given an account of a new and curious 

 substance called Bromine, the only discovery of importance which was 

 made during the printing of his work. He has added also a complete table 

 of atomic weights, and various other tables of great use to the chemist. 



Having thus given a general view of the work before us, we have no he- 

 sitation in recommending it in the strongest manner to our readers. Those 

 who are entering upon the study of chemistry will find it an invaluable 

 auxiliary, and those who are already versed in this branch of knowledge, 

 will find in it all the recent discoveries and refinements of modern che- 

 mistry. The work is written with much elegance and perspicuity, and 

 its external embellishments correspond with its other qualities. As the 

 author has published the work at his own expence, he has been enabled to 

 make it one of the cheapest works which has for a long time been given to 

 the public. 



Art. XLII.— PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



1. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



December 18. — Professor Dunbar read a Paper on the " Origin of Lan- 

 guage, but particularly on the formation of the Greek Alphabet." 



January 4, 1827. — Captain Basil Hall read a Notice on the Trade 

 Winds. 



January 23. — A Paper by the Reverend William Scoresby was read, 

 entitled M A Description of some Remarkable Effects of Unequal Refrac- 

 tion observed at Bridlington Quay in the Summer of 1826." An abstract 

 of this Paper will be found in this Number, page 293. 



At the same meeting there was read, a " Sketch of the Manners and 

 Customs of the Eboe Nations," by John Reddie, Esq. LL. D. 



February 5. — A Paper by P. F. Tytler, Esq. was read, " On the Ear- 

 liest Introduction of the Greek Language and Literature into England af- 

 ter the Dark Ages." 



The following gentlemen were elected Ordinary Members : — 

 James Weddell, Esq. R.'N. John Gardiner Kinnear, Esq. 



William Burn, Esq. Architect. 



