Notices and Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 205 



of the British Museum, and attributed to the 10th century, by Mr James Play- 

 fair, but which probably is more recent. Palestine is placed in the centre ; 

 Mauritania at the bottom of the right comer ; Great Britain at the bottom 

 of the left corner ; the sources of the Nile at the upper corner, &c. Mr 

 Warden communicated many documents on the American colony of Liberia. 



Aug. 20 M. Yosy announced that he was about to embark at Liverpool, 



on the 26th July, on a voyage to America. M. Jomard communicated 

 a letter from M. Cochelet, Consul- General of France at Mexico, men- 

 tioning, that M. Ch. Nebel, a German traveller, who had been engaged for 

 some years in the study of Mexican antiquities, and who had already made 

 an extensive collection of drawings, proposed to undertake a journey to the 

 ruins of Palenqua. M. Warden announced, that Captain d'Acosta was on 

 the point of returning to Columbia. M. Jomard communicated a very 

 detailed notice of M. Parrot's travels to Mount Ararat. M. le Pindray, a 

 veteran officer, attached to the African battalion, read to the society the 

 first part of a project of a journey into the interior of Africa, by way of St 

 Louis ; preceded by a notice of different excursions made by the author 

 amongst several ti'ibes in the neighbourhood of Senegal. 



Sept. 3 M. Jomard communicated a letter from the French consul at 



Mexico, dated 25th June last, in which he announces, that the Mexican 

 government had sent an expedition to Mitla, and that a caravan of sixty 

 persons left Albiqueri on the 7th November last, for California, and 

 returned on the 1st March last, after tracing a new route : the natives 

 exhibited great fear at the sight of the horses in the caravan. Colonel 

 Bonne communicated a letter from MM. Callier and Stamaty, dated 

 Therapia, 12th Aug. last, and containing an abstract of observations which 

 they had made relating to the route from Smyrna to Constantinople. 



Sept. 7 Mr Warrington, English Consul-general at Tripoli, returned 



the gold medal which the Society had voted to the widow of Major Laing, 

 as a tribute to the memory of that unfortunate traveller, in consequence of 

 the death of that lady ; and it was determined that it should be transmitted 

 to the heirs of Major Laing. 



Notice of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia ; abridged from 

 Silliman's American Jomnal for October, 1830. 



The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, originated on the 25th of 

 January, 1812, at which time a few gentlemen (among whom was Mr Thomas 

 Say) resolved to meet once in every week, for the purpose of receiving 

 and imparting information. Even at that late period the study of natural 

 history in America was confined to a few zealous individuals ; and although 

 several societies had been organized for concentrating the scientific talent 

 and enterprize of Philadelphia, their duration was for the most part ephemeral. 

 About tlus period natural history received a permanent impulse from the 

 appearance of " Wilson's American Ornithology," and from the personal 

 exertions and published tracts of Dr Benj. Smith Barton. Botany, so 

 ably illustrated by the ardour of Dr Muhlenberg, had many votaries at this 

 time. Among the most zealous of them were Mr Z. Collins, Mr Nuttall, 

 and the late Dr Waterhouse, who first gave popular lectures on botany in 

 Philadelphia. Mr Say was indefatigable in several branches. Mr Ord was 

 devoted to zoology. Mr Godon, Mr Conrad, and some others, were active 

 in exploring the mineral resources of their vicinity. Mr Maclure was assidu- 

 ously engaged in geology, whilst many others, who have since become 

 distinguished for their scientific acquirements, were then just venturing on 

 the threshold of inquiry. 



Most flourishing institutions have had their probationaiy difficulties and 



