. Notices and Proceedings of Scientific Societies. -^l 



jthe utility of such a meeting as is proposed, and \v'ho, in their slavery to 

 the cui bono, would doubt of its propriety, we give the following summary 

 .of. its objects from an excellent paper by our friend Mr Johnston, descrip- 

 jtive of the Meetings of German Naturalists, published in the last number of 

 J)r Brewster's Journal : 



" The first object of these meetings is to promote an acquaintance and 

 friendly personal intercourse among men of science ; but other great, and, 

 perhaps, more important benefits, grow spontaneously out of them. They 

 4raw public attention to science and scientific men, and make people inquire 

 concerning both them and their pursuits. They exalt science in general 

 estimation, and with it those who devote themselves to its advancement ; 

 and, above all, they spur on the governments of the different States to 

 examine into and ameliorate the condition of their scientific institutions ; and 

 to seek for men of true science to fill the chairs of public instruction. Such 

 and similar benefits have already resulted from the meetings in Germany. 

 JMight not similar results, in our own country, be looked for from a similar 

 institution ?" 



Scientific individuals who propose to attend, or to become members of 

 the association, are requested to communicate their intention to John 

 Robison, Esq. Secretary to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, who has 

 jmdertaken to act as secretary till the association be constituted. Such 

 jcommunicaxjons will of course be post paid. 



FOREIGN. ,v r ^r' 



[Having brought down our reports of the Geographical Society of Paris 

 to the present date, we shall now give an abstract of the labours of the 

 Academy of Sciences in the department of natural history, &c. since our 

 last volume.] 



Academy of Sciences of Paris May 17, 1830. The President announced 



to the academy the death of M. Fourier, one of the most illustrious savans 

 of the age. 



May 31, MM. Latreille, Duraeril, and Cuvier, made a report on a 

 memoir of M. Milne Edwards, concerning a particular disposition of the 

 branchial apparatus in some Crustacea. 



MM. Latreille and Cuvier presented a report on the work of M. Milne 

 Edwards, relating to the organization of the mouth in the sucking Crustacea, 



June 7. M. de Humboldt addressed a memoir on the inclination of the 

 magnetic needle in the north of Asia, with corresponding observations on 

 the horary variation in different parts of the earth. The academy proceeded 

 to the election of a perpetual secretary in the room of M. Fourier. Out 

 of 44 votes M. Arago obtained 39; MM. Poinsot, Beudant, Puissant, 

 Molard, and Biot, one each. M. Arago was consequently declared perpe- 

 tual secretary for mathematical science. 



June 14. M. Heron de Villefosse made a favourable verbal report on 

 the German works of M. Will. Miiller, relating to inundations which took 

 place on the coasts of the North Sea, the 3d and 4th February, 1825. 



June 21. MM. Geoffroy St Hilaire and Serres made a report on a. 

 child with two heads, recently born in France, at the foot of the Pyrenees. 

 The conclusions were adopted. 



June 28. M. Henri de Cassini, in the name 9( ft ^gmfs^^ji^ jaa^e p 



