Royal Society. 53 



stratus clouds, which extended in long parallel belts with narrow 

 intervals of clear sky in a direction from north-west to south-east. 

 The author gives, in detail, the particulars of his observations*. 



April 21. — The following papers were read : — 



1. " On the Organic Tissues in the bony structure of the Coral- 

 lidae." By J. S. Bowerbank, Esq. Communicated by Thomas Bell, 

 Esq., F.R.S., was in part read. 



" Papers from the several Magnetic Observatories established in 

 India, addressed to the Secretary of the Royal Society, by direction 

 of the Honourable East India Company." Communicated by P. M. 

 Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S. 



1. From the Magnetic Observatory at Madras: — 



Magnetic and Meteorological Observations for October, Novem- 

 ber and December 1841; as also for January 1842. 



Term-day Observations for October and November, and Curves 

 for August, September, October and November 1841. 



Observations of the Direction and Force of the Wind, and the 

 state of the Sky, during October and November 1841. 



Extraordinary Magnetic Curves for September, October and De- 

 cember 1841. 



2. From the Magnetic Observatory at Singapore : — 

 Magnetic Observations from March to October 1841, with Curves 



for the same period. 



Anemometer Curves for March, April, May, June, July, August, 

 September and October 1841. 



Abstracts of the Weather for June, July, August and September 

 1841; as also the Determination of the Temperature at Singapore. 



Tide Reports for April, May and June 1841. 



3. From the Magnetic Observatory at Simla: — 



Abstracts of Magnetic and Meteorological Observations for No- 

 vember and December 1841. 



Magnetic Observations for February, May, October and Decem- 

 ber 1841, with Curves for the same period. 



April 28. — A paper, entitled, "On the Organic Tissues in the bony 

 structure of the Corallidae." By J. S. Bowerbank, Esq., F.G.S., com- 

 municated by Thomas Bell, Esq. F.R.S., was resumed and concluded. 



The author submitted small portions of nearly seventy species of 

 bony corals to the action of diluted nitric acid, and thus obtained 

 their animal tissue, freed from calcareous matter, and floating on 

 the surface of the fluid in the form of a delicate flocculent mass. 

 By the aid of the microscope, this mass was found to be pervaded 

 by a complex reticulated vascular tissue, presenting numerous rami- 

 fications and anastomoses, with lateral branches terminating in 

 closed extremities. There were also found, interspersed among 

 these, another set of tubes, of larger diameter than the former, and 

 provided, in many places, with valves ; the branches from these 

 larger vessels occasionally terminate in ovoid bodies, having the 

 appearance of gemmules or incipient polypes. In other cases, 

 masses of still larger size, of a more spherical shape, and of a 



[* A notice of a former paper on the Aurora by Mr. Farquharson will be 

 found in Phil. Mag., Second Series, vol. v. p. 304.— Edit.] 



