* koyd! Societi/. sim 



trines which consiltnte the theory of ihe science. The hwg 

 of cheniical action, which befall all bodies comprehended 

 midiT the chemical domain of nature, have been detailed in 

 the synthetic form oF propositions — the natural history of 

 the most cljaraeteristic bodies stated — the processes em- 

 ployed in the laboratory for obtaining them, described — 

 and their physical and chemical attributes pointed out, so a« 

 to interest the mind, and llx the doctrines in the memory/* 



^ _ ■ — ■ \,- . .^ . , 



LT. Proceedings of Learned Societies, 



KOYAL SOCIETY. 



IVIarch 28. — The President in the chair. A letter from 

 Mr. Groombridge to the Astronomer Royal was read on 

 the refraction of light. The author determines the mean 

 as'tronomical refractions from the observations of fifty 

 circumpolar stars ; as also from the zenith distance of the 

 Sim at the solstices. The quantity he assumes at 45^ is 

 56^''; and this is corrected by the ditference of the errors 

 of the co-latitude thence found. The mean refraction at 

 45° the author states to be 38-107'' X tang, zenith di- 

 stance, — 3 times the refraction. He then corrects the 

 formula of Bradley, by comparing the mean refraction of 

 the pole star with star's at low altitudes ; whence he deter- 

 mines the refraction from the zenith to the horizon to be 



58*1 19" X tang 2 — 3*36 r, and which he shows to agree 

 with the new French tables, by a more simple formula 

 than that of M. de la Place. The author also proposes a 

 ci^ircction for the thermometer, drawn from his observa- 

 tions ; something differing from that of Dr. Bradley. 



April 4.— A letter fronfMr. Brinckley oF Dublin to the 

 Astronomer Royal was read, stating the discovery of the 

 parallax of the annual orbit oF 13 circumpolar stars, which 

 he has found to be 2 f seconds: he also ascertained their 

 refraction somewhat similar to that of Mr. Groombridge, 

 The letter concluded by saying, that the writer is pursuini^ 

 his researches in order to verify the discovery here an- 

 nounced. 



Some observations on the gizzards of swans, geesq, and 

 herbivorous Fowls, compared with those of turkeys, were 

 communicated by xMr. Home. They consisted oF" a brief 

 description of the process of mastication and digestion in 

 ruminating animals, by chewint^ their food slightly, then 

 swallgwing it afterwards, bringing it up in round balls, 



mixing, 



