JJ825.J) . ■* - LinneanSocieti/t-- - '^ ^7 



vessels containing salt and water connected by moist cotton, and 

 forming an electrochemical series by means of zinc and iron, a 

 few drops of solution of potash or soda be poured into that con- 

 taining the iron, the action of the iron on the sea water will be 

 diminished ; but the copper will still be protected : but if the 

 solution containing the iron be made alkaline to any extent, the 

 copper v/ill begin to corrode, and the iron will become the electro^ 

 negative metal. 



Sir Humphry ends this paper by the important practical con- 

 clusion, that copper may be preserved by nails, or masses of 

 zinc or iron placed under the sheathing ; and that in this way 

 there is less loss of the oxidable metal, which is partly revived 

 upon the interior of the copper, so that the same metal will act 

 for a long time, and thus protectors may be applied to save the 

 whole or any portion of the copper without interfering with the 

 external surface of it, and without the deposition of any matter 

 likely to cause adhesion. 



June 16.— MM. Bessel, Encke^ Fresnel, and Brongniart, and 

 Count Chaptal, were elected Foreign Members; C. M. Clarke, 

 Esq. was admitted a Fellow of the Society; and portions of the 

 following papers were read : — 



On some new Compounds of Carbon and Hydrogen, and on 

 certain other Products obtained during the Decomposition of 

 Oil by Heat ; by M. Faraday, FRS. 



Account of the Repetition of M. Arago's Experiments on the 

 Magnetism developed in various Substances during the Act of 

 Rotation ; by C. Babbage, Esq. FRS. and J. F. W. Herschelj 

 Esq. Sec. RS. 



Experiments on Magnetism produced by Rotation ; by S. H. 

 Christie, Esq. MA. FRS. 



On the Annual Variation of some of the principal fixed Stars ; 

 by John Pond, Esq. FRS. 



Description of an improved Hygrometer; by Mr. T. Jones; 

 communicated by Capt. Kater, FRS. 



On the Nature of the Function of Mortality, and on a new 

 Mode of determining the Value of Life Contingencies; by 

 Benjamin Gompertz, Esq. FRS. 



The Society then adjourned to the 17th of November next. , 



LINNEAN SOCIETY. 



March 15. — "Read a paper from R. A. Salisbury, Esq. 

 FRS. FLS. &c. on the Trichomanes elegans of Mr. Rudge's 

 PlanttK Guiancd, It appears that M. Bory de St. Vincent as- 

 serts in the 6th vol. of the Dictionnaire Classique d'Histoire 

 Naturelkj under the article Fougere, that Mr. Rudge's plant 

 t. 35, is composed of two species of different genera, one of 

 which Mr, Bory proposes as a feea, and the other, as consti* 



f2 



