20G RoTjal Society : — Prof. Faraday's Experimental 



term ; but the intended reference is nevertheless more conspicuous, 

 more durable, and more convenient than any mark that could have 

 been inscribed by hands. This standard mark, or level, was fixed 

 on by Mr. Bevan in the year 1827, at the request of the Council of 

 this Society : and it is the surface of the granite pedestal at the 

 base of the columns, at the north abutment of the bridge, and on the 

 eastern side ; which is about 5 feet above the lowest platform, or 

 landing, at the stairs. Nothing therefore was wanting but the dif- 

 ference of level between this mark and the one made by Capt. Lloyd 

 at London Bridge, the height of which above the mean level of the 

 sea had been determined by him*. This has been recently done by 

 Sir John Ilennie, at the request also of the Council : and the result 

 of the whole is, that the cistern of the barometer is 97 feet above ^he 

 mean level of the sea. 



The author concludes his paper with some remarks on the pro- 

 priety of the position of the several meteorological instruments of 

 the Society. With respect to the barometer, he says he is not aware 

 that any objection can be offered ; and as to the hygrometer, the ob- 

 servations have been found, by recent trials, not to differ materially 

 from some expressly made in another position, at King's College, 

 which was considered to be more favourable for such experiments. 

 It therefore only remains to speak of the external thermometer and 

 of the rain-gauge ; of which all that can be said on the subject would 

 be merely a repetition of what was justly said sixty years ago by Mr. 

 Cavendish on a similar occasion (Philosophical Transactions, 1776), 

 namely, " that, on the whole, the situation is not altogether such as 

 could be wished, but is the best the house affords.'* 



Nov. 23. — "Magnetical Observations made in the "West Indies, 

 on the Coasts of Brazil and North America, in the years 1834, 

 1835, 1836 and 1837." By Sir James Everard Home, Bart., Com- 

 mander Royal Navy, F.R.S,, the Observations reduced by the Kev. 

 George Fisher, M.A., F.R.S. 



The observations for the dip were made with an instrument of 

 modern construction, by DoUond. Each observation consisted of 

 an equal number of readings of the position of the needle, before and 

 after the inversion of its poles, and a mean of all the readings taken 

 for the true dip. Tables are subjoined, containing the dips ob- 

 served at each place ; the times of making a hundred vibrations of 

 five horizontal needles, and the mean horizontal forces computed 

 therefrom ; and likewise the results estimated in the direction of the 

 dipping needle, compared with direct experiments made with the 

 dipping needle itself. 



A paper was also read in part, entitled " On Low Fogs and Sta- 

 tionary Clouds." By William Kelly, M.D. Communicated by 

 Capt. Beaufort, R.N., F.R.S.f 



Jan. 11, 1838. — The reading of a paper, entitled " Experimental 

 Researches in Electricity," Eleventh Series, by Michael Faraday 



* See Phil. Mag. and Annals, vol. ix. p. 357; and Lond. and Edinb. 

 Phil. Mag., vol. i. p. 187. 



+ An account of the Anniversary Proceedings of the Royal Society, 

 and of the p&perg read at the meetings prior to January 11, will appear 

 in our next. 



