SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 403 



second edition of his Elementary Treatise on the differen- Varioui publi 

 tial and integral Calculus. ^*'^°°'- 



The astronomical world is now in possession of Solar 

 Tables, in the computation of which the attractions of 

 all the planets have, for the first time, been admitted. 



Lastly, Le Grange has given a more complete edition 

 of his Calcul des Fonctions, a truly classical work, which 

 requires no recommendation to those mathematicians who 

 have perused it, and could with no degree of facility be 

 properly announced to those who have not. La Place has 

 also published a Dissertation, forming a supplement to the 

 tenth book of his Mecanique Celeste, in which he gives 

 a complete theory of the capillary action of which some 

 notice has before been taken in our Journal. Thes« 

 delicate researches will not be considered merely as trials - 

 of skill by those who are aware how extensively the 

 phenomena of Nature are connected with each other. 

 Every variable qnantity among natural appearances be- 

 comes the measure for determining other results as soon 

 as the law of its variation is ascertained. One object of 

 utility is pointed out by La Place with respect to measur- 

 ing heights by the barometer, in which a question has 

 arisen, Whether the length of the mercurial column should 

 bedetermined from the base or the summit of its convexity. 

 Our author shews, that the latter is much the most cor- 

 rect, though this height is less than would be produced by 

 the atmospheric pressure if the capillary repulsion did not 

 act. He gives two methods of correction. 



Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of Royal Society. 

 London for the Year 1806, Part IL 4to. 454 pages, 

 with 12 Plates. London. Nicol. 



This part contains the following articles: 1. Observa- 

 tions upon the Marine Barometer, made during the ex- 

 amination of the Coasts of New Holland and New South 

 Wales, in the Years 1801, 1802, and 1803. By Mat- 

 thew Flinders, Esq. Commander of his Majesty's ship 

 Investigator. 2. Account of a Discovery of native Mi- 

 nium. By James Smithson, Esq. F.R.S. 3. Descrip- 

 tion of a rare Species of Worm Shells discovered at an 

 Island lying off the North-west Coast of the Island of 

 Sumatra, in the East Indies, l^y J. Griffiths, Esq. 

 ^ 4. Observations 



