16 



furing food, and mentioned several instances of the feathefpd 

 tribe visiting countries were they were unknown, till the intro- 

 duction of or changes in agriculture. A passing notice of 

 fishes and crustacse, and the phenomena attending their 

 hibernation concluded the Lecture. 



February 9. — Mr. Marten delivered the fourth of a course 

 of Lectures on Ethics. After briefly reverting to the doc- 

 trine of Utility, he considered at some length the theory 

 comprehending the selfish system of Morals. He endeavoured 

 to prove that man is not actuated generally by motives of 

 pure selfishness in the exercise of virtue, and il- 

 lustrated this view of the moral nature by examples taken 

 from the nurserj^ where the incipient feelings of approba- 

 tion and disapprobation of certain actions of amiable kind- 

 ness or atrocious cruelty are uniformly manifested in the 

 countenance and features of the unsuspecting child. The 

 Lecturer concluded with a brief review of Dr. Smith's 

 theory of moral sentiments. As this system refers all 

 morality to sympathy, it was considered, since by far the 

 greater number of actions excite no feelings of this kind, 

 that it was an unsound doctrine. This conclusion was still 

 further supported by the fact, that the theory assumes the 

 very feelings it is thought by its advocates to excite. 



February 16,— Mr. W. Brent delivered a Lecture in con- 

 tinuation of a series on Amphibia ; the second and last order 

 of that class, comprising Serpents was treated of. He stated 

 that this order is divided according to the Linnsean system 

 into seven Genera, viz : — Crotalus, or Rattle Snake, Boa, 

 Coluber, or Viper Family, Anguis, or Snake, Amphisboena, 

 or Ringed Snake, Ccecilia, or Wrinkled Snake, Achrochor- 

 dus, or Warted Snake,— and pointed out their general 

 characters, habits, and manners. He specified the marks by 

 which may be distinguished a venomous Snake from an in- 

 noxious one, and the difference between the Viper and the 

 Snake family. The Lecturer embellished his subject with 

 various anecdotes, and illustrated it with several rare 

 specimens from the Society's Museum. And concluded by 

 recapitulating each separate feature of the whole class. 



February 23. — Mr. Warman delivered a Lecture on 

 Electricity. After recounting the various Theories promul- 

 gated from Thales to the 18th Century, he proceeded to 

 establish the following propositions by experiments. First. 

 That the Electric Fluid pervades all nature. Second. That 

 it evidently repels itself. Third. That it is the same in all 

 substances. Fourth. That Electrics are impermeable by the 

 fluid. Fifth. That conductors are permeable through their 

 whole substance. Sixth. That by exciting an electric, we 



