f 146 j 
(Sept. 1, 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED. SOCIETIES. 
ee 3 
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 
@ WN June 17th, an extract of a letter 
Was read from J. Kingdom, Esq., 
communicated by J.,'Townsend, Esq., 
mentioning the situation in which certain 
bones of a very large size, appearing to 
have belonged to a whale and a crocodile, 
were lately found, completely imbedded in 
the oolite quarries, about a mile from 
Chipping Norton, near Chapel House. 
A paper was also read, entitled ‘* Obser- 
vations, &c. on a Walk from Exeter to 
Bridport.” Mr. Woods, in this communi- 
tation, describes the nature of the soil in 
the neighbourhood of Exeter, and the 
strata exhibited in the cliffs and on the 
sea shore between that city and the east 
side of Bridport harbour. 
NEW ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
" Ttis proposed to establisha Society, bear- 
ing the same relation to zoology, that the 
horticultural does to botany, and upon a 
similar principle and plan. The great ob- 
jects should be the introduction of new 
varieties, breeds and races of animals, for 
the purpose of domestication, or for stock- 
ing our farm-yards, woods, pleasure-grounds 
and wastes; with the establishment of a 
general zoological collection, consisting of 
prepared specimens in the different classes 
and orders, so as to afford a correct view 
of the animal kingdom, in as complete a 
series as may be practicable, and at the 
same time point out the analogies between 
the animals already domesticated, and those 
which are similar in character. 
“On Wednesday, the 22d June, a meet- 
ing of the friends to this institution was 
held, at the house of the Horticultural So- 
ciety in Regent Street, the Earl of Darn- 
ley in the chair; when, after the objects of 
the institution had been stated, by Sir 
Humphrey Davy and other gentlemen who 
addressed the meeting, the following noble- 
men and gentlemen were appointed a 
committee to promote the design. Sir T. 
Stamford Raffles, chairman; the Duke of 
Somerset, the Earl of Darnley, the Earl 
of Egremont, the Earl of Malmsbury, 
Viscount Gage, the Bishop of Carlisle, 
Lord Stanley, Sir H. Davy, r.R.s., E. Bar- 
nard, Esq., F.1.s., H. T. Colebrooke, Esq., 
F.R.S., Davies Gilbert, Esq., v.p.n.s., Rev. 
Dr. Goodenough, F.x.s., Sir E. Home, 
Bart., v.p.n.s., T. Horsfield, M.D., F.L.s., 
Rev. W. Kirby, F.r-s., T. A. Knight, 
¥Esq., P.u.s., T. A. Knight, Jun,, Esq., W. 
S. Macleay, Esq., M.A., F.L,S., J. Sabine, 
Esq., Sec. u.s., Baring Wall, Esq., N. 
A. Vigors, Esq., M.A., F.L.S. 
LEEDS PHILOSOPHICAL AND LITERARY 
SOCIETY. 
This society closed its session lately. 
‘Dr. Williamson, the secretary, read the 
‘annual report of the committee, which was 
highly satisfactory, as to the numbers and 
Sticcess of the society, the character of the 
lectures and papers read during’ the session, 
and the accumulating stores-of the Mu- 
seum. The council had anxiously consi- 
dered the means of: providing fresh accom- 
modation for the increasing wants of the 
institution, which is outgrowing the present 
edifice, and for which it is therefore pro- 
posed to build a new lecture-room, and 
museum, on a piece of land adjoining the 
present hall, and already in the society’s 
possession. For this purpose, however, 
several additional proprietary members will 
_be required. The society has rapidly risen 
in public estimation, and may now be said 
to be universally regarded as one of the 
most valuable institutions the town or tlie 
county can boast. Combining the lectures 
given before this society, with those de- 
livered in its hall to the Mechanics’ Insti- 
tute, there is not a single town in the 
kingdom, except the capitals of England 
and.Scotland, that has had a larger portion 
of scientific and literary information pre- 
sented to itsinhabitants, and this too ina 
town where, six or seven years ago, the 
bare idea of such a thing would have been 
regarded as to the last degree chimerical. 
The following gentlemen were chosen to 
fill the offices of the society for the ensu- 
ing session: President, J. Marshall, Esq. ; 
Vice-Presidents, Rev. R. W. Hamilton 
and W. Key, Esq. Treasurer, H. Green- 
wood, Esq. Secretaries, Dr. Williamson 
and Mr. J. Atkinson, Jun. Curator, Mr. 
J. Atkinson, F.L.s. Council, Mr. E. S. 
George, ¥.t.s., Mr. M. T. Sadler, Rey. 
W.H. Bathurst, Mr. W. Osburn, Jun., 
Dr. Hunter, J. Entwistle, Esq., Dr. Hut- 
ton, Mr. J. Sangster; J. Marshall, Jun., 
Esq., F. T. Billam, Esq., B. Gott, Esq., 
and Mr. T. Teale, Jun. 
—>— 
FOREIGN SOCIETIES. 
FRANCE, 
Paris Athénée.—This most ancient es- 
tablishment has completed its fortieth year ; 
but antiquity, though it may evince the 
bounty of the supporters of the Society and 
the ability with which its concerns» have 
been regulated, would fail (in itself) to“at- 
tract and interest public attention. The 
nightly lectures of the winter season (which, 
in Paris, is somewhat more accordant with 
the course of nature than in London) have - 
been among the most effectual means of ac- 
complishing this object, which must be 
admitted to be of NOT most inferior Impor- 
tance. Among these, the lectures’of M.- 
Amaury Duval “ On the Philosophy of 
the History of the Fine Arts, connected, at 
once, with the religious and political History 
of Nations,” have been truly interesting : 
the learned professor pointed out the pro- 
gress of arts among the Indians and Egyp- 
; ; tians, 
un 
