538 
Hare deny that Mr, Vanuxem has operated 
on a proper specimen. 
Plumbago.— A mine of plumbago, in 
Sweden, which a Lubeck company began 
to work above a century ago, in the hope of 
meeting with silver, in which expectation 
they were disappointed, has lately been re- 
opened by a retired Swedish officer, who is 
satisfied that it contains yast quantities of 
pure lead. ‘The recent discovery of coal- 
mines in Sweden will very much facilitate 
his operations ; which will probably prove a 
new source of wealth to Sweden. 
N.B.—A Lead Mine is often, in reality, 
much more profitable than a Silver Mine. 
“The Impressions of Radiant Heat dimi- 
nish as the squares of the distance from the 
fire, and consequently extend, so as to be 
effective, to a short distance only. This 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
[July 1 
suggests the expedient of employing # 
moveable screen, to receive the impressions 
of heat, and protect the family-circle from 
the influx of cold air from the distant parts 
of the room. Such a screen may be con- 
tracted or expanded, according as the 
weather is more or less severe, and entirely 
removed in summer. The Chinese or 
Japanese screen is partially used for this 
purpose, but the taste of our fair country- 
women is capable of giving it more appro- 
priate ornaments, and of rendering it as 
interesting as it is useful.” — Tredgold, 
The Wear of Bricks, Mortar, &c. about 
fire-places, by the action of the air, is much 
more considerable than most people can 
have any idea of; and, besides the disagree- 
ableness of dusty rooms, it is not quite 
desirable to inhale particles of brick-dust 
and mortar ! - 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
—<=—==————- 
ROYAL SOCIETY. 
T a sitting, May 5th, Professor Bar- 
low, F.R.S., in a letter to Mr. Hers- 
chell, communicated a paper “‘ On the Mag- 
netism imparted to Iron Bodies by Rota- 
tion.” And on the 19th, “ A Description 
of the Transit Instrument, by Doillond, 
erected at the Observatory at Cambridge,’ 
was read by R. Woodhouse, A. M. F. R. Ss. 
Professor Buckland communicated a paper 
“On the Fossil Elk of Ireland,’ by T. 
Weaver, M.n.1.4., &e. 
LINNZAN SOCIETY. 
At a sitting, May 3d, the President, Sir 
J. E. Smith, in the chair; Professor Fr. 
A. Bonelli, and M. C. Sigismund Kunth, 
were elected foreign members ; after which, 
the remaining part of Messrs. Shepherd 
and Whitear’s paper was read ; it contained 
a table of the times of migration of various 
species, ‘as observed, at several places in 
Norfolk and Suffolk, for a series of years. 
The anniversary of the Society was 
held on the 24th, Sir J. E. Smith in the 
chair, when the following were chosen offi- 
cers for the ensuing year—Sir J. E. Smith, 
M.D,F.R-8., &c., President; E. Foster, 
Esq., F.R.s., &c.,. Treasurer; J. E. Bi- 
cheno, Esq.; Secretary; R. Taylor, Esq., 
Assistant Secretary. The Vice-presidents of 
the preceding year were re-appointed ; and 
the following gentlemen were appointed to 
fill up the vacancies in the council—J. FE. 
Bicheno, Esq.; E. Horne, Esq.; C. 
Konig, Esq. ; Rev. T. Rackett, and J. F. 
Stephens, Esq. 
2 HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
This society lately held its anniversary 
meeting, forthe election of a new council 
and officers, when the following gentlemen 
were chosen for the ensuing year, viz., 
T. A. Knight, Esq., President; J. Elliott, 
Esq., Treasurer; J. Sabine, Esq., Secre- 
tary; J. Turner, Esq., Assistant Secre- 
tary: the following members of council 
were appointed Vice-presidents, viz., the 
Earl of Aberdeen; J. Elliott, Esq.; A. 
Henderson, M.D.; and R. H. Jenkinson, 
Esq. 
SOCIETY OF LITERATURE. 
At the anniversary of this society, upon 
the ballot, the following elections, for the 
ensuing year, were made— President, -the 
Right Rey. Lord Bishop of St. David’s ; 
Vice-presidents, His Grace the Duke of 
Newcastle, the Most Noble the Marquis 
of Lansdowne, the Right Rey. Lord 
Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Hon. 
Lord Grenville, the Right Hon. C. Yorke, 
the Hon. G. Agar Ellis, Sir J. Mack. 
intosh, and the Venerable Archdeacon 
Nares; Treasurer, A. E. Impey, Esq. ; 
Librarian, the Rey. H. Hervey Baber ; 
Secretary, the Rey. R. Cattermole. 
ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 
At a sitting, May 7th, Sir A. Johnston, 
v.P., in the chair; the following donations 
were reported— from the Horticultural So- 
ciety, the continuation of their Transac- 
tions; from the Rey. S. Weston, a copy 
and translation of the inscription on the 
great gun, now in St. James’s-park, from 
which it appears that it was cast, a.H. 96] ; 
from Major Tod, a native drawing, repre- 
senting a Hindoo Deity — thanks were 
voted.—J. Melville, Esq.; J. Disney, 
Esq. ; and Captain M. Grindlay, were in-* 
troduced and admitted. M. Julius Von 
Klaproth was also introduced by Sir G. 
Staunton, and presented with his diploma 
as a foreign member of the society. Major 
J. Hunter Little was elected a member. 
At a sitting of the 2Ist, the Right Hon. 
C. W. W. Wynn, the President, in the 
chair, among other donations reported, was 
a copy of a very curious Burmese book, 
the letters of which are in mother-of-pearl : 
it is of an oblong shape, and composed 
5 either 
