292 



Froceedingx of Learned Societies, 



[MARCil, 



eighteen to fifteen ; the numher of males 

 bom exceeded that of females by one fif- 

 teenth. To ascertain if climate influenced 

 this proportion, tliirtj- of the most soutliern 

 departments of France were considered 

 separately, and for the same period : the 

 same proportion was the result ; proving 

 that, at least, in no sensible degree did the 

 superiority in the number of birtlis of males 

 over that of females depend upon the cli- 

 mate. During the year 1824 there were 

 28,812 births, 22,612 deatlis, and 7,C20 

 marriages in Paris. 



Difference of Z,oru/itude of London and 

 Paris. — From a series of observations re- 

 cently made by desire of the French Govern- 

 ment, and sanctioned by the Board of 

 Longitude in England, by Mr. Herschel, 

 Captain Sabine, and two French officers, 

 the difference of longitude between the 

 two observatories of Greenwich and Paris 

 is estimated at 9'2",6, which determination 

 is not likely to require a correction exceed- 

 ing -^ of a second, and very unlikely to 

 want one of twice that amount. 



McAdamized Rjiids. — The system of 

 road-making, which bears very improperly 

 the name of Mr. McAdam, has recently 

 been introduced into France ; the prefect 

 of the department of tlie I^oiret, has pro- 

 mulgated a circular, in which he strongly 

 recommends this manner of composing 



roads as likely to be of the highest benefit 

 to the country. 



Fall of Aerolites. — Three stones fell in 

 the lower part of the commune of Be- 

 nalzo, twenty-one miles distant from the 

 town of Cento, in the province of Ferrara, 

 between nine and ten o'clock, p.m., on the 

 15th of January 1824.. A bright light and 

 loud explosion accompanied the fall of 

 tliese visitors to our planet- — Bulletin dea 

 Sciences. 



Hydrophobia. — The numerous cases of f 

 hydrophobia which have recently occurred, 

 have called the particular attention of me- 

 dical men to this dreadful malady, and we 

 find from the Re\iie Encyclopedique, that 

 the genista tinctoria has been found most 

 efficacious. Dr. Destrez at VaiUy, and 

 Dr. Chabanou at Uges, have employed it 

 with great success, as Dr. Marochetti, 

 who observed it to be thus used by a -.. 

 simple Russian peasant, formerly did in the • 1 

 south of Europe. ' 



Suspension JBridgt at Paris. — The sus- 

 pension-bridge opposite the hospital of the 

 invalids at Paris, which was commenced at 

 the beginning of August 182'1', is expected 

 to be completed in the summer of the cur- 

 rent year. The length of the chains, from 

 the bottom of the pits in which their ends 

 are sunk, exceeds BOD Parisian feet — the 

 road- way is 467 feet. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



DOMESTIC. 

 ROTAI, SOCIETY. 



The following papers were read on the 

 12t!i January: — " Observations on the Heat 

 of July 1825, together with some Remarks 

 on sensible Cold," by W. Heberden, m.d., 

 F.R.s. ; " Account of a series of Observa- 

 tions to determine the difference of Longi- 

 tude between the national Observatories of 

 Greenwich and Paris," by J. F. W. Hers- 

 chel, Esq., Sec. R.S., communicated by the 

 Board of Longitude. 



Jan. 19.—" On the Cambridge Transit 

 Instrument," in a supplement to a former 

 paper, by Robert Woodhouse, Esq., m.a., 

 F.R.3., Plumian Professor of Astronomy in 

 the Universit}' of Cambridge ; " On the 

 Magnetic Influence of the Solar Rays," by 

 S. H. Christie, Esq., m.a., F.R.s. 



26th.—" On the Barometer," by J. F. 

 Daniell, Esq., r.R.s. 



LINN^AN SOCIETY. 



Jan. 17th. — A paper was read " On some 

 Cornish Species of the genus Labrus," by 

 Mr. Jonathan Couch, r.L.s. Among the 

 species noted were Labrus Julis; Tinea 

 (common Wrasse); Cornubiensis (Gold- 

 sinny) ; Microstoma (Corkwring) ; Trima- 

 culatus; Comber; Perca Inermis. 



ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN' 

 AND IRELAND. 



A general meeting of the society was 

 held on the 7th of Januarj-, when the Most 

 Noble the Marquess of Hastings, vice-pa- 

 tron of the society, an^-l the Prince de Po- 

 lignac, junbassador from France to Great 

 Britain, a foreign member of the society, 

 honoured the meetuig with their presence, 

 and inspected the society's house. Pro- 

 fessor Bopp, of Berlin, another foreign 

 member of the society, also attended the 

 meeting. 



The Marquess of Hastings presided ; 

 and the Director, H. T- Colebrooke, Esq., 

 officiated to conduct the business. The 

 minutes of the last meeting were read and 

 confirmed. Several donations were then 

 presented, and the reading of Mr. Davis's 

 " Extracts from Pekin Gazettes for 1824 " 

 concluded. 



Jan. 21st. — At the meeting of the society 

 this day, H. T. Colebrooke, Esq., Director, 

 in the chair, the minutes of the last meet- 

 ing being read and confirmed, several dona- 

 tions were ])resented, and the reading of 

 a paper, by Captain James Delamaine, en- 

 titled, " Of the Strawacs, or Laity of the 

 Jains," was commenced. 



The second part of the first volume of 



