i82r>.] 



Proceedings qf Learned Societies, 



£21 



I.I>fN.'EAM JOCIirrY. 



March 7th. — A further ])orlion of Dr. 

 Hamilton's " CommiMitary on tlic llortus 

 Malabarii'iis," was read. 



March 21st. — The following coinmniii- 

 catioii as read, " Description of two new 

 birds belonging to the family p/iasianidac," 

 by Major General Harduicke, r.L.s. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Description of a new genus belonging to 

 the natural family of plants called " Scro- 

 phularincc," by Mr. David Don, Libr. L.s. 

 The genus consists of two species, both of 

 them natives of Mexico, where they were 

 discovered by the Spanish botanists Sesse 

 and Mocinno, and which Mr. Don has 

 named " Lophospcr mum scandcns" and 

 " Physalodes." 



A review of the genus " Comhre turn," 

 by Mr. G. Don, a. l.s. The author here 

 describes thirty-eight species of this in- 

 teresting and beautiful genus, exclusive of 

 six doubtful species ciuiinerated by Dr. 

 Roxburgh in the llortus Benyalcnsis. In 

 the Systema Veyelabiliciim of Professor 

 Sprengei, which is the latest general work, 

 only six specicsarc enumerated. 



March 3d. — The reading of Sir A. Crich- 

 ton's paper, " On the Tanuus mountains 

 in Nassau," was concluded. 



BOYAL INSTITUTION OF CHEAT BRITAIN. 



Feb. .3d. — Tlie history of caoutchouc, 

 was given in the lecture-room by Mr. 

 Faraday, and various specimens relating to 

 ils chemical nature, and its application in 

 producing watcr-])rooff;il)rics shown. The 

 latter were j)repared by Mr. Hancock. 



Feb. 10th. — The progress made by Mr. 

 Brunell in his application of the " condensed 

 carbonic acid to the construction of a me- 

 chanical engine," was described to the 

 members by Mr. Faraday ; and stated to 

 be highly favourable. 



Feb. 17th. — Mr. Griffiths' experiment 

 on the state of alkali in glass ; Mr. Var- 

 Icy's single adjustable microscope ; Mr. 

 Bi-mt's large bar of palladium; and a 

 South American geological series of sjx'ci- 

 niens, \\cre shewn and explained in the 

 libra ly. 



Feb. 24.th — I\Ir. ^'urley explained the 

 nature of his graphic telescope, intended 

 for the use of artists. It combines magni- 

 fying powers, with the properties of Dr. 

 Wollaston's camera lucida. 



March 3d. The art of lithography was 

 illustrated by numerous operations, and its 

 minute chemical and mechanical principles 

 explained by ]\Ir. Faraday and INIr. HuU- 

 mandel, who furnished the beautiful speci- 

 mens shown. 



March 10. — Mr. Brande entered into 

 the chemical history of wijics, as respected 

 the alcoliol contained in them, and showed 

 the state of combination in which it was 



M.M. New S.-7-ies.—Xoi.. I. No. 5. 



retained, the consequent loss of part of its 

 power, and the most perfect modes of 

 analysis. Some sijccimens of unadulterated 

 port and very old hock were operated 

 upon. 



raocEEDiNGS OF Tin: royal Asiatic society 



OF GUEAT BnlTAIN and IRELAND. 



March 4.— II. T. Colebrooke, Esq., Di- 

 rector, concluded the reatting of the third 

 part of his " Essay on the jjliilosophy of 

 the Hindus." The portion wliich was now 

 read contained an cxjiosition of the doctri- 

 nal, as the former |)ortion read at tlie last 

 meeting did of the practical, \n\.xt of the 

 Miman.sa. As a whole, botli parts form 

 the most elaborate disquisition on tiie 

 Hindu faith ever yet otfered to the 

 world. 



Anniversaiy Meeting, March 15th. — 

 The Uight Hon. C.W.W.Wj-nn, Fresi- 

 deiit, noticed the princi|)al events tliat had 

 occurred in the Society's history during the 

 last year, viz. the ]>ublication of the 2nd 

 part of the Society's Transactions, and the 

 institution of tiic Committee of Correspon- 

 dence, an establishment of great im))ortance 

 to the society ; and proceeded to mention 

 the great loss which the society had sus- 

 tained by the death of Dr. G. H. Noehden, 

 their late secretary ; and finally, he con- 

 gratulated tic society on the prosperous 

 as])ect of their atfuirs. The council rciHjrt 

 was then read. The council and olheers 

 for the present year consist of the following 

 gentlemen : Lord Bexley ; Viscount Kings- 

 borough ; the Right Hon. J. Sullivan ; Sir 

 W. Ouseley ; Lieut. Col. W. Blackburne ; 

 H. Holland, Esq. ; J. Hodgston, Esq. ; 

 D. Pollock, Esq. 



The list of officers remains the same as 

 before, only that the name of Sir E. H. 

 East is inserted in the room of Sir J. Mal- 

 colm, as a Vice-president. The election 

 of a secretary in the i)lacc of the late Dr. 

 G. H. Noehden was postponed. 



March 18th. — The following donations 

 were presented : — From the Rev. S. Wes- 

 ton, a Malabar theological MS., and a 

 grammar of the Malabar language. From 

 Ca'sar iMoreau, Esq., his last work on the 

 British Trade. From IVIajor J. Todd, two 

 Hindu genealogical trees, and a drawing of 

 some Hindu columns. From Sir T. S. 

 Raffles, a drawing of the Rafflesia Arnoltli. 

 A communication from II. T. J. Glynn, 

 Esq., entitled " Enumeration of various 

 classes of the population, and of trades and 

 liandicrafts in the town of Bareilly in Ro- 

 hdcund," was read. This is a statistical 

 paper of great value. The reading of a 

 " Diary of a journey into the Batak 

 Coimtry, in the interior of the island of 

 Sumatra," by Messrs. Burton and Ward, 

 was then commenced. The Bataks had 

 not been visited for many years before the 

 present jouniey v.as undertaken, and this 

 account furnishes some verv interesting 



3 X ' ^ 



