Royal Society of London. 269 



baen among the first considerations that would have engaged 

 the attention or him who should conceive he was exercising 

 an art of copying that of painting." 



In a future numbtr, if we can possibly spare room, we 

 shall give a larger extract from this amusing and valuable 

 work. 



XLVII. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



ROVAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Apuil 9. The right honourable Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. 

 President, in the chair. — The reading of Capt. Flinders's 

 Observations on the magnetic needle was continued. The 

 captain made a great variety of experiments both at sea and 

 ashore on the variations of the needle; and was led to con- 

 clude, th^t the guns and shot aboard ships are sufficient to 

 produce a magnetic atmosphere, wliich must operate power- 

 fullv on the polarity of the needle. Hence he infers the 

 reason of the variations in the needle according to the di- 

 rection of the ship's head, which amounted sometimes fcoin 

 4 to 8, 9 and even 10 degrees. As to the regular variations, 

 he found no material dilference between his cwn observa- 

 tions on the coast of New Holland, and those made by 

 Capt. Cook 30 years bcfurc. 



April 16. The President in the chair. — The reading of 

 Capt. Flinders'? paper was concluded ; and that of another, 

 bv Everaid Mo-me, Esq. " On the Stomachs of Animals," 

 was conunenced. The author's observations were first di- 

 rected to ruminating animals, noting their different appear- 

 ances on dissection, and ibe number and dimensions of their 

 respective cavities or bags. He afterwards details his nume- 

 rous remarks on the size and peculiarities of the stomachs of 

 several other animals, all of which were illustrated by well- 

 execuicd designs, taken in general from I'resh subjects. 



April 23. 'I'he President in the chair.—- A letter from Dr. 

 Olbers to Dr. Young (Ibrcign secretary to the society) was 

 read, announcing his discovery of a new planet on the ^9lh 

 and iOlh of March lasi^ This planet is abuul the size of a 



star 



