Koyal Society of London, 271 



with a View to obtain valid Principles whereon to found a 

 Civil Constitution of Medical Police for Ireland." 



To every one conversant in this field of inquiry, it in. 

 manifest, that the climate of the country, the physical and 

 moral attributes of the inhabitants, their political and com- 

 mercial relations, their oecononiical institutes, and other 

 corresponding circumstances, must be taken into considera- 

 tion in a work of this description. It will also be necessary 

 to take a retrospective survey of the numerous malignant 

 and reigning distempers which have prevailed in many parts 

 of the earth throughout a series of ages. These are not easy 

 tasks — they are not small undertakings: yet, difficult and 

 extensive as they are, little short of their achievement will 

 answer the purpose ; a purpose which has in contemplatiou 

 objects of the first national importance. 



Mr. Rudge has just published the Fourth Fasciculus, 

 which completes the First Volume, of his Descriptions and 

 Figures of the Rare Plants of Guiana. 



The plants described in this work formed a part of that 

 superb collection of natural history consigned from Cayenne 

 to the National Museum at Paris : they were five years col- 

 lecting in Guiana, by order of the French government, and 

 were captured on their passage by two British privateers at 

 the commencement of the present war. 



We understand that only 130 copies of this work will be 

 published. 



LII. Proceedhigs of Learned Socictie:i. 



ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



JVIarch 27. The Right Honourable President in the chair. 

 — The reading of an interesting paper, consisting of observa- 

 tions on the marine barometer and thermometer, made by 

 captain Rinders, on the coast of New Holland, in the years 

 1801, 1802, and 1803, commenced, and the society ad- 

 journed, in consequence of the Easter holidays, till the 

 lytK of April. The President in the chair. — Continuation 



of 



