[ 227 ] 

 XXXI. Proceedings of Learned Societies, 



PROCEEDINGS OP THE FRENCH NATIONAL INSTITUTE 

 FOR THE YEAR 180S. 



J- HE Institute held its anniversary on the 2d of January 

 1809 ; the following being the order of their proceedings. 



Isl. Proclamation of the questions proposed, and prizes 

 adjudged by the class. 2d. Historical eulogy on M. Lassus, 

 by M. Cuvier, perpetual secretary. 3d. Memoir on the 

 navigation of the ancients, by M. Buache. 4th. Historical 

 eulogy on M. Berthoud, by M. Delambre, perpetual se- 

 cretary. 5th. Memoir on the levelling of plains by means 

 of the barometer, by M. Ramond. 6th. Historical eulo- 

 gium on M. Ventenat, by M. Cuvier, perpetual secretarv. 

 7th. Memoir on the means of facilitating the victuallino- of 

 fleets in Brest roads by navigable canals, by M. Rochon. 



The Class of Sciences had proposed as the subject of a 

 prize, to be awarded on the present occasion, '^ The theory 

 of the perturbations of the planet Pallas," discovered by 

 M. Olbers, or in general the theory of the planets, the ec- 

 centricity and inclmation of which are too considerable to 

 admit of our calculating the perturbations with sufficient 

 exactness by the methods at present known. In order to 

 confine ourselves on so difficult a subject to what is in- 

 dispensable, analytical forniulcE only are requisite, but ar- 

 ranged in such a manner thai an intelligent calculator may 

 apply them with certainly, either to the planet Pallas, or 

 to any other subsequent discovery. — The class has received 

 no memoir ; and if we reflect on the difficulty of the pro- 

 blem, it will not appear astonishing. But as the question 

 proposed is of the greatest interest with respect to the gene- 

 ral theory of planetary periurbalions, and as it is to be pre- 

 sumed that leisure more than good will is wanting to ge- 

 ometricians capable of treating this question, the class has 

 tliouKht proper to renew the subject for the prize to be de- 

 cided in January 1811. The prize has been doubled; being 

 a medal of the value of 6000 francs. The papers on the 

 subject will not be received after the 1st of October 1810. 



The natural history of animals has lately received from 

 comparative anatomy some valuable additional lights, which 

 have wonderfully improved the science of zoology, parti- 

 cularly irom the description of the principal organs in se- 

 veral families, the oeconomy of which was almost entirely 

 unknown in the middle of the last century. The Institute 

 P » ihinkB 



