French Naihnal Infilute, &c. 183 



tended in mod inftanccs by meteors or lightning, and that it 

 is remarkable that the native iron in all the ilones contains 

 nickel as well as the other native irons. 



A letter was alfo read on the i ith of March from Mr. Von 

 Zach, confirmina: ^'r. Schrotcr's obfervation of the change- 

 able linht of the'planet Ceres, which Mr. Von Zach had at 

 firft attributed to the hazincfs of our own atmofphere, until 

 he found that MM. Olbers and Schroter were agreed in de- 

 riving it from a real change in the light refleiled. 



On the 1 8th, an appendix to Mr. Chenevlx's paper on oxy- 

 muriates and hvperoxymuriates was read ; and, 



On the 25th,' a paper on corundum, by Count Bournon, 

 was begun ; but it will take another night's reading to finifh 

 it. The Count clafles along with corundum all the varieties 

 of the ruby, fapphire, ameriiyft, emerald, Sec. which, from 

 their peculiar hardnefs, are clafled by jewellers as oriental. 



FRENCH NATIONAL INSTITUTE. 



Some very interelting papers were read in the late fittings, 

 particularly a very learned dilfertation pn the ftru6fure of 

 primitive mountains, and of that of a part of the Pyrenees; 

 a memoir, no Icfs important, on the theory of the moon ; and 

 a tiefcription of fomc new experiments by C. Coulomb, to 

 prove that all bodies are fufceplible of being attraded by the 

 magnet. In the fitting of March 17th, C. Gerard, engineer 

 of bridges and caufeways, read a continuation of his very 

 learned diflTcrtation on the pyramids of Ghizc and Saccara. 

 Chef de brigade Grobert read a memoir on wheels with co- 

 nical fellies, as ufed in England; and announced an cxtenfive 

 work on carriages of all kinds. Count de Dielh was prcfenl 

 at this fitting. 



SOCIETY OF FF.LIX MKRITIS, AMSTEAdAM. 



The department of dcfiirn in this Society, in the meeting 

 of October 5, 1801, propoltd the following prize fubjefts : 



ifl, A folden medal, of J4 ducats value, for the bed hif- 

 torical pamting of Abraham entertaining the angels : Ge- 

 ucfis, xviii. 10 — ] 2. 



1(1, A medal, of tlie fame value, for the beft landfcapc in 

 the Netherlands, 



The paintings to remain the jiroperty of the artifls. 



The piecc>^ niuft be tranfinitted to the Society before the 

 ift of Au[r(,(l 1802. The paintings mull be accompanied 

 with a devTce, and be feni, c.irriage paid, to the prefident of 

 the department of defign, C. I. C. Lincker:'-, at Amilcrdam. 



M 4 ^XXV. //r- 



