1 y S Hiftork^il Shctclf of ih'e. InJlUuii^n ' 



The general phcenofjiGna of the weather in cliflereiit fcalbnf 

 and latitudes were by them firll reeorded with philofophieai 

 accuracv. Of the winds, rains, fnow, hail, lightning, thunder, 

 meteprsj exhalations, their papers e^jhihit an alTemhlage nt 

 fcc^xs, to whieh iiKich has indeed been finee added, but which 

 liill form a large and important part of QW prefcnt fcience ot 

 atuiofpkerical pha;nomcna. They collected a proJi.gi.ons 

 variety of obfervations to ilkiftrate ihe .phyfical hiftovyoi 

 u^'ater, as it exilied in feas, lakes, fprings, niiperal and lalt- 

 fprincs, &e. ; and to explain the nianufacriurc of faltj^rpj)* fca 

 water or from, that of f.i!t-fprings. : t ,■ . 



lu thofo early volumes arc a very great number of papers 

 in mincralogv : the faiits which thev eontain laid the foun- 

 dation of this fcicnee. : The hiilory, in particidar, of animal 

 fubftances, and of vegetables found in a {pljil.ltate ; of fome 

 volcanic, eruptions ; of marble found in Ireland ; of the forma*- 

 tion of peat-earth in Scotland j of the iirata of pii-eoal;. of 

 rock crvftaj, iron,, and copper- ore ; of amber ; of the cletiirw^ftl 

 capacities of amber, gum lac, and diamonds ; was illuttrated 

 \\\ a number of curious papers, the produce of riuieh. laborious 

 inquiry, and of many obfcrvatioiis ma.de with, tjiie greatfft 

 diliceiice. Mr, Gill, Sir Kolxrt Moray, Dr.. Brown, and 

 ijtbers, communicated interelting papers on damps, in niin.es. 

 Di:: Xiifter gave fome mineral niqps, .and.an, accoupt.*;)^ ^the 

 true W3y of making Luel, .j\ catalogue of electrical Ip'/dics 

 Tvas rectiivttl from Dr. Robert Plot: Mr. D. Colwal favoinx'd 

 the Society with accounts of alum works and green copperas 

 ■works. The lead mines in Somerfetlhirc, th.c qnicklilver 

 mines in Friuli, the lilvcr and sjold mines in Hungarv, were 

 madfc particularlv' known to the Society by communications 

 from Mr. (jlaKville, Dr. W. Pope, and Dr. E. Brown. A 

 curious paper from Mr. M. Scptalius acquainted them with 

 the exitience of mercury in pertain i^lants. The collection of 

 their papers prcfenfs, IxTidc theic, a prodigious variety of 

 other informatiou relative to fubjects in the mineral kingdort^. 



The power of the magnet ; the ufe of the magnetic needle j 

 the declination of the needle, its variations in dii^ercnt places, 

 >vith the theory of thofe variations, engaged nmch of the 

 Society's attention,' and were very ably illultrated by the pap.crs 

 of Dr, Halley, Mr. HeveliuSy Mr. Auzout, Mr. Cmmmgham, 

 and others. 



To the iraprovcment of the fcience of botany, and the 

 practice of asiriculture, they continued to devote much of their 

 care. Rye, turnips, polatocs, maize, fafl'ron, orange- trees, 

 vines, are anion!! the plants whole culture an.d ceconomiciU 

 ufes were fiiectlBfuUy explained in the papers read before 



t"his 



