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INTELLIGENCE 
AND 
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES. 
LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 
taas meetings which took place on the 6th and 13th 
inftant were occupied by the reading of a paper on Vifion, - 
‘by Dr. Wilfon, of which we find it impoffible to give any 
abfira&. At the latter meeting the Annual Regifter of Me- 
‘teorological Obfervations was read to'the Society. 
At the meeting on the goth, a paper was read containing 
experiments on vegetation in pure water, by Dr. Crell. He 
planted the feeds of funflowers in fome ferruginous fand which 
he had feveral years employed for fand heats, and which, he 
therefore fays, could contain no carbon. The pure water 
was that with which his place of refidence is fupplied:hy 
‘pipes.’ The: pot in which the feeds were planted was put 
into his library, which, being but feldom opened, |4e con- 
-eludes, could therefore contain no carbonic acid gas (fixed 
air). Four of the feeds grew and. flowered; the feeds of 
one of which were again reared in the fame manner, inthe 
following year. The queftion put by Dr. Crell is ; Whence 
do vegetables derive their nourifhment? and particularly, 
whenee comes the carbonaceous matter which, conftitutes 
fo large a portion of their bulk? After fome reafoning on 
the fubjeét, the author concludes, that carbon is either de- 
pofited in plants by the light which falls upon them, and is 
therefore a conftituent part of light, or that it is generated 
in them by its action, 
The reader will naturally afk, How water coming from a 
common refervoir can be confidered as purg? Flow fand, 
Y4 f which, 
