French National Injl'ihcte. 89 



individuals, with a revenue of 8,000,000 francs. Auftria 

 obtained an extent of 3876 fquare Polifli leagues, with a po- 

 pulation of 3,778,010 individuals, and a revenue of about ten 

 millions of francs. The part of Pruffia amounted to 4288 

 fquare Polilli leagues, with a population of 3,764,509 indi- 

 viduals, and a revenue of fix or feven millions of francs. 



C. Lefcalier read a memoir on the ifland of Madagafcar. 

 This memoir forms part of a voyage to India, which the 

 author travelled through, and contains details refpefting the 

 population of Madagafcar, its productions, and the induft:ry 

 and manners of its inhabitants. C. Lefcalier has difcovered, 

 that the manners, cuftoms, and, above all, language of the 

 inhabitants of Madagafcar, have a ftriking refemblance, not- 

 withftanding the diftance, to thofe of the inhabitants of 

 Otaheite and the otlter iflands of the South Sea. 



C. Fleurieu read a memoir on the application of the de- 

 cimal metric fyftcm to hydrography and the calculations of 

 navigation. 



C. Buache read a memoir on the lands difcovered by La 

 Peyroufe on the coaft of Tartary and to the north of Japan. 

 La Peyroufe explored the channel of Tartary, and his labour 

 appears to be correct. He examined fome parts of the land 

 of Yeflb, and confirms the truth of the difcovery made of it 

 by the Dutch in 1643, ^"'^ ^^^ exaftnefs of the defcription 

 they have given of it. But the Dutch and Peyroufe only 

 faw fome points of that land, the great part of which ftili, 

 remains to be explored. The Ruffians had before made fome 

 voyages to Yeflo ; and it appears that it is not a large coun- 

 try, as the Dutch and Peynuufe imagined, -but a group of fe- 

 veral iflands. 



C Lacepede, of the Clafs of the Phyfical and Mathema- 

 tical Sciences, read a memoir on a new zoological chart.- 

 Naturalills, in treating of the different kinds of mammiferasy 

 birds, reptiles, and fifhes, have pointed out, with care, the 

 countries which they inhabit. But, to complete the hiitory of 

 animals, it was neceifary that the naturaliil fliould detcrm'ne 

 tlic influence which the difterent climates have in changing 

 or improving their faculties and form, and in regard to the' 

 prefervation or degeneration of the fpecics. To obtain a fo- 

 luiion to ihic important problem, tha auilior traces out a zoo- 



VoL. VL N logical 



