London Philosophical Society. 235 



senthnent, la comedie lannoyanU. The mention of the 

 innovatu !i introduced a critique on the English pupils of 

 this style, and Colman, Cumlx-rland, Morion, and Tobin, 

 received the tribu e of praise which they deserved. 



Mr. R. after dis'cours no on the extensive infinence and 

 moral effects of the drama, and arguing that latter years 

 had refined it in every jioint of view, deduced, that all 

 the arguments of any weight against the drama are really 

 arguments merely applicable to the ceconomv of the 

 theatres ; and he pursued the subject by suggesting hints for 

 the improvement of this oeconomy, proposing in the first 

 place an increase of theatres, which, by reducing their size, 

 would strike at the root of unmeaninir spectacles and shows; 

 and secondly, in the exclusion of all couijiany that offend 

 the eyes and ears of respectable females. 



Some accurate observations on the pleasures resulting 

 from illusion in the drama, and on the Godwinian theory, 

 that plays will in time be nugatory and useless, as man in- 

 vigorated himself in intellect and purified himself in morals, 

 concluded the excellent discourse. 



The same month, Mr. T. Pettigrew delivered a lecture on 

 Zoology, which enibraced the order Primates of the class 

 Mammalia, having before, in an introductorv lecture to a 

 course intended by him to be given to the Societv, taken 

 a general view of the different systems of classification of 

 the animal kingdom, and of the immensity of nature ob- 

 servable in that grand division of it. 



The lecture was rendered exceedingly interesting by a 

 well chosen selection of anecdotes, illustrative first of their 

 wild, and secondly of their domesticated state, and an 

 exhibition of very excellent specimens of most of the species 

 which came under the lecturer's consideration. 



We forbear entering into a description of the animals 

 given, as a detail of specific character would be tedious, and 

 without the specimens uninteresting : but wc cannot but 

 highly approve of the Society's endeavouring to diffuse a 

 general spirit of inquiry in the various branches of science. 

 The manner likewise of treating it by anecdote, relieves the 

 study from that dryness and fatigue which have been said 

 particularly to characterize natural history. 



XLIII. Ill' 



