l4S French Royal Academy of Sciences. 



best memoir which it may receive from members or from foreign 

 associates upon polilical wconowy ; and under the title of the 

 History of Political Societies, it will from time to time publish 

 notices upon the governments of the different European States. 



FRENCH ROYAL ACAD.rMY OF SCIENCKS. 



Silling of the 9i/i Sept. 1816. 



MM. de Lac<?pede, Geoifroy-Saint-Hilaire, and Dumeril made 

 a Report to the Academy upon the Monographic des Trigono- 

 cephales cJes Antilles of M. Moreau do Jonnes. 



The serpo:it which is the subject of the meinoir of M. Jonnes 

 is of a large size, and its bite is very dangerous ; it has been seen 

 more than eight feet long. The author affirms that it is con- 

 fined to the islands of Martinique, St. Lucia and Baconia, and 

 that it has never been observed on the continent of America. 



It is well known that the species of vertebral animals which 

 see better by night than by day, or which are very sensible to 

 light, present in general a vertical pupil. M. Jonnes has ob- 

 served the same disposition in the iris of the trigonocephalus 

 which he describes. This animal, whose agility is very remark- 

 able, has a peculiar manner of darting itself. It curls up its 

 l)ody into four equal circles, one above another, and these ma- 

 king their circumvolutions all at once, it projects itself thus in 

 mass to the distance of five or six feet. Another fact which 

 M. de Jonnes mentions, is, that the trigonocephalus can in the 

 manner of the najos rear itself upon its tail to the height of a 

 nian. He assures us further, that by means of certain large 

 scales with which the belly of this reptile is covered, it can like 

 some adders climb up the trunks of trees and along the branches 

 in search of birds-nests, the young of which it devours. The 

 most efficacious means for preventing the fatal consequences of 

 the bite of this serpent, are the same as have been used in Europe 

 with more success in opposing the development of hydrophobia. 



Sitting of the 23d Sept. 



M. Aymez announced that he had discovered an indelible ink. 

 The examination of the discovery was remitted to Messrs. De- 

 ycux and Thenard. 



M. Halle read a Report from the Commission appointed to 

 examine tlie Memoir of M. Majcndie " On the nutritive Pro- 

 perties of Substances which do not contain Azote." 



After a detailed analysis of the interesting experiments of the 

 author, the reporter added, " It still remains, however, setting 



out 



