[ 139 ] 

 XXVI. Proceedings of Learned Sociellei, 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



Thursdav, Jan. 8. IT^aut of a paper by Dr. Brewster, On the 

 Polarization and Refraction of rcgnlar Crystals, was read. The 

 ohservations of Dr. B. are founded on experiments made upon 

 upwards of IGO different crystals, in the course of which Dr. B. 

 has discovered various new properties of light, which he promises 

 to communicate in a series of papers to the Society. 



Jan. 15. The remainder of Dr. Brewster's paper presented at 

 the last meeting was read. 



Jan. 22. A paper was read by Sir Everartl Home, containing 

 some further Observations on the Fossil Remains of an Animal, 

 on which two papers by Sir Everard Home have already appeF.red 

 in the Transactions of the Society. 



A part of a communication was also read from Captain Henry 

 Kater, of a Series of Experiments m;ide by him for determininy 

 the length of the seconds pendulum in the latitude of London. 



Jan. 29. The reading of the Account of Captain Kater's E::- 

 periments concluded. 



Feb. 5. A paper on the Fallacy of the Experiments in which 

 Water is supposed to be produced by the Decomposition of Chlo- 

 rine, was communicated Ijy Sir H. Davv. 



In this paper Sir H. Davy shows, that wl-en water appears 

 during the action of muriate of ammonia or muriatic acid gas 

 on metals, it either pre-exists in the substances used in its 

 known form, or is produced by the action of the hydrotren of the 

 muriatic acid or of the ammonia in tlie metallic oxides of the 

 glass ; or by the action of hydrogen in common air accidentally 

 existing in the apparatus. 



Pare chlorine freed from vapour by muriate of lime yields no 

 W'ater when acted on by metals, and muriatic acid yields no water 

 Vvfhich cannot be accurately accounted for by the circumstances of 

 the experiment. So that the author's theory of chlorine is sup- 

 ported and not overturned by experiments of this kind carefully 

 made. 



Fel). 12. Another section of Dr. Brewster's comnumications 

 On the Laws of Polarization and Double Refraction was read. 



Feb. 19. A paper by Mr. George Reiuiic jun., communicated 

 by Dr. Thomas Young, was read, containing, an account of a va- 

 riety of experiments made for determining the relative strength 

 of materials. 



Feb. 26. A paper by The Rev. J. Brinkley, Professor of Astro- 

 nomy in the University of Dublin, On the Parallax of the Fixed 

 Stars, was read in part -to be concluded at next meeting. 



ROYAL 



