346 Bfiioit of the Tian&actioiii, of tin Academy of 



is no wonder tliat the calculations founded on tiiem should be 

 so. If this had struck Mr. R. or Mr. H., probably their cri- 

 tiques " would have been spared." It is very little to the 

 purpose to tell us that some of the " greatest astronomei's 

 and mathematicians in Europe " would seem to merit censure 

 for their proposed methods, if mine were unobjectionable : but 

 no name, however great, can sanction error. Philosophers 

 have long recognised the propriety of Horace's " Nullius ad- 

 dictus jurare in verba magistri." We could enumerate many 

 of the greatest names in philosophy guilty of such errors. 

 Newton, for example, in his investigations on the precession 

 of the equinoxes, finds that part of it caused by the sun but 

 9''; while Euler, the greatest geometer, perhaps, of modern 

 times, finds 22'', and D'Alembert 23" ; that is, about 2^ times 

 the quantity found by Newton. And observation proves that 

 the former were right. — But to return to our own simple ques- 

 tion. I have said above, that the data in Dr. B.'s example 

 are incongruous ; and that they are so will easily appear, as 

 follows. In latitude 27° 59' at 2'' Sb^ 12" from noon, we ought 

 to find, by the reverse problem, the sun's altitude 45° 6', as in 

 the example : — but what is the fact ? The altitude will be found 

 46'' 9' at that moment ; and instead of the altitude 5° 36', we 

 shall find the true altitude 6° 38'^. Hence the given interval 

 is evidently incongruous, and the computations fomuled upon 

 it must be false. It is unnecessary to dwell longer on this sub- 

 ject; but it was proper to show that both your correspondents 

 misunderstood the foundation of my method, as well as some 

 circumstances connected with the problem itself. 

 I remain, sir, yours, &c. 

 Hackney Road, Nov. 5, \^2b. James BurNS. 



LVI. Report of the Transactions of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia during the Year 1824; submitted by 

 the Recording Secretary, iii pursuance of a Resolution of the 

 Academy *. 



TN preparing the first annual report, your secretary has la- 

 ^ boured under the disadvantage of having no precedent to 

 guide him in his researches, and no means of ascertaining the 

 objects which it was the wish of the Academy that he should 



* We have been induced to reprint this Report, which has just been re- 

 ceived in this country, from a conviction the perusal of it has given us,(\vith 

 which we are sure our readers will coincide.) of the important advantages 

 which the study of natural history will receive, and indeed has already re- 

 ceived, from the zeal and activity of the association of our scientific brethren 

 in the United States whose proceedings it records. — Edit. 



embrace 



