136 Astronomical Society. 
Henderson, in front of which extends a long sand-bank, called 
the Palisades. 
Mr. De la Beche’s paper concludes with an interesting com- 
parison of the Jamaica formations with those of Mexico and 
South America, as described by M. de Humboldt. The gray- 
wacke of Jamaica would seem to be continued in Mexico, with 
its accompanying trap rocks, and dark-coloured limestones. 
In South America it is absent; and its place is supplied solely 
by porphyries, syenites, and greenstones, which are developed 
there ona very large scale. ‘The red sandstone which is found 
in Jamaica occurs very extensively in the neighbouring parts 
of the American continent. A formation analogous to the 
white limestone of Jamaica, seems, from M. de Humboldt’s 
description, to occur both in Mexico and Venezuela. 
Feb. 3.—A paper was read, entitled Remarks on some parts 
of the Taunus Mountains, in the duchy of Nassau; by Sir 
A; Crichton, V.P. G.S. &c. [An abstract of this paper will 
be given in our next. | 
Feb. 17.—At the Anniversary Meeting of the Society held 
this day, the following gentlemen were elected Officers and 
Council for the year ensuing: 
President; John Bostock, M.D. F.R.S.—Vice-Presidents : 
Sir Alexander Crichton, M.D. F.R. & L.S. Hon. Memb. Imp. | 
Acad. St. Petersburgh ; Rey. W. D. Conybeare, F.R.S.; Wm. 
Henry Fitton, M.D. I'.R.S.; Cha. Stokes, Esq. F.R.A. & L.S, 
—Secretaries: W.J.Broderip, Esq.. F.L.S. ; R. J. Murchison, 
Esq.; Tho. Webster, Esq.— Foreign Secretary: Hen. Heuland, 
Esq.— Treasurer: John Taylor, Esq. F.R.S.—Council: Arthur 
Aikin, Esq. F.L.S.; Henry Thomas De la Beche, Esq. F.R.S. 
& L.S.; J. E. Bicheno, Esq. Sec. L.S.; Henry Thomas Cole- 
brooke, Esq. F.R.S. L. & E. F.L. & Asiat. Soc.; Sir Charles 
Henry Colvil; George Bellas Greenough, Esq. F.R. & L.S. ; 
Sir Charles Lemon, Bart. F.R.S.; Armand Levy, Esq.; Cha. 
Lyell, Esq. F.R. & L.S.; William Hasledine Pepys, Esq. 
F.R.S. L.S. & H.S.; George Poulett Scrope, Esq. ; J. F. Van- 
dercom, Esq.; Henry Warburton, Esq. F.R.S. 
ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 
Jan. 13.—There was read a paper by Stephen Groom- 
bridge, Esq., F.R.S., on the co-latitude of his observatory at 
Blackheath, as determined from his own observations, ‘The 
author first describes a simple method of bringing the transit- 
instrument into the meridian, by the observations of Polaris 
and other circumpolar stars, and then by comparisons of high 
and low stars. He next describes the method of ascertaining 
the true zenith point, and thence the elevation of the pole, by 
observations 
