386 Imperial Society of Naturalists of Moscow. 



former island in 1820 : other instances of this connexion are- 

 likewise adduced. Mr. Brayley then proceeds to an exami- 

 nation of the phenomena attending the fall of several me- 

 teorites at Nobleborough, in the State of Maine, in North 

 America, on the 7th of August last. He next points out a 

 remarkable affinity in mineralogical characters subsisting be- 

 tween these meteorites, and those which fell, respectively, at 

 Loutolox in Finland in 1822, at Jonzac in France in 1819, 

 and at Juvenas in the same country in 1821 ; several specimens 

 of the latter being laid before the Society for the purpose of il- 

 lustration. This affinity partly consists in the strong resem- 

 blance which they all bear to certain products of volcanoes ; 

 whilst the meteorites of several other descents connect them, 

 by a gradual transition, with those whose characters are more 

 peculiar: from these and other circumstances, in conjunction 

 with that of the frequent presence of Olivine in meteorites, 

 the author infers that the agencies which give rise to volcanic 

 phaenomena, whatever these may be, and however exerted in 

 this case, are probably concerned in the production of Igneous 

 Meteors and the bodies which descend from them. He con- 

 cludes by recommending the investigation of this curious sub- 

 ject to the members of the Society ; promising to lay before 

 them, after the recess, the results of some further researches 

 upon it. 



The Society then adjourned, over the Summer recess, to 

 meet again on Wednesday the 13th of October next. 



IMPERIAL SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS OF MOSCOW*. 



*' The plan for forming a depot for the discoveries in natu- 

 ral history in the vast empire of Russia ; of uniting the friends 

 of this science together, who wished to give their assistance for 

 this purpose ; and of publishing the history of the discoveries 

 made, was conceived by professor Fischer on his arrival at 

 St. Petersburg in 1804. It was not till the summer of the 

 the year 1 805, however, that a few of the professors and li- 

 terati of Moscow first assembled, and adopted the regulations 

 proposed by professor Fischer, and established the Imperial 

 Society of Naturalists. The object of the society is to en- 

 courage the study of natural history and the relative sciences, 

 as human and comparative anatomy, chemistry, natural philo- 

 sophy, rural economy, &c. The society consists of members 



* The accounts of this Society, and of the Agricultural Society of Mos. 

 cow, are derived from the intereatins History of Moscow lately published 

 by Dr. Lyall. ' 



ordinary 



