Royal Society.— Linnccan Society. 453 



Diurnal Variation of the Needle;" by S. H.Christie, Esq. 

 M.A. : communicated by Sir H. Davy, Bart. P.R.S. 



" On the Preservation of the Copper Sheathing of Ships, 

 and on some new Facts connected therewith ; " by the President. 



" On the Application of Dcebereiner's new Discovery to 

 the Purposes of Eudiometry ; " by W. Henry, M.D. F.R.S. 



The Society then adjourned, over the long Vacation, to meet 

 again on Thursday the 18th of November next. 



LINNvEAN SOCIETY. 



June 1. — A further portion of Mr. Vigors's Observations 

 on the Natural Affinities that connect the Orders and Fami- 

 lies of Birds was read, which proceeds in the illustration of 

 the opinion expressed at the commencement of the paper, viz. 

 that the system unfolded by Mr. W. S. MacLeay in his Horae 

 Entomological appeared completely to hold good in Ornitho- 

 logy : and that following the train of affinities in natural suc- 

 cession we are presented with groupes, primary and subordi- 

 nate, in series returning into themselves, and exhibiting analo- 

 gies with corresponding groupes in the other classes of the ani- 

 mal kingdom. He also finds that, as has been remarked by 

 Mr. MacLeay in the other classes, the primary division of 

 Birds is into five groupes, viz. 



Rapt ores, Birds of prey. 

 Insessores, Perchers. 

 Rasores, Gallinaceous. 

 Grallatores, Waders. 

 Natatores, Webfooted. 

 All of which are successively considered as to their natural 

 characteristics, the families into which they are subdivided, 

 and the relation of these to each other. 



In the part of Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear's Catalogue 

 of Norfolk and Suffolk Birds, which was also read, some confir- 

 mations were given of the fact of the Great Cinereous Shrike 

 spitting mice and frogs upon thorns before it devours them. 



June 15.— A. B. Lambert, Esq. V.P. in the chair.— Pre- 

 sent His Royal Highness the Prince Saxe Cobourg, the 

 Duke of Somereset, the Bishop of Salisbury, &c. &c. A part 

 of a paper was read, entitled " Anatomical Observations on 

 the Natural Groupe of Twiicata; together with the Descrip- 

 tion of Three Species collected in Fox Channel during the 

 late Northern Expedition.— By Win. S. MacLeay, Esq. A.M. 

 F.L.S."— The three species described were brought home by 

 Wm. Nelson Griffiths, Esq., and are a part of the fruits of 

 the laudable industry with which the officers who accompanied 



Capt. 



