388 Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris. 



of the magnet. This consequence of the theory has been 

 verified by experiments which M. de Monlferrand has made 

 with one of the Commissaries charged by the Academy to 

 examine his memoir. 



M. Girard, on the behalf of a Commission, read a Report on 

 a manuscript Memoir of the Count de Bucquoy, entitled On 

 the Friction of the Teeth of Wheels. 



Feb. 1 7. — M. Paulet presented a manuscript Paper entitled 

 Homonymy and Synonymy of the Plants of Theophrastus and 

 Linnaeus. 



M. Gi)-ard communicated several details relative to the re- 

 cent explosion of the steam-engine at Essonne. 



M. de Jussieu, on the behalf of a Commission, read a Report 

 on the results produced by the voyage of M. Leschenault in 

 India. Of these results, the most important is the introduction 

 of more than 100 different species of plants into the island of 

 Bourbon. Among these plants we may mention the cinnamon 

 tree ; a barberry, which gives a yellow dye ; a medlar, which 

 bears an esculent fruit about the size of a plum ; two species 

 of the sugar cane ; six of the cotton tree, which have contri- 

 buted to revive the cultivation of cotton in the colony ; the 

 poppy from which the best opium has been extracted ; a spe- 

 cies of nettle, Urtica tenacissima, which has been found a valu- 

 able substitute for hemp ; the sago palm ; the Illipe, whose 

 seeds afford much oil ; the Ficus elastica, the milky sap of 

 which turns to elastic gum ; the Bivwallia, which yields frank- 

 incense, &c. &c. 



The collections made for the Museum are also worthy of 

 notice. The herbal, for instance, contains about 1200 distinct 

 species, the greater number of which were lieretofore known 

 at Paris by descriptions and diawings only. 



The series of animals collected in the galleries of this esta- 

 blishment has been increased by 38 mammiferae, which may be 

 classed under 19 species, among which the most remarkable are 

 the bear of the Ghauts, and a new ape ; 530 birds, which may 

 be reduced to 171 species; several beautiful insects, and many 

 Crustacea. 



There are also many living animals, and amongst the num- 

 ber a young elephant. 



The collection of minerals consists of 650 specimens, col- 

 lected for the most part in India and Ceylon. From those col- 

 lected in Ceylon, it may be concluded that the mountains of 

 that island are primitive. At the distance of some leagues from 

 Candy, M. Leschenault discovered the mother-of-pearl felt- 

 spar of Ceylon, so much in request among lapidaries luider 



the 



