466 Horticultural and Astronomical Societies. 



the eyes a short pair of spurious horns. Colour bright bay 

 above, whitish beneath. Female without horns, colours lighter. 



Description of Bticeros. — Hornbill without the helmet or 

 rostral appendage, with a pendent gular sac or pouch. By 

 Major Gen. Thomas Hardwicke, F.L.S. 



Native of the woods about Chittagong and Sylhet. Reseiubles 

 the description by Shaw of Vaillant's Calao Javan. 



The reading of Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary on 

 the 2d part of the Hortus Malabaricus was continued. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



June 3- — His Majesty the King of the Netherlands was 

 elected a Fellow of the Society. 



The following communications were read : 



On the Treatment of Orange Trees ; by Mr. John Newman, 

 Gardener to the Hon. Robert Fulk Greville, F.H.S. 



On the beneficial Effects of liquid Manure when applied to 

 the Vine; by Sir George Stewart Mackenzie, Bart. F.H.S. 



Some Remarks on the supposed Influence of the Pollen in 

 Cross-breeding, upon the Colour of the Seed-coats of Plants 

 and Qualities of their Fruits ; by the President. 



June 17. — The following communications were read: 



On a Method of forcing Grapes ; by Mr. Peter Lindegaard, 

 Gardener to His Majesty the King of Denmark at Copen- 

 hagen. 



Suggestions for a Mode of heating Forcing-houses and other 

 Buildings; by the Hon. and Rev. William Herbert, F.H.S. 



On the Construction of temporary Forcing-houses; by 

 Mr. Wade, Gardener to Gregory Gregory, Esq. F.H.S. 



Description of two Pine Pits upon a new Construction ; by 

 Charles Holford, Esq. F.H.S. 



ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



June 1 3. — This was the last meeting of the Society during 

 the present session. Several valuable presents were received. 

 The reading of Mr. Baily's paper " On the Mercurial Com- 

 pensation Pendulum" was concluded. The author com- 

 mences his paper with an account of the experiments made for 

 the purpose of determining the rates of expansion of the va- 

 rious substances used in the construction of such pendulums : 

 and has given a table, whereby the resuhs of those experi- 

 ments may be readily seen. He has brought forward upwards 

 of 30 different values for the expansion of mercury only, as 

 stated by different authors; and has shown that none of these 

 can be safely applied to experiments with the compensation 



pendulum, 



