Astronomical Society. 51 



and bones of the hippopotamus, ox, bear, &c. Count Miinster had pre- 

 viously collected from the same place, remains nearly similar, with the 

 addition of Palaofherium Orleani, Mastodon minutum. Rhinoceros pyg- 

 mceus (Miinster), Ursus spelceus, and a small species of fox. Judging 

 from the appearances on the spot and the evidences there oftered of 

 the gradual accumulation of this deposit, the author is of opinion that 

 all these animals were of contemporaneous existence, and that this 

 intermixture of quadrupeds of so old a period as the gypseous lime- 

 stone of Paris, with others, the genera of which now inhabit our pre- 

 sent continents, has supplied a valuable link in the chain of fossil 

 zoological affinities. 



The following books are referred to in the memoir : Keferstein, 

 Teutschland, geognostisch-geologisch dargestelt ; with Maps &c.— 

 Boue, Synoptische Darstellung.— Bou^, Geognostisches Gemiilde 

 von Deutschland, 1829.— Merian, Umgebungen von Basel, J 821.— 

 Hoffmann, Nord-westlichen-Deutschland ; with Maps, Sections, &c. 

 Berlin, 1830.— Klipstein, Kupferschiefergebirge der Wetterau und 

 des Spessarts, Darmstadt, 1830.— Alberti, Die gebirge des Koni- 

 greich's Wurtemberg, 1828.— Schwatzenberg, Petrographische carte 

 von Kreise, Cassel, 1825.— Von Buch, Letter to Brongniart, Jour- 

 nal de Physique, Oct. 1822.— Zincken, Ostliche Hartz, Brunswick, 

 1825.— Hausmann, Uebersicht der jungeren Flotzgebilde im Flusz- 

 gebiete derWeser, Gottingen, 1824.— Oeyenhausen, Von Dechen und 

 be La Roche, Geognostische Umrisse der Rheinlanderj with Maps, 

 Sections, &c., Essen, 1823. Together with many memoirs in Leon- 

 hard's, Karsten's and other journals. 



ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 

 April 8. — The following communications were read : — 

 I. Extract of a letter, dated March 24, 1831, from M. Cauchoix, 

 of Paris, to the Rev. R. Sheepshanks : — r o- t 

 "I have just finished an object-glass larger than that of ^i^J. 

 South. Two satisfactory trials of it were made on the 17th and 22od 

 of March, by Messrs. Bouvard, Arago, Mathieu,and Gambard.on the 

 trapezium of Orion, Venus, a difficult double star, and Saturn, with 

 magnifying powers of from 200 to 1000 ; and though the sky was 

 covered with light whitish clouds, the images were distinct and bril- 

 liant, without any colour or scattered light. I subjoin the exact mea- 

 sures of the object-glass, and the various magnifying powers employed 

 up to the present time. M. Gambard, who has made more observa- 

 tions with this telescope than any other person, thinks that stronger 

 eye-glasses may be easily adapted to it^ 



Diameter of the convex lens 



concave flint-glass 



cal aperture 



Kociisof tlie object-glass., 



Old French ftct. 



/• 

 1 

 1 

 1 



2.T 



/, 



10 



70 



4-."> 



50 



Metres. English feet. 



0:i.')4 



o:54i 

 7-700 



1-86 

 loO 

 1-29 

 .300 



Powers employed 201, 324, .'W, 461, 786, and 1000. 



H2 



rhese 



