146 Decisions on Disputed Inventions. 



8. On Changing the Residence of Fishes. 



Mr Nicholas Mill having caught with a fly some of the fry of the sal- 

 mon, as they were retreating to the sea, preserved them alive, in order to 

 transport them into a fish pond, which was about thirty yards square, with 

 a clay bottom, covered with mud. The depth of the water was from three 

 to four feet, and it was supplied with a running stream. When the sal- 

 mon fry were first caught they measured four inches from the tip of the 

 nose to the tip of the tail. About twelve months afterwards, the pond was 

 overflowed, when some of the fish, together with some trout, were left dry. 

 They now measured in length eight inches, and assumed the shape and ap- 

 pearance of a lean salmon. Mr Mill thence concludes, that the salmon 

 might attain its usual size in large ponds, and he suggests that the ova, or 

 spawn, might be removed from rivers, and be bred in the pond in as near- 

 ly as possible the same situation. — Ann. of Phil. vol. ix. p. 380. 



9. Structure of the Hind-toot of the Walrus. 



Sir Everard Home has discovered that the hind-foot of the walrus has 

 an apparatus like that of the foot of the fly, by which it is enabled to car- 

 ry on a progressive motion against gravity. In its operation it resembles 

 that of a cupping-glass, or rather that of a sucker of leather, with which 

 boys amuse themselves in lifting stones. In its bony structure it has a 

 striking resemblance to the human hand. — See Phil. Trans. 1824.. Part. II. 



Art. XXX— DECISIONS ON DISPUTED INVENTIONS AND 



DISCOVERIES. 



1. The Rediscovery of the Comet of Encke due to Mr Rumker and not to 



Mr Dunlop. 



In a paper published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edin- 

 burgh, (Vol. x. p. 112, 113,) by Sir Thomas Brisbane, the merit of 

 rediscovering the remarkable comet of Encke has been ascribed to Mr 

 Dunlop. On the authority of that paper, and of a private letter from 

 Sir Thomas Brisbane, we afterwards contradicted a statement of Baron 

 Von Zaeh, who attributed the discovery to Mr Rumker. We have re- 

 ceived, however, recent letters both from Sir Thomas and Mr Dunlop, 

 in which all the merit of the discovery is attributed to Mr Rumker. 

 Two comets had made their appearance at the same period in New South 

 Wales, one of which was discovered by Mr Dunlop, and the other by Mr 

 Rumker. It was, therefore, a natural mistake to attribute the discovery 

 of the comet of Encke to Mr Dunlop, and that of the other to Mr Rum- 

 ker, when it was exactly the reverse ; the other comet of September 1822 

 having been discovered by Mr Dunlop. We regret to learn, that the 

 health of that able and active astronomer, Mr Rumker, has been so much 

 impaired, as to deprive the observatory of Paramatta of his valuable 

 services. 



