1820.] 



Analyses of Books. 



43» 



Article VIII. 



Analyses of Books. 



JP/uJosopJiical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 



for 1819, Part If. 



This part contains the following papers : — 



I. On the Specif c Gravities and Temperature of Sea Waters iie 

 different Parts of the Ocean, and in particular Seas ; ivilh some 

 Account of their saline Contents. By Alexander Marcet, M.D. 

 F.R.S. 8cc.. — Dr. Marcet had formed the project along with Mr. 

 •Sniithson Tennant of collecting specimens of sea water from 

 <lifterent seas, and at different depths. In the course of a few 

 years a considerable number of specimens were collected, wheir 

 Mr. Tennant's unfortunate death deprived Dr. Marcet of his. 

 assistance, and occasioned so much procrastination that the- 

 subject ran a considerable risk of being abandoned altogether, 

 when our author's attention was again recalled to it by the late 

 expedition in search of a north-west passage. The officers who 

 had the charge of that expedition were very assiduous in collect- 

 ing specimens of sea water, and in determining the temperature 

 of the sea at the surface, and at the bottom, in various latitudes. 

 With these specimens and results, they liberally supplied Dr. 

 Marcet, and thus invited him to resume his investigations, and 

 xjomplete them. The consequence has been the production of 

 the elaborate and valuable paper of which I shall endeavour to«. 

 give an analysis. 



The number of specimens of sea water collected amounted to» 

 68- The following table exhibits the specific gravities of these, 

 specimeu.s, together with the parts of the ocean from which they 

 were collected . 



