64 Proceedings of Philosophical Societies. [July, 



The following were elected to be of the Council for the en- 

 suing year : — Edward Barnard, Esq. ; H. T. Colebrooke, Esq. ; 

 Major- General T. Hardwicke ; Daniel Moore, Esq. ; and Philip 

 B. Webb, Esq. 



An extensive and interesting series of the various species of 

 Rhubarb from Chelsea Garden was exhibited by Mr. Anderson. 



The Anniversary Dinner of the Society took place at Free- 

 masons' Tavern, and a considerable number of the Fellows, in- 

 cluding many from distant parts of the kingdom, participated 

 in the pleasure of this meeting, which was alloyed only by the 

 absence, owing to indisposition, of their highly esteemed Pre- 

 sident, whose excellent qualities, great attainments, and invalu- 

 able labours for the promotion of science, have long endeared 

 him to those who know him, and especially to the lovers of 

 Natural History. The chair was filled on this occasion by the 

 venerable Prelate, who from the first foundation of the So- 

 ciety has been one of its most zealous supporters. 



June 1. — The reading of Mr. Vigors's paper was concluded; 

 and that of Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear's Catalogue conti- 

 nued. 



June 15. — The meeting of this evening, which was an ex- 

 tremely numerous one, was honoured by the presence of His 

 Royal Highness the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg, and several other 

 personages of distinction. 



The reading was commenced of a paper, On the Structure 

 of the Tunicata ; by W. S. Mac Leay, Esq. MA. FLS. and the 

 Society then adjourned, over the summer recess, to meet again 

 on the 2d of November next. 



ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



May 14. — The whole of this sitting of the Society was occu- 

 pied by the reading of the conclusion of Mr. Baily's paper On 

 the Method of determining the Difference of Meridians, by the 

 Culmination of the Moon ; this paper having been commenced 

 at the last meeting in April. 



The author, after briefly alluding to the nautical methods of 

 determining the longitude, including those by means of chro- 

 nometers, adverted to five distinct astronomical methods which 

 have been pursued, viz. 1st, By the eclipses of Jupiter's satel- 

 lites. 2dly, By eclipses of the moon. 3dly, By eclipses of the 

 sun. 4thly, By occupations of the fixed stars. And 5thly, 

 By meridional transits of the moon. The first three of these, 

 by reason of their infrequency and obvious sources of inaccu- 

 racy, are of very limited utility ; while the fourth method is 

 rendered uncertain from its involving a doubtful datum, the com- 

 pression of the earth, as well as other difficulties which the au- 

 thor pointed out. He then proceeded to point out that the fifth 

 method was greatly superior to any of the others, in which 



