62 Proceedings of Philosophical Societies, [Jan. 



Common Toad ; and, On the Heart of Animals belonging to 

 the Genus Rana; both by J. Davy, MD. FRS. 



The Society then adjourned over the Christmas vacation. 



LTNNEAN SOCIETY. 



Dec. 6. — A continuation was read of A Systematic Catalogue 

 of the Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society; 

 by N. A. Vigors, Esq. FLS. and T. Horsfield, MD. FLS. 



Dec. 20. — The reading of the Catalogue of Australian Birds 

 was continued ; and a paper was also read, containing Descrip- 

 tions of some new Species of Birds belonging to the genera 

 Phytotema, Indicator, and Cui'sorim ; by Mr. Benjamin Lead- 

 beater, FLS. 



ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



Dec. 9. — The President informed the Society, that when he 

 had the honour of announcing at their last meeting, the extraor- 

 dinary occurrence of the appearance of four comets in the short 

 space of as many months, he was little aware that he might at 

 that time have added ajif'th to the number. This last comet 

 appeared, from the account stated in the public journals, to 

 have been discovered by M, Pons, at the beginning of last 

 month ; but, as it had considerable south declination, and was 

 advancing also to the southward, and at the same time very faint, 

 it probably would not be seen in this country. 



Although the appearance of so many comets in one year had 

 been mentioned as a remarkable pheenomenon, yet he would not 

 wish to be understood as supposing that such a circumstance 

 had never previously occurred, nor was likely to occur again. 

 The fact was, that from the great attention which had been paid 

 by astronomers to the discovery of these bodies within these 

 few years, and the interest excited by the investigation of the 

 laws by which they were governed, a more than ordinary dili- 

 gence had been employed in searching for them. And there 

 was every reason to believe that if there were more labourers in 

 the field, a still richer harvest would ensue : from which there 

 might fairly be expected some additional light on the laws and 

 constitution of the universe. 



The President likewise called the attention of the members to 

 the circumstance of the opposition of Mars in the month of May 

 in the ensuing year. It was well known, he remarked, that by 

 a comparison of the observations of this planet with the stars 

 which were near it at that time, made at places situated in these 

 latitudes and at other latitudes having considerable southern 

 declination, the parallax of the planet might be readily deduced, 

 and thence the parallax of the sun. As there were, at this tin)e, 

 two active observatories in the southern hemisphere, where this 

 phaenomenon would probably be attended to (as it had been at 

 the two preceding oppositions), it were extremely desirable that 



