1826.] New Scientific Books. 167^ 



The quarts and pints being next disposed of, the author de- 

 scribes the balance contrived by him for weighing the bushels, 

 which proved so delicate as to turn with a single grain when 

 loaded with 250 lbs. in each scale. The resulting bushels when 

 finally adjusted, were found to have all their apparent errors less 

 than 6"56" grains of water ; while the corrections for temperature 

 and pressure only, amounted in some cases to no less than 138 

 grains ; but this depending on the figure of the glass used to 

 cover them, it is not to be understood that the contents of the 

 vessels have actually been ascertained to this degree of precision. 



The adjustment of the standard yards is next described; and 

 the author concludes his paper by a summary of the results 

 arrived at in the present inquiry respecting British weights and 

 measures. The length (he remarks) of the pendulum vibrating 

 seconds in London has been found in parts of the imperial- 

 standard yard, so that the value of the yard may at any time be 

 known, having been referred to a natural standard presumed 

 unalterable. The length of the French metre, a standard ex- 

 pressing a certain portion of the terrestrial meridian, has also 

 been given in parts of the English scale. The weight of a cubic 

 inch of distilled water has been determined in parts of the impe- 

 rial troy pound, and thus the pound, if lost, may at any future 

 age be recovered. The avoirdupois pound is now for the first 

 time defined, and the measures of capacity are made to depend 

 on the weight of water they contain ; the imperial gallon, con- 

 taining ten pounds avoirdupois of water, having been declared 

 to be the unit, or only standard measure of capacity from which 

 all others are to be derived. This, it is to be presumed, will 

 tend to produce uniformity throughout the United Kingdom, by 

 putting it in the power of every individual possessed of standard 

 weights, to verify his measures of capacity with the utmost 

 facility. — (Journal of Science.) 



Article XIV. 

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