182].] Scientific Intelligence. 397 



the Medical Professors in the University, and many of the most respect- 

 able practitioners in the City, have co-operated in its formation. Dr. 

 Duncan, sen. has been elected its first President. Its sittings com- 

 mence in the approaching winter season. 



VIII. Lithography. 

 An experiment has lately been made to take off impressions from the 

 leaves of plants by lithographic printing. It appears to have been 

 attempted by merely pressing the leaves against the stone. Ihis pro- 

 cess does not, however, appear the most adviseable, the better way 

 being to cover the plant with the prepared ink, and after bringing a 

 sheet of clean paper in contact with its entire surface, transfer the im- 

 pression thus procured to the lithographic stone. We notice this from 

 the great advantage which botanists are likely to derive from this sim- 

 ple mode of preserving and multiplying impressions from rare plants, 

 which could otherwise only be seen in the cabinets of a few collectors. 



IX. Society for the Encouragement of Geography. 

 A Society has been formed at Paris for the encouragement of geo- 

 graphy by the printing of scientific memoirs, the publication of charts, 

 The distribution of prizes, and defraying the expenses of travellers hav- 

 ing useful and important objects in view. 



X- Russian Voyage of Discovery. 

 Accounts from Capt. Billinghausen, Commander in the Russian 

 Voyage of Discovery in the Antarctic Seas, dated May, 1820, report 

 that he had discovered three islands covered with snow and ice, on one 

 of which was a volcano , lat. 56° S. He announces that there is no 

 southern continent, or, should there be one, it must be inaccessible, 

 from being covered with perpetual snows, ice, &c. 



XI. Racing- Pedometer. 

 An instrument has lately been invented in France which precisely 

 marks the time that not only the winning, but every other horse takes 

 in running the course, even if there should be 30 of them, and the 

 interval between each only a quarter of a second. The « Jury ot the 

 Races," in the Arondissements of Paris have expressed their full appro- 

 bation of the instrument. 



XII. Life Preserver. 

 An experiment for saving lives from shipwreek, on Mr. Tregrouse's 

 principle which promises to be of great utility, has been tried with 

 success in Yarmouth Roads, by Rear- Admiral Spranger. It consists 

 in throwing, by a rocket, aline from the ship to the shore, and when 

 the communication is established, binding to that a deep-sea line, or 

 any of the running rigging. When these reach the shore, a larger 

 rope, sufficiently strong to bear four men in a chair, is conveyed to the 

 vessel, and the chair pulled on shore by means ot a small rope, from 

 whence it returns empty to the ship for a fresh cargo. On one occa- 

 sion, the chair was on shore in five minutes after the firmg of the 

 rocket. 



