370 Notice of Scientific Societies. 
was originally instituted for the purpose of investigating and 
recording facts relative to the natural and physical history of 
the ocean. Noone can be eligible as a member, unless he 
shall have actually navigated the seas near the Cape of Good 
Hope, or Cape Horn, either as Master or Supercargo. A 
blank journal is furnished to every member when bound to 
sea, in which he is to enter the occurrences of the voyage, 
observations on the variation of the compass, bearings and 
distances of Capes, &c. and on his return he is to deliver the 
same to the inspector of journals. Sixty-seven of these jour- 
nals have been thus seliewted and preserved, and a museum 
of several thousand specimens in Natural History has been 
formed. The catalogue of this collection which was pub- 
lished in 1821, is drawn up with considerable ability, and we 
have a sufficient guaranty, as well for the present activity as 
the future usefulness of the Society, in the fact of its being un- 
der.the auspices of Nathaniel Bowditch. 
2. AmericaAN ACADEMY oF ARTS AND Sciences. Boston, 
Mass. Instituted in 1780, and under the title of Memoirs of 
the Academy of Arts and Sciences have published four yol- 
umes quarto. The astronomical and mathematical papers are 
most numerous ; and the memoirs on Natural History by 
Messrs. Cutler, Cleaveland, and Peck, may be consulted 
with advantage. The paper by Mr. Cutler entitled an ac- 
count of some of the vegetable productions naturally growing 
in this part of the country botanically arranged, is still occa- 
sionally referred to by botanists 
3. Linnzan Society or New Eneranp. Boston, Mass. 
Instituted 1 am not aware that this Society has pub- 
lished any thing beside a@ report of a committee relative to @ 
arge marine animal, supposed to be a serpent seen near Cape 
Ann, Mass. 
4, FRANKLIN Society. } Providence, RL 
es of this kind, than the state of Rhode Island. As the ob- 
jects of both these societies are precisely similar, we should 
ning. 2: that more would be effected by a united effort, than 
by divided and rival institutions. : 
