1811.] Limnean iStxietof. AA9 



was a species of echineis. The second paper contained a description 

 of a nesv species of tuber or truffle, which vegetates in Sicily. The 

 third paper contained a description of two new genera of crustaeeous 

 animals found in the Sicilian seas. Of the first genus, heterilos, 

 he descrihed only one species, the punctatvs, which lives about 

 seven miles from the Sicilian coast, and is never seen on the shore. 

 The species of the second genus, k iramonus , descrihed, was found 

 attached to a shark, and appears to live by suction of that fi&h. 



On Tuesday, the 15th of November, a paper by JNIr. Sovverby 

 was read, on a genus of fossil shells not yet properly arranged or 

 described by conchologists. The shell is a bivalve, with a triangular 

 opening, and occurs in the liass lime-stone near Bristol, and like- 

 wise in flint in chalk. It is figured in the Encyclopedic Mctho- 

 dique, and likewise by Parkinson, who considers it provisionally as 

 a pinna. Mr. Sowerby considers it as constituting a new genus, to 

 which he has given the name of plagiostoma, and he describes three 

 species. 



At the same meeting, part of a Latin paper by M. Vieillot was 

 read, in which the author gave a new elementary arrangement of 

 birds. It is obviously impossible to form any conception of the 

 merit of such an arrangement merely from hearing it read. 



ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. 



A paper was read at a meeting of the Royal Irish Academy in 

 May last, by Dr. Brinkley, Andrews Professor of Astronomy in the 

 University of Dublin, containing an account of observations made 

 at the Observatory of Trinity College, Dublin, with an astronomical 

 circle eight feet in diameter, which appear to point at a parallax in 

 certain fixed stars. 



The results of the observations, continued for several years, 

 uniformly tend to point out that the annual parallax of « Lync is 

 about 2", of a Aquilae :>{", of Arcturus 2*2", and of « Cygni 

 1'\" . The author also notices indications of parallax in other stars, 

 but reserves these for further examination. He mentions that till 

 M. Piazzi, of Palermo, a few years since recalled the attention of 

 astronomers to this subject, it had been generally conceived that the 

 parallax of every fixed star was insensible. 



The observations of Dr. Brinkley and of M. Piazzi, however, * 

 only accord nearly in two instances, viz. with respect to « Lvra; 

 and Arcturus j with respect to a. Aquilffi, which appears to Dr. 

 Brinkley to have so sensible a parallax, M. Piazzi found no indica- 

 tion of parallax. This discordance, and the circumstance that his 

 conclusions have not hitherto been confirmed by other astronomers, 

 induced lor some time much diffidence on the part of the author as 

 to his results. 



In this paper he enters into some account of the instrument, and 

 gives such remarks respecting the observation as be hopes ni:iy tend 

 to establish the same confidence in the minds of others as he now 



Vol. IV. \ VI. \¥ 



