1814.] Scientific Intelligence. 4? I 



I leave Dr. Olinthus Gregory to reconcile this passage as well as 

 he can with his own statement' of M. Delambre's opinion. 1 shall 

 merely observe that some attention to truth, when a man enters into 

 a dispute, is rather for his ultimate interest than the contrary con- 

 duct. I would therefore recommend to Dr. O. Gregory in his next 

 dispute to try the effect of this line of conduct by way of experi- 

 ment : it would contribute greatly to shorten the dispute, and would 

 save a great deal of time and paper. 



3. I observed on a former occasion that mathematicians were very 

 apt to indulge in trifling or absurd speculations. This Dr. O. G. 

 calls stigmatising the whole class. As he did not understand my 

 meaning, I shall explain myself more fully. Mathematicians in 

 general are careless about the data from which they reason, and 

 think that they have no concern with any thing else than the accu- 

 racy of the calculations themselves. This is particularly the vice of 

 French mathematicians ; but those of no country are entirely free 

 from it. I know only one modern mathematician who never rea- 

 soned except from the most careful and accurate data. He stands a 

 striking exception. I mean Sir Isaac Newton ; and we all know 

 how high he stands, not merely as a mathematician, but likewise 

 as a philosopher. When a mathematician reasons from false or 

 absurd data, he mav show us the resources of his art, and that he 

 is master of calculation ; but his labour has no tendency to advance 

 our knowledge of nature. Therefore 1 disapprove of such conduct. 

 If Dr. G. will read any mathematical treatise on hydraulics, or look 

 into the works of some of the most celebrated modern French ma- 

 thematicians, he will find plenty of examples of the fault to which 

 I allude. 



4. As to Dr. O. Gregory's triumphant statement, that the Koyal 

 Society were bound to print the whole of the Survey because they 

 printed the preliminary particulars, which were interesting to men 

 of science in general, 1 leave him in full possession ot it. Valeat, 

 quantum valere potest. - 



The preceding statement appeared to me necessary : I have there- 

 fore given it. But the readers of the Annuls of Philosophy need 

 not be afraid of being any longer fatigued wifh this subject, which 

 I now drop, unless farther falsehoods on the part of Dr. O. Gregory 

 should make it necessary to state a fact or two which 1 still keep in 

 reserve. 



VIII. Live Shell- Fish in the Moss near Elgin. 



(To Dr. Thomson.) 

 SIR, 

 I take the liberty of requesting information, through tin medium 

 of your Annul-,, as to the particulars concerning some live shell- 

 fish, which are Mud to be found at the depth of three or four feet in 

 the solid body Of a moss ,,,-ar Elgin, 10 Munayshirc. By doing this, 



(J. T. 



:iruii> uuhj-i, juut i i hi i »,»#..-. , 



Nov. 8, 1914. 



ibir, you will' greatly oblige, your most obedient, 



