Ij-l Proceedings of the Natural History Society 



Mr. Lequittc of Port Louis, transmitted to the Society a 

 young dog with six feet; and Mr. Hungerford lloskyns pre- 

 sented the seeds of a textile plant from Diego, which Captain 

 Pole, of the Maidstone, had employed for the fabrication of 

 cordage, and found it much superior to that which in Europe is 

 made of hemp. 



There were ejected as. Corresponding Members, the Rev. 

 J. Adamson, Cape To.wn ; Mr. C. Desbassays of Bourbon; 

 Mr. C. Frazer, Sidney ; Mr. Allen Cunningham. Sidney ; Mr. 

 Richard Thomas, Cambridge University ; Mr. .). R. C. Quoy 

 of Rochefort; and Mr. Jh. Paul Gaimard of Toulon. 



February 8. — Mr. Price, director of the Botanic Garden at 

 Pondicherry, and M. le Baron Ferussac of Paris, were elected 

 Corresponding Members. 



Dr. Lyall continued his lecture on the Preparation of Sugar. 

 In asserting that lime is the best substance to use for the clari- 

 fication of the syrup, he observed, however, that the lime pre- 

 pared from madrepores and substances known by the name of 

 coral, is little fitted for the purpose, on account of the animal 

 substances contained in them, and the presence of sulphate of 

 magnesia, combined with the sea salt, wherewith these masses 

 are, as it were, saturated. He added, that the lime (protoxide 

 of calceum) ought always to be preserved dry and excluded 

 from the air, on account of its avidity for carbonic acW. Lime 

 exposed to the air becomes neutralized, and thus no longer can 

 aid in producing the salts contained in the cane. The lime de- 

 rived from calcareous rocks, such as those met with in Mada- 

 gascar, where there are found enormous masses of the carbo- 

 nate, would answer better. Dr. Lyall suggested, that ships 

 from England might, as ballast, bring this stone from Bristol, 

 and it might be burnt in the island. 



Messrs. Telfair, Delisse, senr. and Fnraguet, made some re- 

 marks on this subject. Mr. Telfair intimated that the Bristol 

 lime-stone had already been used in the island, but notwith- 

 standing its acknowledged excellence, it had made no great 

 variation in the quality of the sugar. 



Mr. L. Bouton read some observations on the posthumous 

 work of Mr. Thouin, entitled Cour dc Culture ct de Naturulizci* 

 lion des Vcgetaux. He noticed some errors which had crept 

 into the first part of this work, which contains a short history 

 of Agriculture. One of these errors is relative to the state of 

 Cultivation in the Isles of Franccand Bourbon. Mr. Thouin 

 announces the cultivation of coffee, sugar, indigo, and cotton 

 as the souregs of wealth to these colonies. It is, however, the 

 cultivation of sugar only, which is generally followed in the 



