Magazine of Natural History. Edited by Edward Charlesworth. 



Vol. I. Nos. 10, 11, & 12. London, 1837.— From the Editor. 

 American Journal of the Medical Sciences. Edited by Isaac Hays, 



M. D. No. 42, for February. Philadelphia, 1838.— From the 



Editor. 

 Etats Unis d'Amerique. Par M. Roux de Rochelle. Paris, 1837. 



From the Author. 



The Historical Committee announced that they had com- 

 pleted the publication of Mr. Du Ponceau's Dissertation on the 

 Nature and Character of the Chinese System of Writing, form- 

 ing volume second of the Historical Transactions of the So- 

 ciety. 



Mr. Walker read a paper, entitled "Determination of the 

 Longitude of several Stations near the Southern Boundary of 

 Michigan; calculated from Transits of the Moon and of moon 

 culminating Stars, observed in 1835 by Andrew Talcott, late 

 Captain of United States Engineers." 



The longitude of places in the United States, north of the Ohio, 

 had hitherto depended on the observations of Ellicott and De Ferrer, 

 made at points on the banks of the Ohio river, and on meridian lines 

 drawn from this river, several hundred miles northward, by the de- 

 puty surveyors. From Mr. Walker's computations, it appears that 

 Turtle Island., Lake Erie, has been placed only 1.7 geographical 

 miles too far east on Tanner's Map. Its true place is 41° 45' 9" N. 

 latitude ; and 5 hours, 33 min. 34.3 sec. W. longitude from Green- 

 wich. Also, South Bend Lake, Michigan, has been placed 3.9 

 miles too far east; its true place being N. 41° 37' 6" ; W. 5 hours, 

 49 min. 15.3 sec. These observations of Capt. Talcott will prove 

 highly useful to geographers, by furnishing standard points of refer- 

 ence in the northernmost part of the United States. 



Mr. Vaughan announced the death of Benjamin Dearborn, 

 of Boston, a member of the Society, who died on the 22d of 

 February, 1838, aged 83. 



