Apartments of the Royal Society, Somerset House 
London, Aug* 5'^ 1833. 
Sir, 
I am honored with the commands of His Royal Highnefs, 'The Presi- 
dent of the Royal Society, to acquaint You, for the information of the 
Imper. Acad. Naturae Curiosorum, that His Majesty, The King, has been 
pleased to grant two Gold Medals of the value of L 50 each, to be awar- 
ded by the Royal Society, on the day of their Anniversary meeting in 
each succeeding year, for the most important discoveries in any one prin- 
cipal braneh of physical and mathematical knowledge. 
His Majesty having graciously expressed a wish, that scientific men 
of all nations should be invited to afford the aid of their talents and re- 
searches, I am accordingly commanded by His Royal Highness, The Presi- 
dent, to announce to You, Sir: that the said Royal Medals for 1836 will 
be awarded in that year, the one for the most important unpublished 
paper in Astronomy, the other for the most important unpublished paper 
in Animal Physiology, which may have been communicated to the Royal 
Society for insertion in their Transactions after the present date and 
prior to the month of June in the year 1836. 
For the present and two following year the Council of the Royal 
Society, with the approbation of His Majesty, The King, have directed 
the Royal Medals to be awarded for important discoveries or series 
of investigations published within three years previous to the time of 
award; and those for the year 1833 have been adjudged, the one to Sir 
John J. W. Herschel for his paper on the investigation of the orbits of 
