146 Royal Society : -Mr. Whewell on the Tides. 



other words, a perpetual motion. But the electro-motive force 

 ascribed by Volta to the metals when in contact, is a force which, as 

 long as a free course is allowed to the electricity it sets in motion, 

 is never expended, and continues to be exerted with undiminished 

 power, in the production of a never-ceasing effect. Against the 

 truth of such a supposition the probabilities are all but infinite." — 

 § 113, p. 32. 



April 2. — The following papers were read, viz. : 



" Additional note to the Eleventh Series of Researches on the 

 Tides." By the Rev. William Whewell, B.D., F.R.S., &c. 



As an appendix to his former memoir on tide observations*, the 

 author gives in the present paper the results of observations made 

 at Petropaulofsk, in the bay of Avatcha, in Kamtchatka, lat. 53° 1' 

 N., long. 158° 44' E., by the officers and men of the Seuivine, com- 

 manded by the present Russian Admiral Lutke ; and which were 

 conducted with great care and perseverance. The height of the 

 surface was noted every ten minutes, both day and night, and when 

 near its maximum every two minutes. 



It appears from these observations that the high water is affected 

 in its time by a very large diurnal inequality, reaching the enormous 

 amount of above four hours ; while its height is only slightly af- 

 fected by an inequality of that kind ; the greatest alternate inequal- 

 ities of height were something more than a foot. In the low waters, 

 there appears a much smaller inequality in the times, seldom amount- 

 ing to more than one hour ; but with regard to height, the diurnal 

 inequality is much larger than that for high water, reaching to three, 

 or even four feet ; and this in a tide of which the whole rise, from 

 the lowest to the highest, rarely exceeds five feet. The theory of 

 these phenomena is then discussed. 



The results of another series of observations made in July 1827, 

 at the port of Novo-Arkhangelsk, in the island of Sitkhce, in Nor- 

 folk sound (lat. 57° 2' N., long. 135° 18' W.), are also given, and 

 their theory considered. 



A paper was also in part read, entitled, " On the Nervous 

 System." By Sir Charles Bell, F.R.S. 



April 9.— The reading of a paper, entitled, " On the Nervous 

 System." By Sir Charles Bell, F.R.S. , was resumed and concluded. 



The author adverting to the papers on the nervous system, which 

 he presented to the Royal Society nearly twenty years agof , reca- 

 pitulates the train of reasoning which originally led him to the in- 

 quiries in which he has been so long engaged, on the different 

 functions of different classes of nerves, and adduces various patho- 

 logical facts in corroboration of the correctness of the views he then 

 entertained. With regard to the spinal nerves, cases are related 



* [Abstracts of Mr. Whewell's former Researches on the Tides will be 

 found in the Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag., vol. xv. p. 316.] 



f [See Phil. Mag., first series, vol. Ixiv. pp. 41. 119. 353. 442; and Lond. 

 and Edinb. Phil. Mag., and Annals, 2d series, vol. vi. p. 135; also Lond. 

 and Edinb. Phil. Mag., vol, vii. p. 138.] 



