28 



HisroRr of the so'cietk 



of equilibrium ; they have no difpofition to cohere together, 

 and are ready to obey the impreffion of the fmallefl: force. 



Such are the ideas which Dr Hutton had formed on the 

 fulphuration of metals, and the theory by which it muft be ex- 

 plained ; and they are rendered more interefting, by being the 

 laft commimication made by that ingenious and profound phi- 

 lofopher. 



1796. 



June 20. 

 Biographical 

 account of W. 

 Tytler, Efq; 



July 4- 



Di- Walker's 

 ftatiilical ac- 

 count of Col- 

 lington. 



Nov. 7. 



Mr Ivory on 

 the recftificatioii 

 of the elli^jfis. 



Lit. CI. Mr Mackenzie read a Biographical Account of 

 the late William Tytler, Efq; of Woodhoufelee. [Hiftory, 

 No. II. p. (17)]. 



Phjf. CL Some Paflages from Dr Walker's Statiftical Ac- 

 count of the parifh of Collington were read. 



Phyf. CI. Mr Playfair communicated an Extrac5l of a Let- 

 ter from James Ivory, A. M. containing a New Series for the- 

 Rectification of the Ellipfis. [See Part II. of this volume,^ 

 No. VIII. p. 177.] 



Dr Mackay's 

 determination of 

 the longitude of 

 d\e Obfervatory 

 at Aberdeen. 



At this Meeting Dr Mackay's Determination of the Longi- 

 tude of the Obfervatory at Aberdeen was alfo communicated. 

 [Part II. of this volume, No. V. p. 140.] 



The ellablifhment of a New Obfervatory, where there are fo 

 few as in Scotland, is an event of too much importance, in the 

 literary hiftory of the country, to be pafTed over without notice. 

 The eftablifhment of that at Aberdeen ought the more to be re- 

 corded, that it does great honour to the public fpirit and fcien- 

 tific zeal of the Principal and ProfefTors of the Marilhall Col- 

 lege, and of the other gentlemen by whofe voluntary fub- 

 fcription it was brought about. From the funds which their 

 fubfcription afforded, an Obfervatory was built in 1781, on 

 a part of the Caftle Hill, which was given in a prefent to the 



College 



