ADVERTISEMENT. 



TH E Committee appointed by the Royal Society to 

 direct the publication of the Philofophical Tranfaclions, 

 take this opportunity to acquaint the Public, that it fully 

 appears, as well from the council- books and journals of 

 the Society as from repeated declarations, which have 

 been made in feveral former Tranfaclions, that the print- 

 ing of them was always, from time to time, the fingle aft 

 of the refpe&ive Secretaries, till the Forty-feventh Volume. 

 And this information was thought the more neceffary, 

 not only as it had been the common opinion, that they 

 were published by the authority, and under the direction,. 

 of the Society itfelf ; but alio, becaufe feveral authors, 

 both at home and abroad, have in their writings called 

 them the 'Tranfaclions of the Royal Society. Whereas in 

 truth the Society, as a body, never did intereft themfelves 

 any further in their publication, than by occafionally 

 recommending: the revival of them to fome of their Secre- 

 taries, when, from the particular circumftances of their 

 affairs, the Tranfaclions had happened for any length of 

 time to be intermitted. And this feems principally to 

 have been done with a view to fatisfy the Public, that 

 their ufual meetings were then continued for the improve- 

 ment of knowledge, and benefit of mankind, the great 

 ends of their fir 11 in dilution by the Iloyal Charters, and 

 which they have ever lince fteadily purfued. 



But the Society being of late years greatly inlarged, 

 and their communications more numerous, it was thought 

 advifeable, that a Committee of their members fliould be 

 appointed to reconfider the papers read before them, and 

 felect out of them fuch, as they mould judge molt proper 

 for publication in the future Tranfaclions ; which was ac- 

 cordingly done upon the 26th of March 1752. And the 

 grounds of their choice are, and will continue to be, the 

 importance and fingularity of the fubjech, cr the advan- 

 tageous manner of treating them ; without pretending to 

 aniwer for the certainty of the facts, or propriety of the 



a .2 reafonines. 



