26 



A much greater degree of accuracy was attained by La Place, who 

 bestowed particular attention on the influence of minute quantities 

 in every part of his theory. In the present paper the author has 

 endeavoured to introduce further improvements in the lunar theory, 

 by carrying the approximations considerably further than they have 

 hitherto been made. 



In the solutions of the problem given by former mathematicians, 

 the chief obstacle to the attainment of accuracy was the extreme 

 length and labour of the necessary computations. Another object, 

 therefore, which the author has had in view, is to facilitate these 

 computations, and render them less laborious. This he endeavours 

 to effect by the employment of certain artifices, by which the multi- 

 plicity of small terms will, with their co-efficients, be reduced within 

 a practicable compass, and their numerical computation rendered 

 less appalling. 



The co-efficient of the equation depending on the moon's distance 

 from the sun, affords the means of calculating the sun's horizontal 

 parallax. For this purpose La Place has computed this co-efficient 

 with greater accuracy than the rest j and he makes the sun's parallax 

 nearly 9". The author's theory gives it little more than 8"|, which 

 is very near the mean of the various results obtained by the obser- 

 vation of transits. He thinks that there is, therefore, great reason 

 to conclude that its true value is about this quantity ^ 



February 10. 

 DAVIES GILBERT, Esq. V.P., in the Chair. 



Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton, Bart. M.P., was elected a 

 Fellow of the Society. 



The following Presents were received, and thanks ordered for 

 them : — 



Proceedings of the Committee of Science of the Zoological Society. 

 No. 2. 8vo. — Presented by the Society. 



A Compendious Grammar of the Egyptian Language, as contained 

 in the Coptic and Sahidic Dialects; by the Rev. Henry Tattam: 

 — with an Appendix, consisting of the Rudiments of a Dictionary 

 of the Ancient Egyptian Language in the Enchorial Character j 

 by the late Dr. Young. 8vo.— The Author. 



Recent Experimental Researches in Electro-Magnetism and Gal- 

 vanism. By William Sturgeon, Esq. Svo, — The Author. 



Conformity with the National Church. — An Answer to " Reasons 

 for Non- Conformity," by John Locke, published in a Life of Mr. 

 Locke by Lord King. (Anon.) 8vo. — The Author. 



Flora Batava. No. 87. 4to. — His Majesty the King of Holland. 



Nouveaux Memoires de l'Academie Royale des Sciences et Belles- 

 Lettres de Bruxelles. Tome IV. et V. 4to.—I7je Academy. 



