126 



These papers are in good preservation : the writing is clear, and the 

 drawings well-defined. Baron Zach says, that "he compared the 

 corresponding ones with those observed by Galileo, and found betwixt 

 them an exact agreement." This, the author shows, is very far from 

 being the case, and he also brings evidence to prove that the discovery 

 of the spots on the sun was made by Galileo at latest in the summer 

 of the year 1610, and very probably in or before the month of July. 

 He allows, however, that Harriot's observation in December of the 

 same year, was the result of his own spontaneous curiosity. 



The first observation made by Harriot of the satellites of Jupiter, 

 has for date the 1 7th of October 1610. Those that follow, extend to 

 the 26th of February 1612 : they are clearly written out on thirteen 

 half-sheets of foolscap. But, even by the statement of Baron Zach, 

 Galileo discovered them on the 7th of January 1610; that is, nearly 

 eight months before Harriot. 



The author has detected many other material inaccuracies in the 

 account given to the world by Baron Zach of Harriot's observations. 

 He concludes, however, by observing that Harriot ought not to be 

 deprived of the credit which is justly due to him, because a greater 

 share has by some persons been claimed for him than he is justly 

 entitled to. He himself made no pretensions to priority in the dis- 

 coveries in question. 



May 31, 1832. 



DAVIES GILBERT, Esq. D.C.L., Vice President, in the Chair. 



The reading of a Paper, entitled, " On the Correction of a Pen- 

 dulum for the reduction to a vacuum, together with Remarks on some 

 Anomalies observed in Pendulum Experiments," by Francis Baily, 

 Esq. F.R.S., — was commenced. 



June 7, 1832. 



HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF SUSSEX, K.G., 

 President, in the Chair. 



Lord Henry John Spencer Churchill j the Hon. George Charles Agar, 

 M.A. ; John Disney, Esq.; James Clark, M.D. ; James Hope, M.D.; 

 the Venerable George Glover, M.A. ; Michael Thomas Sadler, Esq. 

 M.P.; Lieut. William Samuel Stratford, R.N.; James David Forbes, 

 Esq., and Howard Elphinstone, Esq. M.A., were elected Fellows of 

 the Society. Baron Damoiseau of Paris, Professor de Blainville of 

 Paris, Professor Carlini of Milan, Professor Cauchy of Paris, and 

 Professor Tiedemann of Heidelberg, were elected Foreign Members 

 of the Society. 



The reading of Mr. Baily's Paper on the Pendulum, was resumed 

 and concluded. 



The author observes, that in all the experiments hitherto made with 

 the pendulum, a very important correction, depending on the influ- 

 ence of the circumambient air, has been omitted; and that the phi- 



