304 



and terminating above in a tube of small diameter : the bulk of the 

 fluid was observed to be unaffected by muscular contractions pur- 

 posely excited in the fish, as appeared from the height of the column 

 in the tube remaining unchanged during the most violent actions of 

 the eels. In caoutchouc, on the other hand, Sir G, Blane found 

 that extension produced a diminution, and retraction an increase, of 

 density. 



Mr. George Harvey was the author of a paper entitled " Expe- 

 rimental Inquiries relative to the Distribution and Changes of the 

 Magnetic Intensity in Ships of War;" and of another " On the 

 Effects of the Density of Air on the Rates of Chronometers ;" both 

 of which are published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1824. 

 In the first paper he enters into a detail of experiments made on 

 board several vessels for the purpose of determining the influence of 

 the iron in the ships upon the mariner's compass in different situa- 

 tions and under different circumstances. In the second paper he as- 

 certains that the rate of chronometers is accelerated by being placed 

 in air of diminished density ; and that it was, on the contrary, retarded 

 when they are subjected to increased atmospheric pressure ; the arc 

 of vibration being, in the former case, increased ; and in the latter, 

 diminished. 



The Secretary then read the following Report : 



The Council appointed by the Royal Society for the management 

 of their affairs during the past year, conceiving, from the Report on 

 the state of the finances presented by the Treasurer to the last 

 Anniversary Meeting, that their earliest attention should be directed 

 to this important subject, lost no time in nominating a Committee 

 for taking it into consideration, and for devising the most eligible 

 means of obviating the difficulties into which the Society might 

 eventually be involved by the continuance of the present excess of 

 their expenditure over their income. It appeared from that Report that 

 the clear annual income of the Society, exclusive of payments made 

 by new members, may be estimated at £1400 ; while the probable 

 annual amount of ordinary expenses is £2000 ; leaving a deficiency, 

 each year, of £600. By adopting a system of greater economy in 

 the mode of arranging and printing the Transactions, and other mea- 

 sures of retrenchment, recommended by this Committee, the Council 

 expect that in future this annual deficiency may be reduced to little 

 more than £200. By an arrangement which they have made with 

 the Editor of the weekly journal " The Athenaeum," the expense of 

 printing the Meteorological Tables, formerly appended to the Phi- 

 losophical Transactions, and amounting to £26 annually, will be 

 saved; the Editor, in consideration of their being given to that 

 journal exclusively, having agreed to deliver a thousand copies of 

 those tables, printed in manner and form, and on paper, to corre- 

 spond with the Transactions, every six months, to be bound up with 

 the latter, free of all cost to the Society. 



With a view to improve the permanent resources of the Society, 



