484- 



terminate fatally with more or less rapidity, according to the size 

 of the animal. 



" Delia Velocita del Vento. Memoria diretta alia Regali Societa 

 di Londra per essere inscritta nelle Transazioni filosofiche, et pel 

 concorso del premio annuale di fisica : di Luigi Dau, Dottore in 

 Matematica e Fisica." Communicated by Charles Konig, Esq. For. 

 Sec. R.S. 



The author endeavours to investigate the relation which he be- 

 lieves exists between the velocity of the wind and the oscillations 

 of the barometer, and thence to derive rules for calculating the 

 former from observations of the latter. 



" Considerations physiques sur le passage Nord-ouest ;" by the same. 

 Communicated by the Right Hon. the Earl of Minto, G.C.B. F.R.S. 



The author of tins memoir,, considering that the practicability of 

 a North-west Arctic passage must depend on the mean summer at- 

 mospheric temperature of the most northern point of the continent of 

 America being above that at which the congelation of sea water takes 

 place, applies himself to the determination of these temperatures. 

 The results of his calculations are given in a table, exhibiting the 

 extreme and the mean temperatures of the atmosphere for each of the 

 summer months, from May to September, at all degrees of latitude, 

 from 60° to 80° inclusive. According to this table, the temperature 

 of zero, which is about the freezing point of sea water, prevails, at 

 60° of latitude, on the 10th of May; at 61° lat. on the 20th of May; 

 at 63°, on the 1st of June ; at 65°, on the 10th of June ; at 67°, on the 

 20th of June ; and at 71°, during the whole of the months of July 

 and August. The author concludes that navigators can reach, with- 

 out danger of being obstructed by ice, the latitude of 7 1° during these 

 latter months : and that since the American continent does not pro- 

 bably extend beyond 70° north latitude a passage to the North-west 

 is then open. He recommends, however, that instead of attempting 

 it by the dangerous navigation of the polar sea, a coasting voyage 

 between the continent and the numerous islands which exist in that 

 ocean should be undertaken ; or, what he thinks still moie pro- 

 mising of success, an expedition by land for exploring the country 

 intervening between the Coppermine River and Hudson's Bay. 



"Causes de laVariation diurnederAiguilleaimantee,delaLumiere 

 zodiacale, des Aurores Boreales, et Methode simplifiee pour le releve- 

 ment des Longitudes, Memoire soumisa la Societe Royale de Londres, 

 pour le concours du prix d' Astronomic Par Demonville." 



The author's speculations proceed on the hypothesis he has adopt- 

 ed, that the Sun, Moon, Jupiter and Mars perform a diurnal and 

 perfectly circular revolution round the earth. 



" On the elementary structure of the Muscular Fibre of Animal and 

 Organic Life 5" by Frederic C. Skey, Esq., Assistant Surgeon to St. 

 Bartholomew's Hospital, F.R.S. 



The author having withdrawn the paper bearing the same title 



