ADVERTISEMEN T. 
T H E Committee appointed by the Royal Society 
to diredt the publication of the Philofvphical 
PranfaSlions^ take this opportunity to acquaint the 
public, that it fully appears, as well from the coun- 
cil-books and journals of the Society, as from the 
repeated declarations, which have been made in feve- 
ral former c Tra?iJ'a£lio?is i that the printing of them was 
always, from time to time, the fingle adt of the re- 
fpedtive Secretaries, till this prefent XLVII. volume. 
And this information was thought the more neceflary, 
not only as it has been the common opinion, that they 
were publifhed by the authority, and under the direc- 
tion, of the Society itfelf; but alfo, becaufe feveral au- 
thors, both at home and abroad, have in their writings 
called them the Rranfattions 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 fecretaries, when, from the par- 
ticular circumftances of their affairs, the RranJaSlions 
had happened for any length of time to be intermit- 
ted. And this feems principally to have been done 
with a view to latisfy the public, that their ufual 
meetings were then continued for the improvement 
of knowledge, and benefit of mankind, the great 
ends of their fir ft inftitution by the royal charters, and 
which they have ever ftnce fteadily purfued. 
But the Society being of late years greatly inlarged, 
and their communications more numerous, it wa9 
thought advifeable, that a Committee of their Mem* 
bers fhould be appointed to recon fider the papers read 
before them, and feledt out of them fuch, as they 
fhould judge moft proper for publication in the future 
a Rranjaclions : 
