Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 
A paper by Dr Brewster was read> on a new species of lead 
ore. This paper is published in our present Number, p. 139* 
Dr Yu^e read a notice on the properties and culture of the 
Phormium tenax. 
March SI. — A paper on chances, by Charles Babbage, Esq. 
was laid before the Society. 
Dr Brewster communicated a notice respecting a new struc- 
ture which he had discovered in the Aplome garnet. 
Jp7'il 3.— -A paper by Mr Scoresby was read, on a new ma- 
chine for measuring the dip of the needle. 
Professor Jameson gave an account of his particular views re- 
specting granite veins, and other points in geognosy. 
An account of the Pyramids of Giz^ by Lieut.-Col. Straton, 
was read, and illustrated by plans and sections. 
A notice by Dr Brewster was read, respecting a singular 
structure in the diamond. See p, 98. 
April 17.-^Lieut,-Col. Straton communicated to the Society 
a full account of the Egyptian Temples. The account of the 
temple of Ipsambul is given in this Number, p. 62. 
May l.-r-Dr Duncan jun. read a short notice on the Stetho- 
scope, an instrument invented by M. Laennec, physician of the 
Hospital of Neckar at Paris for investigating the diseases of 
the organs of the chest. It is exceedingly simple, consisting 
merely of a cylinder about a foot long, and an inch and a half 
in diameter, pierced lengthwise by a Imie | of an inch wide, and 
widened at one end in the form of a funnel the whole diameter 
of the cylinder. It acts partly as a prolongation of the ex- 
ternal ear, and partly by magnifying the sounds within the 
chest ; and, so Tar as Dr Duncan’s experience went, he found 
M. Laennec’s observations to be correct, and considered the in- 
strument as well calculated to improve our knowledge of many 
very important and obscure diseases. 
An account of the strata of the diamond mines at Mallyvul- 
ly, by the late Dr James Anderson of Madras, was read. See 
this Number, p. 72. 
Mr Cadell read an account of some idols brought from India 
in th year 1800 by Francis Simpson, Esq. and presented to the 
Society through the hands of Mr CadelL They are are all carv- 
ed out of talcaceous schistus, of a different grain in each figure. 
