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proceedings of societies. 
Prof, of Zool. in Pennsylvania, from whence he has just arrived, then addressed 
the meeting on the fossil bones of North America, taking a rapid and cursory 
review of the various geological discoveries that have been made in that country, 
and illustrating the same by an extensive collection of specimens. The most 
recent and interesting consisted of the teeth and ribs of an animal which would 
appear to have been of gigantic size, but respecting which only conjectures could 
be formed; one of the ribs alone measured from 200 to 300 feet in length ; whilst 
the jaws and teeth were of proportionate dimensions. It was considered by the 
lecturer to be allied to the Manatic, or Sea-cow, and named by him Basilosauros. 
Another extraordinary specimen was the lower jaw of a species of Saurian, about 
ten feet long, which was discovered within the past year in Alabama, imbedded 
in hard blue Limestone rock.—Professor Owen, F.R.S., next read a paper on 
Basilosauros, with the view of proving,* from his recent examination of its mortal 
remains, that it was the link which connected Mammiferous animals with 
Cetacea ; and the Society then adjourned. 
METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
Jan. 8.—Dr. MTntyre, V.-P., in the chair.—A communication was read 
from Mr. J. H. Maverley, of the Royal Academy of Gosport, on the weather of 
December last, which he described as alternately wet and fine, with a pretty high 
atmospheric pressure, the mean temperature of the month being but little short 
of the mean temperature of December for several years. The thunder-storm on 
the 2nd was of rain, hail, wind, thunder, and lightning, and came on suddenly 
from the South-West, at fifteen minutes past ten, p. m. The hailstones were not 
coated with snow, but were solid pieces of ice, in a great variety of forms, from 
five to seven being joined firmly together in solid masses of transparent ice. In 
twenty minutes no less than three-quarters of an inch of rain and dissolved ice 
fell. The meteors seen previous to the commencement of the storm, between 
seven and ten, p. m., were ninety-seven, of which fifty-six were East, and forty- 
one West, of the meridian. Seven of these had long sparkling trains, and passed 
through spaces of 20° to 30°. The author of this paper conjectures the meteors 
to have been generated by means of a gaseous fluid mixing with the lower medium 
of the atmosphere, which he considered to be highly electric, as it had rained all 
day with a rising barometer.—The Secretary next read a paper from Mr. J. G. 
Tatem, on the excess of rain at Wendover over that which falls at High Wycombe, 
although these places are but nine miles apart, and which in 1838 was not less 
than four inches and a half. He attributed this to a local cause in the deviation 
of height in the hills that were in proximity, and an accompanying register 
showed that the mean temperature of Wendover was 45. 35; the quantity of 
rain fallen, 29. 245 in.; and the number of days of rain, 161. 
