270 Proceedings of the National fnfiitute, 15 Nivafe, 1798. [OR 
{pects preferable to that of holding clofe 
to the meafures, thermometers, which 
yay at times lead into error on account 
of the unequal progrefs of the calori¢ in 
the different fubftances ; the rules of pla- 
tina and of copper indicate and meature 
at the fame time their variations of length, 
of which an account may be kept without 
any regard to the temperature with which 
they correfpond, and which neverthelefs 
3s alfo given by the fame inftruments, 
Citizn DeLamare has fpent the 
time fince his return from Rodez, and is 
fill employed at prefent in making pre- 
parations for meafuring the bafe of Me- 
lun: at each of the extremities he has 
czuled blocks of flone of eight cubic, 
metres to be cramped; and in order to 
have extreme points perfeétly accurate, 
on the upper furface of each of thele blocks 
a cylindrical hole has been pierced, into 
which a copper cylinder precifely of the 
fame diameter enters, the axis of which 
fands for one of the limits of the mea- 
fure. Scaffolds of 20 metres in heiebt, 
bnd which are to be replaced aiterwayas ° 
by pyramids, are elevated at thefe ex- 
tremities, in order that the obferver may 
net only perceive the one when it is placed 
by the other, but further diftinguifh the 
adjoining ftations where fignals of 29 and 
25 metres high have been erected. 
DELAMBRE, at the time while he was 
¢ularly employed in making oblervaiions 
which are to adjuft the connestion of the 
bafe with the chains of the great triangles. 
All thefé preliminary labours, although 
interrupted by a crowd of obftacles, and 
the rigour of the feafon, were completed 
im about five or fix days. Our ailrono- 
mers and their co-operators, near the 
term of their labours, have braved the 
winter and fatigue, as they had from the 
firt Parmounted evils fi]] more afflicting. 
‘The operation of Melun will be cem- 
pleted in the fpring, and that of the Per- 
pignan in the fummer months. 
Norice of the Memoirs of the clofs of 
Phyfical Sciences, during the firfi Quar- 
terly Sitting of the Fifth Year, by Citizen 
Lassus, secretary of the clafs of Phy- 
_ fical and Mathematical §ctences. : 
Tue labours prefented to the clats of 
Phyfical Sciences of the inititute, during 
the laft quarterly fitting, (from O&. 6th, 
1797, to Jan. ath, 1798) * have been 
principally employed in inveftigating the 
pe ee a ee 
“* For the proceedings of the quarter which 
preceded, fee the MonTHLY MAGAZINZ 
for January, 179%, P- 56. iy 
ion ee | ine P ‘ H ry 
fubje&ts of Anatomy, Medicine, the Ve- 
terinary art, Rural Economy, Chemiftry, 
and Natural Biftery..0 0 
In a wuemoir on the manner in wvehich 
nutrition is performed in infets, Citizen 
Cuvier proves, that the dorfal vefiel, or 
the reputed peart of infe&ts, is not a cir- 
culatory organ. In the different parts of 
thefe animals there is no other centre of 
circulation, and no other veffels than © 
tracheal or aerial paflages; from whence 
it refults, that the nutritious fluid imply 
croffes the pores of the inteftinal canal in 
infects, and that it wafhes all the parts 
which are nourifhed in the way of fimple 
fuction, as in the polypus. Hie Ve 
’ In another memoir, the object of which 
is the azatomy of mollufcas without a dif= 
tinge head, or of the acephalous kind, 
among{t which are oyfters and mufcles, 
the fame author points out their byain 
and nerves, defcribes their heart and ian- 
guinary veflels, the diitribution of which 
in couches or layers, fome deep and others 
fuperficial, is very ,complicated; but 
what is moft remarkable, Citizen Cu- 
vieR has difcovered in the branchiz oy 
re{piratery organ of the mufcle, a great 
number of {mall red moveable points, 
having each two valves, and which, when 
examined by the microfcope, appear to be 
fo many living embryos of the mufcle it- 
Helge es 
Citizen Beauvoir and Citizen Mr- 
HauT, both aflociated members of the 
Inttitucte, have communicated the refulg 
of their obfervations made in South Ame- 
rica, on ferpents in general, and parti- 
cularly thofe which are called rattle- 
fnakes. Thefe lat do. not poflefs, ac- 
cording to the common opinion, any 
power of charmine or attracting to them 
birds, {quirrels, and other animals, on 
which thof reptiles feed, neither do they 
exhale 2 noxious cdour on their prey; 
they, however, emit a ftrong, dilagree- 
able, and durabie emanation, 
Citizen GILBERT, member of the In- 
Gitute, communicated a memoir on the 
effects of medicaments im ruminating ani- 
mats; as alfo a plan of experiments to be 
purfued in order to extinguifh in fome 
cantons the epizootic difeafe, which pre- 
vailed for fome time about Paris, but 
which is now no longer there. 
Citizen PORTAL, member of the In- 
ftitute, read a memoir on certain maladies 
incident to the organ of the voice. ae 
Citizen TEISSIER communicated hig 
obfervations on a fort of wheat, without 
barbs, with white ears, white grains, and 
hollow italks, lately announced in England 
Aa ree ae 
