1890. | 
derable length, after which the ftructure 
of the eye and phenomena of vifion were 
explained, with a particular account of 
optical infiruments. At the conclufion of 
the courfe, fome curious experiments on 
galvanifm, which had been lately made by 
Profeffor Volta, were repeated. 
The popular courfe has occupied an 
hour every Tuefday, beginning at two 
o’clock. Here all mathematical and ab- 
ftract reafoning were avoided, the illuftra- 
tions being chiefly experimental. The 
fabjects comprehended in this courfe were 
the properties of matter, aftronomy, elec- 
tricity, magnetifm, optics, and the phi- 
lofophy of botany. 
The chemical courfe was delivered every 
‘Thurfday and Saturday, at two o’clock. 
_Inthis courfe the principles of chemiltry 
were explained, and illuftrated by experi- 
ments, and the application of this {cience 
to the different arts and manufactures, 
to the analyfis of mineral waters, a- 
griculture, dying, bleaching, and cz- 
lico-printing, was particularly _ pointed 
out. : 
As Dr. Garnett wifhed, in fome meze 
fure to condenfe his leé&tures this feffion, , 
that he might finifh them before many 
ef his auditors left. town; they were 
brought to a conclufion on the roth of 
June. Itis intended, however, to begin 
them next feffion about the firft of January, 
and continue them till about the middle of 
June.' The le&tures were attended by 
many ladies of the firft diftinG@ion, feveral 
of whom were conftant vifitors, and they 
feem already to have given a confiderable 
tafte for thefe fubjeéts, which cannot fail 
to be attended with the beft effects to fo- 
ciety, 
Among other committees, a fcientific 
committee has been formed, confifting of 
the following refpectable names, Henr 
Cavendifh, efq. the Rev. Dr. Mafkelyne, 
Sir Charles Blagden, Major Rennel, Jo- 
feph Planta, efq. Dr. Gray, Charles 
Hachett, efq. and Profefiors Vince and 
Farifh, of the Univerfity of Cambridge. 
This committee has been requetted to fu- 
perintend the new philoiophical experi- 
ments which may be made at the houfe of 
the Inftitution. 
As the proceedings of the Inftitution 
will be, in a great meafure, fufpended 
during the fummer recefs ; we, of courfe, 
fhall fufpend our report of its proceedings 
till they recommence. 

BRITISH MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY. 
THIS fociety has juft circulated the 
following notice of its proceedings : 
MONTHLY Mac. No. 60. 
* Royal Inftitution of Great Britain. 
<i OS 
Tt is now fome months fince public 
notice was given of the inititution of the 
Britith Mineralogical Society ; one of the 
principal objects of which is, the gra- 
tuitous analyfis of fuch of our native mi- 
nerals as may be fent to the fociety by 
mine-owners, or other perfons who are in~ 
terefted in the inquiry. The Society’s 
firft meetings were neceffarily much occu- 
pied in eftablifhing arrangements for the 
moft effectual attainment of its own de- 
fins and thofe of its correfpondents. Both ~ 
thefe objeéts have, we truft, been fatis- 
factorily provided for ; and the number of 
{pecimens fent to the fociety for analyfis, 
evince at the fame time the utility of the 
{cheme and the public confidence. 
«© The Society confifts of acompetent num-~ 
ber of members, in the habitual practice of 
chemical operations, each of whom under- 
takes an analyfis in rotation, affifted, incafes 
of peculiar intricacy, by a feleét committee, 
the refult of which, after general approba- 
tion, is tranfmitted by the fecretary to the 
perfon who fent the {pecimen. Since, how- 
ever, feveral of our correfpondents, from 
inadvertence, have not complied with the 
conditions mentioned in the circular letter 
of the Society, we here repeat them, with: 
the addition of fome others, and beg to 
have it underftood that no analyfis will be 
undertaken where thefe are not complied 
with : 
<¢ a. The whole of each fpecimen mult 
be at leaft four pounds weight, and in as 
few pieces as poffible. The perfon who 
fends the {pecimens, if more than cne, 
fhould break a {mall piece from each, tak- 
Ing care to relerve and mark them with the 
fame numbers as thofe that he fends to 
the Society ; becaufe, in the analyfis re- 
turned to him, the different fpecimens will 
be diflinguifhed by their numbers: the 
the fafelt way of marking each will be to. 
write the number on a flip of paper, and 
fix iton the f{pecimen with gum-water.. 
Every piece muft be wrapped in papery 
and packed ina box with faw-duft, ad- 
drefled (carriage paid) to Mr. W. H. 
Pepys, Poultry, London. 
«¢ 2. A paper muft accompany the {pe - 
cimens, ftating their provincial names: 
the name of the parifh and county where 
they are found; the depth of the mine or 
quarry where they are procured ; the gene- 
ral extent and bearing of the vein or ftra- 
tun towards the points of the compafs ; 
and the method of procuring thern, whe- 
ther by blafting or by the pick-axe, &c. 
<¢ 3. The Society alfo requefts, that the 
metallic ores which may be fent them for 
analyfis may be accompanied with fpeci- 
aE mens 
