350 
put those that wore them to much incon- 
venience. 1. In the winding them up; 
because the mechanism which put the 
alarm im motion performed its action 
every twelve hours, consequently the 
alarm could not be set longer than twelve 
hours before-hand. As many people 
are in the habit of winding up their 
watches in the morning, and may not 
have eccasion for the alarm till the next 
day, they were of course under the ne- 
cessity of winding up again the alarm 
motion at night. 2. In setting them to 
time ; because on the most ancient alarm- 
watches there was a double diai-plate, 
which went round, and always moved 
with the hour-hand: it was marked with 
the twelve figures, and the hour-hand 
had a small tail,.to which the user turned 
that hour on the smaller dial-plate at 
which he wished the alarm to perform, 
On the more modern ones they have set 
aside the dial-plate, and placed a hand 
that does not go round with the hour- 
hand, but is moved to the hour at which 
it is wished the alarm should act, where 
it remains fixed univ the hour-hand 
reaches it, when the alarm goes off. 
From this it is evident that they could 
neither be wound up nor brought to act 
at pleasure.” Having enumerated va- 
rious other defects and imperfections, he 
adds, “the newly-invented warning- 
watch does away all these defects; both 
the movement and the warning motion 
can be wound up together, and the latter 
as long before-hand as you please. To 
set it to the hour you wish, there is no 
need of opening the case, nor of touching 
the hand, which obviates the necessity 
Proceedings of Learned Societics. 
[Nov. 1, 
of making the warning-hand so stout ag 
in the old alarm-watches: indeed, it may. 
be made very taper and light,. The in= 
terior construction of the watch also is 
extremely simple, there being but one 
additional wheel with its barrel to an or- 
dinary movement; consequently, the 
wheels altogether are not crowded for 
want of space. The detent is the prin- 
cipal object, as has been seen in the old 
alarm-watches; that now introduced is 
an entire new invention, and affects the 
movement of the watch in no way what- 
ever: so long as the warning-hand is not 
set, there is no communication between 
that partand the movement. The warn- 
ing-hand is fixed on in the same manner 
as the hands of the hour and minutes, and 
the motion-wheels are placed similar to 
those of an ordinary watch. In the mo- 
dern alarm-watches fault has been found 
with the bell not making a noise sufii- 
ciently strong; those adapted to the pre= 
sent invention are so effective that they 
can be heard in one floor while hung up 
in another. The principle of this inven- 
tion deprives the wearer of fear of de- 
ranging it, and even allows him no ops 
portunity for mismanagement : in short, — 
it offers every desirable convenience at a 
little expence. The warning-watch will 
act at pleasure during the whole day, 
without opening the case or winding it 
up a-new. 
“The simplicity of the mechanism is 
a matter of peculiar consideration to the 
manufacturer, since it requires but little 
expence, and can be applied to watches 
of any price.” 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
WV R. Davy, in the Bakerian lecture 
of Jast year, laid before this learn- 
ed body, the result of various new re- 
searches on the subject of his electro- 
chemical discoveries; discoveries, which, 
if hereafter proved to be founded in 
treth, will render his name illustrious 
among every future generation of his 
countrymen. The paper to which we 
have referred, and an account of which 
will be given in this and the following 
Numbers, contains (1.) An account of 
some new experiments on the metals 
from the fixed alkalies: (2.) Experiments 
on nitrogen, ammonia, and the amal< 
gam from ammonia: (8.) On the metals 
of the earths; and (4.) Considerations of 
theory, illustrated by new facts. We. 
shall take up these subjects in the ors 
der in which they stand, that the 
present and succeeding volumes of the 
Monthly Magazine may continue to give, 
as the former volumes have given, a cons 
nected series of the facts and principles 
discovered and illustrated by this very _ 
able philosopher and chemise. ; “d 
With regard to the experiments on the 
metals 
\ 
