1806, ] 
Jar polygonic elaftic furface of hair. (10). 
Io inftruments in which the tone is pro 
duced by hammers, pieces of leather, &c. 
are to be introduced between the ham- 
mers and the founding bodies, to vary 
the tone from loud to foft, or vice verfa. 
(i1.) The frame which contains the 
finger-keys of pianos, &c. is to turn on 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
51 
pivots or axes, to fhut up fo as to contract 
the {pace which the inftrument occupies 
when not in ule. (12.). Laftly, a piece 
of machinery worked wit a pedal, is to 
be attached to a fland on which a mufc- 
book is placed, to turn over the leaves at 
pleafure, while the hands are otherwife 
employed. : 
——= 
eed 
PROCEEDINGS. OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
<i 
ROYAL SOCIETY or LONDON. 
OHN Pearson, E’g. has given fome 
account of two mummies of the 
Egyptian Ibis, which were taken, among 
other curiofities natural and aruficial, out 
of the catacombs of Thebes in Upper 
Egypt. They were contained in earthen 
jars, and were enveloped in bandages of 
ftrong cloth about three inches broad. 
Each layer of cloti appeared to have been 
imbued wita f{:me bituminous or refinous 
fubfance, in a liquid ftate, and the roiler 
was farther fecured by {trong pieces of 
thread, fo that the whole ma{s was ren- 
dered extremely hard and coherent. Un- 
derneath this covering was a bird thickly 
covered with the fame kind of fubltance 
that had cemented the different frips of 
the roller. The bird had attained its full 
‘growth ; and the foliowing are the dimen- 
fions of fuch of its parts as are accefiible: 
Iaches. 
Length of the bird, from the neck 
tothe extremity of thetail - 124 
Length of the neck, in which ten 
vertebre can be traced . - '- 6% 
‘Length of the head and bill follow- 
ing theeurve - - = - «= 3 
Lengta of the fternum = -.. - 
From ‘the end of the metatarfal 
bene ta the extremity cf the 
lonpefltoe. - - = =) s+. -9 
4 
Thelongeft toe - - = « = 3% 
Width of the body at the fhoulders 4% 
Circumference of the body, at its 
thickeft pare, oma =) = 3 gh 
Weight of the inummy 164 ounces troy. 
Such is the Egyptian Ibis, of which 
the mummy is in a very firm and entire 
fiate, exh:biting no marks of decay, al- 
though it is probable that it is has, been 
interred the greateft part of three thoufand 
years, for the deftraction of Thebes is of 
an earlier date than the foundatin of any 
city now exilting. 
The account of the other mummy, 
which was ia a much lefs perfeét ftate, 
needs not to be detailed. To Mr. Pear- 
fon, however, it is evident that the va. 
riety exhibited in their appearance does 
not depend on the place where the bird 
was depofited, fince many mummies of 
birds have been taken from the catacombs 
at Thebes in. a very imperfceét and de- 
cayed cond'tion. 
Dr. WoLLasTon, in July laft, laid 
betore the Royal Society a paper ¢¢On 
the Difcovery of Pailadium, with Obfer- 
vaiions on other Subftances found in Pla- 
tina.” Fhe name Palladium. was given 
on account of the difcovery of a new 
planet abcut the fame time by Dr. Olbers, 
to which he had giventhe name of Patlas. 
The object of Dr. Wollatton’s paper is 
to deleribe the procefles by which he ori- 
ginaily detected this {ubfance in platina: 
he offers alf fome reatons for thinkibg it 
a fimple metal. We ere likewife infcrm- 
ed that it may eafily be obtained by any 
one who poficflts a fuficient quantity of 
the ore of piatina. 
To a folution of crude platina, whether 
rendered neutral by evaporation of re- 
dundant acid, or faturated by addition of 
potath, of foda, or ammonia, by Jime or 
magnefia, by mercury, by coprer, or by 
iron, and alio whether the platina has er 
has not been precipicated from the folu- 
tion by fal amimoniag, it is merely necef- 
fary to adda folution of pruitiate of mer- 
cury for the precipitation of the paila- 
dium. For a few minutes there may be 
no appearance of precipitate; but ina fhort 
time the whole folution becomes flightly 
turbid, and a flocculent precipitate ‘s gra. 
dually formed of a pale yellowith white 
colour.. This precipitate confits wholly 
of pruffiate of psliadium, and when heated 
will be found to yield that metal in a pure 
fate, amounting to about 4 or 5 tenths 
percent. 
Of the properties of palladi:m, fome 
are peculiar to itlelf, and {Ome it pof- 
fees In common with piafina, They 
refetble each other in deftsoying the 
coiour of.a large quantity of gold, and 
in the {mall degree of power which they 
pollels of conducting heat, and in the 
G 2 mall 
Pa) 
