Front Matter

ADVERTISEMENT. The Committee appointed by the Royal Society to direct the publication of the Philosophical Transactions, take this opportunity to acquaint the Public, that it fully appears, as well from the council-books and journals of the Society, as from repeated declarations which have been made in several former Transactions, that the printing of them was always, from time to time, the single act of the respective Secretaries, till the Forty-seventh Volume: the Society, as a Body, never interesting themselves any further in their publication, than by occasionally recommending the revival of them to some of their Secretaries, when, from the particular circumstances of their affairs, the Transactions had happened for any length of time to be intermitted. And this seems principally to have been done with a view to satisfy the Public, that their usual meetings were then continued, for the improvement of knowledge, and benefit of mankind, the great ends of their first institution by the Royal Charters, and which they have ever since steadily pursued. But the Society being of late years greatly enlarged, and their communications more numerous, it was thought advisable, that a Committee of their members should be appointed to reconsider the papers read before them, and select out of them such as they should judge most proper for publication in the future Transactions; which was accordingly done upon the 26th of March, 1752. And the grounds of their choice are, and will continue to be, the importance and singularity of the subjects, or the advantageous manner of treating them; without pretending to answer for the certainty of the facts, or propriety of the reasonings, contained in the several papers so published, which must still rest on the credit or judgment of their respective authors. It is likewise necessary on this occasion to remark, that it is an established rule of the Society, to which they will always adhere, never to give their opinion, as a Body, upon any subject, either of Nature or Art, that comes before them. And therefore the thanks, which are frequently proposed from the Chair to be given to the authors of such papers as are read at their accustomed meetings, or to the persons through whose hands they receive them, are to be considered in no other light than as a matter of civility, in return for the respect shewn to the Society by those communications. The like also is to be said with regard to the several projects, inventions, and curiosities of various kinds, which are often exhibited to the Society; the authors whereof, or those who exhibit them, frequently take the liberty to report, and even to certify in the public newspapers, that they have met with the highest applause and approbation. And therefore it is hoped, that no regard will hereafter be paid to such reports, and public notices; which in some instances have been too lightly credited, to the dishonour of the Society. CONTENTS. I. On the Ring of Saturn, and the Rotation of the fifth Satellite upon its Axis. By William Herschel, LL.D. F.R.S. Page 1 II. Miscellaneous Observations. By William Herschel, LL.D. F.R.S. p. 23 III. Experiments and Observations on the Production of Light from different Bodies, by Heat and by Attrition. By Mr. Thomas Wedgwood; communicated by Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P.R.S. p. 28 IV. Experiments upon Heat. By Major-General Sir Benjamin Thompson, Knt. F.R.S. In a Letter to Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P.R.S. p. 48 V. A new Suspension of the Magnetic Needle, intended for the Discovery of minute Quantities of Magnetic Attraction: also an Air Vane of great Sensibility; with new Experiments on the Magnetism of Iron Filings and Brass. By the Rev. A. Bennet, F.R.S. Communicated by the Rev. Sir Richard Kaye, Bart. F.R.S. p. 81 VI. Part of a Letter from Mr. Michael Topping, to Mr. Tiberius Cavallo, F.R.S.; with an Account of the Measurement of a Base Line upon the Sea Beach, near Porto Novo, on the Coast of Coromandel. p. 99 VII. Description of Kilburn Wells, and Analysis of their Water. By Mr. Joh. Godfr. Schmeisser. Communicated by Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P.R.S. p. 115 VIII. Observations on Bees. By John Hunter, Esq. F.R.S. p. 128 A Letter from William Marsden, Esq. F.R.S. to the Secretary. p. 195 APPENDIX. Meteorological Journal kept at the Apartments of the Royal Society, by Order of the President and Council. THE PRESIDENT and COUNCIL of the ROYAL SOCIETY adjudged, for the year 1791, two Medals on Sir Godfrey Copley's Donation; one to James Rennell, Esq. F.R.S. for his Paper on the Rate of Travelling as performed by Camels, printed in the last Volume of the Philosophical Transactions; the other to John Andrew de Luc, Esq. F.R.S. for his Improvements in Hygrometry. ERRATUM. P. 68, l. 23. for $2,1446 - 60,08711$ read $2,14466 - 0,08711$. IX. On the Conversion of the Substance of a Bird into a hard fatty Matter. In a Letter from Thomas Sneyd, Esq. to Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. p. 197 X. An Account of the remarkable Effects of a Shipwreck on the Mariners; with Experiments and Observations on the Influence of Immersion in fresh and salt Water, hot and cold, on the Powers of the living Body. By James Currie, of Liverpool, M. D. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians at Edinburgh. Communicated by Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R. S. p. 199 XI. A Meteorological Journal, principally relating to Atmospheric Electricity; kept at Knightsbridge, from the 9th of May, 1790, to the 8th of May, 1791. By Mr. John Read; communicated by Richard Henry Alex. Bennet, Esq. F. R. S. p. 225 XII. Further Observations on the Process for converting cast, into malleable, Iron. In a Letter from Thomas Beddoes, M.D. to Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. p. 257 XIII. Continuation of a Paper on the Production of Light and Heat from different Bodies. By Mr. Thomas Wedgwood; communicated by Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. p. 270 XIV. A Narrative of the Earthquake felt in Lincolnshire, and the neighbouring Counties, on the 25th of February, 1792. In a Letter from Edmund Turnor, Esq. F. R. S. to Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. p. 283 XV. Experiments made with the View of decompounding Fixed Air, or Carbonic Acid. By George Pearson, M. D. F. R. S. p. 289 XVI. Observations on the Atmospheres of Venus and the Moon, their respective Densities, perpendicular Heights, and the Twilight occasioned by them. By John Jerome Schroeter, Esq. of Lilienthal, in the Dutchy of Bremen. Translated from the German. p. 309 XVII. Abstract of a Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland. By Thomas Barker, Esq.; with the Rain in Surrey and Hampshire, for the Year 1791. Communicated by Thomas White, Esq. F. R. S. p. 362 XVIII. Observations on the remarkable Failure of Haddock, on the Coasts of Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire. In two Letters from the Rev. Cooper Abbs, to Dr. Blagden, Sec. R. S. p. 367 XIX. On the Cause of the additional Weight which Metals acquire by being calcined. In a Letter from George Fordyce, M. D. F. R. S. to Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. p. 374 XX. On the Civil Year of the Hindoos, and its Divisions; with an Account of three Hindoo Almanacs belonging to Charles Wilkins, Esq. By Henry Cavendish, Esq. F. R. S. p. 383 XXI. On Evaporation. By John Andrew de Luc, Esq. F. R. S. p. 400 XXII. Supplementary Report on the best Method of proportioning the Excise upon Spirituous Liquors. By Charles Blagden, M.D. Sec. R.S. p. 425 Appendix to the foregoing Report. In a Letter from Mr. George Gilpin, Clk. R.S. to Charles Blagden, M.D. Sec. R.S. p. 439 Presents received by the Royal Society, from November 1791, to June 1792. p. 457 Index. p. 461