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. The Croonian Lecture. Experiments and Observations upon the Structure of Nerves. By Everard Home, Esq. F. R. S. page 1 II. The Bakerian Lecture. Observations upon an unusual horizontal Refraction of the Air; with Remarks on the Variations to which the lower Parts of the Atmosphere are sometimes subject. By the Rev. S. Vince, A. M. F. R. S. and Plumian Professor of Astronomy and experimental Philosophy, in the University of Cambridge. p. 13 III. Abstract of a Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland, 1797. With some Remarks on the Recovery of injured Trees. By Thomas Barker, Esq. Communicated by Mr. Timothy Lane, F. R. S. p. 24 IV. Some Additions to a Paper, read in 1790, on the Subject of a Child with a double Head. By Everard Home, Esq. F. R. S. p. 28 V. Observations on the Manners, Habits, and Natural History, of the Elephant. By John Corse, Esq. Communicated by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 31 VI. On the Decomposition of the Acid of Borax or Sedative Salt. By Lawrence de Crell, M. D. F. R. S. Lond. and Edinb. and M. R. I. A. Translated from the German. p. 56 VII. A Method of finding the Latitude of a Place, by Means of two Altitudes of the Sun and the Time elapsed betwixt the Observations. By the Rev. W. Lax, A. M. Lowndes's Professor of Astronomy in the University of Cambridge. p. 74 VIII. A Fourth Catalogue of the comparative Brightness of the Stars. By William Herschel, LL.D. F. R. S. p. 121 IX. On a submarine Forest on the east Coast of England. By Joseph Correa de Serra, LL.D. F. R. S. and A. S. p. 145 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 1798, two Medals on Sir Godfrey Copley's Donation; one to Sir George Shuckburgh Evelyn, Bart. F. R. S. for his various Communications, printed in the Philosophical Transactions; the other to Charles Hatchett, Esq. F. R. S. for his Chemical Communications, also printed in the Philosophical Transactions. CONTENTS. X. An Account of the Dissection of an Hermaphrodite Dog. To which are prefixed, some Observations on Hermaphrodites in general. By Everard Home, Esq. F. R. S. page 157 XI. An Inquiry concerning the Weight ascribed to Heat. By Benjamin Count of Rumford, F. R. S. M. R. I. A. &c. p. 179 XII. An Account of some Experiments on the Fecundation of Vegetables. In a Letter from Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, K. B. P. R. S. p. 195 XIII. Observations on the different Species of Asiatic Elephants, and their Mode of Dentition. By John Corse, Esq. Communicated by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 205 XIV. Some Observations on the Structure of the Teeth of graminivorous Quadrupeds; particularly those of the Elephant and Sus Æthiopicus. By Everard Home, Esq. F. R. S. p. 237 XV. Experiments to determine the Quantity of tanning Principle and gallic Acid contained in the Bark of various Trees. By George Biggin, Esq. Communicated by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 259 XVI. Essay on the Resolution of Algebraic Equations: attempting to distinguish particularly, the real Principle of every Method, and the true Causes of the Limitations to which it is subject. By Giffin Wilson, Esq. Communicated by Edward Whitaker Gray, M. D. Sec. R. S. p. 265 XVII. *On different Sorts of Lime used in Agriculture.* By Smithson Tennant, Esq. F. R. S. p. 305 XVIII. *Experiments and Observations on Shell and Bone.* By Charles Hatchett, Esq. F. R. S. p. 315 XIX. *A Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts presented to the Royal Society by Sir William and Lady Jones.* By Charles Wilkins, Esq. F. R. S. p. 335 Presents received by the Royal Society, from November 1798 to June 1799. p. 345 Index. p. 349