Front Matter

PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS, OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. FOR THE YEAR MDCCCCV. PART I. LONDON, PRINTED BY W. BULMER AND CO. CLEVELAND-ROW, ST. JAMES'S; AND SOLD BY G. AND W. NICOL, PALL-MALL, BOOKSELLERS TO HIS MAJESTY, AND PRINTERS TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY. MDCCCCV. 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 on muscular Motion. By Anthony Carlisle, Esq. F. R. S. page 1 II. Experiments for ascertaining how far Telescopes will enable us to determine very small Angles, and to distinguish the real from the spurious Diameters of celestial and terrestrial Objects: with an Application of the Result of these Experiments to a Series of Observations on the Nature and Magnitude of Mr. Harding's lately discovered Star. By William Herschel, LL.D. F.R.S. p. 31 III. An Essay on the Cohesion of Fluids. By Thomas Young, M.D. For. Sec. R.S. p. 71 IV. Concerning the State in which the true Sap of Trees is deposited during Winter. In a Letter from Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P.R.S. p. 88 V. On the Action of Platina and Mercury upon each other. By Richard Chenevix, Esq. F. R. S. M. R. I. A. &c. p. 104 VI. An Investigation of all the Changes of the variable Star in Sobieski's Shield, from five Year's Observations, exhibiting its proportional illuminated Parts, and its Irregularities of Rotation; with Conjectures respecting unenlightened heavenly Bodies. By Edward Pigott, Esq. In a Letter to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, K. B. P. R. S. p. 131 VII. An Account of some analytical Experiments on a mineral Production from Devonshire, consisting principally of Alumine and Water. By Humphry Davy, Esq. F. R. S. Professor of Chemistry in the Royal Institution. VIII. Experiments on Wootz. By Mr. David Mushet. Communicated by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, K. B. P. R. S. APPENDIX. Meteorological Journal kept at the Apartments of the Royal Society, by Order of the President and Council. ERRATA. Page 4. line 5 from the bottom, for accipenser, read acipenser. 11. — 20, for their, read its. 26. — 7, read 6 ounces of water. 76. — last but one, for ,0054, read ,054. The President and Council of the Royal Society adjudged, for the Year 1804, the Medal on Sir Godfrey Copley's Donation, to Smithson Tennant, Esq. F. R. S. for his various Chemical Discoveries, communicated to the Society, and printed in several Volumes of the Transactions. And they adjudged the Gold and Silver Medals, on the Donation of Benjamin Count of Rumford, to Mr. John Leslie of Largo, for his Experiments on Heat, published in his Work, entitled an Experimental Inquiry into the Nature and Propagation of Heat. IX. Abstract of Observations on a diurnal Variation of the Barometer between the Tropics. By J. Horsburgh, Esq. In a Letter to Henry Cavendish, Esq. F. R. S. p. 177 X. Concerning the Differences in the magnetic Needle, on Board the Investigator, arising from an Alteration in the Direction of the Ship’s Head. By Matthew Flinders, Esq. Commander of his Majesty’s Ship Investigator. In a Letter to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, K. B. P. R. S. p. 186 XI. The Physiology of the Stapes, one of the Bones of the Organ of Hearing; deduced from a comparative View of its Structure, and Uses, in different Animals. By Anthony Carlisle, Esq. F. R. S. p. 198 XII. On an artificial Substance which possesses the principal characteristic Properties of Tannin. By Charles Hatchett, Esq. F. R. S. p. 211 XIII. The Case of a full grown Woman in whom the Ovaria were deficient. By Mr. Charles Pears, F. L. S. Communicated by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, K. B. P. R. S. p. 225 XIV. A Description of Malformation in the Heart of an Infant. By Mr. Hugh Chudleigh Standert. Communicated by Anthony Carlisle, Esq. F. R. S. p. 228 XV. On a Method of analyzing Stones containing fixed Alkali, by Means of the Boracic Acid. By Humphry Davy, Esq. F. R. S. Professor of Chemistry in the Royal Institution p. 231 XVI. On the Direction and Velocity of the Motion of the Sun, and Solar System. By William Herschel, LL.D. F.R.S. p. 233 XVII. On the Reproduction of Buds. By Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. F.R.S. In a Letter to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, K.B. P.R.S. p. 257 XVIII. Some Account of two Mummies of the Egyptian Ibis, one of which was in a remarkably perfect State. By John Pearson, Esq. F.R.S. p. 264 XIX. Observations on the singular Figure of the Planet Saturn. By William Herschel, LL.D. F.R.S. p. 272 XX. On the magnetic Attraction of Oxides of Iron. By Timothy Lane, Esq. F.R.S. p. 281 XXI. Additional Experiments and Remarks on an artificial Substance, which possesses the principal characteristic Properties of Tannin. By Charles Hatchett, Esq. F.R.S. p. 285 XXII. On the Discovery of Palladium; with Observations on other Substances found with Platina. By William Hyde Wollaston, M.D. Sec. R.S. p. 316 XXIII. Experiments on a Mineral Substance formerly supposed to be Zeolite; with some Remarks on two Species of Uran-glimmer. By the Rev. William Gregor. Communicated by Charles Hatchett, Esq. F.R.S. p. 331