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 Bakerian Lecture, on some chemical Agencies of Electricity. By Humphry Davy, Esq. F.R.S. M.R.I.A. page 1 II. On the Precession of the Equinoxes. By the Rev. Abram Robertson, M.A. F.R.S. Savilian Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford. p. 57 III. An Account of two Children born with Cataracts in their Eyes, to shew that their Sight was obscured in very different Degrees; with Experiments to determine the proportional Knowledge of Objects acquired by them immediately after the Cataracts were removed. By Everard Home, Esq. F.R.S. p. 83 IV. Observations on the Structure of the different Cavities, which constitute the Stomach of the Whale, compared with those of ruminating Animals, with a View to ascertain the Situation of the digestive Organ. By Everard Home, Esq. F.R.S. p. 93 V. On the Formation of the Bark of Trees. In a Letter from T. A. Knight, Esq. F.R.S. to the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K.B. P.R.S. &c. p. 103 VI. An Investigation of the general Term of an important Series in the inverse Method of finite Differences. By the Rev. John Brinkley, D.D. F.R.S. and Andrews Professor of Astronomy in the University of Dublin. Communicated by the Astronomer Royal. 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 the Medal on Sir Godfrey Copley's Donation for the year 1806, to Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. F. R. S. for his various papers on Vegetation printed in the Philosophical Transactions. Variation of the Magnetic Needle. 1806. June, 24° 8', 6. VII. On Fairy-rings. By William Hyde Wollaston, M.D. Sec. R. S. p. 133 VIII. Observations on the Structure of the Stomachs of different Animals, with a View to elucidate the Process of converting animal and vegetable Substances into Chyle. By Everard Home, Esq. F.R.S. p. 139 IX. Experiments for investigating the Cause of the coloured concentric Rings, discovered by Sir Isaac Newton, between two Object-glasses laid upon one another. By William Herschel, LLD. F. R. S. p. 180 X. On the Economy of Bees. In a Letter from Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. F. R. S. to the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 234 XI. Observations and Measurements of the Planet Vesta. By John Jerome Schroeter, F. R. S. p. 245 XII. A new Eudiometer, accompanied with Experiments, elucidating its Application. By William Hasledine Pepys, Esq. Communicated by Charles Hatchett, Esq. F. R. S. p. 247 XIII. Observations on the Nature of the new celestial Body discovered by Dr. Olbers, and of the Comet which was expected to appear last January in its return from the Sun. By William Herschel, L.L.D. F. R. S. p. 260 XIV. On the Quantity of Carbon in carbonic Acid, and on the Nature of the Diamond. By William Allen, Esq. F. L. S. and William Hasledine Pepys, Esq. Communicated by Humphry Davy, Esq. Sec. R. S. p. 267 XV. An Account of the Relistian Tin Mine. By Mr. Joseph Carne, in a Letter to Davies Giddy, Esq. M.P. F.R.S. p. 293 XVI. An Analysis of the Waters of the Dead Sea and the River Jordan. By Alexander Marcet, M.D. one of the Physicians to Guy's Hospital. Communicated by Smithson Tennant, Esq. F.R.S. p. 296 Presents received by the Royal Society from November, 1806, to June, 1807. p. 315 Index. p. 319