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 a new detonating Compound, in a Letter from Sir Humphry Davy, LL.D. F.R.S. to the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K.B. P.R.S. p. 1 II. On a remarkable Application of Cotes's Theorem. By J. F. W. Herschel, Esq. Communicated by W. Herschel, LL.D. F.R.S. p. 8 III. Observation of the Summer Solstice, 1812, at the Royal Observatory. By John Pond, Esq. Astronomer Royal, F. R. S. p. 27 IV. Observations relative to the near and distant Sight of different Persons. By James Ware, Esq. F. R. S. p. 31 V. The Bakerian Lecture. On the elementary Particles of certain Crystals. By William Hyde Wollaston, M. D. Sec. R. S. p. 51 VI. On a Substance from the Elm Tree, called Ulmin. By James Smithson, Esq. F. R. S. p. 64 VII. On a Method of Freezing at a distance. By William Hyde Wollaston, M. D. Sec. R. S. p. 71 VIII. A Catalogue of North Polar Distances of some of the principal fixed Stars. By John Pond, Esq. Astronomer Royal, F. R. S. p. 75 IX. A Description of the solvent Glands and Gizzards of the Ardea Argala, the Casuarius Emu, and the long-legged Casowary from New South Wales. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. F. R. S. p. 77 CONTENTS. X. Additional Remarks on the State in which Alcohol exists in fermented Liquors. By William Thomas Brande, Esq. F.R.S. p. 82 XI. On a new Variety in the Breeds of Sheep. By Colonel David Humphreys, F. R. S. In a Letter to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 88 XII. Experiments to ascertain the coagulating Power of the Secretion of the gastric Glands. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. F. R. S. Communicated by the Society for promoting the Knowledge of Animal Chemistry. p. 96 XIII. On some Properties of Light. By David Brewster, LL.D. F. R. S. Edin. In a Letter to Sir H. Davy, LL. D. F. R. S. p. 101 XIV. An Appendix to Mr. Ware's Paper on Vision. By Sir Charles Blagden, F. R. S. p. 110 XV. A Method of drawing extremely fine Wires. By William Hyde Wollaston, M. D. Sec. R. S. p. 114 XVI. Description of a single-lens Micrometer. By William Hyde Wollaston, M. D. Sec. R. S. p. 119 XVII. Observation of the Winter Solstice of 1812, with the Mural Circle at Greenwich. By John Pond, Esq. Astronomer Royal, F. R. S. p. 123 XVIII. On the Tusks of the Narwhale. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. F. R. S. p. 126 APPENDIX. Meteorological Journal kept at the Apartments of the Royal Society, by Order of the President and Council. ERRATUM. Page 50, line 4, for concave read convex. CONTENTS. XIX. An Account of some organic Remains found near Brentford, Middlesex. By the late Mr. William Kirby Trimmer. Communicated in a Letter from Mr. James R. Trimmer to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 131 XX. On a new Construction of a Condenser and Air-pump. By the Rev. Gilbert Austin. In a Letter to Sir Humphry Davy, LL.D. F. R. S. p. 138 XXI. On the Formation of Fat in the Intestines of living Animals. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. Presented by the Society for promoting the Knowledge of Animal Chemistry. p. 146 XXII. On the colouring Matter of the black Bronchial Glands, and of the black Spots of the Lungs. By George Pearson, M. D. F. R. S. p. 159 XXIII. Experiments on the Alcohol of Sulphur, or Sulphuret of Carbon. By J. Berzelius, M. D. F. R. S. Professor of Chemistry at Stockholm; and Alexander Marcat, M. D. F. R. S. one of the Physicians to Guy's Hospital. p. 171 XXIV. On the Means of procuring a steady Light in Coal Mines without the danger of Explosion. By William Reid Clanny, M. D. of Sunderland. Communicated by William Allen, Esq. F. R. S. p. 200 XXV. On the Light of the Cassegrainian Telescope, compared with that of the Gregorian. By Captain Henry Kater, Brigade-Major. Communicated by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 206 CONTENTS. XXVI. Additional Observations on the Effects of Magnesia in preventing an increased Formation of Uric Acid; with Remarks on the Influence of Acids upon the Composition of the Urine. By William Thomas Brande, Esq. F. R. S. Prof. Chem. R. I. Communicated by the Society for improving Animal Chemistry. p. 213 XXVII. Additions to an Account of the Anatomy of the Squalus Maximus, contained in a former Paper; with Observations on the Structure of the Branchial Artery. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. F. R. S. p. 227 XXVIII. Some further Observations on a new detonating Substance. In a Letter from Sir Humphry Davy, LL.D. F.R.S. V. P. R. I. to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. p. 242 XXIX. Experiments on the Production of Cold by the Evaporation of the Sulphuret of Carbon. By Alexander Marct, M.D. F. R. S. one of the Physicians to Guy's Hospital. p. 252 XXX. On a saline Substance from Mount Vesuvius. By James Smithson, Esq. F. R. S. p. 256 XXXI. Some Experiments and Observations on the Substances produced in different chemical Processes on Fluor Spar. By Sir Humphry Davy, LL.D. F. R. S. V. P. R. I. p. 263 XXXII. Catalogue of North Polar Distances of Eighty-four principal fixed Stars, deduced from Observations made with the Mural Circle at the Royal Observatory. By John Pond, Esq. Astronomer Royal, F. R. S. p. 280 XXXIII. Observations of the Summer Solstice, 1813, with the Mural Circle at the Royal Observatory. By John Pond, Esq. Astronomer Royal, F. R. S. p. 304 Presents received by the Royal Society, from November 1812 to July 1813. p. 305 Index.