PAYMENTS. Fairchild Lecture.-The Rev. J. J. Ellis, for delivering the Bakerian Lecture.-James Ivory, Esq., for the Bakerian Lecture..... Copley Medal.-Mr. Wyon for Eight Medals. British Museum Fund. Baillière for Books. Simpkin and Marshall for ditto Salaries: Dr. Roget, one year, as Secretary £. s. d. 105 S. H. Christie, Esq., one year, as Secretary.. 105 0 0 Capt. Smyth, one year, as Foreign Secretary. Fire Insurance, on the Society's Property 1005000 5 20 0 0 Bills: Taylor: Printing the Phil. Trans., 1837, part 2 .. 177 33; Circulars, Lists of Fellows, Ballot lists, Statement of Payments, and Mi- Bowles and Gardiner : 2 9 184 16 6 For Paper for the Phil. Trans., 1838, part 1 56 5 0 For Engraving and Copper-plate Printing Walker: Engraving and Copper-plate Printing for 27 18 6 the Phil. Trans., 1837, parts 1 and 2.. 119 0 0 The Balances in hand, now belonging to the several trusts, are as under : The following table shows the progress and present state of the Society, with respect to the number of Fellows: JOHN W. LUBBOCK, Esq., V.P. and Treas., in the Chair. Richard Charnock, Esq., was balloted for, but not elected into the Society. The Rev. Philip Kalland, M.A., was balloted for, and duly elected into the Society. A paper was in part read, entitled, "Experimental Researches in Electricity." Fifteenth Series." Note of the Character and Direction of the Electric Force of the Gymnotus." By Michael Faraday, Esq., D.C.L., F.R.S., &c. December 13, 1838. The MARQUESS of NORTHAMPTON, President, in the Chair. The reading of a paper, entitled, "Experimental Researches in Electricity." Fifteenth Series.—“Note of the Character and Direction of the Electric Force of the Gymnotus." By Michael Faraday, Esq., D.C.L., F.R.S., &c., was resumed and concluded. The author first briefly refers to what has been done by others in establishing the identity of the peculiar power in the Gymnotus and Torpedo with ordinary electricity, and then in reference to the intended conveyance to this country of Gymnoti from abroad, gives the instructions which he himself had received from Baron Humboldt for that purpose. A living Gymnotus, now in the possession of the Proprietors of the Gallery of Science in Adelaide Street, was placed for a time at the disposal of the author for the purpose of research, upon which he proceeded, with suitable apparatus, to compare its power with ordinary and voltaic electricity, and to obtain the direction of the force. Without removing it from the water he was able to obtain not only the results procured by others, but the other electrical phenomena required so as to leave no gap or deficiency in the evidence of identity. The shock, in very varied circumstances of position, was procured: the galvanometer affected; magnets were made; a wire was heated; polar chemical decomposition was effected, and the spark obtained. By comparative experiments made with the |