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pogastric nerves on both sides enter, and to which they firmly adhere. From the upper part of this fibrous substance there passes up, over the whole anterior surface of the uterus, a thin band of firm white fasciculated fibres, prolongations of which extend to the round ligaments,-into which, and into the posterior band, they are continued by numerous filaments, like those of nerves. From the posterior surface of this great band, numerous branches, also apparently nervous, can be traced to a considerable depth through the muscular coat of the uterus.

The author concludes his paper with the following remark, and a short historical account of the progress of discovery on the subject of the nerves of the uterus :

"From the form, colour and general appearance of these fasciculated bands, and the resemblance they bear to ganglionic plexuses of nerves, and from their branches actually coalescing with the hypogastric and spermatic nerves, I was induced to conclude, on first discovering them, that they were nervous plexuses, and constituted the special nervous system of the uterus. The recent examination, however, of the gravid uterus of some of the lower animals, in which I have found a structure similar to those bands in large quantity under the peritoneum, has left me in considerable doubt as to the nature of these bands, and until further investigations have been made, I shall not venture to pronounce a positive opinion respecting them."

The description of the nerves of the uterus contained in Professor Tiedemann's splendid work, the author adds, is usually referred to by anatomical writers as the most accurate and complete which has ever been given. Professor Tiedemann has represented the spermatic nerves as being distributed chiefly to the ovarium; and the hypogastric as invariably accompanying the trunk and branches of the uterine arteries, along the sides of the uterus,-dividing into smaller branches, and quickly disappearing in the muscular coat of the ute

rus.

He has made no mention of the large nervous trunks on both sides of the uterus, which accompany the uterine veins; nor has he noticed fasciculated transverse bands on the anterior and posterior surfaces of the uterus, connected with the hypogastric and spermatic

nerves.

"Observations made at the Cape of Good Hope, in the year 1838, with Bradley's Zenith Sector, for the verification of the amplitude of the Abbé de la Caille's Arc of the Meridian; by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty." By Thomas Maclear, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., &c. Communicated by Sir John Barrow, Bart., V.P.R.S., &c.

The author gives an account of the precautions taken in putting together the different parts of the zenith sector, which he received on the 9th of December, 1837, in erecting it in the central room of the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope, and in afterwards transferring it to the southern station of La Caille, in Cape Town. He then proceeds to describe La Caille's observatory, and the particular circumstances of its locality, with relation to the object in

view, namely to determine the influence of Table Mountain on the direction of the plumb-line. He next relates his progress to Klyp Fonteyn, where he arrived on the 24th of March, 1838, and describes the operations resorted to for erecting the sector at that place. He then enters into the details of observations made at different stations, and especially with comparative observations at the summit and foot of the mountain of Pequet Berg. The instrument was lastly conveyed back to Cape Town, and again examined, and the observations made with it repeated. The reduction of the observations occupies the remainder of the paper; and in conclusion, the author remarks, that although these labours have not altogether cleared up the anomaly of La Caille's arc, yet they show that great credit is due to that distinguished astronomer, who with imperfect means, and at the period in which he lived, arrived at a result, derived from sixteen stars, almost identical with that from 1139 observations on forty stars, made with a celebrated and powerful instrument.

December 19, 1839.

MAJOR SABINE, R.A., V.P., in the Chair.

Henry Drummond, Esq., was duly elected a Fellow of the Society.

A paper was read, entitled, " An account of experiments made with the view of ascertaining the possibility of obtaining a spark before the circuit of the Voltaic Battery is completed." By J. P. Gassiot, Esq.

The author of this paper adverts to the fact, of a spark invariably appearing when the circuit of the Voltaic Battery is completed; an effect which Dr. Faraday has shown can be easily produced, even with a single series. He then refers to the experiments of Mr. Children, Sir Humphry Davy, and Professor Daniell, recorded in the Philosophical Transactions; in which experiments, when more powerful and extended series were used, the spark was obtained before contact took place.

He de

In order to ascertain, not only the fact of a spark being obtained, but also the distance through which it may be passed, the author had an instrument prepared, which he denominates a Micrometer Electrometer, and by which an appreciable space of one five-thousandth of an inch could be measured with great accuracy. scribes this instrument; and relates several experiments which he made with a view to test the correctness of its action. He first prepared 160, and then 320 series of the constant battery, in halfpint porcelain cells, excited with solutions of sulphate of copper and muriate of soda; but although the effects, after the contact had been completed, were exceedingly brilliant, not the slightest spark could be obtained. He was equally unsuccessful with a water battery of 150 series, each series being placed in a quart glass vessel;

and also with a water battery belonging to Professor Daniell, consisting of 1020 series; but when a Leyden battery of nine jars was introduced into the circuit of the latter, sparks passed to the extent, in one instance, of six five-thousandths of an inch.

The author mentions his having been present at the experiment of Professor Daniell, on the 16th of February, 1839, when that gentleman had 70 series of his large constant battery in action; and having been witness of the powerful effects obtained by this apparatus, he was induced to prepare 100 series of precisely the same dimensions, and similarly excited: but although this powerful apparatus was used under every advantage, and the other effects produced were in every respect in accordance with the extent of the elements employed, still no spark could be obtained until the circuit was completed; even a single fold of a silk handkerchief, or a piece of dry tissue paper, was sufficient to insulate the power of a battery, which, after the circuit had been once completed, fused titanium, and heated 16 feet 4 inches of No. 20 platinum wire.

The author then describes a series of experiments made with induced currents. Twelve hundred and twenty iron wires, each insulated by resin, were bent into the form of a horse-shoe. A primary wire of 115 feet and a secondary of 2268 feet, were wound round the iron wires. With this arrangement he obtained a direct spark (through the secondary current), sufficient to pierce paper, to charge à Leyden jar, &c. Several forms of apparatus employed by the author are next described, and also a series of 10,000 of Jacubone's piles. With this arrangement he charged a Leyden battery to a considerable degree of intensity, and obtained direct sparks of threefiftieths of an inch in length. He ultimately succeeded in obtaining chemical decompositions of a solution of iodine and potassium, the iodine appearing at the end composed of the black oxide of manganese.

The Society then adjourned over the Christmas Vacation, to meet again on the 9th of January, 1840.

January 9, 1840.

JOHN WILLIAM LUBBOCK, Esq., V.P. and Treasurer, in the Chair.

John Augustus Lloyd, Esq., who, at the last Anniversary, had ceased to be a Fellow, from the non-payment of his annual contribution, was at this meeting re-admitted by ballot into the Society, agreeably to the provision of the Statutes.

James Whatman, Jun., Esq., M.A., was balloted for, and duly elected into the Society.

A paper was read, entitled, "On the construction and use of Single Achromatic Eye-Pieces, and their superiority to the double eye-piece of Huyghens." By the Rev. J. B. Reade, M.A., F.R.S.

The author observes, that experience has shown it to be impracticable to make a telescope even approach to achromatism, by employing the same object-glass with an astronomical, as with a terrestrial eye-piece for if the focus of the blue rays from the object-glass be thrown forwards, as it must be in order to make it impinge upon the focus of the blue rays of the terrestrial eye-glass, then there will be produced a great over-correction for the astronomical eye-glass ; and vice versa. Hence it appears that the application of Huyghenian eye-pieces to refracting telescopes, is incompatible with the conditions of achromatism, throughout the entire range of magnifying power; and that in reflecting telescopes they unavoidably introduce dispersion, because they are not in themselves achromatic. These defects the author proposes wholly to obviate, by substituting for the Huyghenian eye-pieces, single achromatic lenses of corresponding magnifying power; consisting of the well-known combination of the crown-lens, and its correcting flint-lens, having their adjacent surfaces cemented together; thus avoiding internal reflections, and enabling them to act as a single lens. The achromatic eye-pieces which he uses were made by Messrs. Tulley and Ross, and are of the description usually termed single cemented triples.

A paper was also read, entitled, "Meteorological Observations made between October, 1837, and April, 1839, at Alten in Finmarken." By Mr. S. H. Thomas, chief mining agent at the Alten Copper Works. Presented to the Royal Society by John R. Crowe, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Finmarken. Communicated by Major Edward Sabine, R.A., V.P.R.S.

This memoir consists of tables of daily observations of the barometer and thermometer, taken at 9 A.M., 2 P.M., and 9 P.M., with remarks on the state of the weather, at Kaafjord, in latitude 69° 58′ 3′′ north, and longitude 23° 43′ 10′′ east of Paris.

January 16, 1840.

JOHN WILLIAM LUBBOCK, Esq., V.P. and Treasurer, in the Chair.

A paper was read, entitled, " On Nobili's Plate of Colours; in a Letter from J. P. Gassiot, Esq., addressed to J. W. Lubbock, Esq., V.P. and Treasurer R.S." Communicated by J. W. Lubbock, Esq.

The effect produced by the late Signor Nobili, of inducing colours on a steel plate, excited the curiosity of the author, and led him to the invention of the following method of producing similar effects. Two of Professor Daniell's large constant cells were exci

ted with the usual solutions of sulphate of copper and sulphuric acid. A highly-polished steel plate was placed in a porcelain soup-plate, and a filtered solution of acetate of lead poured upon it. A piece of card-board, out of which the required figures had been previously cut with a sharp knife, was then placed upon a steel-plate. Over the card, and resting on it, there was fixed a ring of wood, a quarter of an inch thick, and the inner circumference of which was of the same size as the figure. A convex copper-plate was made so that its outer edge might rest on the inner part of the wooden ring; and its centre placed near, but not in actual contact with the card-board. Connexion was then made by the positive electrode of the battery with the steel-plate; the negative being placed in the centre of the copper convex plate. The figure was generally obtained in from 15 to 35 seconds. If a concave, instead of a convex plate be used, the same colours are obtained as in the former experiment, but in an inverse order.

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Geographical position of the principal points of the Triangulations of the Californias and of the Mexican coasts of the Pacific, with the heights of the principal points of that part of the Cordilleras." By the Comte Vincent Piccolomini; in a letter addressed to Sir John F. W. Herschel, Bart., V.P.R.S. Communicated by Sir John Herschel.

Hauteurs des principaux points des Cordilleres, des côtes de l'Océan Pacifique du Mexique, et de la haute et basse Californie.

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