F.R.S. and L.S.20. Characters of Hookeria, a new genus of mosses, with descriptions often species, by James Edward Smith, M.D. F.R.S. P.L.S.21. Description of notoclea, a new genus of coleopterous insects from New Holland, by Thomas Marsham, Esq. Tr. L.S.22. Some remarks on the plants now referred to sophora, with characters of the genus Edwardsia, by R. A. Salisbury, Esq.23. Characters of platylobium, bossicœa, and of a new genus named poireta, by James Edward Smith, M.D. F.R.S. P.L.S.24. Musci nepalenses, or descriptions of several new mosses from Nepal, by W. Jackson Hooker, Esq. F.L.S.25. Extracts from the minute-book of the Linnean Society of Londoncatalogue of the library of the Linnean Societylist of donors to the library of the Linnean Society.
ROYAL SOCIETY.
This society assembled after the summer vacation on Thursday, Nov. 10, 1808, the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, president, in the chair. The secretary read a summary of M. de Luc’s paper on the action of electricity and galvanism, or the electroscopical agency of electric and galvanic matter. In this paper M. de Luc proved, that the galvanic and electric fluid are essentially the same: he also stated, that it passes through bodies without producing any chemical changes, unless the bodies were previously prepared and the electricity highly concentrated.
November 17—24. The Croonian lecture on the muscles of the heart and the motion of the blood, by Dr. Young (Foreign Sec. R. S.) was read. This lecture was a continuation of the author’s former paper on the motion of fluids in elastic or flexible tubes. Dr. Y. took a view of the nature of fever, and its effects on the blood. He also gave a theory of mortification, which the Germans call a "cold burning.”
A paper by Mr. Childers was read, containing some observations and experiments on the most economical means of constructing very powerful galvanic batteries.
WERNERIAN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.
At the meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society, 1st Aug. Dr. James Ogilby of Dublin, read a very interesting account of the mineralogy of East Lothian, which appeared to have been drawn up from a series of observations, made with great skill, and was illustrated by a suite of 350 specimens laid upon the table. It is only by investigations like those of Dr. Ogilby, that we obtain any certainty respecting the mineral treasures of a country; and such alone can afford us data for a legitimate theory of the formation of the globe.
At the same meeting a communication from Colonel Montagu was read, describing a new species of fasciola, of a red colour, and about an inch long, which sometimes lodges in the trachea of chickens, and which the colonel found to be the occasion of the distemper called the gapes, so fatal to these useful tenants of the poultry-yard. The knowledge of the true cause of this malady will, it is hoped, soon be followed by the discovery of a specific cure; in the mean time, a very simple, popular remedy is employed in Devonshire: the meat of the
