| PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS, GIVING SOME ACCOUNT or THE relent Undertakings, Studies, and Labours, or THE INGENIOUS, IN MANY Confiderable Parts of the WORLD, VOL. LXI. Forthe Year 1771. PART LONDON: Printed for LOCKYER DAVIS, in Holic,LIBER FEOOLES. CATH. DVNELM. ADVERTISEMENT. JHE Commites appointed by the Roya! Society Fe cicd be potioutn of the Plaboec: ‘ranfathons, ake shia opportunity to acquaint the Public, that it folly appears, as well from the council~ books and journals of the Society, as from repeated declarations, which have been sade in feveral for- mer Traylitios, that the printing of elem «as al- ‘ways, from time to time, the fingle at of the re- Spebtive Secretaries, till the Forty-feventh Volume. Aaa this information was thought the more neceffry notonly 2 it has been the common opinion, that th ‘were publihed by the authority, and under the di reétion, of the Society itfelfs but alfo, becaule feveral pein athoe end ana bao in ingp called them: the: Zrazfacons of ccety. ‘Whereas jn truth-the Society, a5 a body, never did interoft emfelves any forther in their publication, than by. occatianally, recommending. the revival of them t@ fomne of theie Secretaries whe, from the par- ticular cccumftances of their firs, the Trgftions had happened for any Jength of time ta be intermited. ‘And.this feems principally to have: been done with & view to, ftsfy che Public, that their ultal mestings ‘were then continued for the imptovement of know= ledge, and benefit of mankind, the grext ends of their fief nfttation by the Royal Charters, and which they Ihave ever Gnce fkeadily purfued. “Bue dig Society being of late yeare greatly inlarged, and theit communications more mimerous, it was thought advifeable, that a Committee of their Mea- ‘bere thoold be appointed to reconfider the papers read before them, and felect out of them fuch, as they az thouldADVERTISEMENT. Shon judge mol proper fr pblieon inthe fare ‘Tranfaetions: which was accordingly done upon the -26chof March 1752. And the grounds oftheir choice are, and willcontinie to bey the importance or fingu- larity of the fabjeéts, oF the advantageous mannee of treating them; without pretending to anfver for the certainty of the fas, oF propriety of the reafonings, contained in the-Sevéra! popers fo publifted, which ‘mutt fil reft on the creditor jadgment of their re fpeétive authors. ‘Tes lkewie ncceflry on this occalion to rematle, that it isan eftablihed rule of the Society, to which they will always adhere, never to'give their opinion, asa body, uponany fat, either of Nature or Art, that comes before them, And therefore the thanks, which are frequently propoted from the chai, to be gen tothe ators of fc papery ae read a their accuftomed meetings, ot tothe perfons throught whofe hands they seceive them, aze co be contdered fn no other light then as a mater of evility, in. re= tur, for the tefpeét thewn to the Society’ by. thofe ‘comnnicitions. ‘The tke alfa is to tbe aid with regard. to the fevetal prijetts, inventions, and curiow fies of vatious kinds, which are often exhibited to the Society. the authors whereof, or thofe who ex= hibit them, frequently take the liberty to-report, and even to cettifyrin, the: public, news-papess that they. have met with the higheft appleufe and: approbation. ‘And therefore itis hoped, that no togerd will heré- after be paid 20 feck reports, aad public notices; which in fome inflances have been, too lightly cre= dited, to the dihonour of the Society. CON- Cv CONTENTS TO VoL LXE L. PREMARKS spin the Nature of the. Soil of RU Nise ond (0 Neghbsrled! ine Lee from the Honourable Wiliaps Hamilton, Hic Ma ls Envoy Extraordinary. at Naples, to Mathew “May, M.D. Sec. R:S: per Mi. Bstredl of anoiker Losier, from Mr. Hamiiton, 10 Dr. Mary, on ebe fame Subject. p48 ML. 4 Litter from Dr. Franklyo, F.R. 8, to ie “Afranomer Royals containing an Obforoatio of the Tranft of Mieccury. cver the Sun, November otb 1769: By Joba Winthrop, Efps FR. S. ollifan Profefir of Mathematics asd Nataral PLilyfiphy at Cambridge, New England. St IV, OSfervations on the Heat of the Ground on Moiet Vetovos: 2 Join Howat, Zip E.R. ps sa