CRITICAL REVIEW. For JANUARY, 1797. Philofophical Tranfactions of the Royal Society of London. Fr the Year 1796. Part I. 4to. 9s. 6d. Sewed. Elmfly. 1796. THE HE Philofophical Transactions for the prefent year do not make fo fplendid an appearance as thofe of the laft; but if in the eyes of fome of the members there may be wanting decoration from plates, the scientific reader will begin to flatter himself with the hopes of finding more folid information in the future volumes of this work, than the plan of the fociety for fome years paft feemed to admit. We can allow for one or two trifling papers on the gold mines of Ireland, if they are fucceeded by the folid remarks of an Atwood; the experiments on the eye and light promife to extend our knowledge on two difficult fubjects; and though we should have been more pleafed with feeing L'Huilier's treatise in Englifh, the infertion of the language of an hoftile republic into the Tranfactions may lead to a conjecture that the interests of science will not be facrificed to national prejudices; and that at leaft there is one community in the world, who are votaries of peace, the commonwealth of letters. Art. I. The Croonian Lecture on Muscular Motion. By Everard Home, Efq. F. R. S. The first paper contains a farther examination of the nature of the eye; and fome very ingenious experiments are defcribed, for ascertaining the change in the curvature of the cornea. • The refult of this inquiry, which has not been confined to the fupport of any particular theory, but carried on with the fole view of difcovering the truth, appears to be, that the adjustment of the eye is produced by three different changes in that organ; an increase of curvature in the cornea, an elongation of the axis of vi fion, and a motion of the cryftalline lens. Thefe changes in a great measure depend upon the contraction of the four ftraight mufcles of the eye. Mr. Ramiden has been good enough to make a computation, CRIT, REV. VOL. XIX. January, 1797. B by |