The late President of the Royal Society, Davies Gilbert, Esq. requested the assistance of his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury and of the Bishop of London, in determining upon the best mode of carrying into effect the intentions of the Testator. Acting with their advice, and with the concurrence of a nobleman immediately connected with the deceased, Mr. Davies Gilbert appointed the following eight gentlemen to write separate Treatises on the different branches of the subject as here stated:

THE REV. THOMAS CHALMERS, D.D.

PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH.

ON THE POWER, WISDOM, AND GOODNess of god
AS MANIFESTED IN THE ADAPTATION
OF EXTERNAL NATURE TO THE MORAL AND
INTELLECTUAL CONSTITUTION OF MAN.

JOHN KIDD, M. D. F. R. S.

REGIUS PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.

ON THE ADAPTATION OF EXTERNAL NATURE TO THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF MAN.

THE REV. WILLIAM WHEWELL, M. A. F. R. S.

FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

ASTRONOMY AND GENERAL PHYSICS CONSIDERED WITH REFERENCE TO NATURAL THEOLOGY.

SIR CHARLES Bell, K. G.H. F. R. S. L. & E. THE HAND: ITS MECHANISM AND VITAL ENDOWMENTS AS EVINCING DESIGN.

PETER MARK ROGET, M.D.

FELLOW OF AND SECRETARY TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

ON ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY.

xi

THE REV. WILLIAM BUCKLAND, D.D. F.R. S.

CANON OF CHRIST CHURCH, AND PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.

ON GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY.

THE REV. WILLIAM KIRBY, M. A. F.R.S.

ON THE HISTORY, HABITS, AND INSTINCTS OF ANIMALS.

WILLIAM PROUT, M.D. F. R.S.

CHEMISTRY, METEOROLOGY, AND THE FUNCTION OF DIGESTION, CONSIDERED WITH REFERENCE TO NATURAL THEOLOGY.

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF SUSSEX, President of the Royal Society, having desired that no unnecessary delay should take place in the publication of the above mentioned Treatises, they will appear at short intervals, as they are ready for publication.

CONTENTS.

[Within the last few years, several works have been published
in this Country on subjects more or less closely approaching to
that here treated. It may, therefore, be not superfluous to say
that the Author of the following pages believes that he has not
borrowed any of his views or illustrations from recent English
writers on Natural Theology.]

55

VI. The Constancy and Variety of Climates ..

VII. The Variety of Organization corresponding

to the Variety of Climate

VIII. The Constituents of Climate.

The Laws of Heat with respect to the Earth

62

75

76

IX. The Laws of Heat with respect to Water.. 80

Page

X. The Laws of Heat with respect to Air.... 96
XI. The Laws of Electricity

XIII. The Properties of Light with regard to

XII. The Laws of Magnetism

Vegetation

XIV. Sound.....

XV. The Atmosphere

110

113

115

117

125

CHAP. I. The Structure of the Solar System ...

150

II. The Circular Orbits of the Planets round the

VIII. The Existence of a Resisting Medium in the

IX. Mechanical Laws

Solar System

X. The Law of Gravitation

XI. The Laws of Motion

XII. Friction

BOOK III. RELIGIOUS VIEWS

CHAP. I. The Creator of the Physical World is the

Governor of the Moral World

II. On the Vastness of the Universe

191

210

214

231

238

.. 251

254

268

III. On Man's Place in the Universe

279

IV. On the Impression produced by the Contem-
plation of Laws of Nature; or on the
Conviction that Law Implies Mind .... 293
V. On Inductive Habits; or, on the Impres-
sion produced on Men's Minds by dis-
covering Laws of Nature.

303