304 Royal Institution of Great Britain. 



prove, that it originated in the long continued and consistent ope- 

 ration of powerful causes, acting simultaneously in distant parts of 

 the earth. 



PROCEEDINGS AT THE FRIDAY EVENING MEETINGS OF THE 

 ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Feb. 22. — The progress of printing by machines, from the im- 

 provement of the press by Lord Stanhope, to the present time, was 

 briefly traced by Mr. Cowper, who at the same time illustrated the 

 various inventions by drawings, models, arid many of the working 

 parts of the present machines : after which a more particular account 

 was given of the machines invented by Mr. Kcenig and perfected by 

 himself and Mr.Applegath*, and of the one recently erected at The 

 Times newspaper office. The extraordinary speed of this machine 

 is such, that 4000 impressions on one side can betaken in one hour. 

 The disposition of the form, inking apparatus, paper rollers, and 

 conveying tapes, were explained upon models and sections. 



The library contained a variety of interesting objects, and espe- 

 cially several productions of the fine arts. 



Feb. 29.—Mr. S. Solly, jun. gave an illustrated account of the 

 analogies and differences between the skeletons of man and birds. 

 The accordance between the skeletons was first pointed out, and 

 that of man referred to as a standard ; and then the departures and 

 differences in different animals, with the effects thereby produced, 

 were explained. 



March 7. — Supplementary remarks on the subject of February 

 JSth, — i. e. the reciprocation of sound, — were given by Mr. Faraday. 

 New cases of reciprocation were adduced, and illustrated ; especially 

 of one column of air by another, and of beats and chords by co- 

 lumns of air. The formation of the grave harmonic was referred 

 to, and cases of its reciprocation mentioned : and the theory before 

 laid down relative to the Jews-harp, experimentally proved by an 

 apparatus consisting of a column of air in a tube which could be 

 lengthened or shortened at pleasure, and before which a Jews- 

 harp was firmly fixed and made to vibrate. This apparatus gave 

 all the sounds which could be produced by the mouth, at the same 

 time that the columns reciprocating to the tongue of the instrument 

 could be measured. 



Presents : Works of art, specimens of paper prepared in France 

 from straw, and other objects, were laid upon the library table. 



March 14. — Mr. Turrell, the engraver, gave an account of the 

 latest improvements in etching upon steel. He illustrated the pro- 

 cesses of laying a ground etching, rebiting, &c. ; of ascertaining 

 whether the plates were in a proper state ; of preparing peculiar 

 menstruums for biting in steel, and many others which constitute 

 the latest improvements of the arts. He showed the application 

 of etching upon steel to the manufacture of graving tools, which 



* We believe that all printing-machines which have hitherto been pro- 

 duced since Mr. Koenig's original invention, have been varied applications 

 and combinations of his principles. — Edit. 



could 



