SKETCH OF JAMES CLERK MAXWELL. 119 



statics, and contributed in 1869 a paper on the subject, under the title 

 " On Reciprocal Figures, Forms, and Diagrams of Forces," to the Royal 

 Society of Edinburgh. Besides his numerous articles giving the results 

 of investigations, a few only of which are above mentioned, he con- 

 tributed to the " Encyclopaedia BritanniSa " the articles " Atom," " At- 

 traction," " Capillary Action," " Constitution of Bodies," " Diagrams," 

 "Diffusion," "Ether," "Faraday," and "Harmonic Analysis." Of 

 the works published by Professor Maxwell, that on " Electricity and 

 Magnetism " is his most important, giving the results of his labori- 

 ous life in this department of physics. Besides this, a work on " The 

 Theory of Heat," and a small text-book on " Matter and Motion " have 

 been published by him. To these must be added his recently pub- 

 lished volume on the " Electrical Researches of the Hon. Henry Cav- 

 endish," which he has eni'iched with copious and valuable notes. 



Of his more important pieces of experimental work, that connected 

 with the determination of the British Association Unit of Electric Re- 

 sistance and his verification of Ohm's law made by him at the Caven- 

 dish Laboratory, should be here mentioned. 



Professor Maxwell was Fellow of the Royal Societies of Edinburgh 

 and London, and of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and a vo- 

 luminous contributor to their " Transactions." In 1872 he was elected 

 Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and in the same year 

 was created honorary LL. D. of Edinburgh, while in 1876 he received 

 the honorary degree of D. C. L. at Oxford. He was appointed hono- 

 rary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of Bos- 

 ton, in 1874 ; member of the American Philosophical Society of Phila- 

 delphia, 1875 ; and honorary member of the New York Academy of 

 Sciences in 1876. He was also correspondent in the mathematical 

 class to the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Gottingen ; corresponding 

 member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Vienna ; and associate 

 of the Amsterdam Royal Academy of Sciences. 



Professor Maxwell did not confine himself to scientific research and 

 exposition, but occasionally appeared in the field of literature with 

 poetic effusions of a satirical character on scientific subjects. 



Professor Tait, in his review in " Nature " of Professor Maxwell's 

 work, hopes "that these scattered gems may be collected and pub- 

 lished, for they are of the very highest interest, as the work during 

 leisure hours of one of the most piercing intellects of modern times. 

 Every one of them contains evidence of close and accurate thought, 

 and many are in the happiest form of epigram." Two samples of this 

 poetic work are given by Professor Tait, one of which we append : 



"To follow my thoughts as they go on, 

 Electrodes I'd place in my brain ; 

 Nay, I'd swallow a live entozoon, 

 New feelings of life to obtain." 



