234 Proceedings of the British Association for [Sept. 



court observed,that from the occurrences in the Sections, not only were 

 new subjects remarked, but the spirit in which these discoveries made 

 was also shewn. The members also derived incitement to new exer- 

 tions, from the kindness with which they had been treated in every 

 place, and surely in none more than the metropolis of Ireland. The 

 Association offered important means for facilitating discoveries in 

 science, and for awarding the just meed of approbation to the talents 

 of distinguished philosophers. It was said to Doctor Black, by a 

 friend, " How do you happen to have made important discoveries, 

 and then stop short instead of completing those inventions, as 

 Priestley and Watt have done. " They have not escaped me," 

 was the reply, " but I am afraid of the reviewers." The reviewers 

 might formerly have had the power to depress merit, but they 

 could not do so any longer. If any man was too modest to give 

 an account of his scientific proceedings to the Section, another 

 member would be prepared to act as a deputy, in order to get 

 that praise awarded to him which he might happen to deserve. 

 There were numerous other points in which the merits of the 

 Association could be considered, but time did not allow him to 

 dilate upon them. Mr. Harcourt read the names of the individuals 

 appointed as officers for the year. Treasurer, Mr. John Taylor — 

 General Secretaries, Mr. V. Harcourt and Mr. Baillie — Assistant 

 General Secretary, Professor Phillips — Secretaries, Dr. Turner and 

 Mr. Yates. Mr. Taylor, the treasurer, gave a statement of the 

 funds of the society. On the 30th of July last there was cash in 

 the treasurer's hands to the amount of <£ 509. — in the stocks £2361. 

 and unsold copies of works about £ 560. In Dublin the treasurer 

 had received 1228 subscribers, and £ 1750, together with an addi- 

 tional sura of £ 94, for books sold, making the total income £5214. 

 The expenses and sums due by the Association were probably £1000, 

 leaving a clear property of £4,214. It was gratifying to state that the 

 receipts of the preceding year in Edinburgh were £ 1,626, while in 

 Dublin they amounted to £ 1,750. It was also very pleasing to be 

 able to state that grants for the advancement of science, of £ 1,700 

 had been placed this year at the disposal of the comtnittee. 



This sum was distributed as follows : £ 500 for a duplicate reduc- 

 tion of the astronomical observations made at L'Ecole Militaire of 

 Paris ; £ 100 for determining the constant of lunar notation ; £ 100 

 for observations on the temperature of the tide ; £250 for continuing 

 tidal observations at Liverpool and the port of London ; £ 100 for 

 tlie advancement of Meteorology ; £ 30 for the continuation of 

 Professor Wheatstone's experiments ; £ 30 for reducing to practice 

 Dr. Jerrard's plan for solving equations of the 5th or higher degrees; 

 £20 to Mr. Johnston for completing tables of chemical constants; 

 £ 30 to Mr. Fairburn for experiments on the hot and cold blasts for 

 iron works; £ 105 for prosecuting researches in British fossil Ich- 

 thyology ; £ 50 for researches into the absorbents ; £ 50 for exa- 

 mining the sounds of the heart. 



Saturday Evenin<^, \5th August. — Dr, Barry gave an account 

 of his ascent to Mount Blanc. He mentioned that 20 persons only 

 have reached the summit of the mountain, and of these 12 were 

 Englishmen. 



