General Science. 369 



greater perfection its late produce. Mr Montgomery states, that the trees 

 produce finer fruit in this way than if they were all of one sort. Mr Sa- 

 bine, the able secretary to the society, recommends the adoption of this 

 plan in England, on the ground that, " as few families can consume the 

 entire produce of a full-sized, well-managed pear-tree of any one kind, 

 much waste would be avoided, as well as more variety for the table secured, 

 if every tree on a wall were worked with two or more kinds." 



IV. GENERAL SCIENCE. 



48. Effect of Moonlight on the Eyes.— The effect of the moonlight on 

 the eyes in Egypt is singularly injurious ; the natives tell you, as I found 

 afterwards they also did in Arabia, to cover your eyes when you sleep in 

 the open air. The moon in Egypt strikes and affects the sight, when you 

 sleep exposed to it, much more than the sun ; a fact of which I had a 

 very unpleasant proof one night, and took care to guard against it after- 

 wards ; indeed, the sight of a person who should sleep with his face ex- 

 posed at night would soon be utterly impaired or destroyed. — Carne's 

 Letters from the East. 



49. The Royal Medals for 1826 adjudged to Mr Dalton and Mr 

 Ivory. — The Royal Society of London, on the 30th November 1826, ad- 

 judged one of the Royal Medals to Mr John Dalton " for his develope- 

 ment of the chemical theory of definite proportions, and for his various 

 other labours in chemical science ; and the other to James Ivory, Esq. 

 for his papers on the figures of the planets, on astronomical refractions, 

 and other mathematical illustrations of important parts of astronomy." 



In announcing these adjudications, we cannot avoid expressing our 

 doubts of the propriety of the principle which the Society has adopted. 

 Of the illustrious individuals on whom that honour has been conferred, 

 we have the most exalted opinion. They are the proudest ornaments of 

 English science, and ought to have received from a grateful country re- 

 wards much more substantial than honorary laurels. Fame has long 

 since consigned their names to immortality, and it seems to us to be an anti- 

 climax in honour to place at this late period a disc of gold upon their shrine. 

 We had imagined that the royal medals were granted as a stimulus to new 

 discoveries, and not as a reward for old ones, and we are sure that, while the 

 existing principle continues to be recognized, no young philosopher will, 

 under the influence of these honours, make any great effort at discovery. 



Dr Wollaston and Dr Young must receive the royal medals for 1827; 

 the Bishop of Cloyne and Mr Pond must receive them for 1828 ; Mr 

 Herscheland Mr Babbage for 1829 ; Mr Troughton and Captain Kater for 

 1830, Dr Thomson and Dr Henry for 1831 ; and Mr Barlow and Mr Christie 

 for 1832. These gifted individuals, who are placed at the head of English 

 science, merit every honour that the Royal Society can bestow ; but every 

 aspirant after scientific fame would thus be struck out of the list of com- 

 petitors for the royal prize, till all the veterans of science had received that 

 distinguished honour. 



VOL. VI. NO. II. APRIL 1827. a a 



