' British Association, 385 



Science ; and tliat at the same College, and at Christ Church and 

 Queen's, scholarships and exhibitions had been provided for stu- 

 dents who evince during their examinations the greatest aptitude 

 for such studies. Moreover, the acquisition of a Radcliflfe travelling 

 Fellowship has been made to depend upon obtaining distinction 

 in the School of Natural Science. In addition to all this, that bene- 

 ficent and enlightened lady, Miss Burdett Coutts, has founded two 

 Scholarships, with the view of extending among the clergy educated 

 at the University a knowledge of Geology. Great hopes are justly 

 excited in the minds of all well-wishers to the University by these 

 events, and by reflection on the great change of opinion which 

 must have taken place since the period when Dr Kidd, with the 

 aid of Dr. Daubeny, Mr. Greswell and others, in vain attempted to 

 raise a small sum, by private subscription, for building a modest 

 receptacle for the various collections of Natural History. How little 

 could these public-spirited individuals have foreseen, that within 

 a few short years a sum approaching to 100,000?. would be appro- 

 priated to the building and furnishing that splendid monument of 

 Oxford's good will to science, the New Museum ! 



Astronomy, 



At the beginning of the year 1820, when the Astronomical 

 Society was founded, the private Observatories in this country were 

 very few in number. The establishment of that Society gave a 

 most remarkable stimulus to the cultivation of the science which it 

 was intended to promote. I can give no better proof of this than 

 the fact that the Nautical Almanac now contains a list of no less 

 than twelve private Observatories in the United Kingdom, at 

 nearly all of which some good work has been done ; and in ad- 

 dition to this, Fome Observatories, which have been since discon- 

 tinued, have performed most important services — I may instance 

 that of the two Herschels at Slough, and that of Admiral Smyth 

 at Bedford. 



It may not be uninteresting if I describe the nature and utility 

 of some of the results which these several establishments have 

 furnished to the world : I say the world advisedly, for scientific 

 facts are the common inheritance of all mankind. 



But first a word as to the peculiar province of the observa- 

 tories which are properly called "public," such as the far-famed 

 Institution at Greenwich. Their task is now more peculiarly to 

 establish, with the last degree of accuracy, the places of the prin- 



