48 Transactions of the 



pe^alia verba and meaniugless lists of names, aDpear something 

 hit^her, somethinsf more living, something more worthy of study — 

 even in its most intricate refinements — than it did before ? 



"VVe nil love flowers, but many of us hate Botany, not, I know, from 

 any dislike of hard work — a charge which I cannot bring against this 

 school — but either from ignorance of the ends to be obtained by its 

 study, or of the method of study employed, or else from an ill-founded 

 prejudice that Botany destroys all the beauty of flowers, and robs 

 them of their poetry. 



Let Goethe, the poet, answer for the poetry. I myself will answer for 

 it that tor me there is far more beauty in the lily of the valley, the rose of 

 the hedgerow, or the gentian of the Alpine pasture, since I learned the 

 meaning of those words of King David the poet — '' The works of the 

 Lord are great, sought out of all them that take pleasure therein." 



A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Wollaston for his paper. 



W. J. Bean then read Part I. of his paper on " Iceland." 



MEETIXG, November 27th, 1873. 

 The President in the Chair. 



The fifth meeting of the term was held in the Physical Lecture 

 Room. There were Thirty-five members present. 



W. J. Bean then read Part IL of his paper on " Iceland." 



The President announced that Mr. Fry would give a lecture on 

 Electricity, in the Big School, on Tuesday, December 9 th. 



MEETING, December 9th, 1873. 

 The President in the Chair. 



The sixth meeting of the term was held in the Big School. There 

 were 475 members and visitors present. 



Mr. Fry then gave a most interesting lecture on 



THE RUBMKORFP COIL AND THE 

 ELECTRIC DISCBARGE THROUGH RAREFIED MEDIA. 



The universe is built up of material atoms, and we have every 

 reason to l)elieve that space, as infinite as eternity, is full — that there 

 is no absolute void— that an absolute vacuum is an impossibility. 

 "■ Abharit nat ura varuum" is true, in a sense that he who first uttered 

 the dictum never dreamt of. 



